modern vs natural pregnancy

[Pregnopaws]

Was chatting to hubby about modern medicine after showing him my various paperwork, vitamins, tests and loads of appointments etc. and he reckons pregnant women are treated by medical staff today as though they have an illness!

He thinks there's no need for all these appointments/scans/tests bla bla bla and reckons it just makes women paranoid and unable to cope with reality. Not that he would deny me my rightful treatment lol... there is no way i am going to stand in a field and squat down to give birth..lol... but I wonder if anyone else out there shares a similar opinion.

Is it all a bit much and are we and the medical professionals turning into technical neurotics over something so biologically natural?

 

[fifi211]

I know what you mean, but look at how many problems they can act upon now.

Before all of these medical advances lots of women and babies didn't survive childbirth, there was no monitoring of problems which can be treated throughout pregnancy, like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes etc.

However, I do agree that all the monitoring can make you feel more anxious and paranoid.

Am so glad you are not planning on squatting in a field to give birth, especially in this weather

 

[floppit]

I asked my best mate about this (she's a nurse). She said that there are enough countries still giving birth (+pregnancy) with minimal intervention but that the women are on average younger, less weight issues and still they have a higher MC, SB and infant mortality rate.

That answered the question for me. I want to be as relaxed as I can be but I feel lucky to live where folic acid is suggested, where scans happen and even operations on unborn children. I know it gives me better odds and I want that.

 

[lisa&alex]

i love the effect layed back midwife led teams are having on this pregnancy.. im so layed back this time.. i love it.. less appointments and less interfearence.. its great. i will have the tests that i want.. the screening that i want.. if a problem oured then we whould have furthe tests to see what what wrong.. but as there have not been any poblems so far im happy to just get on with it.

 

[Pregnopaws]

I agree with you girls but there are pros and cons to everything and I do somehow get hubby's point (somewhere!). My friends grandmother had 7 miscarriages and 5 surviving children. She lived to the age of 93 and swore she'd never have a doctor touch her or 'mess with her body in pregnancy', despite her losses. She went through life like a bulldozer and had no time for questions, stress or persistent worry. These women were strong!

When I think about it I think I could do without the stress of AFP tests and stuff like that which just do my head in, although i am relieved when i know im receiving best possible care.

Hmm not much chance of me worrying about floods in spain if i give birth in a field fifi. I'd be more worried about a bull chasing after me!

 

[fifi211]

Sorry just seen where you are. Yeah definitely keep away from the fields, bulls are worse than rain!

 

[AllieW]

I can sort of see your husband's point, to a certain extent. A good part of the reason for women in the past and in developing countries having problems was/is owing to poor nutrition. It's amazing how much difference that can make!

However, for me, I do like a certain amount of monitoring just so that I'm not panicking. One of my friends, though, didn't bother going to the doctors until she was 18 weeks as she wanted to minimise the amount of medical intervention she got. So, presumably any woman who felt likewise could equally leave it till later before she went to the doctor/whathaveyou.

 

[Natural mamma]

I agree with you on pregnancy being treated as an illness...it undermines a woman's natural instinct. But there again if it wasn't for medical intervention a lot of woman and babies wouldn't be here....it is a miracle. And now brace yourself...this is a totally philosophical hypothetical devil advocate viewpoint. But the worlds population is way too big and are we taking the natural selection of mother nature too far???? A 100 years ago woman died as did babies in child birth...if you were childless back then there was no fertility treatment... Is mother nature fighting back trying to control the population hence super bugs....new strains of viruses etc is this mother natures attempt at trying to re balance the scales ????

Its something i've given alot of thought too and i believe that we have to re bablance the scales but not through going back in time and abandoning medical science but by making changes to our lifestyles...doing as much as possible in a natural way.

 

[kellysomer]

Hmm i dont know the answer to this one on the one hand i like having the scans as i'm very nosey and love being in a country where i know my babies will have all the care and medical help that they need BUT am also a little bit of a weird one and loved having Isla with no pain relief, it scared me at the time but i feel proud that i did it naturally. Just hope i feel that way in 32 weeks time!!!!!

Natural selection maybe but noone is going to choose for thier baby to be ill or die unfortunatly some people cant choose, we are so lucky we live in England and that the NHS is there (albeit if my midwife is a stroppy moo)

Big up for clean(ish) hospitals and free medical care!

 

[heles7]

Good post natural mamma and brave of you to post too, a lot of people seem to get a bit tetchy about topics which aren't all fluffy and nice. Hopefully it'll help me keep things in perspective over the next few months and hold out for the home birth

 

[Blossom]

It's a nice tree-hugging thought to leave it all down to natre, but medical intervention is not just a modern fashion, it actually saves lives.

Since women were advised to take folic acid, children born with spina bifida have dropped by 70%. I'm not taking my chances on statistics like that.

Ask your grandma for some of her wisdomm from her days. You will be amazed how many of the miscarried several times and had still births because they didn't have the information available, such as exposure to the wrong foods, etc.

I have a two yeard old and we had a very difficult birth. If I had left it to mother nature we would both be dead.

 

[kellysomer]

Wow Blossom are you really 148 weeks pregnant?? Are you having an elephant?

Get yourself a birthday ticker hun!

 

[muppetmummy]

I love having the scans, and I really don't know how woman ever coped without pain relief in labour!

It's the interferring health visitors that do my head in

 

[breezee1984]

I am very positive on natural childbirth and i think your husband has a point. sometimes the treatment given towards prego women is the same as a very ill woman. it shouldnt be so. preggy doesnt mean ill it means a child is growing inside of u