Why is unmedicated / "natural birth" glorified

[daffodils123]

It really baffles me the extent to which "natural births" are glorified both by pregnant women, midwives and even others when they ask if you're planning on a "natural birth".

There is no other procedure that people routinely turn down painkillers or pain relief when getting & so it always confuses me that this is even a thing.

I also have a feeling that if men could give birth, this obsession with "natural birth" may not be a thing!

Has anyone else found this to be the case??

I gave birth with no pain relief because there was no pain. Sorry!

@Getyourarseofffthequattro
Well yes, same happened to me, ‘natural’ birth, no drugs, 3rd degree tear; wasn’t going to do anything which risked a bad tear the second time around though, given my apparent propensity towards them!

Ended up having a totally elective, planned c section the second time. Loved it but had the fear of God put into me by the drs about the increased risk of still birth / miscarriage/ scar rupture etc after a section, to the point that it’s put me off having more children as I wouldn’t want to risk a 2nd section or a vbac (or just a pregnancy in general).

@daffodils123

It really baffles me the extent to which "natural births" are glorified both by pregnant women, midwives and even others when they ask if you're planning on a "natural birth".

There is no other procedure that people routinely turn down painkillers or pain relief when getting & so it always confuses me that this is even a thing.

I also have a feeling that if men could give birth, this obsession with "natural birth" may not be a thing!

Has anyone else found this to be the case??

Cascade of intervention

@HumunaHey

I find the opposite- people constantly telling me not to be a martyr because I didn't want epidurals with both my births. I didn't make my birth choice to be a martyr. I looked up the risks and benefits of not using epidural and made a personal decision not to have it.

Same for me. I did NOT want an epidural other than if a emcs was needed, I was more than happy to have entonox and morphine.

This was based on medical evidence and the things I had seen with my own eyes whilst on a maternity placement during my paramedic training, where by far the most calm and gentle births where those in the midwifery led unit with the least interventions.

[quote ForkedIt]@Getyourarseofffthequattro
Well yes, same happened to me, ‘natural’ birth, no drugs, 3rd degree tear; wasn’t going to do anything which risked a bad tear the second time around though, given my apparent propensity towards them!

Ended up having a totally elective, planned c section the second time. Loved it but had the fear of God put into me by the drs about the increased risk of still birth / miscarriage/ scar rupture etc after a section, to the point that it’s put me off having more children as I wouldn’t want to risk a 2nd section or a vbac (or just a pregnancy in general).[/quote]
Completely understandable. It is one of a few reasons why I haven't had any further children because the birth was so bad!

I think it's part of human nature to validate your own choices by making out they are somehow better.

But you can have different experiences with each birth and still have a preference

I wanted a natural (water) birth but in the end I couldn't hack it and ended up with an epidural. I do occasionally look back and feel a little sad at myself for not 'trying harder' but at the end of the day I did what I felt I needed to at the time.

And besides, there's medication and pain relief available for practically everything now, its just labour where not having any becomes a badge of honour. If you had a tooth extracted without pain relief everyone would consider you mad! Thats what I tell myself anyway

I've no idea. It shouldn't be. I gave birth without pain management, but not through choice. Absolutely no way I do it again! I didn't get a medal for it.

I had an epidural and was awful as I couldn't feel to push . Ended up in theatre in case forceps didn't work

next time was natural, no pain relief at all, it hurt (can't have gas and air as I throw up) and I felt exhilarated afterwards.

I’ve had a natural non medicated birth and one with morphine.

The morphine one was slower and the baby came out struggling due to the respiratory effects of the drugs.

Nothing to do with a badge of honour though I just hated the idea of a tube in my back.

IME it’s either that people had relatively “easy” births so don’t get the big deal, or that they had a tough time with their natural/unmedicated birth and desperately need for it to have been worth it. A bit like breastfeeding.

By “people”, I mean “women”, obviously.

I think its a hark back to the days when only a natural birth was available, so society was completely reliant on the fact that some women could give birth naturally (rather than dying). It absolutely was the only thing that mattered and was as such highly prized.

People are dicks.
Natural vs pain relief birth
Vagina vs c section
Sahp vs working parent
Nanny vs nursery
State vs private
Uni vs apprenticeship

The judgement and criticism goes on and on.

