Natural Birth is Best

re: Natural Birth is Best

smackie7777 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:46:50 GMT

Hi, i had my first baby a year and a half ago. I didnt want to have any type of drugs or anything i wanted it to be 100% natural birth. At my prenatal classes, of a class of about 16 women, our instructor said that at most only one of us would have a natural birth. Well that really scared the poop out of me, i thought i was doomed to have to take something. But in the end my real labor time was only about 45 mins, with my actual contractions starting earlier that morning but not being very uncomfortable. And to my surprise i did not end up needing anything. My Sister in Law also wanted a totally natural birth and she is alot more assertive and was 100% sure no matter what she wasnt going to take anything. But it ended up being 100% the opposite. She received pictotin to induce labor, she had an epidural, and at one point actually feel asleep while in labor which i thought was weird. But that just goes to show you that we dont know how its going to be until we are there in the moment. But far to many times people dont want to go through the trouble and pain of all of it i think. We have become a society that is so set on getting rid of all our inconviences, pain, & trouble. I just dont think its right. Pain in labor is normal and i think necessary for us as women. We need to suffers to become stronger people. But i sometimes think women may need drug interventions as well as C-Sections, we dont know how they are feeling so its really hard to judge. I think this topic is a very good one and its nice to hear all the different sides. I hope in the future all my children are born naturally. Because seeing the way my sister in laws baby was after it was born in comparison to my own daughter is enough to make me feel lucky that i did not need any outside intervention.

re: Natural Birth is Best

ChessFamily — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:34:30 GMT

I think it is important talk about natural birth that does not include any drugs or medication. Including induction or augmentation. I do believe there are instances where these things are necessary for the health of mom and baby, but in general should be avoided. C-sections are not the only thing that is bad for mom and baby. Pitocin and epidurals are just some of the leading causes of C-sections. Having a "natural birth" for a lot of people is simply having a vaginal birth. There is a difference. I agree we need to get back to the basics and really understand that child birth is NOT a condition. I believe many women have elective C-sections because they do not want to experience labor. A natural, unmedicated birth is not as hard as it sounds. Yes, it is very painful, but it is how it was intended. And as a surprise to many women, it is extremely gratifiying and empowering to know you are capeable of giving birth to your child, and actually feel him or her move down your birth canal. When you educate yourself about chlid birth, and understand the process, it is a more wonderful experience!

re: Natural Birth is Best

montanaanna — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:23:02 GMT

I found Dr. M's site after the birth of my first child. I regret that I did have an epidural. Although it blocked any pain & I did get to nap for awhile, I was very frustrated & uncomfortable not being able to move around much - I really didn't like being on my back - it didn't feel right. I also didn't like the complete feeling of helplessness afterwards while I waited to get feeling back into my legs. Honestly, the epidural wore off before my baby was born. Now I believe in myself & my body and I WILL deliver my 2nd child (due next spring) as naturally as possible!

re: Natural Birth is Best

LoriSm — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 22:54:20 GMT

I have had 8 children, 2 born at the hospital, the other 6 at home with just my husband and a friend (my choice). I had no prenatal, no doctor visits, no "back-up" plan. After having 2 babies I felt AI could do this, and I did. Women are abused in hospitals. Not only are they abused, they PAY for this abuse and then THANK their abusers for their "great care". It makes me sick that we have been so indoctrinated (USA) to believe that a 34% C-section rate is "normal". YES! Some women have problems (less than 10%) and may need C-sections in order to have a healthy baby. My sister would have died without a C-section. But, for the majority of women it is either through convenience (doctor or mom), or through all the cmplications caused by the hospital (birth monitors, pitocin drips, etc). One of my nieces had a child who almost lost an eye because of a birth monitor. He had to have reparative surgery on his tear duct when he was 3 months old, and now at age 23 he still has a droopy eye~all thanks to the use of a birth monitor. There are herbs that women can safely take the last 6 weeks of pregnancy that prepare her body to give birth. These herbs cause a great reduction in the time to labor (for me it was cut by 2/3!!!) and you can actually feel your body working. The information is out there, just search for it.

This article was exposing the abuse of C-sections by doctors and moms for convenience. No one would want to keep a mom from having this surgery in order to save her life or her child's. But, like any good thing, this procedure has been terribly abused. It is now being abused by the insurance companies as they will not allow a VBAC after a C-section (at least not here in Ohio~try to find an OB who will perform one!) The insurance companies are now forcing women who could safely have a VBAC to only have a C-section. This is abuse, too. We need a complete revamp of our health system, and NOT with socialized medicine! Women need to be educated and empowered.

