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If you’re a longtime reader, you may have noticed that we’ve consciously made a decision to move away from using language such as “natural” to describe childbirth. In fact, it’s been a huge mission of mine to make sure all our birth stories are told in a way that is supportive and positive. This is partly because of Offbeat Families’ values, and partly because of my own.
Instead of perpetuating the “natural” versus “unnatural” birth drama, we opted to change the terminology used on Offbeat Families to “unmedicated” and “medicated” childbirth. We did so for a few reasons, one of which is that describing one kind of birth as “natural” and another as otherwise is inherently divisive.
I delivered my son Jasper in a hospital with an epidural administered in the last few hours. It didn’t take affect, but it was still in my system — does this mean my birth was less natural because medicine was involved? As you might recall, Ariel’s son Tavi was born via cesarean section — is that birth any less wondrous because it wasn’t vaginal?
Our answer? Nope. Not a bit.
Does this mean that the choices you make before, during, and after giving birth don’t matter? Of course not. Does this mean that we’re trying to strip you of the power and wholly awesome experience you had birthing your child at home without any medication? Hell no. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from you guys (and believe me, I have learned WAY more than I ever thought I would), it’s that each parenting experience, from conception (if you consider yourself a parent at that point) all the way to wherever you are right now, is unique, powerful, and important. It all matters.
Stop “trying to be good” in your birth choices
"The more I talked with my doula, the more I realized that not scheduling an induction, not having an epidural, etc. was me trying to... Read more
So here are my questions for everyone: who started this whole debate? Who deemed one birth “natural” and another “unnatural?” Who decided to pit woman against woman, mother against mother? More importantly: why do we, as women, as mothers, allow these terms to continue to define our experiences and allows us to look down on one another?
I don’t have the answers to those, but I do have a solution: let’s change it.
So, you had a “natural birth,” right? Awesome, because so did I.
I had a super awesome mind blowing unmedicated water birth. I love that having that birth was an option for me. I also love that a mother can opt for as many interventions including a cesarean birth as she likes, and if those interventions are not just preferred but medically or compassionately required we all thank our God’s they exist. I ALWAYS avoid the use of the term “natural” when describing birth. While a birth without interventions may be what nature intended modern medicine can save lives and offer compassionate care to those who seek or require it, and this does not strike me as “unnatural.” While in theory, natural is just a descriptive word, in practice natural creates an atmosphere of elitism. An attitude of “crunchier than thou” is the last thing I want when I talk about how my daughter was born, and assuredly not at all what I want when my friends are giving enough to tell me about the day they birthed their children.
I feel like it is my duty as a Classicist to point out that in the ancient world 50%, yeah that’s right, 50% of first time mothers died in childbirth. That number did not significantly reduce until the medical advancements of the 20th century. No matter what anyone wants to say about medical interventions in childbirth it has saved A LOT of women’s and babies’ lives (including mine and my mother’s).
Source on that 50%?
I’m no anthropologist, but as a birth professional this statistic seems exaggerated. One in three maybe, but 50%? Nope not going to believe it without multiple sources. (I tried to google it)
50% of Prims dying during childbirth when risks increase with each baby and as women get older? How did we survive? That would be a catastrophic loss in population.
Seriously people. This is about feelings and if a simple changing of words makes mama’s more comfortable so be it.
Truthfully I have a hard time calling my unassisted birth “unmedicated”.
http://www.ajcn.org/content/72/1/241S.full
According to this information, maternal mortality rates in developed nations haven’t gone above 900 per 100,000 (0.09%) since they’ve been keeping records (disregarding third-world countries).
Of course, maternal death is reduced significantly when people get proper nutrition.
most of the reduction in maternal and infant mortality that occured early last century was more to do with doctors and midwives (but doctors especially) WASHING THEIR HANDS between patients. Most women died of “childbirth fever”, due to massive infection related to lack of hygiene and poor nutrition.
Medical advances have saved women and babies, no doubt. But the 50% prim mortality number is WAY off.
