TLC baby story - one of my secret indulgences.
but it's raised some questions for me. some of these women want to have natural childbirth, but after 10 hours of labor they get wheeled in for caesarean, or they're given pitocin, or they'll take an epidural. so i'm confused re: what they mean by natural. especially after hearing from my mom's generation that some of them were in labor for 36 hours... ?
i would have assumed that that meant using a midwife and avoiding medical intervention unless absolutely necessary. does that exist in hospitals? i looked around and saw that some hospitals list midwives on their staff, buti'm not sure what the exact role they play is.
1. 'A visitor' posted on the Thu 16 Jun 2005, 9:08 am
ReplyDeleteI love this show too. I was not one for the whole natural experience...I had an epidural planned and in the end, actually NEEDED it because I wasn't dilating from the pitocin which they gave me because I wasn't progressing. After a 17 hour labor, I delivered Evan with the help of forceps. It was something I won't forget. And explains why I only had one child.
But I digress...
I think these crazy women actually think it ISN"T painful and that they'll labor away and then have a drug-free, vaginal birth. Sometimes a c-section is required to save the baby's life...I should have had one but they decided to pull him out against his will instead :)
But to answer your question I always interpret natural to be drug and intervention free whether with a doctor or midwife and whether in a hospital, birthing center or at home.