Mmmmm some argue that requesting a medically unwaranted major surgery isn't the choice of the patient but rather of the practitioner... So that's another interesting point to ponder. Some also say that getting pregnant but not wanting to birth might be a bit like not wanting to drive but to seek a job as a taxi driver...
Inanna, I think you've written some brilliant things in this thread but clearly in Meringue's case it is the choice of the patient, not the practitioner.

I also absolutely disagree with the taxi driver metaphor. We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I know you see birthing as a rite of passage towards motherhood. I, and I'm sure many women like me, just don't. I wanted a VB because it appeared to be better for me and my baby AND because I didn't want a 6-week recovery from a caesar (which actually turned out to be 18 months from the VB and almost destroyed my relationship as a result) but NOT because I thought that it was essential for me to experience as a woman and as a mother. And having had one, pffffft, y'know, I still don't think it's that important to me. Like I said, we will have to agree to disagree but I think you should respect that not everyone comes from the same starting position as yourself. Don't get me wrong, if I have a VB, I would like it to be beautiful and empowered and all that good stuff, but I don't see a VB as my primary aim.

Skeetaboat thank you for raising the statistics argument. As you've pointed out, it's all very well saying that caesareans are riskier but if the risk is quite small then they are riskIER not riskY. We always go off at obs who say that the risk of a uterine rupture from a VBAC is risky and point out that it's not THAT risky in the whole scheme of things so why do we make comparisons that imply that caesareans are much riskier than VBs? We can't have it both ways.