I feel that there is still some connotation of judgement in the terms “medicated” and “unmedicated”. How do we address this? I don’t know.
All I can say is that I’m in the middle of an induction needed because of hypertension (waiting, waiting for the Cervidil to take effect), and I really don’t feel that this is any less “natural”. I believe we need to move away from demonizing medical interventions. Does it matter whether I use tree bark containing salicylic acid or pop an aspirin if the effect is the same?
I was induced with cervidil 2 weeks ago. I ended up giving birth 11 hrs after it was administered- no pitocin needed for me! My amniotic fluid was very low and as it turned out the baby was indeed very squished inside of me. He is fine and healthy now and I am SO grateful that I had the opportunity to be induced and have a vaginal birth. I dont feel cheated or robbed because I needed medical intervention, just blessed that I have a healthy baby. Good luck with your birth!
I’m not a fan of describing something by what it is not, example “unmedicated,” same goes for “uncircumcised.” I don’t know what the solution is, I understand and appreciate what you all are trying to do, but it is still falling a bit short. Replacing natural vs. unnatural with unmedicated vs. medicated is still divisive.
What would you recommend instead?
Rock on, chicas! We’re here to be together, not to make categories.
As someone who has fake ta-ta’s, highlighted hair, occasionally colored contacts, and a spray tan, I’ve never cared one way or another whether my births (two c-sections) were considered natural or not ;). However, as a nurse and a member of the online community, it’s true that the language in pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting has become incredibly divisive (btw, I formula-fed too; another ‘unnatural’ nail in the coffin, I guess 😉 ). To date, I have two beautiful and healthy little boys. Thanks for a great post, and I’ll definitely be reading more!!
I use the term natural to describe unmedicated birth, but certainly not to make other women feel guilty about their birth choices. I think it implies that it is a positive thing, which is important since its getting more and more uncommon. That doesn’t mean medicated births are somehow bad or any less beautiful, but by definition they are not “natural”. To use the word unmedicated seems to imply that medicated birth is standard and expected, it is only described in a negative way to say what it is not instead of what it is. No one actually calls medicated or cesarean “unnatural birth” and it would bother me for the same reason that “unmedicated” bothers me – it only describes it in a negative way. I see no problem with describing birth as it is whether than is natural, medicated, or cesarean and I don’t see why that is decisive or offensive to anyone.
Honestly I really want to thank you for making the change away from natural vs unnatural. I walked into my labour saying no to any medical intervention…and walked away with virtually every medical intervention in the book (epidural, internal monitor, catheter and then finally an emergency c-section under general anesthetic). And honestly, as the days and weeks passed I became jealous and guilt ridden. I questioned everything I had done during labour, every decision I had made. Part of that was due to the natural and unnatural label…did my decisions make me any less a mother? I decided no and I walked away from the labels (or tried too).
So thank you for validating my own beliefs and experience.
natural means it would happen in nature.
thus it is totally appropriate to describe a birth with a medical intervention like medication ‘unnatural’.
its not a slur. its just a fact.
That is true. But, is also a fact that pitocin is chemically exactly the same as oxytocin (the exact same sequence of 9 amino acids). However one is produced naturally by the body, while the other is synthetically (unnaturally) produced in a lab – Our bodies do not know the difference. The body responds to pitocin in the exact same way it does to oxytocin, which is the same for many drugs. Example – diabetes who need to inject themselves with synthetic insulin. The body treats the synthetic insulin they inject as if it had been produced by their body. Most drugs are unnatural derivatives of compounds found in nature (or not found in nature at all), but we use them all the time. I’m not trying to justify unnecessary use of medical interventions in labor and delivery, but whether something is natural or unnatural is often irrelevant in other areas of life, but when we talk about L&D, it tends to bear more importance for some reason.
I had to jump in on this one. Synthetic pit is not the exact same thing. My mother and sisters and I allergic to it to the point that it being administered will lead to severe problems during L and D for the mother and child. I almost lost a sister (she should have died, we got lucky) due to the stuff. For us, not happy.
