Birth is not only...

[cherryglitter]

well said eternal
why is so much merit placed on how much pain we can endure? we're not macho men for god's sake haha!

i know for a fact jake would've died if i had not gone through the things i went through.

 

[nov_mum]

A common theme that emerges in mummy circles is that c section mums or formula feeding mums feel that anyone talking about natural births or breast feeding is making them feel like crap. The only person who can make you feel that way is yourself though. If I went through a traumatic birth that ended in surgery then that is just what happened, it would be my experience. My experience doesn't mean that mothers who birthed in a different manner are awful to talk of their experience or any other connotation. Someone who embraces natural childbirth and aims for a drug free birth is someone who does just that. The mere mention of a straight forward, low to no intervention birth almost always causes a commotion as people defensively read in to statements and feel that the person implies they are less of a person. The obligatory "no one gives you a medal, you won't be so smug when you wee yourself later in life, my vagina is untouched and not saggy" comments emerge.

Everyone has a story to tell and while it may be of interest to others at times, the majority of the time the only person it matters to is yourself. Why can't we all just recognise that we all have our own stories, we all made our own choices and we have all brought a little being in to the world. Even if people think that you took the easy way out and opted for all the drugs in the world and the easiest exit of the baby (whatever you term that to be) who cares? It's the same people who say they don't care, who gives you a medal etc that always rant that they feel put down. Ironic...

 

[dizzy65]

i personally think any woman that gives birth is very strong weither it be by c-section or with a epidural.. it takes a lot out of you and we all should be proud of our selfs for accomplishing it i personally had a natural childbirth in some ways i guess.. i didnt have an epidural i had 2 shots of morph.. but did the pushin part with no pain meds i was also in labour for 26.5 hours.. it take a lot out of you.. and in my own personal eyes taking an epidural personally scared the crap out of me only because i didnt like the idea of the cathetar (yes im a baby) haha.. but we all are very strong willed and very strong for going threw with carrying our childern and we should all be very proud of our selves..

i also felt that the op's second response was a bit rude tbh

 

[Honeybee88x]

"Birth is not only about making babies. It about making mothers, strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strengths." Barbara Katz Rothman

What I'd personally like to take from this statement is that the act of birth itself is what creates a mother that is strong and competent no matter what sort of birth they have. The process of becoming a mother, through any method not just birth (adoption etc.) requires difficult decisions and working through hard feelings and situations for their child/children, usually starting way before they arrive. this creates a need for us to trust in ourselves that we are making the right desicions for them and find our inner strength to raise them as well as we can even when its hard.

 

[cherryglitter]

i personally think any woman that gives birth is very strong weither it be by c-section or with a epidural.. it takes a lot out of you and we all should be proud of our selfs for accomplishing it i personally had a natural childbirth in some ways i guess.. i didnt have an epidural i had 2 shots of morph.. but did the pushin part with no pain meds i was also in labour for 26.5 hours.. it take a lot out of you.. and in my own personal eyes taking an epidural personally scared the crap out of me only because i didnt like the idea of the cathetar (yes im a baby) haha.. but we all are very strong willed and very strong for going threw with carrying our childern and we should all be very proud of our selves..

i also felt that the op's second response was a bit rude tbh

i must admit, the cathetar was probably the WORST part of all of it.
i hated that damn thing.
i kept asking to have it out and they just wouldn't take it out for like... 24 hours.
it made me feel sick and cringey and it really disabled the way i looked after jake! as it was on a stand and i had to carry it around with me, the bloody thing lol!

anyway...

 

[dizzy65]

hehe i had to have one in for like 5 min just cause i wasnt peeing when i was in labour well not properly any way and i cried and begged them not to do it yes i admit it was being a bit of a drama queen lol.. i dont no just dont like the idea of it

 

[Boni]

"Birth is not only about making babies. It about making mothers, strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strengths." Barbara Katz Rothman

Just some encouragement that ALL women can birth naturally and find that inner strength.

am i wrong in thinking these are just words of encouragement for anyone who wants to read them?

I just want to go into labour without being induced!!

 

[Eternal]

i personally think any woman that gives birth is very strong weither it be by c-section or with a epidural.. it takes a lot out of you and we all should be proud of our selfs for accomplishing it i personally had a natural childbirth in some ways i guess.. i didnt have an epidural i had 2 shots of morph.. but did the pushin part with no pain meds i was also in labour for 26.5 hours.. it take a lot out of you.. and in my own personal eyes taking an epidural personally scared the crap out of me only because i didnt like the idea of the cathetar (yes im a baby) haha.. but we all are very strong willed and very strong for going threw with carrying our childern and we should all be very proud of our selves..

i also felt that the op's second response was a bit rude tbh

^WSS

BTW I Love your avatar, how cute!

 

[sequeena]

I had a catheter too but didn't feel it. Probably high on gas and air haha!

 

[Lydiarose]

I think going through a pregnancy,labor (whatever kind of labour!) and bringing up a child a strong woman . . . not the fact that she chooses to go through pain or not?!


By the way i had epidurals and i still felt pain at the end as much as any other woman would!


I was induced and my contractions were as bad at the start as they would be at the end,it was very full on so after 6 hours i decided to have pain reliief.

Why would you want to go through pain that you dont have too? :s

Personally i wouldnt want to go through hours upon hours of agony just to say,Oh i didnt have any pain relief.

