Lynne, this is so true and especially so for certain religious groups. For instance, As a Christian I was brought up believing that labour was a curse becaue Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. When I was pregnant with Daniel I found out that this was a false interpretation of the scripture with "pain" actually meaning "work". Basically, the story goes that God told Eve labour would be hard work not a living hell but somehow the idea of pain took hold! Sadly, many women still think of labour this way, (even my mother who had one entirely pain free, drug free birth) and sadly, they see a caesarean as a way to avoid this "curse".
Strange though it may seem, this thinking permeates our Western culture. Another point that exacerbates this is that we don't share stories and we don't birth in communities anymore. Women used to birth surrounded by the other women in their lives. We take off for the hospital with bag in hand. Our mothers birthed in hospitals and jumped through whatever ridiculous hoops the doctors made them jump through and many came out of it having had very undignified and disempowering experiences thinking that was just the way things were. I don't know how we can change this perception when so few women actually get to experience a totally natural delivery. Even if induced a woman still considers her labour "natural" and thus thinks it hurts to bejeebus. I think books like the one Sarah Buckley is currently working on will help alter that perception but it will take a lot of information campaigning to change a paradigm that has existed for several generations. This SMH article has deeply disturbed me and yet, many normal average people would wonder what all the fuss is about because they see caesareans as normal and pain free. I guess we just have to keep chipping away a the block and hope that someone listens and exposes these trials for what they are... Nazi experiments! Feeling quite hot under the collar... Cas. Ps: I still have pain from my scar and epidural after 5.5 months! That's not exactly pain free is it? Cas McCullough [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.casmccullough.com -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lynne Staff Sent: Sunday, 19 October 2003 9:45 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] C/S in Sydney Morning Herald "there is this trial which gives you a 50-50 chance of totally avoiding all this pain........" A father-to-be I saw the other day, whose wife has had 2 caesareans (and is having the devil of a time finding anyone to support her for a planned vaginal birth), made the very pertinent point that 'natural' (read vaginal) birth is ALWAYS portrayed as the worst pain a woman can ever have - too terrible to contemplate, unbearable and totally avoidable, while the portrayal of caesarean birth is ALWAYS pain-free, peaceful, smiles all round.....etc -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