Lori

re: Natural Birth is Best

Austin Texas — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:44:47 GMT

I would like to add that nothing needs to be "DONE" to prevent people from having C-sections that need them or want them. Even if it's not necessary. Too many of our rights to choose have already been taken away... If your pregnant, educate yourself and make your OWN decisions. It's your body and your baby. Just because some people can deliver babies at home by themselves like it was trip to the mall does not mean everyone should feel like they might not need medical attention during a very potentionally dangerous event that can turn into a "medical condition" very quickly. So many are not looking at the whole picture. If you are choosing to have your baby at home you might want an ambulance on stand-by just in case. I do eat well and exercise and I'm not overweight, etc. and I still would have died twice had I not been in a hospital for immediate care. I agree they tend to "over-treat" and "over-charge" but that is still your decision. Don't dis them all the time, you never know when you might just need them to save your life! And please don't take MY decisions away, I'm not you...

re: Natural Birth is Best

Austin Texas — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:14:31 GMT

I have to DISAGREE!! I know, BUT where in your research are the women like me? I didn't have C-sections and I almost died once and I did die once and was resuscitated thanks to an extra ordinarily trained doctor in saving DIC patients. I did not have a special condition going to delivery that necessarily warranted a C-section. But a delivery that takes 13 hours with 3 to 4 hours of pushing exhausted my uterus to the point that it quit working after the delivery and made me bleed out. Where is your stats on how many of us almost die or do die due to child birth. Dying in child birth should not ever happen anymore. It's the 2000's! But it does everyday! If I would have had C-sections, I would not have some of the problems I do now and will forever and it would not have taken me 3 years to recover from each child birth! But I wanted to what was "best" for my child and it almost left them motherless. I know LOTS of people that should have had C's for various reasons. I don't want to scare people but SOMETIMES a C-section is best. And I DO have a great doctor!

re: Natural Birth is Best

Ramona_203 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 04:49:31 GMT

Well, I am a fan of anything natural, I don't even take aspirin, and avoid processed food like the plague. But both my 10 yr old son and 5 yr old daughter were born by C section, the first emergency and the second planned since breech ruled out VBAC... and i almost bled to death both times... but they are such healthy beautiful children who lead their class in every subject, I am in awe and cannot feel regret that they were not born the natural way. I'd have died with Matthew. I'm no expert but you have nurses galloping in yelling, 'HER BLOOD PRESSURES' 50/40!! PAGE HER DR STAT!!" and you figure things are not exactly going your way. Then your next memory is being wheeled at breakneck pace to the OR while a consent form is shoved at you to sign stating, "maternal/fetal distress" and you're pretty grateful for medical procedures at that point. My hero for all time is the woman surgeon who gave me both Mary and Matthew, and my life too.

re: Natural Birth is Best

Mama B — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 02:23:19 GMT

HELLO TO ALL WHO ARE WONDERING WHAT HOME BIRTH IS ALL ABOUT.... well, God blessed me to have the honor of seeing my last two brothers born... my husband came from a family of several born at home. Both of my mothers say there is NOTHING like having you baby @ home! Soo, My husband and I got ahold of the "Husband Coached Childbirth" book... read it and did everything it saided. My husband went from wondering if he even dared be part of the birth, to be my strength coach. The bonding process was unbelievable! We have had both of our boys (with 15 in. heads!!) at home, totally naturally and i can hardly wait to have more!

We are both from the EMS world of paramedics and firefighters, so you can imagine, we wanted to make SURE that we were safe and prepared. After finding a highly respected midwife, the other thing that really helped us was getting ultrasounds done to rule out the possible "high-risk" things.. after that was cleared and we had green lights... it was find my favorite music, do my relaxing exersizes with my husband, dim the lights, sit in the tub, sip on some orange juice and enjoy the beauty that unfolded in front of us in our very own, cozy home.