I am a biochemist, not a medical professional. Synthetic pitocin may not be pure, but, the names oxytocin and pitocin are used interchangeably because they are the same chemical, with the same sequence of amino acids.
From Medicine Online:
Pitocin (oxytocin injection, USP) is a sterile, clear, colorless aqueous solution of synthetic oxytocin, for intravenous infusion or intramuscular injection. Pitocin is a nonapeptide found in pituitary extracts from mammals. It is standardized to contain 10 units of oxytocic hormone/mL and contains 0.5% Chlorobutanol, a chloroform derivative as a preservative, with the pH adjusted with acetic acid. Pitocin may contain up to 16% of total impurities.
http://www.medicineonline.com/drugs/p/3830/Pitocin-Oxytocin-Injection-USP-Synthetic.html
Additionally, I will correct myself in that when a woman’s body makes oxytocin, it is secreted in bursts. But, when it is administered in a hospital, it is through an IV that supplies a steady flow, so the pitocin-induced contractions are different than the ones a woman would experience on her own, often more powerful.
Unfortunately, as your family found out, it usage is not without potential side effects. I’m glad that there were happy outcomes for all and everyone is ok.
Jill-Sorry if I get a little metaphysical here but: I wonder about the other “components” that go into a chemical that the body produces. I know that science has made incredible strides when it comes to measuring amino acid sequences and being able to replicate those sequences. But what about the stuff that we are not able to measure? Is it crazy to wonder if there are some other things that we are missing? What about a frequency of energy, or custom vibration of the molecules that is made for your body? The only reason I bring this up is…if the chemical structure is identical…why would there be potential side effects? What about the additives and preservatives that are added to most injectables?
Oxytocin is also known as the “Love hormone”. It is released at its highest concentration during labor. It is secreted in very small amounts during certain events in your life like: making dinner with family and friends, making love with your partner, etc. This hormone is not only utilized during L&D. And it is certainly important for bonding mother and baby. I understand that a small percentage of women may need the intervention of pitocin during their labor. But, unfortunately, this drug is ridiculously over-used in a hospital setting. And that makes me sad…
“But, unfortunately, this drug is ridiculously over-used in a hospital setting. And that makes me sad…”
I couldn’t agree with you more. The use of synthetic oxytocin is certainly changing the natural timeline of labor. There is plenty that science and medicine has worked out, that we know and can do, but a lot of scientists would be out of jobs if we had all the answers!
why the heck don’t we administer it in bursts like in the body? Or is this biochem pathway, release levels not studied enough? would that make the effects feel more like the body’s hormone? its worth a try, i feel some great research comining on. fund that anyone?
I respectfully disagree. How many ‘natural’ births really mirror what happens ‘in nature’? I witnessed several deliveries as a student; sure they were unmedicated and intervention-free, but the midwife still used a doppler device every 15 minutes, there was a birthing pool available (humans don’t give birth in water historically) and the suture packs aren’t freely available in the wild.
The only people I can see whose births are truly close to nature often in developed countries were many facilities are lacking. And I doubt many of them would retain the status quo if they had the choice.
I guess by most people’s term I would have had a Natural labor and an unnatural child birth. No pain medication at all until she wouldn’t come out, so we had to do a c-section. That c-section did indeed save my daughters life, since she had her cord wrapped around her neck 4 times and she couldn’t even be taken out of me until it was cut. She never fully descended into the birth canal and if she had she would have strangled and possibly pulled the placenta out with her. I would have definitely preferred a “natural birth” but it wasn’t in the cards for us and I’m fine with that.
AMEN!!!
This whole thing of woman labeling birth as “natural” and “un-natural” and then getting competitive over it reminds me a bit too much of guys comparing penis size.
One of my issues with the terms “natural” is that it seems to mean very different things to different people.
Over the last 8 months I have been asked by at least 30 people if I plan to have a “natural” birth. Some of these people simply meant vaginal instead of cesarean. Some of these people meant only gas and no epi/pethadine. One of these people meant at home listening to enya. Almost all of them would consider vaginal with the assistance of forceps/vaccuum to still be “natural”.
