Ricki Lake

So I am not pregnant.

But my sister-in-law was. And she had a miserable delivery. My neighbor(who I'm still convinced is superwoman) was also pregnant and she also had a terrible experience. Literally traumatizing. So much so that she may never be able to physically have another child.* So I'm becoming a bit of a best birth advocate. Which is why I read this book.

So, let's look at this book. It's definitely biased in favor of natural birth, less intervention, and being able to choose your experience instead of being dictated to by (sometimes) a person who has never and will never have a baby in their life.

That being said, they have plenty of evidence that this might be the best way in most cases. I liked it because it was less hipster than Gaskin, who kinda freaked me out at the beginning of her book, and also because I have seen, as pointed out at the beginning of the review, extreme negative experiences. It was also interesting that there is a spike in c-sections around 4pm and 9pm. Suspicious? Yep.

They are definitely more biased in favor of the patient than they are in favor of natural childbirth (at home, at a hospital, wherever). There were positive stories of hospital births. There were, according to them, valid reasons for going to the hospital, using an OBGYN, etc. ** I felt that they tried to be neutral and definitely wanted the best for their readers. However, the terminology "birth goddess" bugged a bit. Just a teensy bit hippie-ish.

Now I want to watch the film and see if they talk about the billing aspect... If Drs got paid less for a c-section and more for a natural delivery would they still schedule them as frequently?

My personal opinion is that we have become a society that can't deal with pain. I have ancestors who buried multiple children, spouses, left their homes 7 times, never saw their parents or siblings again, were dirt-poor for the entirety of their life. They didn't avoid or block the pain(and, for the records, surprisingly few of them died in childbirth) . For them it was a part of life. Something to be worked through, not buried. We're a little different of a society now. If you can't handle this kind of pain, get that epidural. No shame. But I don't believe that any birth will be 100% pain free. It can't. That isn't the nature of life.

Final note (and please don't be insulted): I read several of the negative reviews that were rather scathing about the "agenda." Yes, there is a bias. Yes, their agenda aligns with that bias. But they have the stats and reports to back it up. And they are accessible. Provide your own stats, instead of emotionally rationalizing that they must be wrong. Or, acknowledge that your fear of the unknown might be the greatest need and then go to the hospital and use all the stuff. Guilt does not seem to be their objective.

You can go into your Drs office and ask what he thinks is best. Then ask for the studies. Then read the studies. Pills have been pushed based on studies that included 50 people or less and, up until a surprisingly short time ago, it was not permissible to do studies involving pregnant women.*** Just saying. And then, if you're satisfied, take the advice. That's why it is so important that you do this before delivery. I have another sister-in-law who's had 3 children. She's done induction, epidural, and natural(in the hospital). And, for her, the natural was the easiest, least painful experience between the three.


*My husband is compiling a list of physicians I can never see based on our acquaintances' experiences. Who does that? He does, because he rocks.
** Thank you Downton Abbey for a making Preeclampsia education a thing. And thank you Downton Abbey for also making pre-birth jitters more prevalent.
*** Read [b:Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions|34921573|Lost Connections Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions|Johann Hari|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500785858s/34921573.jpg|56184854] and [b:Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick|30653955|Doing Harm The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick|Maya Dusenbery|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513491498s/30653955.jpg|51198903]… (altro)