The rush of being so alive and aware of what is going on, my husband coaching me in staying relaxed (which is the best pain reliever!!), and then being so alert when my boys were born... PRICELESS!!! God TRULY knew what He was doing when He made us!!!

re: Natural Birth is Best

Hollyoh — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:42:53 GMT

Oh, the c-section debate! I had decided to have a natural birth...my doula was the only 'medicine' I wanted. However, after 28 hours of labor and not being able to progress past 9 centimers while my baby's heartbeat became unsteady, they opted for a c-section. By that point, I had already been awake for almost two days with no sleep, and I went the first ten hours with no medicine. I was so exhausted, I really don't know if I could have pushed. My mother had the same problem when I was born...she wouldn't fully dilate, even with pitocin. I would love nothing more than to try to have our second baby vaginally. However, I'm worried about something. A month after my son was born, I hurt my back very badly, and I'm still suffering with chronic backpain every day. (This happened a year and a half ago). I'm not sure if my back will be able to withstand the pushing of labor. I mean, not to be gross, but it hurts my back to even push while going to the bathroom, if you know what I mean. I know I shouldn't be worrying about this since we're not even pregnant yet, but my back injury is a big deciding factor as to whether or not we should have another baby anytime soon. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

re: Natural Birth is Best

sheila7000 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:42:28 GMT

So which is safer when you've already gone through an incident where a c-section was necessary? If the only medical problem is that you've previously had a c-section before that could have been avoided if the circumstances had been different, is it safer to try "natural" or c-section? I know doctors were telling me that insurances were deeming that c-section was safer after you've already had a c-section, and thta doctors now always do c-section after a c-section because of safety (year 2004). I thought the reasoning behind the "new trend" was bunk, and was hoping that by the time if I had another child, the medical community would be swinging back the other way and realizing "natural" is safer after a c-section if everything else about delivery appears like it will be "normal."

re: Natural Birth is Best

birdsong — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:00:37 GMT

I heartily agree! When I was a teenager I read Grantly *** Reed's book: CHILDBIRTH WITHOUT FEAR.

It made sense to me and so I decided that this would be my choice. After marrying in 1955 my husband and I had six children in eight years, each of them born using Natural Childbirth. In those days it was not easy to find a doctor who would agree with my preference, so I had some battles to fight! Yes, each delivery was a hard day's work, but I would do it again, despite two babies who were in the breech position (turned by my obstetrician a week prior to birth - NOT fun!) and the youngest who was face down, resulting in a prolonged labor.

I nursed each one for nine months and they were healthy babies. Today, I would nurse them longer, but in those days, again, I had to fight pediatricians who thought that bottle feeding was best because you could measure exactly what the baby consumed! I even had one pediatrician reach out and squeeze my breast when I brought our first son in for a check-up. He told me that I shouldn't nurse him because I had no milk! (I had nursed him just prior to taking him to the dr. and always had pleanty of milk!) Needless to say, I found another pediatrician ASAP - one who supported me totally and believed that mothers know best.

Today, these six children have married and have presented us with fourteen grandchildren.

I can't imagine why anyone would opt for major abdominal surgery! Two of our daughters who had emergency c-sections went through difficult recoveries. It's hard enough to care for a newborn after natural delivery. It is many times harder when one is struggling with recovery from surgery. It can't be done without help (which I was happy to provide.)

Happy Mom/Grandma

re: Natural Birth is Best

katekohr — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:49:53 GMT

Having had my first two children in the hospital-and feeling as though I was just another body to be herded through the hospital machinery- I decided to have my third and fourth births at home with midwives. The difference could not have been more profound. I felt safe and respected every step of the way and when I wanted to do things that I was never allowed to do in a hospital environment (rock on hands and knees, spend time in the shower/bathtub) there was no one telling me I couldn't. Indeed, whatever made me feel better made for an easier labor! If anyone had told me when I began my motherhood journey that I would be an impassioned advocate for homebirth, I would have thought they were crazy. Now, I can't imagine any other way to be. The nice thing is that I have four daughters, and the older three were all at their youngest sisters birth 19 months ago. Whether they decide to have home or hospital births is secondary to the fact that they be empowered...it is always for the woman to decide how she and her child will be treated and surrounding herself with good support people is key.

I really wish that American healthcare-especially maternal care and chilbirth- would take a page from the European model, where pregnant women are seen primarily by midwives and ob/gyns are only called in case of emergency. I also want to say that my last 2 pregnancies were both breech 2 weeks before my due dates, and my midwife was in both cases able to very gently turn the baby to the head down position. One of them was 9 lbs. 10 ounces, the other was 10 pounds even! I'm sure I would have been scheduled for a C-section both times.

