Thursday, October 28, 2010

On challenging the media's portrayal of childbirth...

This morning I was watching the “Rachel Ray” show, and she had a segment featuring the birth experience of one of the show’s style contributors, Greta. After a doctor’s visit, Greta was admitted to the hospital to be induced (they didn’t say why). She labored for a few hours, and while they didn’t explicitly mention that she got an epidural, she is shown putting a little mask over her eyes and taking a nap after 8 hours, so I am guessing she did. Some hours later, she had not made enough progress, and so her doctor performed a c-section.

Now I am certainly not suggesting that the actions of this woman’s doctor were influenced by what would make her birth better for television. But there are so many similar stories out there portrayed on shows like "A Baby Story." Forget about births on sitcoms, which are almost always completely ridiculous. It made me think- what impressions of childbirth you would have if the only information you were going on was what you saw in the media. This would actually be a really fascinating research project. Maybe someday I’ll do the research and write a book on it! (just kidding… mostly)

I began reading about childbirth before I even got pregnant, because I felt a need to really educate myself, and not to accept the portrayal of giving birth that you see on television shows, or merely trust my doctor to tell me what to do. And I was really inspired by my mother, who had four natural, unmedicated births. I came to believe that giving birth should not be treated like a physical ailment, sickness, or disease.

Expectations are such a powerful thing. If you view childbirth as something to be feared, that causes pain, that is riddled with dangerous complications which are likely to come up, and that needs to be managed with drugs, then those expectations are likely to play out. Think about the difference it can make if you understand what is happening with your body, accept the pain as having a wonderful purpose, and expect that you will be able to find the strength to get through one contraction at a time, just as generations of women have.

I am not one of those people who suggest that giving birth in a baby pool in your living room, or even in a birthing center with a midwife, is the only way to go. I went to the hospital to have my baby, and saw an Ob-Gyn for all my prenatal visits. There are certainly occasions when medical intervention is necessary, and I appreciate having those things accessible if really needed. And being induced or getting an epidural does not always equal additional complications.

But I am personally in favor of natural, unmedicated childbirth. This is in large part because I think that there is truth to the theory of the “spiraling cascade of interventions.” Greta’s story was the classic example of this- they use drugs to induce you before your body is really ready, then the pain from the contractions in this unnatural state is so severe that you get an epidural, which results in your movement being more restricted, and your labor stalls, and eventually a c-section is needed.

But I also support unmedicated childbirth because giving birth naturally was one of, if not the most empowering and exciting experience of my life.

I recognize that pain management in labor is a personal choice, and I completely respect whatever decision a woman makes. But I would encourage women to examine the assumptions they have about childbirth, and think about where they come from.