What are your birthing options?

First, take a look at this article. It talks about women in the U.S. dying in childbirth.

Next, lets talk about it. Basically the U.S. is not properly taking care of women when they go to the hospital to birth their child. As noted in Block's article the risks of women dying lie within the almost always unnecessary c-sections and drugs that are given to women for pain (epidural) and inducing labor and contractions. There are serious times when these might be actually needed, but in reality they are not. Most of the time it's to speed up the process (or so it's thought, however I have read stories where it slowed down some women's' labor). The women are on the doctors schedule, not their own time that their body keeps. I personally am offended that someone wouldn't want my body to do what is natural to itself.

If we are supposed to be such a wonderful country why are you five times more likely to die in childbirth here than in Greece? Because it is so hard to give women a CHOICE. Every hospital is different, some are more progressive and let the women make their birth plans, and others will basically ignore what you ask and barely even tell you what is going on when you are in labor, and give you drugs and shots without your consent. It varies so much, and that is so horrible.

On the BabyCenter website there is a lot of information on natural births. It incidentally is a different option for women. You can have your child at home with a midwife, in some hospitals with a doula or midwife and still deliver naturally, and at birth centers. Here are some pros of natural birth from BabyCenter:

*There is no loss of feeling, you are alert and active for the whole labor

*You are free to move around without being hooked up to an IV or monitor.

*You can choose which position you want to be in, kneeling, sitting..what ever is comfy. (Most women do not like to lay down which hospitals force you to do...if you move it may help the pain)

*You are less likely than the women who get epidurals to need intervention like forcing contractions, getting a catheter, or needing forceps.

The only huge disadvantages are the plain fact that it does hurt, I mean come on, a baby coming from your vagina will hurt. But there are many things to help relieve some pain, and many stories that I have read online have said you feel so empowered that you can do it alone that the pain doesn't matter. If you happen to have complications, there are always back-up plans.

I feel if more women knew the options and given a choice we might have better numbers with labor deaths. We don't need to medicalize child birth unless there are serious complications. Less c-sections, more choices and then maybe, just maybe you could have a birth at a hospital without problems and discomfort.

Here are a few other websites I came across for info and personal stories of natural birth:

http://www.haveanaturalchildbirth.com/

Madison Birth Center

www.givingbirthnaturally.com