What are your thoughts about natural childbirth?

I don't think you'll like my answer, but here it is: I don't think it's a big deal. Do I understand why one would opt for a C-section? NO! I'd never do it myself, I heard they hurt a hundred times more than any natural delivery and the recovery is incredibly slow. But I still believe delivering a healthy child must be the main objective so I really don't care if someone chooses to have their baby delivered via a C. Their choice. You can't force someone to go through something if they have other options that are just as safe if not safer. Where does it say HOW a child should enter the world? What is this, religion? My child, my body, my choice, so there. Don't like C-sections? Don't have one. But leave others and their choices the heck alone. And on your point of being terrified, one ESPECIALLY shouldn't be forced into something if they're terrified of it. And no, for some people all that hypnosis preparation nonsense just doesn't work. I tried hypnosis to get over a phobia I have... which I won't disclose, point is they tried everything and nothing works. Wouldn't you say being terrified and all that comes with it is a darn serious threat to an unborn child? Really, a C-section is probably the most fool-proof surgery a doctor can ever perform, so enough alredy about how terrible they are.

Jade, you have an interesting way of debating: you say you don't believe something exists, then when someone offers you information to show you that it does exist, you say "well...it doesn't matter anyway."

If none of this mattered to you, you wouldn't be here.

If a woman truly desires major abdominal surgery to bring her baby into the world, that's her business. I believe all women should have the right to give birth the way they see fit--even if it's not a choice I would ever make for myself.

CDMR accounts for a very small percentage of the overall c-section rate, so I don't spend too much time worrying about it. What I *do* worry about are the unnecessary/unwanted c-sections that occur.

I will continue to educate women about their options and how to best avoid major surgery, because the women that come to me care a great deal how their babies are brought into the world. Those are the women I will continue to advocate for.

Lisa

"you say you don't believe something exists, then when someone offers you information to show you that it does exist, you say "well...it doesn't matter anyway.""

I don't see what you mean. I never said it was completely impossible. All I said was that _I_ never heard of anyone who's had a C-section by choice. And according to you, neither have you. It may happen but it's not commonplace. No, it doesn't matter to me that some women choose it do. It wouldn't have mattered whether or not I knew people were having them. You seem to be concentrating on specifics while my opinions refer to the actual CONCEPT, that concept being "a woman should be able to do what she chooses with her own body". How does what I said not fit within that belief?

"If none of this mattered to you, you wouldn't be here."

Well, OF COURSE it matters to me! It matters to me that some people think it's their right to tell others how to have babies. It matters to me that people badmouth doctors for retarded reasons. It matters to me that women go for dangerous feats (like giving birth to a footing breech outside of hospital) and act like they did something worth the Nobel Prize while belittling those who as much as whisper the words "episiotomy" or "epidural".

"If a woman truly desires major abdominal surgery to bring her baby into the world, that's her business."

This is where you contradict yourself, Lisa. You say this, but then you say you "worry about the unnecessary/unwanted c-sections that occur." What IS unnecessary? What one woman considers necessary may not be necessary to you, and wise versa. What if you educate a woman to the best of your ability and she still chooses to give birth via a method YOU consider unnecessary? Does that mean you've failed in educating her? Or does that mean that maybe, JUST MAYBE, some women ARE educated and still make choices YOU don't like? Why should you be the one to determine what's necessary/unnecessary? A friend of mine had 5 kids all via C-section. All her kids are doing super. What the heck does it matter how they got here?

Once again, you're talking specific situations. Your friend had 5 c-sections. Good for her. I'm glad she and the babies are all healthy.

When I talk about unnecessary cesareans, I'm not talking about specific cases: I'm talking about a general upward trend of increasing numbers of c-sections without improved fetal and maternal outcomes. It's a known fact that c-sections are easier for doctors, rarley get taken to court, and they cost more money. I *know* there are unnecessary c-sections. I want to help women avoid surgery whenever possible. And that's exactly what I do as a childbirth educator. Why is that so unacceptable? I don't know everything, but I know enough to know "enough is enough".

I care because I've chosen to care. I don't want my daughter and potential grand-daughters to grow up in a world where surgical birth is the norm.

Lisa

My first child, I had drugs - painkillers and epidurals. I felt like I missed the whole thing. It took me a long time to recover, and my son was born with a conehead from the suction cup.
My second child, I went natural. The recovery was short - but it hurt like hell.
This time - I'm going for a painkiller cocktail - just enough to take the edge off, but no epidural preventing me from pushing and experiencing my baby's birth.
I have no desire to experience 'natural childbirth' again - after all, a little Demerol won't make my child's birth UNnatural!

When I went into the hospital to have my first son, I had the idea in my head that I would go Natural, especially because I'm not a fan of any kind of pain killers (I wont' take tylenol). After about an hour of Contractions 3 mins apart I broke, and got an epidural, I just could think with the pain and I couldn't rest. The epidural saved my sanity. I dont' think anyone is any less of a woman if they have an epi. But also keep in mind if you don't want to be completely numb you can always have painkillers in moderate doses through an iv. It makes it a little more bearable, but still lets you feel a little more pain, and there for you know what's going on in your body.

I had a wonderful natural childbirth and used a doula. She was amazing, helpful, comforting and was great in suggesting things to help me cope with labor. My husband was so thankful for her prescence that he sent her flowers when we came home! I felt really empowered by the experience, and it was such a normal and natural thing, not a medical birth. I do believe that the epidural is a wonderful thing to have and can be very useful for many situations though!

[jjacinto2001]

I had my first child with drugs and my second child natural. Honestly I was on in labor and birthing for about 20 minutes so i can honestly say that if you are in labor for more then 2 hours drugs are the way to go but if your like me and pop children out in 20 minutes then either way isnt bad. My friend laid in dry labor with her child for 6 hours and she was having it natural and she kept asking for drugs but the people told her it was to late. so she had to deal with it and she said she would never do that again. So it is really up to your pain level on how you want to have your child.

[MamaQuest]

Personally, I think a lot of how open-minded you should be depends on why you are looking at the options in the first place. Each person should look at the accurate statistics for any complications of medication that might be significant to them (i.e. if being paralyzed is a major fear, look at actual numbers, or if less responsive baby is a worry, same), and be sure you look more than one place for those numbers. Then, decide for yourself what is "acceptable risk" for you, vs. your dislike of the idea.

For me, it would take an obvious risk to my child during labor (such as an extremely long labor that led to me being too exhausted to push, or pitocin-induction which would stress me too much to dilate due to personal issues) to overcome the information I've found on epidural and spinal morbidity (not mortality) rates. I've now had 5 children without medication, because, FOR ME, the risks of medication outweighed their benefits. I do wish more women took time to accurately research their options, to make truly informed decisions, but... perhaps those who choose not to research have decided even the perceived risks of medication could in no way outweigh their desire not to feel the "agony" of childbirth.

For those who go in with what many call an open mind, having neither armed themselves with information either way, or taken a stand other than "I've heard... so I'm going to try natural," I would encourage you to look closer at your reasons, and find what you truly believe, one way or another. If what you want is best outcome for you and baby, make sure you know what you consider best outcome, and what would change the pathway to "best" from one side to the other. The only "medal" you get for childbirth is from your heart, knowing you did all you knew to achieve the best for you and your child.

Knowledge is Power.

[nitcoato73]

Some people feel that Cesarean is the only way not to have a child naturally while others feel it's not natural if the mother uses pain relief during labor. What are your opinions? I'm just curious.