Natural Childbirth

I get all sorts of reactions from people when they find out I want to try and do this naturally. “You think that now, but JUST WAIT! You’ll be asking for drugs!” “This isn’t a contest, you know.” “There’s no special prize for going without meds.” “You don’t have to prove anything.” I agree for the most part, and if this was about trying to prove how tough I am, I would definitely change my mind. But this isn’t about that. It’s about the risks, like anything else. Most people simply decide they will get medical pain relief when they get to the hospital, and don’t prepare much beyond that. I know a girl who planned on having an epidural, but progressed so quickly she didn’t have time. She was caught completely off guard by having to deliver naturally. I figured that if I knew I was going to be thrown into deep water a mile from shore in exactly nine months, wouldn’t I want to learn how to swim? In Bradley class they teach you that EVERY woman reaches a point where she decides she can’t go any further, and will be most likely to ask for drugs. Problem is, this most often occurs during transition, the point at which you’re moments away from pushing and don’t realize it. With the help and encouragement of your birth team, they say, you can most likely get over this hump with no interventions, just like women have done for thousands of years before medicated birth became the norm. It’s insulting to tell women that their bodies aren't capable of doing this without medical intervention, or that you're masochistic or have ego problems if you want a natural birth. I simply want to prepare for all eventualities, avoid the domino effect of drug-induced side effects and keep my options open. The most important thing is a healthy mother and baby.