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Natural Birth
ateal2490
member
That "medal" everyone keeps talking about
ateal2490
member
After a simple thread on my BMB that loosely concerned med-free birth veered toward the "you don't get a medal/you're not a hero for having a "natural" birth" discussion, I did a little bit of reading into the subject and came across this very inspiring article. Two of the lovely ladies from my BMB (who also frequent this board I believe) proudly expressed their views on the subject and this article seconds their opinions and adds a few of its own. Its an uplifting article and I hope that you lovely ladies find as much solace and inspiration in it as I have.
https://bringbirthhome.com/motherhood/natural-birth-deserves-a-medal/
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Re: That "medal" everyone keeps talking about
that is a wonderful article. It was eloquent and expressed exactly how I have felt about natural birth. I just gave birth for my third time and even though I have freaked out towards the end the past 2 times, I continue to be glad and proud that I did it naturally :-)
thanks so much for sharing this.
What an incredibly uplifting article. I've always felt that the medal was the birth in and of itself. My reward, a positive birth experience regardless of if went exactly to plan or not.
TTTC for 6 years. Me:RPL,DH:MFI motility and numbers
March 2010 IVF#1- BFP born 11.29.10, became an angel 04.12.11
June 2011 FET#1- BFN
July 2011 FET#2- BFP, MC at 5 wks
January 2012 IVF#2- BFP, EDD moved to Oct 5th
It's a girl!
That thread got a bit off kilter.
It reminded me of my husband's aunt who told me I'd be begging for an epidural when I told her I planned and was working towards a med-free birth. I never begged given the situation, but don't have any regrets, feel like less of a mom/woman or anything I would change, either.
Ok, so I get this is completely different than natural childbirth, but I ran my first half marathon in April. I couldn't even run a mile when I started my training in February. I finished in 2:26 and I DID get a medal.
But when I think about that accomplishment, it's not the medal that I get excited about, it's the memory of crossing the finish line.
I think most people say things like that because they just don't have the drive or desire for that particular accomplishment. If you're committed to a NB, and it's something you have studied, prepared for, and you can be mentally engaged during the process, then the feeling of "crossing the finish line" is what will stick with you. Accomplishment is more personal than people understand.
I think this is a great analogy. And wanted to add to it. The people who say "you don't get a medal" often add to it "you end up with a baby in your arms either way". Well... I could also hop into a car and get 26.2 miles, but it'll never have the same satisfaction factor as knowing that you accomplished preparing for and running that 26.2 instead. Sure... running marathons, just like having a natural birth, may not be something everyone is keen to do -- but that doesn't mean nobody should do it, or that it's a stupid goal to have. There are a lot of benefits to delivering naturally, just like there are a lot of benefits to running when compared to the alternatives.
Mama's Clone - 07/18/12
Those comments are going to come from pretty much any board except this one. There were actually a lot of NB moms in May....Fyre and Elvie off the top of my head.
Great article ateal, thanks for posting.
From now on when someone asks why I went med-free, I'm just going to say, "for the medal" and leave it at that.
Haha, love it. Thumbs up for how you replied in that thread, btw. It was perfectly worded.
Eh, I think all women who give birth deserve a medal. Those who labor for 20+ hours and end up with a c/s. Those who vbac with or without pain meds. Those who avoid pain meds. And yes, even those who have a c/s with no labor.
Childbirth is hard no matter how it happens, mentally and physically.I think posts like those just feed into the nb hate tbh. I mean, what if someone had a natural birth but their baby died. Do you really think that mother is going to say "ah but yes I got that medal for doing it without pain meds?"
This isn't meant to take away from the stamina of women who do labor without pain meds. But every labor is different. Some can manage without pain meds with minimal difficulty and preparation. For some it's a real struggle. And for others they need interventions for one reason or another. I don't think that should take away from their "medal-worthy" status.
Just my $.02.
Did you even read the article? You completely missed the point if you did...
I was wondering the same thing.
OP, the article says the exact same thing you just did.
Here is the first passage:
This post is dedicated to every single birthing woman out there, no matter where or how you gave birth. While I do stress natural birth in this article, I understand that any way you bring a baby into the world is hard work, and you should be proud of yourself for the achievement.