Kate Middleton Goes Au Naturel!

[askdrtania]

If I could, I would kiss you, Kate Middleton. Thank you for choosing to have an un-medicated birth, attended by midwives. Thank you for normalizing natural childbirth, even whilst in the fishbowl that is your life. If Kate Middleton can handle natural birth, I bet we're going to see a whole lot more women around the world wanting to try it too.

What do you all think?

 

[newmommy21]

I think thats really cool that she was able to do that! However I know I won't be able to handle natural child birth...I've read up lots on pain meds and will be getting an epidural.

It is really neat to see people doing a natural child birth!

 

[broodymrs]

This just makes me cross tbh.we will never know if she actually did it drug free or not as the people present will never say. I think they all had to sign secrecy contracts. Like having her hairdresser going to the hospital i think she is showing an unrealistic perception of childbirth. I'm sorry but real people don't breeze through pregnancy with no drugs, complications etc and then emerge from hospital looking like they've been at a day spa! Well done to her if she did do it drug free and to everyone who manages this, but i don't think_women who need drugs have failed. Sorry for the rant, and hopefully i don't offend anyone but this is just my opinion.

 

[askdrtania]

Might I respectfully ask why you think you can't handle an un-medicated birth? You might be surprised at how much you are capable of, and how empowered you might feel to birth on your own. I can promise you the pain of childbirth is purposeful and manageable. It is not at all like pain from an injury or accident, but more like the intensity of exertion when you are exercising hard, or pardon me, even having a big bowel movement! I fully respect and am grateful that we have many choices in childbirth, and am confident that you will make the best choice for you, given all the information you need to make a great decision. Best of luck to you!

 

[broodymrs]

It's not that i don't think i'll be capable of a drug free birth. I don't know what route i'll be going down yet. Stories like this just annoy me because it seems to say drug free is best (when surely happy mum is best however that is achieved) and therefore it seems to suggest ppl who take the drugs have failed. It also may not even be true.

 

[sue_88]

Good on Kate! IF she did - big IF at that, as we'll never know.

I planned a calm serene drug-free homebirth...................in the end I was induced with syntocinon with a back to back baby & had an epidural. My birth was amazing to me

 

[mara16jade]

...I've read up lots on pain meds and will be getting an epidural.

Right there with ya!

 

[Amygdala]

It's not that i don't think i'll be capable of a drug free birth. I don't know what route i'll be going down yet. Stories like this just annoy me because it seems to say drug free is best (when surely happy mum is best however that is achieved) and therefore it seems to suggest ppl who take the drugs have failed. It also may not even be true.

I disagree. Happy BABY is best. If that means natural, then great. If it requires drugs, great that we have them. I don't think anyone who has drugs failed in any way. But from my personal experience, it seems that mums who go natural have a much easier and happier experience overall, which is why I think it's good to encourage and empower women. NOT force or bully them of course. I can't imagine that a natural birth is much fun if you're just doing it because you feel you somehow have to. In the end, how you give birth I think is very much up to you. All options are very safe these days and medical staff will always look after baby's needs.

That said, if Kate's choice means more women will look into natural birthing and feel confident that they can do it and as a result have a better birth experience, then I'm all for it.

 

[askdrtania]

There is definitely no breezing through childbirth! And though I personally felt really good after my drug-free births (good enough to be home for dinner the same night and see a patient!), I certainly did NOT look polished like the Duchess, who is lucky to have the support she does. I would imagine if she appeared looking as haggard as most of us do after birth, we'd give her a hard time about that, too. And, there is no failure in childbirth, whatever the mechanism. We all just want to have healthy babies and mamas, that is absolutely the goal. It is wonderful that we have so many choices, and we'd do well to support each other in our choices.

And like Sue_88 said, she planned a natural birth and it didn't work out.. but there is never any shame in trying (broodymrs . Appreciate all the feedback and good sportswomanship over this topic. It's definitely a controversial one...

 

[AnneD]

This just makes me cross tbh.we will never know if she actually did it drug free or not as the people present will never say. I think they all had to sign secrecy contracts. Like having her hairdresser going to the hospital i think she is showing an unrealistic perception of childbirth. I'm sorry but real people don't breeze through pregnancy with no drugs, complications etc and then emerge from hospital looking like they've been at a day spa! Well done to her if she did do it drug free and to everyone who manages this, but i don't think_women who need drugs have failed. Sorry for the rant, and hopefully i don't offend anyone but this is just my opinion.

Agree completely. We'll never know what really happened. And even if she did the whole thing naturally, her situation is not comparable to that of ordinary people.

 

[BunnyN]

I dont see whats so different about her, she is a woman and she gave birth. Did being famous make it easier? Sure she had good care but I think everyone should, sadly some women don't get it but that is a different issue. She pretty much had to have a hairdresser come before she saw the public whether she felt like it or not, I'm sure it didn't make the birth any less real to her when it was happening.

As for going natural, I think the publicity is great. IMO their is much more predudice and pressue not to have a natural birth. I was patronized, disbelieved and basically told I wasn't doing what was best for me and the baby when I even brought up the subject with hospital staff. In the end I felt my only real choice for a natural birth was to hire an independent MW for a HB. Maybe Kate will have helped open up more options for more women. It's all about having options available and being able to make good choices. And drugs do have side effects so when it is possible to avoid them surely that is a good thing. Of course they are great when they are needed and women who use them have not failed. I think Kates situation would acctually make it very hard to have a drug free birth, her and the doctors and MWs would have been under a lot of pressure. I mean would they really be happy about her not being on continuous monitoring etc?

