Have been on anual leave this week and have just read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to childbirth - wow. Just finished drying my eyes and my make up isn't even waterproof, there should be a warning on the front of the book. It was lovely, the first half of the book is birthing stories. Ina May lives in a village in the USA called The Farm. All her women either give birth at home or in a birthing centre. Her CS rate is less than 2% and instrumental rate is 0.05%. Wow. Ina May recognises that adrenalin is bad in labour but she does not state why. I think women today want to know why and how something happens and that is why I have revealed why labour hurts in this blog. She refers to contractions as rushes, that is so sweet. As least she doesn't call them "pains" like the majority of midwives I know do.
One thing in the book that did shock me is the way American women are expected to give birth within the usual health structure there. OMG times 10. They have to book with an obstetrician who they will see throughout their pregnancy and birth. In England only high risk women have care throughout with a doctor. At the birth the American women are expected to have continuous CTG monitorin, IV access and an episiotomy as standard, even if they are low risk. They are looked after by obstetric nurses and the doctor is called at the end to deliver the baby.
No wonder women are afraid to give birth, there is nothing even remotely natural about these births. I always look at America as pioneers who show us the way but in midwifery they are way behind. I can see why Ina May is so popular. There is no way anyone could have a pain free labour under the American way, how on earth do you put up with it? Leave a message and let us know.
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