"i did it natural, with an epidural of course"

[LoveChild421]

I just heard a lady say this exact statement on A Baby Story- and I have had a few relatives/co-workers say the same thing. Now, I'm not judging them for having an epidural- but epidural does not = natural. I think they mean vaginal- I just don't get why one would say "I had a natural childbirth with an epidural OF COURSE" like there's no other option other than a C-section...

[mizmerricat]

I've noticed people making the same sort of statement too. I think the biggest issue is our culture's discomfort with the body & reproductive system especially. Sadly, women are uncomfortable even saying "vaginal". "Natural" has become a terribly innacurrate but socially appropriate euphemism for those who can't bring themselves to even say the "V-word".

[Spark]

Seems like another case of "Formica" meaning all "Laminate Countertops!" It's just much more annoying! I also get annoyed at the whole "Birth Center" meaning "Hospital Maternity Ward". And I certainly annoyed with "I nursed him for a long time" meaning "the whole six months".

Would it be rude to ask people for a definition of these words they throw around so casually?

[ceilydhmama]

I have two opinions on this. One is that the women are just ignorant.

The second, is I know many mama's like me who worked hard for natural unmedicated births, who ended up with complications and interventions and there simply is no language to convey the experience. I can't say I had a natural birth - even though for 53.5 of my 54 hours with a pitocin induction I was pain medication free and I pushed without drugs.

I don't feel like I fall into either the natural or the medicated camp. I'm coming to see many women end up this way - they don't want the effort they put in discounted simply because medication was used at one point in the birth process.

[jerawo]

Ugh! This is a pet peeve of mine.

Natural = Completely pain medication free (not I just had a little Stadol but it didn't really help)

Vaginal = Baby coming out of your vagina, not a c/s

[USAmma]

Yep, I agee. This coming from a person who had two epidurals. I would never claim to have a "natural" childbirth, esp. after attending some real natural births and seeing what mental strength it took compared to mine. Natural birthers deserve to have that title to themselves.

[wannabe]

I don't feel like I fall into either the natural or the medicated camp. I'm coming to see many women end up this way - they don't want the effort they put in discounted simply because medication was used at one point in the birth process.

I say "unfortunately I ended up with an epidural" - gets across that that wasn't my intention, so they don't start going on about how cool it is to watch TV while you 'labour'.

[Birth Junky]

Question:

My most recent doula client had her baby in-hospital, and because of some slightly elevated blood pressure, the docs insisted on Pitocin augmentation. She got through all of labor and birth without pain meds, though.

Would you call this a "natural" birth? Just wondering . . . when I talk about the birth I say that she did it "drug free . . . except for the Pit".

[darkstar]

Birth Junky, I would say that a natural childbirth would be with no pain medications. Although, I know some would say with no drugs at all. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder

But for the natural childbirth with epidural


darkstar

[pumpkinseed]

Yes-that is so annoying. I think so many people misuse that word.

I was in the ER with my dd a few months back and she was possibly going to need a spinal tap(didnt thank goodness)-the dr -a pediatrician-was explaining what a spinal tap was-not listening to me that i already knew what one was-anyway-he said "you probably had an epidural w. your delivery" i said "no-i had her naturally"-him-"well- most women who birth naturally use an epidural, i am sure you had one" wth??? My point is that even some drs dont understand the term "natural" and to assume that i had one even after me telling him that i didn't? do doctors think women are that clueless about what went on during their birth experiences?

sorry about the rant-just had to give my 2 cents!

[ChristaN]

My sil had always referred to her first birth as completely natural (her second was a c-section) and I thought that she meant no meds. I referred to my second birth the same way (natural) and that's what I meant -- I labored and birthed dd with no medication at all. It wasn't until her first child was 5 and mine second one was 4 that we realized that the both of us meant something entirely different by the term "natural."

As some of you have commented, to her natural only meant that it wasn't a c-section. As irritated as I was by her mislabeling her birth natural (she was induced and had an epidural), she was absolutely horrified to realize that when I was saying "natural," I meant that there were zero interventions and no medication at all. Apparently she was unaware that anyone even wanted to do it that way anymore : .

[ldsapmom]

I don't see an issue with letting a woman define her birth the way she wishes. I define mine accordingly, and let her define hers as well. We may be saying, "I'm not judging," or "I don't want to judge," but really, we are. So what if a mom says she had a natural birth when really the only natural thing is a baby sprang from her vagina -- her experience, her definition. I would never pop in with with my own definition to try to "help" her see her definition is out of alignement with mine. I am satisified with what I did and the experience I had to let her hold her own memory of birth.

It really is true -- there is no medal for going with no pain meds, but to some of us, that is our utmost goal and desire. Even a smaller percentage of us actually get there, while many more do not. Who am I to tell you how to perceive your experience?

[MamaChel]

Even my OB equates natural with vaginal. He was all excited b/c I got through ny first birth with no epidural (had stadol) I always said that I had DS 1 vaginally which really creeped some people out. I don't get it, but what do I know? I prefer to have my babies at home of all places!

[Caroline248]

Originally Posted by darkstar

Birth Junky, I would say that a natural childbirth would be with no pain medications. Although, I know some would say with no drugs at all. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder

I tell people my last birth wasn't natural but it was pain-med free because I had pitocin. People look at me like I am crazy for not having pain meds anyway....

~C~

[Artisan]

I think it was USAmma who said a while ago that people are afraid to say "vaginal", so they say "natural" instead. They also use the term birth canal instead of vagina. People don't like the V word.

[MrsMoe]

Originally Posted by reader

I think it was USAmma who said a while ago that people are afraid to say "vaginal", so they say "natural" instead. They also use the term birth canal instead of vagina. People don't like the V word.

yup

[JanetF]

Gotta love those naturally occuring epidurals

[april77]

I've noticed that around here people will ask if you had a natural birth or a c-section. Natural replacing vaginal, they just assume that you had pain meds.

[Ruthla]

I don't have a problem with the term "birth canal," just as I often refer to my breasts as "boobs" or my toes as "tootsies."

The problem is there's no adjective for "birth canal" You can say "vaginal birth" or "natural birth" but it's kind of awkward to say "birth canaly birth."

[noorjahan]

Originally Posted by LoveChild421

I just heard a lady say this exact statement on A Baby Story- and I have had a few relatives/co-workers say the same thing. Now, I'm not judging them for having an epidural- but epidural does not = natural. I think they mean vaginal- I just don't get why one would say "I had a natural childbirth with an epidural OF COURSE" like there's no other option other than a C-section...

Can I tell you something? Back home where I am from there is no epidural, you have either c-sec or you say normal.We say did you have baby normally or you had complication. We never say the word natural. So, in my previous job there was this girl who had a baby and when I asked her if she had c-sec she replied "no, it was natural." I was so confused. I was like what is natural? I thought all births were natural either with complication or without complication. I never got the courage to ask her what she meant by natural caz I didn't want her to think I was stupid! Then she would say how she didn't have epidural caz she didn't want to mess her back. And to be honest before I started reading birth stories I really didn't know in US what is considerate natural and what is not. But saying having a natural birth with epidural is REALLY funny!