 

[AP]

A) it was never said how Kate gave birth. This is just an assumption

B) believe me no-one, not even Kate Middleton, would encourage me to make decisions regarding my own pregnancies. I do what's best for me, and Kate makes absolutely no impression on me.

 

[broodymrs]

And like Sue_88 said, she planned a natural birth and it didn't work out.. but there is never any shame in trying (broodymrs . Appreciate all the feedback and good sportswomanship over this topic. It's definitely a controversial one...

No shame in not trying natural either and going straight for the drugs, lol! Each to their own..

 

[Tasha]

This just makes me cross tbh.we will never know if she actually did it drug free or not as the people present will never say. I think they all had to sign secrecy contracts. Like having her hairdresser going to the hospital i think she is showing an unrealistic perception of childbirth. I'm sorry but real people don't breeze through pregnancy with no drugs, complications etc and then emerge from hospital looking like they've been at a day spa! Well done to her if she did do it drug free and to everyone who manages this, but i don't think_women who need drugs have failed. Sorry for the rant, and hopefully i don't offend anyone but this is just my opinion.

Hmmm, I think she did the opposite of that with regards to the perception of pregnancy and childbirth. She showed at the beginning that some women get super sick and that isn't just a bit of nausea that half the world seems to think it is. She showed that babies don't just rock up on your due date when really she could of been induced even before her EDD as they would be super cautious with her. She also showed that women aren't just straight back to their original size which is a common myth and well she would of been well aware and probably self-conscious of her belly, so if having her hair done and a bit of make up on helped her feel more comfortable facing the worlds media, then I am glad that helped.

As for the labour if she did have an unmedicated birth, how is that unrealistic? Some women do have unmedicated, some women do breeze through pregnancy, so she may well be one of the lucky ones (although I don't count hyperemesis a breeze personally).

Might I respectfully ask why you think you can't handle an un-medicated birth? You might be surprised at how much you are capable of, and how empowered you might feel to birth on your own. I can promise you the pain of childbirth is purposeful and manageable. It is not at all like pain from an injury or accident, but more like the intensity of exertion when you are exercising hard, or pardon me, even having a big bowel movement! I fully respect and am grateful that we have many choices in childbirth, and am confident that you will make the best choice for you, given all the information you need to make a great decision. Best of luck to you!

This made me giggle, I've had five labours, my first I had an epidural, second unmedicated, third unmedicated, fourth unmedicated until 7cm when I needed a section for fetal distress, fifth unmedicated, and I would never compare the pain to exercising hard or a big bowel movement, for me it was nothing like either, in fact it was a totally new pain not comparable to any other I've ever had x

 

[BunnyN]

Might I respectfully ask why you think you can't handle an un-medicated birth? You might be surprised at how much you are capable of, and how empowered you might feel to birth on your own. I can promise you the pain of childbirth is purposeful and manageable. It is not at all like pain from an injury or accident, but more like the intensity of exertion when you are exercising hard, or pardon me, even having a big bowel movement! I fully respect and am grateful that we have many choices in childbirth, and am confident that you will make the best choice for you, given all the information you need to make a great decision. Best of luck to you!

This made me giggle, I've had five labours, my first I had an epidural, second unmedicated, third unmedicated, fourth unmedicated until 7cm when I needed a section for fetal distress, fifth unmedicated, and I would never compare the pain to exercising hard or a big bowel movement, for me it was nothing like either, in fact it was a totally new pain not comparable to any other I've ever had x

Thats actually a pretty good description of the pain I had but not everyone is the same.

 

[Blah11]

She hasn't got magical body parts that helps her more than the average joe with getting her baby out?! She has more help afterwards but getting the baby out is as glamorous as the rest of womankind. Good on her.

 

[Blah11]

I wouldn't compare birth to a big poo either lol. It's extremely intense but doesn't need to be agonising.

 

[Blah11]

Also why are people so shitty about anyone doing anything natural these days in regards to babies? It's sad really. Ive had comments about no pain relief, homebirth, breast feeding, cloth nappies etc like its hippyish and I'm not in touch with the real world. Very bizarre and irritating.

 

[lozzy21]

Like having her hairdresser going to the hospital i think she is showing an unrealistic perception of childbirth. I'm sorry but real people don't breeze through pregnancy with no drugs, complications etc and then emerge from hospital looking like they've been at a day spa! Well done to her if she did do it drug free and to everyone who manages this, but i don't think_women who need drugs

If I knew I would have the worlds press and thousands of members of the public waiting for me when I left hospital I'd get a hair dresser and some one to do my makeup before I left!

 

[Pearls18]

I don't see what the big deal is either way, I guess the OP is from America where birth is a much more medicated thing but in the UK we have midwifery led care by default and much higher natural birth rates here, I think natural birth is the "norm" here but we have the added choice of medical intervention if women need it not the other way around. The way she birthed wouldn't be such a big deal to the British public but I can see why it would be for Americans.