"i did it natural, with an epidural of course" - Page 3

[cee3]

tinyshoes, I think your entire post was extremely well put. This paragraph...

I think it's very important that a non-"natural" birth be recoginzed as a valued, potentially wonderful event. A c-section birth is unnatural...and that's why it's great. Women and babies dying in childbirth is natural; babies malpositioned such that they can never be born, so they die in the womb, that is natural. That doesn't make it good.

...spoke really well as to why there shouldn't be positive/negative connotations to the word natural when applied to childbirth. Natural is often best, but not always. I think I would be more comfortable with the word if the connotations were absent.

[CrazyCatLady]

I personally don't consider most hospital births natural, even if there were no pain meds. Being pumped full of Pitocin, monitored, forced to stay in bed, pushing flat on your back, and having a three-inch cut in your perineum is NOT natural, even if it was unmedicated.

You just described my hospital birth exactly. But to be fair, I asked for the pitocin because they wouldn't let me walk around or leave me bed to help me get farther along (if your water breaks, you are now high risk?) I had showed up at the hospital fully efaced and 6 cms and they were so panicked that I was still walking around and talking with out drugs. I did not want to be strapped to that darn bed all day waiting for her to come out. But I didn't use any pain meds. I personally think that for someone to say it was a natural childbirth with an epidural sounds silly. But I don't let these things rub me wrong. I'm proud of myself for not using meds even if my birth wasn't "natural". I'll be even more proud of myself when I use no meds during my homebirth next time. People can say whatever they want about their own births (in my opinion) even if I think they are wrong or annoying for saying it. Even though it can make things a tad confusing. (Have I made any sense )

[autumn_faune]

Do we need a new label?

This is something that squicks me regularly. I feel sometimes that the terminology "natural birth" has been appropriated by the medico's with the specific intent to be detrimental to the original "natural birth movement". (paranoia? maybe.) As a result, most mainstream women now identify natural with vaginal, and that is absolutely all it means.

Do we need a new term for what used to be called natural? I think so. unmedicated only goes so far.

Because naturally, one would have freedom to go where they want, eat what they want, have whoever they want or don't want present or absent, choose the position they want, decide when they're ready to birth, and really be the birthing woman, not just the center ring attraction at a 3-ring circus!

Unfortunately, I don't have any good ideas at the moment. oh yeah... duh. purebirth.

[minkajane]

I hereby declare myself a member of the new American Purebirth/Freebirth Movement!

[wasabi]

Well I did have natural hospital births and I was pumped full of pit or anything else and I had no drugs of any kind and I pushed on my hands and knees. Natural enough? I think we can get a bit too carried away sometimes with these definitions. Since I had my 10.5 lbs DD#2 I have been getting a lot of the assuming natural just means vaginal. Most people are shocked enough that I was able to have her vaginally but when they realize I had no meds they about fall over. All that said I understand where it comes from because in medical terminology a vaginal birth is a natural birth. That has crept into our culture and so now we get "natural birth but with an epidural of course."

[hubris]

The use of "natural" to mean "vaginal" bugs the dickens out of me, too. I wonder if the high c/s rate is responsible in part. So many women how have c/s that a vaginal birth of any kind seems normal in comparison, because that's the natural escape route from the uterus, as opposed to somebody cutting a new escape hatch.

I also wonder if this new use of "natural" is a backlash against the natural childbirth movement.

"Natural" gets used for so many things that I usually just say "I had an unmedicated birth" or "I gave birth without the use of pain medication" or something like that. I talk pretty freely and matter-of-factly about my births. I'm not a martyr or a masochist, I'm a normal woman who really doesn't like feeling pain, but I don't think that pain medication is healthy for me or for my baby, I have the ability to work through the pain, and I *need* the pain to help tell me what to do during labor/birth.

Plus, oh, that endorphin rush. Mmmmm. Gotta love a good birth high.



[QUOTE=ldsapmom]When I came back (three hours later!) my friend was all cozied up in her postpartum room, but no baby! I said, "Where's the

OMG, I would be FREAKING OUT if I were separated from my newborn like that! I feel all stressed out just reading it.

[hubris]

Oh, and I love the term "pure birth"!!!

[LoveChild421]

Originally Posted by JanetF

Gotta love those naturally occuring epidurals

exactly. I see how there is a lot of grey area as to what is "natural" but I don't see how the heck an epidural qualifies. That's like calling a Big Mac organic... no judgement, just trying to see how anyone could call an epidural part of a "natural birth"- I'm sticking with the "they're just to afraid to say vagina" theory

[wasabi]

Just realized that above I posted that I was pumped full of pit etc when I actually meant I wasn't pumped full of pit etc.

[Crunchier]

I agree with PPs that natural just means not-a-c-section. I NEVER use natural to describe my birth, because I had SO many interventions and ppl often assume I had a c-section, cause you know, I had interventions (apparently that's the only intervention that counts).

It would be nice if we could use the terms the way we like and everyone would understand them, but we have to accept that we live in a society where the norms do not include us. Everyone I know has either an epidural of a c-section or both. Many women assume that you HAVE to have pain meds, birth in a hospital, have an OB, lay on your back, be monitored, etc. These are the accepted paractices and it's often unheard of for anyone to venture away from that.

[CryPixie83]

Originally Posted by 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".

Vaginal. Vagina. Vulva. Clitoris. Labia. Penis. Testicles. Scrotum. Anus. Breasts.

Muwahahaha!
Did I miss any? Hehe!

[AngelaB]

I will be having an unmedicated vaginal delivery with this coming babe. I had an unmedicated vaginal delivery with ds2 and a c-section with ds1. They all had to come out no matter how you say it. If you have a c-section the baby was surgicaly removed. If you had a vaginal delivery said baby came out of your vagina. If you had medication, you had a medicated vaginal delivery or a nonmedicated vaginal delivery. Its about facts and being clear. Natural is a term that is defined by interpretation.

I think it is up to us to be clear and say what we mean. If we want the world to change we have to change it. SO what if people feel uncomfortable, they will have to get used to it. I want my baby to come out of my VAGINA. My entire vulva will be sore and tired however I prefer this to surgery. My anus will swell and I hope my perenium stays intact.

I challenge all of us to say what we mean. VAGINA VAGINA VAGINA!!!!!!!
Shock the public ladies!!
~Angela~

[AmyAngel]

I think this must be partly due to a lack of knowledge. My best friend and I were watching some TV special that followed a baby from conception through birth, and the mom gave birth standing at the side of the bed. I told my friend beforehand that I had heard that's the position the mom chose to give birth in, and she was absolutely AMAZED. She had NO idea that it was even possible to give birth any way other than lying on your back. Literally, her jaw dropped open and her eyes bugged out as she said "REALLY! Standing UP?!?!?!" I couldn't tell if she was impressed or horrified.

I think many people just don't know it's possible to give birth without interventions of some kind, or assume that only happens by accident - they think no one would CHOOSE that, now that we have great modern technology and medicine, you know.

My friend is TTC, and is determined not to have an induction or a c-sec unless it's absolutely necessary, but she definitely wants pain meds. So, I would say she's planning a vaginal birth, but not a "natural" one, IMO.

I am really hoping someday to have a natural homebirth, which to me means no pain meds and no interventions, but with a midwife attending.

[gentlebirthmothr]

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...

Jen,

Same here and now I hate hearing this on A Baby Story and from other places as well.

Thank you.

[sapphire_chan]

What about "gentle" or "peaceful" birth? Or "internally focused"?