I am happy for this family but I agree with Woogie. Women's bodies were designed to give birth. And the poo analogy is valid. Our bodies are extremely responsive to our thoughts as well as our environment. When any natural bodily function is observed by strangers, it changes. Try bringing a crowd into the bathroom with you and watch what happens. Many of the problems in birth are caused by fear (which triggers the fight/flight response and shuts down labor), shame and guilt. Just as our emotions greatly effect sex, they greatly effect birth.
As far as women and babies routinely dying prior to the advent of the modern day hospital, this is a myth. Yes, sometimes they died but this was nearly always due to poverty - lack of food, dirty water and inadequate housing. Unsafe tribal practices such as rubbing dung into the umbilical cord also caused numerous problems. As Judith Goldsmith states in her book Childbirth Wisdom from the World's Oldest Societies, throughout history healthy tribal women have successfully given birth with little or no assistance.
Regarding the "need" for c-sections today, most of this is due to the continual interventions routinely performed in hospitals. Each stage of birth is monitored, timed and controlled, and if a woman doesn't give birth within a certain time frame, numerous unsafe interventions are performed. A baby is stillborn in an American hospital every 15 to 20 minutes, which is double what it was ten years ago. Much of this is due to induction of labor, c-sections and other interventions.
The bottom line is this: women have been told their bodies are inadequate and they need doctors, drugs and machinery in order to give birth. Unfortunately, most women believe this and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. For more information I encourage those who are interested to explore the many web sites devoted to unassisted childbirth.
As far as women and babies routinely dying prior to the advent of the modern day hospital, this is a myth. Yes, sometimes they died but this was nearly always due to poverty - lack of food, dirty water and inadequate housing. Unsafe tribal practices such as rubbing dung into the umbilical cord also caused numerous problems. As Judith Goldsmith states in her book Childbirth Wisdom from the World's Oldest Societies, throughout history healthy tribal women have successfully given birth with little or no assistance.
Regarding the "need" for c-sections today, most of this is due to the continual interventions routinely performed in hospitals. Each stage of birth is monitored, timed and controlled, and if a woman doesn't give birth within a certain time frame, numerous unsafe interventions are performed. A baby is stillborn in an American hospital every 15 to 20 minutes, which is double what it was ten years ago. Much of this is due to induction of labor, c-sections and other interventions.
The bottom line is this: women have been told their bodies are inadequate and they need doctors, drugs and machinery in order to give birth. Unfortunately, most women believe this and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. For more information I encourage those who are interested to explore the many web sites devoted to unassisted childbirth.