What works for one person doesn’t another. Just be thankful if your happy and healthy. That’s it

I think the NCT-flavoured emphasis on ‘natural birth’ came about as a reaction against the kind of highly-medicalised births in which women were shaved, enema’d and immobilised in stirrups.

Having said that, all the female medics I know had elective c-sections.

It’s painful but there’s nothing wrong with you per se. I know people on mn love to get hung up about these things but the fact is drug free vaginal birth that is straightforward is better for the baby. As is breastfeeding. There’s no denying that.

Doesn’t necessarily make it best for the mother for whatever reason.

I say this having had a home birth and a hospital birth with epidural.

@RobinPenguins

IME it’s either that people had relatively “easy” births so don’t get the big deal, or that they had a tough time with their natural/unmedicated birth and desperately need for it to have been worth it. A bit like breastfeeding.

Yeah, this pisses me off. I’ve talked to people who think it’s a badge of honour not to have any painkillers when they had a quick easy labour. I read up about it and decided non-medical was best, and went for 20 hours with nothing, but then had to be transferred to the high dependency ward and had an epidural then, and it is one of the most intensive experiences of my life - the wave of calm that washed over me after almost a day of intense pain was amazing. I think that was the point in which I’d have begun dying of exhaustion and despair if I hadn’t had access to modern medicine.

I had one completley unmedicated birth that included an episiotomy without pain relief and one emergency c-section. Both were shit, both were traumatic and as much as yes my babies were lovely and healthy and wonderful I would have much preferred a nice, easy labour with pain relief and supportive midwives AND had my lovely healthy babies as well. I don't care how other women gave birth, just because one woman might have had an epidural and an 'easy time of it' doesn't make her any less of a mother than a woman who had a 'natural birth' and vice versa. However - certain people have made comments to me about both my births: telling me I have a low pain threshold and would never be able to withstand labour with my first and then telling me I didn't actually need a c-section with my second and that I was weak for needing one. My conclusion is that some people are just ignorant arseholes and my recommendation is to do whatever the hell makes you most comfortable/is safest in labour and fuck everyone else.

**my unmedicated birth was not by choice

Who cares??
And it also doesn't have to be completely either/or.

My first was back to back labour - my god that was horrendous. Had pethadine just so i could rest. Also had a water birth after the pethadine wore off.

Second, just hypnobirthing and water as pain relief. No back to back labour but would have had pethadine again if there had been.

Do whatever you have to to get through labour!

It isn’t! It is obviously better if interventions aren’t needed because that means that everything has been problem free and that is good! If interventions are needed or the pain is unbearable that is clearly not the ideal. These facts do not equate to natural birth being ‘glorified’, I have met women who have been relieved or felt lucky to have a problem free birth, but never one who gloried in it.

@Blahdyblahbla

I think its an antidote to the "the baby and I both nearly died, we had the worst birth anyone has ever had" brigade, IME that seems to be more glorified than having a straight forward simple delivery.

Have you any idea what it feels like to nearly die in childbirth!! It's horrific.

I had a crash section, we both very nearly died and I have never recovered properly. I ave had to have several surgeries to try and fix the damage. My child thankfully is ok.

I hate when people tell me , ah but it's ok, all well that ends well.

Giving birth can be very very dangerous and people who wax lyrical about, oh it's natural what's the fuss do not know hot lucky they are

Well I think birth is different from a medical procedure as you said in your OP, but it has been excessively medicalised to the extent that it’s almost pathologised . I mean we are the only mammals to fear it.

That being said medicine is an absolutely wonderful thing and I’m so thankful these interventions exist as they save lives BUT there is a time and a place and obstetric violence is a real thing as is the cascade of interventions.

The better birth narrative seems to have come about as a reaction to excessive medical intervention

I have no idea but I fell into the ‘I want a natural birth’ camp because, well, that’s what everyone always seems to say!

I’m not a violent person but when my DH reminded me of this 24 hours in I wanted to hurt him I needn’t have bothered, had to have all the drugs and an EMCS.

Childbirth isn’t fun whether you’re drugged up or not, so kudos to those who do it both with or without!

Because nobody cares enough about women and babies to bother to figure out an effective pain relief that does not either impact the baby or mean that there is more likely to be damage to the woman.

So pressure is put on the woman to deal with this inadequacy.

If men gave birth then it would have been sorted decades ago. (We put a man on the moon over 50 years ago now - how is it that a process that impacts every single living person has not yet been sorted?)