Controversial Subject!

@Claudia: I do enjoy your posts, sending good karma your way.

Hasie - It took me a while to work out who you were!
Thanks for pointing that out, I didn't know anyone was covering PTA, she used to just be listed under Gauteng but no area.

Claudia - Was just wishing Moomie had 'Like' button SO many moms have their ideal birth shattered by their careprovider, the wrong person can literally make or break your birth experience..

A lot of ladies have given their insights...

I'm pro normal (I prefer the term normal, because thats what it is....mammals are meant to give birth, its NORMAL.) C Sections are abnormal, they are interfering with human physiology. Yes, they are neccesary, yes they save lives, but they are still not normal. Science still does not understand the cascade of hormones that cause labour to start and research is only starting to look at the long term outcomes of interfering with the birth process. In nature we leave our animals in peace and quite to give birth, we avoid interference to ensure that mothers dont reject their young. Unfortunately that mindset has been lost in modern obstetrics. Most Doctors have the best intentions, but due to their training they veiw pregnancy and birth as a complication to be managed, rather than a normal body function. That comes through in their management of pregnancy.
I changed gynaes 3 times during my pregnancy because despite being 100% healthy I felt that I was being scaremongered. My first wouldnt support a midwife, my second kept pushing specialist ultrasound despite no abnormailites, my 3rd also scaremongered a bit, but I was so late in my pregnancy that I figured if all went to plan I wouldnt need him for the birth anyway (I had a midwife). My next pregnancy hopefully I'll find someone I like....

Whatever you decide though, interview your obstretician carefully. I think a lot of women forget that although professionals they are also service providers and should understand your needs and wishes. Phone hospitals and ask about doctors intervention rates, ask the doctors themselves and if not happy with the answers dont be afraid to change - because legally any previous information HAS TO be passed on to a new doctor at the patients request.

Hi Tanz,

I am another hypnobirthing mom, also gave birth with no meds, I did tear, but I didnt take a single pain med for it. an hour after my daughters birth I was up and walking.

Justine is so right... the Dr's decide what birth you will have, even if you tell them your preference. I had to fight for a natural birth all the way, my Dr said he would support my hypnobirthing choice and then at 37 weeks said I must stop all this natural no pain med nonsence. He also gave me all the horro stories about horrible tears adn it not being safe, its just scare tactics to get thier way.

I changed to a new Dr two days before my little girl was born, best choice I ever made.

in my opinion, our bodies are made for natural birth and that is the safest option ( if its an uncomplicated birth) Nef will be able to give you the actual stats but I think its only 5 % of all births require medical intervention.

I was so afraid of giving birth, as I have zero tolerence for pain, a real wimp, but i did it and am so proud of myself.

There is a place for C sections, but dont be scared into believing its the safest or easiest option.

good luck in making your decision

Hasie, thank you. I am still reading up a bit on hypnobirthing and will def take a look.

Julz, thats exactly what I mean when I say that I am afraid of that which I dont know. Im sure moms who have had kids are much more secure with the birthing decisions they make.

Mumsy, you r not the first person to say that. A friend of mine was also stitched up so tight that she cried when she and dh tried to have sex. They had to get her in theatre and do it again. Dont ask me how! Lol!

I don't think there is a right answer to natural or c-section, its just getting the baby out safely thats important. I am very pro-natural, but I have never judged anyone for having a C-Section. I do judge the doctors in SA for pushing C-Sections because I feel like they are taking financial advantage of the emotionally vulnerable. I think being in the UK has influenced the way I see these things.

If I had been in SA I don't think they would have given me a choice on having a natural labour, yet I managed one just fine. My blood pressure was high from about 25 weeks pregnant and I had to have midwife/consultant (gynae) appointments every second day. I also had bad SPD that I could not walk some days, and from 35 weeks I was put onto bed rest because just going into the office caused me to have contractions because 'I was over doing it', and I had a scan at 37 weeks and was told that my son was already over 4kg's. It was a whirlwind, high risk pregnancy (I even got rushed in an ambulance from hospital to another because of my BP), but I was monitored and allowed to have a natural labour. My waters broke at 7:10pm at 39 weeks 4 days, I went to the hospital at 9pm, I was fully dilated by 11pm and my son was born at 11:55pm (and weighed 3.63kg). Quick and easy. I was in active labour for 3hours 7 minutes and only used gas and air for pain relief (although they do take it away from you when you need to push). I did tear. I 2nd degree tears and tearing of the vaginal walls, but they stitched me up and I was like a virgin again (lol - Hubby says thats I was tighter - sorry TMI). I am a wooze when it comes to pain, the first time I told DH that I wanted to try natural with no pain relief he laughed at me, but I proved him wrong in the end. Because my labour was so quick, I did haemorrage quite a lot after, but I would and will do it all over again.

My tips if you do decide to go natural are - from 35 weeks start taking red raspberry leaf tablets, they are suppose to make your contractions stronger therefore you should have a faster labour; get some arnica tablets to take after your labour, they speed up the healing of bruising; and get some coarse salt to put at the bottom of your bath and sit on it in the bath, it soothed the stitches like you won't believe, I never wanted to get out the bath.

My Mom had 3 kids, 2 natural - in which she had 4th degree tears with both and had to have recontructive surgery - and a C-Section and in her opinion (and she told me a lot when I was pregnant) a natural birth is by far easier and she would not recommend a C-Section to anyone, but then that is just her opinion.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Tanz I must say that it is all in the mind. I was totally calm about the labour part and actually looking forward to it and to be honest it was surprisingly manageable. The only time it got a little tough was when they said it was going to have to be an emergency c sec and quickly and then I lost focus and lost it a teeny bit.

Power of the mind. When we are afraid we tense up and this is what causes stronger pain.

I am always comfortable once at hospital. It is as if I know there are people in white coats that can help me if I need it. I think back to a few emergencies and the pain always subsided when I got to hospital mainly because I relaxed a bit.