If someone asked me if I was planning an unmedicated birth I would know what they mean. When they ask if I’m having a “natural” birth i have to ask them to clarify. That is reason enough for me to change the way we use terminology.
I agree, everyone (around me anyway) seems to try mighty hard to fit in the “natural” category. It kind of reminds me of the vegetarians around me. Some will eat fish but will still call themselves vegetarians. Others will eat fish AND chicken and still call themselves vegetarians. Then the vegetarians that eat eggs and dairy will complain that people insist on offering them fish even after they have identified as vegetarians!!! GAH!
Next time someone asks me if I had a natural birth, I’m gonna say “No, it was totally fake.”
hehe
I’m definitely guilty of this, although it used to really bother my when i was an ovo-lacto-vegetarian. I eat seafood but no other meat and I would happily call myself a pescatarian if I didn’t have to then explain what it meant every single time. I usually don’t say I’m a vegetarian but I do say “I don’t eat meat.”
To everyone who defends “natural” as meaning without intervention, where do you draw the line? If you use a man-made birthing tub instead of wading in a fresh water lake, why is that still natural? If you wear clothes or lie in a bed or are in a building of any sort, is that natural? Why?
Personally, I think it is more “natural” to have a desire to be comfortable, which for many people, means pain relief. It’s also “natural” to want to save lives and prevent unnecessary injury, and “natural” for people to do everything they can to help someone. So sure, I am perfectly happy to call a cesarean natural. But I don’t see much point, since the term isn’t even relevant in the context of giving birth.
I also don’t see myself, as a human, as being above or separate from nature. “Unnatural,” as far as I’m concerned, would have to go against the laws of nature. A show of hands: how many of you teleported your babies out? *That* I don’t think I could call natural.
Teleporting unnatural yes, but how f*cking cool would that be?? I would totally put my hand up for that method of birthing!
I would be all over that like gravy on a biscuit. I kept hoping they’d invent it before my second was born, but no such luck!
“Personally, I think it is more “natural” to have a desire to be comfortable”
I hear this judgment of women who choose to avoid interventions all the time, but I rarely see anyone mention this as judgement. It feels very divisive and re-enforces the stereotype that labor is torture and people who choose to feel it masochists.
For me an intervention is a medical procedure that one would not take as part of normal everyday life that disrupts or replaces the natural processes of one’s body.
You left out the rest of my sentence. “…which for many people, means pain relief.” For you, it doesn’t, because interventions make you uncomfortable.
I am more likely to judge someone for cherry-picking and putting words in my mouth than I am about how they choose to give birth. If it feels divisive, it’s because you ignored the whole point of my post, which is that we are all acting within nature and whatever we want for ourselves and our babies is as well.
Honestly, this wasn’t intended to be cherry-picking. I did take the context into consideration, sorry if it didn’t seem like it. I think it is completely normal to want to be comfortable but that the means of achieving comfort can be more or less natural.
I agree that “natural” is a continuum, and humans are a part of nature so that something man-made is not necessarily not “natural.” My main objection to interventions is that they can cause complications, although I admit I am personally uncomfortable with some interventions for other reasons. My preference for this type of birth has little to do with where it falls in the continuum of natural vs non-natural.
I think all birth is birth, regardless of how the baby gets out. I don’t think it has to be “natural” (however that is defined) to be beautiful and miraculous. When I describe my daughter’s birth as natural, I only mean it as a descriptive not as a value judgement against others who prefer or need other types of births.
