Women fight to take back natural childbirth

When I was pregnant with my daughter (14 mos), I went back to the ob/gyn group that I had used years ago because I didn't want to travel 45 minutes to the group I was using currently, and I didn't want to have to travel even farther to give birth in the hospital they used. I started going, and saw the midwife for my prenatals. They told me that she only did the prenatals and did not deliver babies (huh?), and I would likely have Dr. so and so at my birth. When I met Dr. SoandSo, he breezed into the exam room, limply shaked my hand, and avoiding all eye contact, said, Hi, I'm Dr. Soandso, how are you? He actually sounded BORED. He sat down, and without looking at me, rattled off a bunch of questions. When he was finished, he stood up and said, "So before I do the exam, got any questions?" I asked if he was going to be the one to deliver my baby. To which he replied, in a curt tone, "Well, I am NOT on call 24 HOURS A DAY, but yeah, probably." I thought to myself, with that attitude, I would rather give birth in the hospital parking lot. I changed to a wonderful midwife, who was partners with a wonderful doctor who provided a midwife model of care. I wish that I had told Dr. SoandSo exactly what I thought of his attitude, but when the receptionist asked me why I was changing practices, I just made up some story about our insurance not covering their hospital (partially true at the time). I drove by their office the other day, and I noticed that his name was not on the sign anymore, so I guess he's no longer practicing with them.
I spent most of my pregnancy thinking I may have to have a c section because of placenta previa. I stayed with my midwife, and saw a perinatalogist once a month. I was able to have a vaginal birth, in a hospital, with my midwife. I had an epi, after a 20 minute long contraction, that stretched into nearly 40 minutes by the time the doctor got there. It took him several tries to get it inserted right (OUCH) and it didn't work right. Half of my body was totally numb, and the other half seemed to feel all the pain the other half wasn't. It took the doc another 30 minutes to get back down from the OR to give me another bolus and hook me up to a pump. Needless to say, it wasn't long before I was fully dilated, but I was waaaayy to numb to push. They turned off the pump at my request, and I labored down while waiting to be able to feel enough to effectively push my daughter out. It took over an hour, but then I was able to push and got my daughter out in 17 minutes over an intact perineum. In all, I am very satisfied with her birth. I think that if I had stayed with Dr. SoandSo, I probably would not have been allowed to labor down and would have pushed and pushed and pushed and not been able to bring my baby down. I would have probably ended up with a c/s. I think next time, I will choose a waterbirth, if possible (they have the tubs at my hospital). My husband was too squeamish about it with my daughter and I didn't try it because I didnt' want him to freak out at our first child's birth. However, when it comes time for #2, my desires and feelings will take priority over his squeamishness. He's not the one doing the work! LOL. I think women should interview the careproviders that are going to attend their births. Its one thing to go once or twice a year for a pap or to get a prescription, its totally another thing to have them deliver your babies. the latter is something you should bond over, and have the utmost of trust in your provider. Too many people stick with the same doctor because of loyalty or apathy over choosing a new doctor. Find someone you agree with their philosophy, ask questions about possible senarios, ask about their section rate, ask about the philosophy of the doctors that cover for them, ASK, ASK, ASK!!!! That is truly informed consent.

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Bradley Childbirth classes are the way to go. In order to teach these clasess, which are best from month one to the birth, the instructor has had to have a natural labor birthing in a live child. The instructors also attend a progrom in order to be certified.

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Let me add this: at age thirty one I had an Un-neccessary C-section for my first born. Fortunately he was strong and healthly. After reading about the complications arising from C-sections I decideded it was wrong. Two and half years later I gave birth to my daughter. I was lucky to attend Bradley Childbirth classes. To make a long story short, Natural birthing is the BEST!. Better for the mom, better for the child. Bradley classes educate you. At 81/2 months my husband got stationed overseas and I went back to my hometown and I interviewed six doctors in order to find one that did what I wanted. One doctor wanted to do a diabeties test-I said no way. I am not going to shot up the blood surgar of my baby. I knew I was healthly because I followed to the letter everything I learned in Bradley class. I got up off the exam table and left. Another doctor told me that the hospital required that I have all sorts of monitoring and testing equipment. Ninx on that doctor. I found one that did what I wanted, I was able to talk "doctor language" and I had a birth plan-which was just catch the baby. I was healthly because I ate right and did lots of walking, I knew my maternal line going back four generations on their labor and I knew my bloodline. I had a textbook VBAC. PERFECT That was twenty years ago. Why have children if you are not going to to the job right? From start to-well still not finished because of women's wisdom still being handed down. Motherhood is a career, a serious one and more important that selfish outside jobs.

