Community› The Bump Local Boards› Northern California Babies
Northern California Babies
New Discussion

maybe a dumb question... re: nat. & med. birth

f&s2006f&s2006
in Northern California Babies

I think I am confused... for some reason I always thought 'natural' birth meant no drugs at all (ie. no pitocin, epidural) ....  but in my books/reading recently and on here, it seems that 'natural' = 'no epidural'... and most consider a birth with pitocin and w/o epi a natural birth...   Is it because pitocin is also produced in the body, so it's considered natural? 

 Can someone clarify for me please?  


And - just an FYI that I am not advocating for either but am trying to educate myself more about the birthing process and all the different possibilities!!!  

image
"Oh come on Gromit, a bit more, you know... alluring!!" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
Pregnancy Ticker
Report Reply to Post

Re: maybe a dumb question... re: nat. & med. birth

  • SweetiePSweetieP
    Hmm - interesting point.  "natural" is such a loaded word.  My personal opinion is that giving birth (no matter how the baby is born) is "natural".   If you had asked me before kids what "natural" meant I probably would have agreed that it's no drugs and no epi. 
    Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
    imageimage
    imageimage
    image
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • f&s2006f&s2006

    imageSweetieP:
    Hmm - interesting point.  "natural" is such a loaded word.  My personal opinion is that giving birth (no matter how the baby is born) is "natural".   If you had asked me before kids what "natural" meant I probably would have agreed that it's no drugs and no epi. 

     

    So maybe 'natural' really means a lot of different things to different people... and I'm being too technical about it, eh?   :)  

    I guess part of the reason I feel like I ought to know a 'definition' for natural, is because, like you say, it's a very loaded word, and I don't want to offend anyone if they think that their birth or birth plan is 'natural' and I misunderstand what they mean...  KWIM?!!!  

    image
    "Oh come on Gromit, a bit more, you know... alluring!!" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
  • SweetiePSweetieP
    I think that based on your title of the post that a natural birth would be anything non-medicated...and a medicated birth would include pitocin and/or and epi.
    Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.
    imageimage
    imageimage
    image
    Report Reply
  • futrkingsleyfutrkingsley member

    I did not have a natural birth by any stretch of the imagination -- cesarean surgery is in no ways natural.

    The terms I heard a lot that I liked were normal (meaning vaginal) birth versus other.  A normal birth could then be medicated (lumping all meds together, including pitocin and other induction meds with pain meds) or not.

     

    Report Reply
  • WineCountryWifeWineCountryWife

    I feel like I had a "natural" birth, even though I had to have pitocin (which wasn't?in my birth plan) because my water had broken and I was going too long without starting contractions on my own. ?Now, while it wasn't the "natural" birth that I had planned, and maybe some don't consider it natural (and thats fine, doesn't bother me), I still did it with no pain medications, and that is what I was going for (well that, and as natural and intervention free as it could b). I didn't freak out when they said I had to have pitocin,at that point, I was ready for the baby to come out and I knew it was the only way (we had tried everything to get contractions started). ?

    But yes, I agree - a truly natural birth would be without any external medical interventions (pitocin, pain meds, c-section, etc.).?

    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers
    My Mom Blog My Writing Blog
    Report Reply
  • Kellina71Kellina71

    I, like you, always thought it was no meds at all.  But I have seen people refer to all "natural" as meaning no pain meds. 

    AND-  HI!  Great to "see" you here!  :)   Long time no see.  Email me when you have a chance. I would love to check in more to find out how you are doing!!  kellita71 at yahoo.  <3

    Report Reply
  • f&s2006f&s2006
    imagefutrkingsley:

    I did not have a natural birth by any stretch of the imagination -- cesarean surgery is in no ways natural.

    The terms I heard a lot that I liked were normal (meaning vaginal) birth versus other.  A normal birth could then be medicated (lumping all meds together, including pitocin and other induction meds with pain meds) or not.

     

     

    futrkingsly - I have also heard 'natural' referred to as any vaginal birth... thus adding to my confusion!!! 

     

    To me, even 'normal' vs 'other' feels loaded in some ways...   I mean, who's to say what is 'normal' for any one pregnancy/birth?  'Normal' for some might be a c-section, because of other confounding medical/physical factors!!!  (Just to play devil's advocate stance here) 

    image
    "Oh come on Gromit, a bit more, you know... alluring!!" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
  • f&s2006f&s2006
    imageWineCountryWife:

    I feel like I had a "natural" birth, even though I had to have pitocin (which wasn't in my birth plan) because my water had broken and I was going too long without starting contractions on my own.  Now, while it wasn't the "natural" birth that I had planned, and maybe some don't consider it natural (and thats fine, doesn't bother me), I still did it with no pain medications, and that is what I was going for (well that, and as natural and intervention free as it could b). I didn't freak out when they said I had to have pitocin,at that point, I was ready for the baby to come out and I knew it was the only way (we had tried everything to get contractions started).  

    But yes, I agree - a truly natural birth would be without any external medical interventions (pitocin, pain meds, c-section, etc.). 

     

    Maybe the definition of 'natural' is more defined by the mom's perception of her overall experience during birth, and less the actual details regarding meds and interventions etc... ?? 

    This is definitely food for thought on my end!!!   Thank you all for your thoughtful perspectives!!! 

    image
    "Oh come on Gromit, a bit more, you know... alluring!!" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
  • f&s2006f&s2006
    imageKellina71:

    I, like you, always thought it was no meds at all.  But I have seen people refer to all "natural" as meaning no pain meds. 

    AND-  HI!  Great to "see" you here!  :)   Long time no see.  Email me when you have a chance. I would love to check in more to find out how you are doing!!  kellita71 at yahoo.  <3

     

    YGM  :D  

    image
    "Oh come on Gromit, a bit more, you know... alluring!!" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
  • CelynCelyn member

    Just to clarify - Pitocin is not made by the body.  It's a solution of synthetic oxytocin hormone and your body will not react to it exactly the same way as it would the real stuff. 

    Lots of people consider natural delivery merely to mean vaginal birth. Others use the term med-free to be more specific, although often that means pain med-free and drugs for the augmentation of labor don't count.

    image
    NorCalMOMS bio* NorCalBOTB* babywearingBIO
    Harmony Doula
    Report Reply
  • f&s2006f&s2006
    imageCelyn:

    Just to clarify - Pitocin is not made by the body.  It's a solution of synthetic oxytocin hormone and your body will not react to it exactly the same way as it would the real stuff. 

    Lots of people consider natural delivery merely to mean vaginal birth. Others use the term med-free to be more specific, although often that means pain med-free and drugs for the augmentation of labor don't count.

     

    celyn - yes, I agree re: pitocin, I should have been more specific when I posted... and part of the reason why I posed the question... mainly bc I wasn't sure if there was a clear standard for what 'natural' meant... since I have heard 'natural' birth could mean so many different things!!  And, fundamentally, from my stance as a biologist, the lines are very blurred between what is 'natural' and 'synthetic'... 

    And obviously, based on the responses here, there isn't a standard way of referring to 'natural' birth... as you so nicely explained in a much more succinct and clear way... 

    image
    "Oh come on Gromit, a bit more, you know... alluring!!" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Pregnancy Ticker
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"