Vaginal vs Cesarean is preferred then, I assume. But no matter what words you say to describe it there will always be the underlying emotions. Those you can’t change. I think it’s 2 parts curiosity and 1 part competition. It certainly was not “unnatural” for you to carry and deliver a child, assuming you had corresponding reproductive organs. But, and this is mostly Americans I think, people are curious of WHAT kind of birth you had… because, you see, here in Europe – it’s pretty well assumed that you had an unmedicated birth. Whereas in the US, everyone is curious, were you able to have a child WITHOUT medication. Medication has become the norm, but really only in America. Here in Italy, it’s out of pocket/expensive and pretty rare. I was able to labor naturally, that is without any intervention or medication, I pushed a baby out naturally, that is without any interventions. But most of my friends had to have C-sections due to breeched babies and other issues, and sure it’s not the birth they had planned but they are still empowered by their own births… everyone is equally happy to share their awesome story of bringing a child into the world. None of them are less of women, none of them are weak or poor mothers. They did not have “natural” births, but they do have AWESOME stories to tell.
Another thing to keep in mind, is that the US has a very high rate of elected c-sections and that’s another story. There’s nothing natural about trying to avoid the whole birth process all together…
Europe does not have a collective attitude towards birth. I am also in Europe, and the experience here is nothing at all like in Italy, nor in many other parts of Europe where I have mom friends. I don’t know anyone here, in Europe, who makes assumptions about what kind of birth I had just because it was in Europe.
I don’t see much of a difference between natural vs. unmedicated to be honest, the latter is just specific. Regardless of the words that are used nothing is going to change until people start calling out other people when they are judgmental and nosy.
I’m only 15 weeks pregnant and already I feel like turning into a pariah. It’s weird reading all of the posts and comments in which women talk about feeling pressure to go the ‘natural/unmediacted’ route, I have the opposite problem. ALL of my friends and family have not only been questioning our decision to try for a home birth but have been outright hostile. I feel like the only support I have comes from my husband and midwives. And it freaking sucks!!
I’ve been so offended by the way people have started talking to me. I’m a 28 year old with 2 years of nursing school under my belt, so yeah, I’m well aware of the dangers of alcohol thanks; and no, I haven’t been drinking.
My husband came up with our prenatal motto: “Your interest is appreciated but your input is not” and the next time someone judges me, or for that matter anyone else, for any decision they make regarding their own pregnancy, it’s going to be my response.
(Sorry for the rage filled post, I have very few outlets).
A lot of people have argued that we should stick to “vaginal” and “caesarean”. I disagree. If we feel (as I do) that minimizing interventions during birth is a worthwhile undertaking, then that kind of birth deserves its own name. If “natural” is too divisive, suggest something else. But like a previous poster, I’m not a fan of labeling things as “non-“, i.e. non-medicated, non-mainstream, etc.
Thank you! My first birth involved an epidural- a life saver since I kept panicking with each contraction. But when it came time to push, that was all me- for 2 hours!
I really appreciate this sites willingness to question and challenge norms, esp. Those that pit women against women.
As much as we like to talk about all of our birth choices (meds, no meds, midwife, MD, home, birth center, water, land, hypnobirth, lamaze) I believe that:
1. The vast majority of women in the US are not aware that they may have these choices available to them. I say this partly because I believe (and some would disagree) that if women are truly being given education and options regarding their pregnancy and birth care, you would see substantially less women choosing to get their care from MD’s and birthing in a hospital setting. (The home birth rate is like 1%)
2. If you step on the hospital treadmill its going to go where ever it wants to go with little input from you. And the vast majority of women in this country choose (or are forced to) step on this treadmill.
The focus should be on educating women about their choices for where to give birth and making options available (ie, UN-outlawing home births in states), because that, more than anything will determine the type of birth you have.
The picture of what has become a “normal” birth is very upsetting to me. IV’s and Fetal Monitors limiting mobility, strict time restraints on how long one can labor after the water breaks, everyone and their brother getting pitocin to speed things up and 1 in 3 women winding up with C-Sections. (which is also the highest rate in history and is not producing any better outcomes which tells me that there are a lot of C-sections being performed for dubious reasons.) But its hard to get too upset when we get a healthy baby (the objective in the first place.) We shouldn’t stand for this kind of care.
If we really want to band together as women the issue should not be around coming to consensus on how to label our births.