And no i dont subconciously think "there right" and feel guily about it . .

 

[teal]

Well said Eternal. I had my heart set on a waterbirth and was gutted when I had to be transferred to the next hospital 30 minutes away. It took a long time to accept what had happened but if I hadn't transferred to that hospital my son wouldn't be here xx

 

[Maman]

Im sorry op but you are unfairly belittling women who CHOOSE to have epidural or have a c-section.

The only people who think epidural or section is failure are the women who have never had them so are in fear of the unknown. Im really proud of how my son was born, i had a very long labour, epidural and section (oh and i had the second part of my section on just gas and air, so dont tell me about pain and inner strength!!!)

my son was born in to a serene room with no screaming, i was up and bout quicker than the 'natural' birth mum next to me, and i breastfed no problem! and as for the bond between my son and i, its stronger because i was so worried that it wouldnt be that made me try extra hard, and i am a fantastic mum- my son is healthy, happy and exceeds the standards expected by his nursery, he is speaking 2 languages and learning a third and can use a computer, knows how to make an omelette and loves dancing and singing...

so his birth had no ill effects whateoever. (oh yes, hang on, it took him longer to pass the newborn hearing test, as section babies dont experience the suction that pulls the fluid out of their ears, dont worry he passed, 3 days later!)

as for me im just as healthy as the next woman, and doing quite well considering they told me i was infertile at 19 and 24 and im about to have my second baby. My pregnancy has been complication-free.

 

[Quackquack99]

My point of view is that 8 hours after being cut open several layers and into a major organ, I was lifting my daughter whilst understanding how it feels to be stabbed. Now let me tell you, that's what I call inner strength.

 

[lhancock90]

I'm not talking about you I am talking about the 66% of women who have epidurals. And less the 5% of women actually need a C-section. It's not my fault if you take offense to something that OBVIOUSLY doesn't have to do with you.

Without an epidural my body would have pushed my daughter out at 5cm, causing harm to both myself and her. Not all woman can cope with the pain naturally and whilst i applaud any that do i think its wrong to assume we all can.
I'm proud i made it that far with a back-to-back baby who wanted out then and there. Without an epidural i might've ended up with a c-section. Woman who do have c-sections must have ALOT of inner strength considering how big of an operation that can be!
I think the real test of inner strength is actually just being a mom, the hardest and most rewarding job in the world.

 

[lhancock90]

Im sorry op but you are unfairly belittling women who CHOOSE to have epidural or have a c-section.

The only people who think epidural or section is failure are the women who have never had them so are in fear of the unknown. Im really proud of how my son was born, i had a very long labour, epidural and section (oh and i had the second part of my section on just gas and air, so dont tell me about pain and inner strength!!!)

my son was born in to a serene room with no screaming, i was up and bout quicker than the 'natural' birth mum next to me, and i breastfed no problem! and as for the bond between my son and i, its stronger because i was so worried that it wouldnt be that made me try extra hard, and i am a fantastic mum- my son is healthy, happy and exceeds the standards expected by his nursery, he is speaking 2 languages and learning a third and can use a computer, knows how to make an omelette and loves dancing and singing...

so his birth had no ill effects whateoever. (oh yes, hang on, it took him longer to pass the newborn hearing test, as section babies dont experience the suction that pulls the fluid out of their ears, dont worry he passed, 3 days later!)

as for me im just as healthy as the next woman, and doing quite well considering they told me i was infertile at 19 and 24 and im about to have my second baby. My pregnancy has been complication-free.

I had a mobile epidural and was in the shower half hour after id had her i was the quickest recovery on the ward and left the hospital exactly 3 1/2 hours later.

 

[Eternal]

Well said Eternal. I had my heart set on a waterbirth and was gutted when I had to be transferred to the next hospital 30 minutes away. It took a long time to accept what had happened but if I hadn't transferred to that hospital my son wouldn't be here xx

Same here hun. Its hard isnt it? But remember we ARE fantastic mothers. Its not about how you give birth, its about how you parent and what you scarifice for you baby/babies

 

[Blah11]

It's just individual choice. Me choosing a natural birth isn't because I'm scared of them. Dunno why people assume natural births are all pain and screaming either. Csection or natural, all women recover differently. The mws were amazed on post natal cos I carried amelie myself to the ward.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

It's just individual choice. Me choosing a natural birth isn't because I'm scared of them. Dunno why people assume natural births are all pain and screaming either.

Exactly.
It's sooo not as simple as you feel can feel this pain or you can block it out, there's loads of disadvantages of epidurals meaning I wouldn't choose one under normal circumstances.

 

[Quackquack99]

It's just individual choice. Me choosing a natural birth isn't because I'm scared of them. Dunno why people assume natural births are all pain and screaming either.

Exactly.
It's sooo not as simple as you feel can feel this pain or you can block it out, there's loads of disadvantages of epidurals meaning I wouldn't choose one under normal circumstances.

But not every woman chooses to have an epidural, I was coping fine without any pain relief, I wanted no pain relief for my birth but my LO decided to go in a footling breech position.so I had a spinal block for my c section. I don't think I wanted to be cut open without any lol. I'm really envious of women who had no pain relief x

 

[todteach]

Had I pushed, I was told by my neurologist that I would die. My baby would have NO mother, and my husband would be a single father. I am unable to birth naturally and needed to have a c-section.