Where to start this post? I feel like so many things run through my head all the time regarding my pregnancy. Today I want to talk about some "controversial" things that come up all the time when I discuss my plans. I've mentioned before that I'm having a natural childbirth and I can't tell you how tired I am of being scoffed at or hearing something like, "...You're really gonna do that?" Thanks for the support. But people's reactions don't bother me nearly as much as the fact that childbirth is so medicalized in the United States. Women get epidurals before they give birth, no questions asked. What really bothers me is that women don't question what the doctors tell them. That women choose obstetricians over midwives. That women are told how to do something our bodies were designed to do.
We were made for this! Being pregnant is the most natural I've ever felt, regardless of the awful heartburn and constant back pain and random crying. No other mammals receive pain medication to give birth, so why do we? I believe the medical world has achieved many things, but interfering with a woman's natural ability to give birth isn't progress to me. I want to know why mothers choose to get an epidural and why they don't believe in their own strength.
When I found out I was pregnant, I knew the route I would take. But I've done a lot of research (and I think everyone should when it comes to their child's life) and it's hard to keep quiet now. I initially told myself that it wouldn't bother me what other women chose for their birth, and that it was a personal decision. It is, but I also think a lot of women are just misinformed. All I'm suggesting is to do your research. Question things. I question everything- and it's only made me smarter. Why epidurals? Why Pitocin? Why perform an episiotomy? Why vaccinate? Why use formula? These are all very important questions you should ask during your pregnancy.
I'd love to hear thoughts on this!