We need to make sure that all women have access to safe affordable, non-hospital birth options and are aware that these choices even exist so they can be empowered to create a satisfying birth experience.
Yeah, I agree. So what should we call the birth experience you describe? Mainstream birth? Then what do we call birth experiences that are out of the mainstream?
Traditional vs. Non-traditional.
I don’t know, I’m not big on labels.
Oh, Hell Yes!
AliKon- You have written almost exactly what I was going to write! Education is key!
Thank you for being in the minority on this thread. A great educational film (in case you have not already seen it) is: The Business of Being Born.
I feel like the term “birth experience” is very new. Older women in my quite, uh, fertile family seem kind of confused by allusions to it (such as when I imply any type of failure on my part for having had a c-section). This is my opinion only but it would seem that the run up to creating the perfect birth experience is not unlike the planning and wishing and hoping that goes into a wedding. I understand that the underlying reason behind aiming for the ideal birth experience is giving one’s child the best possible start but I feel like the importance of the actual birth experience (an importance that has generated its own industry, it seems) has eclipsed the actual act of bringing a new human being into the world.
My birth experience was not at all what I had planned but I was lucky enough to have somewhat old fashioned folks, including midwives and family, telling me to snap out of any self-pity I felt, because I had a healthy child and that was enough! I am not saying that would work for everybody, I know some people need a gentler approach but those harsh words worked on me and kept me from slipping into depression. I just think that the emphasis on “the birth experience” may not always be so necessary and may sometimes be harmful.
I think that the problem is in seeing this as a moral issue, in either direction.
A lot of women are, very unfortunately, undereducated about their birthing choices and what the research says about the potential effects of different choices. THAT is a problem that needs to be rectified, and many believe that educating women will lead to fewer potentially problematic interventions.
However, plenty of women have all of the facts and still choose a medicated or otherwise “unnatural” birth for a variety of reasons, and they shouldn’t be judged for that decision. In reality, while interventions may increase the risk of various problems, the increases are generally small and the problems they do cause are unlikely to have lasting effects (except in the cases of mothers who are psychologically traumatized by their birth experience, which isn’t something to take lightly). It’s not like they decided to have a toddler cut the baby out with a machete or something. Everyone makes some parenting decisions that are above someone else’s risk threshold, and everyone should be able to make those decisions independently and without judgment.
I also think that some women get a little to zealous about the “education” aspect and start to assume that anyone who has interventions must have just not known any better – not so much judging them, but assuming ignorance as the default. On the one hand, it may be true that most women in the US don’t have all the facts, but these people also need to be sensitive to the fact that there simply ARE many women out there who know as much as they do and yet will make a different decision based on those same facts.
Yes! I think all too often saying people should educate themselves is really code for “people need to come to my side of thinking.” Someone may make a decision we wouldn’t choose for ourselves, but that doesn’t = an uneducated choice.
Thank you, this is exactly what I wanted to say but could not have said it so well!
I completely agree that there are a lot of women who are undereducated on their birthing options (where/who/what interventions).
However there are also many women who are extremely well informed who still choose to birth in a hospital, “unnaturally” with medication/interventions for a massive variety of reasons.
Two people having access to all the same facts, evidence and studies can still make completely different decisions for what is best for them and their birthing experience.
I find it offensive when people assume that if someone’s choice was different to their own, that that person was ignorant and didn’t know any better. *Your* way is not necessarily the right way for someone else.
Education is the key! With my 2nd pregnancy I did a class-thing because it was free….best decision ever! I was able to talk with the doctors and nurses and go through my options and back up my choices with facts….it was soooo much more empowering than my first pregnancy and birth where I knew next to nothing. My hope is that prenatal classes be FREE for everyone! Then we can educate our fellow women and help them make the best decision for themselves. Because, afterall, there is only so much that can be gleaned from books. Talking first hand with other women gave me strength to get through 60 hours of labor and a cesarean delivery! Soooo anyone have ideas on how to start a free educational program???
