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??

@Clandestin

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.

This. I had one of those births the first time round, the shaving and enema were the worst part of it. The second time was too quick for any of that - or any pain relief - and it was far better. I don’t think there’s any glorifying involved.

I suspect that it is originally grounded in religion, then perpetuated by saving the NHS money. I went for as pain free as possible for myself though.
It is still ridiculous that a woman cannot guarantee receiving adequate pain relief in Labour (eg an epidural) as it will depend whether the anaesthetist is available. If men had to go through this, they would simply employ more anaesthetists. This problem has existed since the 1970s - Esther Rantzen used to do consumer features on it. It hasn't got any better that I can see.

@dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby

I suspect that it is originally grounded in religion, then perpetuated by saving the NHS money. I went for as pain free as possible for myself though. It is still ridiculous that a woman cannot guarantee receiving adequate pain relief in Labour (eg an epidural) as it will depend whether the anaesthetist is available. If men had to go through this, they would simply employ more anaesthetists. This problem has existed since the 1970s - Esther Rantzen used to do consumer features on it. It hasn't got any better that I can see.

Sounds like we should go back to Twilight Sleep.

I think aiming for natural is silly. We should be aiming for safe, and that means intervention if something isn't going to plan.

We should be aiming for safe, and that means intervention if something isn't going to plan

Definitely. I’m hoping for a natural birth - just personal preference. However if things aren’t going right then I will have whatever help is needed.

Tbh. If you pour warm water (get midwives to) via sterile jug when the burning starts it stops ripping and sort of soothes the pain. Worked a treat 2nd birth no stitches

It's just a preference for some women 🤷🏼‍♀️end goal is healthy mum and baby. I had 2 without pain relief, gas and air made me feel sick , can't bear the thought of not being able to feel my legs so don't like the idea of epidural but mostly my labours were quick (3 1/2hours, 2 hours) so didn't feel I needed pain relief. Prob would have if I had long labours.

I think part of the problem is that many of the professional bodies are not capable of nuance. A few posters here seem to understand well that it's not black and white, but go to an NCT class and it's their natural way or the highway. We had to beg for some info on c sections despite the fact that 3/7 in the class were due to have electives for various reasons, breach, twins, etc. I think the nhs mostly strikes quite a good balance between offering natural birth options but making sure they're ready to intervene when necessary. Sometimes they probably intervene when not necessary but the alternative can be tragic. I think it's a bit scary to see women going happily over 42 weeks on the basis of some quite woo advice from the hypnobirthing mafia (as I have termed them). I was totally captured by the natural birth crowd pre my first Labour and went quite overdue before eventually agreeing to be induced. I was v reluctant though. It ended in an emcs and the doctors commented that it had been a v good decision due to how wedged my baby was in my pelvis. He was quite distressed and had a head circumference well off the chart which I'd been assured would be no hindrance to my natural birth. Next time I'll be booking myself in for a lovely old elcs with zero hesitation.

I had gas and air in the pool with my first and it was nowhere near as bad as I expected so I thought about doing it ‘naturally’ for my second. In the end I had no choice as he came before we got to the hospital and I had him outside but I was very lucky that my labours have been very straightforward. I don’t consider it a badge of honour, just something that I was able to deal with without intervention. I know everyone is different.

I'm not sure it is?!

You do what needs to be done. Personally, I don't want to be drugged up to the eyeballs and my most recent birth experience told me that if I let things go with the flow, I shouldn't need pain relief but, if things turn out differently this time and I do need it, then so be it!

I think it might be glorified in some people's minds and that's it. My experience is that people think you're crazy if you put "no pain relief" in your birth preferences (except my lovely midwife thank goodness!).