(Editor’s note: This is a blog post I wrote for The Skinny on January on April 9, 2009 when I was pregnant with my fourth child.)
I had a friend post a response to me about my thoughts on pre-natal care. She expressed her thoughts about how it is valuable and how mortality rates have gone down because of such care. She also pointed out how some women even need help getting pregnant. I could probably write 5 separate posts to answer all of that, but for now, this was my response.
“Friend, I knew I would get some input from you b/c I know about your situation. And I am so glad there is care there for you to have! And that is also why I put at the end of my post that this is based on my experiences and my journey. 
I think there is a place for medical help and intervention, I just think most of the time it doesn’t know its place and it is WAY overused. I know in your case you needed that extra help. I actually like high risk OB’s better, b/c they know what high risk is and is NOT.
There is so much fear surrounding birth in our country and it is my opinion that most problems are caused by these fears and interventions. NOT ALL, but a lot. I had a c-section with my first child and have no regrets. NONE. But, the amount of interventions given to me the last 2 times were ridiculous and the way I was treated was horrible. I can’t tell you the countless number of stories I read about women’s births and how they were treated. It is so sad.
It has gotten to the point that when a woman does stand up (like myself) and say, “I trust birth! I trust my body! I trust it will know when to go into labor! I trust my uterus will know how to birth my baby even after 2 c-sections!”, she gets crap. People put their fears on her. They freak out and tell her she can’t do it or she can try but this, this, and this may and can and will go wrong.
I went thru that when I was pregnant with my last baby. I went 4 weeks past my due date and had a VBA2C and no one ‘let’ me. I did it. I fought for it and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me any different. And I can see why many women don’t bother. I didn’t need to be induced. It wasn’t that “my body doesn’t know how to go into labor”. It knows exactly how to and with patience, I let it when it was ready!
Now, if something were to come up, would I get help? Of course! I have in the past and I would again. I am just not going to start getting put through the ringer for no reason if everything is going well.
OK, I need to turn this into a post! LOL. And Friend, this wasn’t directed AT you! It was already on my mind. I just haven’t posted about it yet.”
OK, now I am off to look up maternal and infant mortality rates since the introduction of prenatal care and interventions of birth!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Well done January! I was told by one of my midwifes during my years of producing children that if you have a short menstrual cycle you may indeed have a shorter pregnancy and if you have a long menstrual cycle you may indeed have a longer pregnancy. This is wisdom from the ancients – does not always happen, but may happen and in my case each time it was true. When I was pregnant with my first child back in 1979 I was told I would need a C section (I was all of three months pregnant at the time). Of course the doctor could not explain why, he just said it was because I was small. I thought God made large and small – I am finding another doctor! I went on to have all of our five children at home.
I also want to acknowledge what January is saying about fear. So true. When I was pregnant I read a book written by a medical doctor of old – Childbirth Without Fear – by Dr Grantly Dick Read. If you can get a copy of it, it is the best support for birthing mothers. Unfortunately since it was first written back in about 1925 it has been updated and modernised (maybe medicalised) but the original version is superb. I was lucky to read the original given to me by an old lady had who founded the home birth movement in Western Australia. She was Dutch. Her name was Henny Lightermoet and I am eternally grateful to her. She was in her seventies at the time, but still passionate about home and natural birth.
Fear in birth is what kills it for most women because when we go into fear mode different muscles contract and you also have opposing muscles contracting at the same time, which produces the pain!!!! So if we can do away with fear, we will do away with lots of the pain.
Spread the news to all birthing women……………………
January and I were born in 1979 Karen. You could be our mom! LOL!
In all seriousness though, you are dead on. We have run the gamut with birth… 2 c-sections, vaginal in a hospital, then unassisted at home. Nothing beats having a baby at home. No interference, no fears, none of that. It was so peaceful and amazing.
Also, we have that book by Grantly Dick-Read. It’s pretty old, but still has good info in it. Just like the green books.
I would also recommend the Bradly Method books and classes..