In australia antenatal classes are run by the midwives of the hospital for free around week 28. Even though I consider myself pretty well read on pregnancy and labour, I found these really helpful and loved being able to ask questions about “real” labour which books dont always cover.
They also showed us all the tools that can be used (forceps/vaccuum/epi line) which made them a lot less scary in the event we need them. And then went on to tell us roughly how often those are used in that particular hospital. (Thankfully very low rates at my hopsital)
It was also a great way to meet the midwives who would be taking care of us during labour and the few days after. And they took us on a very detailed tour of the labour delivery rooms so we would know what to expect and not be scared.
I definitely recommend these classes! And I hope somehow they do become free and standard in the U.S.
I think this is simply a differing of views. I believe the majority of women would chose less interventions over more interventions if given information on the nature, effectiveness, and risks of the interventions. Others may not.
I’ve asked myself:
Would women chose to give birth laying on their backs if hospitals encouraged alternative positions?
Would women choose to be immobilized by a fetal monitor if they were given information on the effectiveness of intermittent fetal heart monitoring.
Would women be okay with an episiotomy performed for the convenience of the doctor? (not long ago this was extremely common)
Would women be willing to wait until they reach 40 weeks before they considered an induction if they weren’t inundated with doctors telling them their baby will be too big for them to push out?
Yes, no, maybe? I do realize this is not something all women can agree on. We definitely have to respect each other decisions.
We all have the power to make birth choices. Our choices will not all be the same.
That is okay.
I don’t mean to sound anti-U.S here, but why don’t women in the U.S know all this stuff?
In Australia we are informed of all the things you mentioned by our midwives/doctors and ante-natal classes? Sure, plenty of women still choose medication (therefore must be on their backs etc) or choose cesareans for convenience, but it is generally an informed decision.
Why aren’t women in america being told this stuff by their caregivers?
I went into my delivery informed and educated as many American women do. I watched the Business of Being Born, I read every book I could get my hands on, my midwife, doula, my partner and I had many conversations prior to my labor. And, we avoided medical interventions as long as possible, but my son was not going to come out without help . . . . It was not for lack of education that I ended up where I did, with an intervention-filled delivery.
No one has commented on the fact that intervention itself could be divisive. We don’t talk about medical interventions when our babies have an ear infection, or when we vaccinate them to protect them – we just get them the medicine they need. And, sometimes women need help birthing their babies – this is not new.
I absolutely agree, medical intervention is often necessary to achieve the best outcome for mother and baby. When my friends/families’ labours have needed intervention I know it hasnt been due to undereducation or not knowing their options and the potential risks.
I’m just confused why so many comments on OBM suggest that women in America ARENT being told the basics (eg being upright and active helps labour progress in normal situations). Is this truly the case or is that an assumption being made because so many women do choose intervention?
Jesscar- I think I have an answer to your question. Hospital care in the US is a business, a corporation. Healthcare in the US is not always performed with the best interest of the patient in mind, it is performed with the bottom line of the hospital, pharmaceutical company, or health insurance company in mind. I hate to be pointing fingers at “The Man”, but it is true. (And I would know, I’m in graduate school for my Doctorate of Nursing Practice.) I feel that many American women who choose to have there births in a hospital and with an OB are put in a compromising position. Most of the women that I know that wanted to have a “natural” birth in the hospital where either mocked by the attending doctor for choosing so, or were talked into receiving medical intervention when they otherwise would not have chosen it. Unfortunately for most women, in most hosptials in the US they are not seen as a beautiful, courageous creature that has the strength and power to bring life into the world, they are seen as a patient that is taking up a bed. The quicker the doctor can get the woman into labor and get the baby out and send her home, the better.
If you still don’t believe me, check out the film Sicko and The Business of Being Born. These films show the harsh reality of the US healthcare system. Women are not educated enough on birthing options because education is power, power that is then taken away from the big business of the medical industry.
I am so grateful that you live in a country that is supportive of women and provides extensive education. I am also grateful to you for asking this question!
