do you think every labor situation can be natural?

[massagemom]

Do you think there are any circumstances where medical intervention is necessary?

[JanetF]

Absolutely! It's just the willynilly wholesale use of those serious interventions without reason that causes problems. Induction for dates or convenience, for one example, ought to be banned as really bad medicine. I would transfer to a hospital in labour if my life, or my baby's was threatened and for no other reason. Actually my transfer plan says, "Only take me to a hospital if it's to be stored in the morgue."

[annakiss]

Yes. There are true emergencies and non-emergencies alike when medical intervention is prudent. When it is my life and my baby's life on the line, I don't take uncalled-for risks. But I birth at home, which I also consider risk avoidance (the risk of unnecessary interventions). Did you want a list of reasons to transfer?

[AugustLia23]

There are definitely situations that require medical intervention, and there are definitely children(and adults) who would not be alive today were it not for inductions, c-sections, forceps, epidurals, etc.

That being said, that vast majority of those iinterventions ARE unnecessary, and are all overused. I homebirth and could not imagine having my baby in a hospital, but I would if I or my baby required it.

[wednesday]

Some issues I can think of right off-hand would be placenta previa or transverse breech. While it is possible to vaginally birth a fully breech baby, a baby that persists in lying sideways is just not going to come out without some kind of intervention--either an external version or a c-section. My babe was in a transverse lie until almost 37 weeks, but then turned down on his own and was born several days later. If he had remained transverse the plan was to attempt an external version around 38-39 weeks.

[Momma Aimee]

I agree; there ARE cases where medical intervention is needed, really needed and not just choisen.

The sad thing is too often the inteventions are chosen, not needed, and woman and babies die. so these miricals that are suppoed to reduce the death rate, add to it.

Around here the C-section rate is 27%, it should be 3 to 5%.

Medical sicence can be a blessing when needed to save life or limb (as my bith plan says); what is dangerous is medical professionals (and some parents, i know a number of elective C-sections) play God for sother reasons (to save time, to be sure of a birth date, to hurry things along, or the biggest joke "to make things easier").

I think medical intervent is necessary -- but i think the cases where it is NECESSARY are a very small precent of the time, and I'd think totally obvious to all there (ie the parents would not need to be talked in to it, it would be obvious an emergency).

I think it comes down to lack of good education of parents, parents not taking the steps to gain education and to think for themselves, and the meidal and medical comminuty protrails of birth.

Aimee

[mrsfatty]

Yes, I do. I had preeclampsia with my last pregnancy...and needed to be induced (my bp keep rising...it could have gotten so high that it would have caused a seizure...but we were induced)...it was an awful experience (pregnancy and the intervention)...but we both came out alright...

[ZeldasMom]

Originally Posted by AugustLia23

There are definitely situations that require medical intervention, and there are definitely children(and adults) who would not be alive today were it not for inductions, c-sections, forceps, epidurals, etc.

That being said, that vast majority of those iinterventions ARE unnecessary, and are all overused. I homebirth and could not imagine having my baby in a hospital, but I would if I or my baby required it.

:

Cord prolapse is one situation that comes to mind where I wouldn't blink an eye about having a cesarean. Even though this is a rare problem, I'm hoping to decrease the chances of it happening. Thoughout my pregnancy I've been working on building a good bag by having a good diet and taking good prenatal vitamins. I'm also taking probiotics and not having cervical checks. Hopefully these things will help prevent my water breaking early in labor. There's only so much you can control though when it comes to any of the issues that can get in the way of a normal birth, so I am glad to have the option of going to a hospital in the event that I need the interventions they can provide (I am planning a homebirth).

The other thing is, I think you can have a birth where medical interventions are required and still have it be a full, rich, spiritual, meaningful experience. One thing I like about Birthing from Within is how Pam England addresses this.

[hipmama33]

It happened to me! I was seeing midwife and planning to give birth at a birthing center. Hubby and I took husband coached childbirth classes in preparation for natural childbirth. Well, Baby was frank breech. At 37 weeks they tried an external version to try to get her turned around. But she just wouldn't turn and they didn't know why not. My intuition told me there was a reason why. We discussed doing a breech vaginal birth and I was okay with that.
When my water broke I went into the OB's office (who worked with midwife) and they did a sono and found out that baby was transverse and so breech vag birth plan went out the window. They said I would need a C-Section. I cried. But then I made a decision to have a positive and spiritual birthing experience. After all, I was still giving birth to a new spirit and I wanted her and myself to come out of that experience healthy.
Anyways, everything went well. My babe was healthy and beautiful. And here birth was made of love and light. During the C-sect they found out why she wouldn't turn. It turns out I have a bicornate uterus and it was physically impossible for my baby to turn around-she just wouldn't fit.
So, there you go, a story of why ALL births cannot be natural.

Blessings,
Marina-wife/bestfriend to Adam since 9-2000 and mom to Isabel Rayla 6-9-5 :

[EmmaJean]

Marina, that's beautiful. Thanks for sharing that.

[wannabe]

Absolutely they can be necessary.

Just look at the perinatal mortality rates from stuck babies, for a start!

I can't be 100% sure, but I'd say the vacuum was all that saved the lives of my asynclintic baby and myself (or a c-section if that had failed).

[MrsMoe]

Yes, of course I think itnervention is sometiems neccessary.

[Artisan]

Of course. It's silly to think that C-sections/forceps/etc have NO place in obstetrics. They save lives. They are just used unnecessarily too often, which bring about their own sets of problems.

[Lousli]

I had two preemies, both in the hospital. I think my first would have been fine born at home, although there is no way to be sure with a 36 weeker, so better to err on the side of caution for the baby's sake, IMO. The second I would have not felt safe for her birthing anywhere but a hospital, as she needed the NICU more or less immediately.

I had many interventions with the birth of baby #2, but mostly in an attempt to stop her from being born.