Why are there so few women educated about birth?

Question

It is a beautiful, spiritual, amazing process (some women even have ORGASMS while giving birth)... why all the worry? Why all the medicating? You'd never know if you had an orgasmic birth if you had an epidural, would you? Babies are meant to pass through our birth canals with the help of gravity, so why do women birth laying down? ( its like pushing uphill) With the proper support, birth and labour can be PAINLESS. It's hard work, and a lot of pressure down there, but pain-free. Why do so few women know this? They are afraid and they tense up which does in fact cause labour to be painful...

alright.. sorry, down off my soapbox.

As a matter of fact, I HAVE had a natural holistic water birth. It was the best time of my life!

Hi turtlemoon, I have read Birthing from Within by Pam England. I agree, it's a wonderful book. Very empowering. Have you read Ina May Gaskin's books? I LOVED spiritual midwifery.

And for those of you who inquired, no, I am *not* a "dude".

Oh my, I almost forgot! Jessie, hun, neanderthals I can almost certainly assure did NOT give birth lying down. Every mammal I know of gives birth standing, squatting, or underwater. And they certainly did not have epidurals. ;-)

Lizardmama, the tension you experienced may have been caused by fear which led to the pain you experienced.

Mommy Rae Rae, epidurals lead to complications which lead to medical intervention. Many women also do not realise that they're epidural baby is drugged, and less able to nurse that a nuturally born child, who has the ability to "crawl" up its mother's belly and latch on to the breast all by itself.

Armywife, I'm not sure how you can possibly compare passing a kidney stone to birth... it has no similarities whatsover.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=e0pLT7Z3vko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4DSrYoaxoE

P.S. Please forgive the lack of spelling ability... it's late here... lol... and I'm up caring for my feverish son.

Answer 1

I can tell you are a kindred spirit! I often get up on the same soapbox myself! Women have lost touch with the knowledge, beauty and power of their bodies. All the fear and ignorance creates painful births which spiral into higher rates of medical intervention. Have you read Birthing from Within by Pam England? Brilliant book. Postings like yours are a great way to plant some positive 'seeds' and get women talking, well done.

Hi again. No I haven't read Spiritual Midwifery, but I've heard some amazing things about Ina May and her trailblazing community. I will order it today, thanks! I just helped my friend with her first baby, a home water birth, and it was the most amazing, beautiful, humbling experience. I am inspired to follow my passion to become a doula.
How interesting (and not too surprising) that there was such a flood of negativity and rigidity in response to your posting. Keep the faith. x

Answer 2

I think that it is great that you have found information and had experiences with labor that were great and painless.
Unfortunately, we live in a world that is filled with disease and complications. While I wish that every woman could have painless or orgasmic labor and delivery, it just isn't the case. There are many things to be considered like if the woman has other medical conditions, how big the baby is, the size of the woman's birth canal. I had many complications at my first son's delivery. Nothing would have cured the problems, not having a water birth, not standing up. I wasn't causing pain by being afraid. I don't want to go into detail but not all women are just stupid and misinformed.

Answer 3

For a few VERY rare women childbirth really is painless.... but really all mine hurt like hell and it didn't matter what position and what support I had. I had the last one with an epidural and that was awsome. I was able to enjoy the beautiful miracle it really was for the first time without painful distraction.


re-post. yes there is a chance of complications with an epideral, but the complications that can come with out are actaully greater than with. one of my deliveries without epideral tore me litterally from a**hole to tea kettle as they say, and the one with out was tiny tear, no stiching. With an epideral, you can slow the delivery down a bit giving your body time to stretch, but without one it's very difficult to not push when your body says push. Baby was fine and breastfeeding was fine too. Medications in an epideral do not pass to the baby, If it did, the baby would come out paralized since the epideral is a nerve blocker. Injected into the spine not the blood.

I'm with amy on this one!

Answer 4

LEDC's have less educated women and a higher birth rate and vice versa for MEDC's so this supports it. it is because in LEDCs women have babies to help them work etc on padi fields for example. whereas in MEDCs women don't really need children for work etc as they are educated and can find work themselves. Also, theres more contraception available, abortion etc in MEDC's and women who are well educated may use this, whereas in LEDC's they amy not be able to afford an abortion or contraception, whereas a well educated woman in an LEDC may have the money for contraception and therefore is less liekly to have children... Hope this makes sense.

Answer 5

Have you ever actually HAD a baby? I've had 4, and it's NOT a pleasant or orgasmic experience! I had my first drug-free, and it SUCKED! It was not pleasant, beautiful, or spiritual. It was torture! But of course, I did it 3 more times. But none of those were pleasant either! I became a big fan of IV drugs. You sound very idealistic, like a woman who likes the idea of a holistic birth but has never actually tried it. You're right about the gravity thing, but transition IS PAINFUL and causes TENSION! The pain comes from uterine contractions, not the actual birth. Kumbaya doesn't make that go away!

Answer 6

OK so how many babies have you had?
Ive had 4 and am having #5 i can tell you none of my labours were orgasmic and i have not had pain relief with all of them, have you tried to give birth standing up? i tried my legs wouldn't hold me up anymore and had to have them on the bed, also it was the best position for the midwife to get to my last baby. i was on all 4s but they couldn't get to my daughter ( who was stuck ) so i had to get back on the bed, however i do stay mobile until it comes to pushing!!
i do agree once you are tense it tends to be more painful. but giving birth is not that much fun!!!

Answer 7

Lets see to answer your question......giving birth pushing this watermelon out of the birth canal is no joke, or orgasmic feeling.....Why do men scream and pass out when they have to push small kidney stones from their pee-pee. It seems painless to me. Why doesnt that give them an orgasm, I mean they do it standing up. Imagine that. Besides why do you care how other women chose to bring their children into the world.

Answer 8

You're either a girl who has never been pregnant or a guy. Painless? I doubt more than one in a million can honestly say that, probably less than that. And orgasmic? No way, I'll never beleive it.

Answer 9

Be careful getting off of your soapbox, you obviously are a bit off balance.

Labor is painful. You are pretty clueless. I don't know what you have been reading or where you are getting your information but you my friend are way out there.

I know what an orgasm feels like...and it is not even close.

Answer 10

Labor......painless? HAHAHA HAHAHAHA!!!! Have you ever had a child???? Guess not!!! You try pushing something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon and tell me it's not painful!!!!!