>>We don’t talk about medical interventions when our babies have an ear infection, or when we vaccinate them to protect them – we just get them the medicine they need.>>
Actually, there are many places on the Internet where this IS an issue of contention, for good or for ill.
I just discovered Offbeat Mama and what a wonderful discovery to fall on this article. I feel that it’s true that the word “natural” came about and is important to show that there are alternatives to hospital birth, and that women have options and they have the right to choose what kind of birth they would like to try for, but unfortunately too often now the term “natural birth” inherently carries the implication of “superior”. Women are very eager to tell their birth stories when they have had a home birth or a water birth in a birth center, etc. We so rarely hear women say “I had a beautiful, spiritual Cesarian birth”. For my part, I set out to have a hospital birth with an epidural. It was a beautiful, spiritual experience, one I still have dreams about. The epidural took the edge off but I could still feel the waves of contractions move my son down through my body, and it allowed me to focus on that feeling, rather than try to get through the pain. The hospital staff was wonderful and we got breastfeeding going right away, with no problems. I am currently pregnant with number two and , and I’m looking forward to repeating the experience with my second child, in the same delivery room.
Your birth experience sounds lovely. Maybe you could write a post about it for OBM?
Thank you!
My birth is an epic example of the hippy home birth, and was not only well attended, but later written up by one of the attendees as a “magical, mystical” event.
While I was pregnant (and planning to have the most “natural” birth I could) I visited a friend and her baby, who had had to schedule a cesarean to have him due to known medical issues. She told me she and many others preferred the term “cesarean birth” and right then and there I made an effort to change my language.
Fast forward to me in the hospital after 5 days of trying to induce labor due to potential medical issues and having no success. I had submitted to every medical procedure I had vowed to avoid so far (pitocen, epidural, etc.) and I had finally given in to the inevitable that I was going to have to have a cesarean after all. As I was about to be wheeled into surgery, my dad popped back into the room to say to me “I just want you to know: you have NOT failed.”
In all honesty it shouldn’t matter what terms we use so long as they aren’t used in a derogatory way. I think natural is an apt term for an unmedicated birth, it doesn’t mean a C-delivery (I like that one) or a medicated birth isn’t any less awesome. I hope I don’t offend anyone by using the term natural delivery but I don’t think its fair to totaly disregard the term. On the opposite side I’m the only “offbeatish” one amongst my husbands cirle and I’ve been ridiculed for aiming for a natural birth, I believe the words were “your an idiot for wanting a natural birth I had 2 minutes of labor and that was it for me” never mind that the pitocin caused a small amount of fetal distress she was just happy to not feel it, which is kind of… well it just makes me feel weird. But everyone here is super supportive so I don’t think we need to worry about the terminology as much as we need to keep being sensitive to others choices (and sometimes the non choices)and keep the rah rah! attitude going.
Most of the comments so far are divided between the idea of whether or not “natural” is hurtful/accusatory or not. After my vaginal, epidural birth, one of my first memories is coming home and a neighbor visiting me. The first words out of her mouth were “I’m so sorry you couldn’t have a natural birth.” Not everyone uses the word in a judgmental way, but it certainly happens.
In the end, I do believe words have a transformative power. I believe the way we name things is important and frames the way we think and feel about things. However, I also know that when most people use a phrase that is hurtful to another person, they don’t use it intending every implication of the phrase, or even realizing every implication. So I feel as conscientious speakers, we are under obligation to take into account the popular usage of words and their greater implications. And as conscientious listeners, we are obligated to be understanding about the limitations and unintended punches that come with communication.
In the end, “natural” is, in our culture, such a buzz word at this point that I try to avoid using it in relation to many subjects, including this one. Why don’t we just be specific about the exact birth we had, if we so want to talk about it?
I had one vaginal, epidural-aided, pitocin-induced birth. Next I had an unmedicated, spontaneous labor birth. And, by the way, if I had another, I would still be in the “see how long I can hold out, but never say never” camp.
I agree. There is so much in between the two extremes. I think the only way to accurately describe a birth is to use more than one descriptive term.