Re: [ozmidwifery] Yahoo news article

[Diane Gardner]

I guess it's healthy to be doubting about pain, Sally as long as that doesn't become your only reality. Everyone has choice. I've spoken to women in China and India and Dick Read tells how he had witnessed women on the side of road squatting giving birth with no fuss (his words). How do you know they DO feel pain or is it just that our belief systems are taught that response?   I have attended many births here and wittnessed many women feeling only tightening and pressure, no pain. Others discomfort but not pain. All had comfortable births. Midwives often were a little confused because these women didn't show the "normal" pain signs during labour and so often weren't ready for the birth itself. They also commented afterwards that it had been years since they had seen a natural birth in a labour room without being medically managed. They were really impressed at the trust that the labouring mum had in herself. Trust? or the belief that they had that women are designed to give birth comfortably with little or no discomfort.   I have a video from Dateline USA who filmed 2 couples last August or September and followed them through their pregnancies and giving birth, pain free and it went to air in the USA. The interviewers too doubted it. The couples had 6 hypnosis sessions with their Obstetrician and gave birth with only pressure and very comfortably. All recorded on film. Their belief systems were taught that pain is a conditioned response, so gave it something else to believe instead. And it did. Beautifully.   regards Diane Gardner   ----- Original Message ----- From: Sally Westbury To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 2:50 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Yahoo news article Sorry to be the doubting thomas… but does anyone really believe that women in third world contries don’t feel pain?? Perhaps their social constructs allow them to accept and process thing differently….   Sally Westbury