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I have not yet had any children, but my husband and I are trying to get pregnant, so please bear with me if I come across as being a bit naive. I have just begun to do all the research into the pros and cons of the various approaches to labor, and honestly, the thing that scares me MOST about giving birth (after the pain and worries about whether or not the baby is healthy) is what will happen to my vagina if I am able to birth vaginally.

Many of the postings refer to women needing to be in control and therefore wanting to plan out their births by scheduling a C-section, however, I wonder if more of it has to do fear of what irreversible damage can happen "down there" with a vaginal birth. Granted, a planned or un-planned C-section is a major surgery that comes with risks and its own complications and scar tissue and whatnot, however, after all the horror stories I have heard about vaginal and perineum tears, stitches, scar tissue, incontinence, and basically being completely ruined, a C-section doesn't sound half bad at all.

Any thoughts on this? Perhaps from women who have delivered both vaginally and via C-section? I am mortified. Please help! :-)

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My 2nd's birth was "natural." Heck, I might as well have been in a 3rd world hut or the back seat of a taxi instead of an urban hospital for all the help I got. The anesthesiologist never showed up, the nurse acted like it was the first day she'd ever seen the room, and the midwife stood with her hands in her pockets. The 1st's birth was pain free and blissful--LOVED my epidural-enhanced delivery and and wanted another one--but the midwife failed me. Or maybe she'd been lying for months about working with me to have the delivery I wanted. Maybe she had some political agenda. Same practice, different midwife. Hey, If some women want to birth like animals, hooray for them. Don't take medical advances and civilization away from the rest of us. I do not personally know any women who regret their sections. They also never leak pee when they sneeze.

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Natural childbirth in the hospital is virtually dead, vaginal childbirth is going the way of the dinosaur, and it doesn't have to be.

Where I live has a cesarean rate near 50%. For most women, the fight isn't for having elective cesareans. Any woman can get a cesarean if she wants it. The fight is for having a spontaneous vaginal delivery - most especially if she's already had a cesarean.

This is a feminist issue about women's choices, and the illusion of choice. In many places in this country, women don't have choices about how they give birth. Most people would like to think the problems are related to safety, but the reality is that for the most part it's not. It's about legal issues, insurances issues, and money.

I've had one cesarean and two subsequent WONDERFUL and safe hospital vaginal deliveries. I had to inform myself and fight for each one of those vaginal births. I only wish I had done the same thing the first time around...

KellyKel - Cesareans have their risks too. If you only want one child, and know you won' t have anymore, those risks may be worth it to you. However, if you want more children, those risks can increase substantially for both you and your unborn children for each pregnancy and delivery you undergo. Here's a sight that I'd recommend for some additional research:

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/

Good luck!

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KellyKel - I have not had a cesarean but I have had 5 vaginal births. My oldest is 15 and my youngest is 1. Your body was BUILT to do this. God has a plan and made the woman's body AMAZING!
My babies ranged in weight from 5 pounds 12 ounces to 9 pounds 8 ounces!!!
With my first I had an episiotomy and then tore. The episiotomy was VERY unnecessary (as they all are) and my recovery was slow. Stairs were difficult and sex wasn't comfortable for 2-3 months.
I had my last 3 babies at home in the water. The key is that nobody was trying to put anything in my vagina. No forceps, no suction, no episiotomy, just letting nature take it's course.
I healed beautifully even after my big babies.

My wonderful husband and I were having sex 3-4 weeks post partum. I am a very orgasmic woman and it has only gotten better. We have ZERO complaints. I admit the first 1 or 2 times I did not orgasm (likely due to my own concerns) but after that I always have.

I have ZERO problems with bladder control.
I can say though that I have a friend that has had 2 children via cesarean and she does have issues when she coughs, sneezes or laughs too hard she will leak urine. This is not a vaginal or cesarean issue this is a pregnancy issue. Or at least it can be. Do your Kegel exercises and you will be just fine!

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I think what is really relevant here is how healthcare in general is becoming more forced. Labor and delivery is so visible, a large percentage of our population goes through it so we all know what is happening. Look around at other procedures and you will see the same trend. There is a lot more joint surgery occurring now than there was 10 years ago. Of course it is all chalked up to better advances in medical technology, but I sometimes wonder if it is just an overall rise in medial intervention.

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For those of you wishing to help make birth more "mother friendly" I present to you...

http://www.motherfriendly.org/

There are lots of ways we can all help!

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