I recently attended a play called "Birth", where a woman raised on a farm mused upon the fact that when the family dog had a litter of puppies, she sought out the darkest, quietest area of the house and would not let any member of the family near her or her babies for hours . "why" she wondered, " do we deny these very natural urges in human birth?

re: Natural Birth is Best

AZhiker — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:17:16 GMT

Katee & any other possible parent to be-

Dr. Mercola lists some great books in his comment and I would especially recommend "Natural birth the Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon. The education of the husband/birth partner to advocate at the hospital is sooo important! This book explains to the Dad-to-be why natural birth is so good for his children. It is very difficult for a woman to go through labor, transition and try to bond with her child (plus 24 without sleep in my case) while a hospital staff is trying to scare her into all kinds of shots and interventions. My child was given treatment (Vit K shot and eye drops - I pray nothing more) the hospital KNEW were unnecessary because they had medical histories and we had given explainations when we refused. I do not believe mothers are respected in a hospital setting AT ALL. Without a doula or husband in there building relationships with the nurses and Dr.s, the Mom is going to be ignored, worn down, threatened (with neglect for refusing Hep B) and untimately probably leave the hospital with no feelings of joy or empowerment - only the seeds of depression and anger. These books Dr Mercola suggests can really help. BTW - home birth was a beautiful, joyful and empowering experience for me. It is statistically SOOOO much safer than hospital birth and much better for the mental health of the Mother (and ultimately her baby). If you go for the hospital birth, learn EFT so you can desensitize yourself to the abuse you and your newborn will face there, especially if you have a completely unmedicated birth and the medical personel treat you like a freak of nature for it.

Best wishes to all new Moms and Dads no matter how or where that little miracle is born.

re: Natural Birth is Best

cynrick — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:54:13 GMT

The medical community has forgotten that birth IS natural - it's not a "condition" that they have to "treat" and too many people have grown accustomed to giving their power away to that community. I believe that I am responsible for my own health choices and knew a hospital delivery wouldn't work for us. I had to move out of my state of residence in order to have a home birth - they're "illegal" here. I would have been considered "high risk" (almost 40 years old, first child, overweight...) and I had no intention of allowing anyone outside my marriage to determine how this miracle would happen. (We weren't "supposed" to be able to have children. My daughter evidently disagreed with all those doctors). Long story short, in my 8th month the absolute perfect Midwife was provided to us by the Universe while in our new temporary home. She wasn't fazed at all by the fact that I had received no allopathic intervention of any kind but had been seeing only an herbalist and ND Chiropracter during my pregnancy. We learned my little one was breech so my chiropracter did a series of easy, specialized adjustments and with no pain, hardship or trauma of any kind, she gently "flipped over" and that was that. We had a home water birth in a softly lit room with celtic music playing. My midwife was with us during most of the 14 hour labor but stayed very much in the background. "It's not about me" she said - what a welcome difference from having a doctor bustle in at the last moment to "take over" and "deliver" my baby! My daugher was born peacefully without any trauma or drama, the only tears were the ones of joy shed by my husband and me. She was nursing within a couple minutes. My midwife said it was one of the smoothest, most peaceful and most joyous births she had ever assisted.

We need to take back our power - and our responsibility for our lives. Know your rights and your options. Research and learn. Health cannot be found in a pill, a vaccine or a surgeons scalpel.

re: Natural Birth is Best

drharleydc — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:04:52 GMT

Dear Dr. Mercola,

Thanks for an awesome article on C-sections. Yes, we all know there may be a time when this procedure is necessary, however I wanted to add a comment regarding the breech or transverse lie, in fact any intrauterine constraint. Having a wellness practice for over 24 years in SWFL, my goal has been to assist in enhancing the lives of others through diet and nutrition, fitness and exercise, stress reduction and postural/structural alignment to reduce interference to the nervous system. My degree is in Chiropractic and I have spent most of my calling caring for children and their families. I have been the lead professor in Pediatric Adjusting and an instructor in Pediatric and pre-natal clinical assessment at a major Chiropractic University. Over the course of my career, I have utilized the Webster's In-utero Constraint technique hundreds of times with 100% efficacy. This procedure has been published in JMPT and across the board had over an 80% success rate. Please discuss this with me so that those with a breech or transverse lie may benefit from this simple, yet effective procedure. Together we can reduce the number of unnecessary C-sections performed, with potential harm to mother and baby. Contact me at drjoel@drjoel.com.

Sincerely,

Joel Miller, D.C.