Ok, it seems I need to clarify.
I was saying that women on here ARE making an informed choice. If you are seeing this guy, then you HAVE made your choice. The only person I criticise here is the doctor. I am not even criticising the women who go to him not realising that there are other choices available to them - somewhere, someone has let them down (women who tell horror stories, propagate urban myths about 'alternatives' etc). Women on BB ARE using their agency, and are aware of their power.
Pregpan, your point about drug free births was a bit unclear - not sure what you considered hurtful, could you please rephrase so I can understand what you took offence to? Cheers For the record, my point was to normalise drug-free births, instead of having them treated like something 'way out' - that's how my intentions were treated all through my pregnancy, and even after the birth. I am always explaining how it's entirely possible (cos I'm always being asked!) to do this, especially from women who say they didn't know it was possible (obviously not realising that for most of humanity's existence there has been no medicated pain-relief for birth and we managed to get to the year 2007 ). I don't think I'm a particularly hippy-earth-mamma (but don't mind if I'm mistaken for one, either!), but this is now my birth and pregnancy choices were treated by many people I came across (colleagues, friends, relatives, my own mother!!). That's what I mean by my wish to normalise a drug-free birth. Medicalised births ARE normalised already.
I have not criticised medicalised births, I realise they happen for a reason in some cases (others, cos women assume it has to be that way - denial won't work here, I KNOW women like this!), so I don't understand the defensiveness coming from some people here. If my defence of a waterbirth, drug-free birth, etc is a problem, well, I don't get that. I haven't said everyone should have one. But if you want one, then it should be a normal choice to make!
ETA: Pregpan, what a dumb thing for your cousin to say! I can't even see a shred of helpfulness in that - how were you NOT meant to take offence to that?? I haven't heard this being levelled as a criticism of anyone, I must say! Access to funds, to me, doesn't determine use of an OB - if I'd wanted one, I could have (paid for it with baby bonus or something!), but it was not a factor in giving an OB the big miss!
Last edited by Smoke Jaguar; March 27th, 2007 at 12:48 PM.
For the record, my point was to normalise drug-free births, instead of having them treated like something 'way out' - that's how my intentions were treated all through my pregnancy, and even after the birth. I am always explaining how it's entirely possible (cos I'm always being asked!) to do this, especially from women who say they didn't know it was possible (obviously not realising that for most of humanity's existence there has been no medicated pain-relief for birth and we managed to get to the year 2007
). I don't think I'm a particularly hippy-earth-mamma (but don't mind if I'm mistaken for one, either!), but this is now my birth and pregnancy choices were treated by many people I came across (colleagues, friends, relatives, my own mother!!). That's what I mean by my wish to normalise a drug-free birth. Medicalised births ARE normalised already.
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