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continued from page 2
This is the ‘natural’ birth that can make those fortunate enough to experience it feel proud that they have done it all on their own without medical intervention. The difficulty is that, particularly when it is you first baby, no one, not even your doctor or midwife, can be absolutely sure that you will have a natural birth until the very last minute.
It is not something that you, or anyone else, can make happen with any certainty because it hinges upon your baby and your pelvis. You may at the start of your pregnancy, be determined to have a natural birth. The chances are that you will but in fact the choice is not yours - there is nothing you or your classes can do to ensure it. If anything it is your baby’s choice and even he can’t have it all his own way if your pelvis is a difficult size or shape for his purposes.
Nor does it matter as far as your baby is concerned. Apart from the very few babies who have been snatched from the jaws of death, babies born with medical help are ultimately no different from those who were born ‘naturally. Some mothers are understandably, though inappropriately, concerned that in order to give their babies a ‘perfect start’ they have to have a ‘natural’ birth. Honestly, there is no factual basis for this.
Thus if you happen to fall into the 13 per cent who can’t have a baby without medical help, you may feel you have in some way failed, especially if you have been to the type of class which leads you to anticipate a brief, uncomplicated birth or which implies that it is up to you. Actually, labour isn’t one of those things that you can pass or fail.
This is the ‘natural’ birth that can make those fortunate enough to experience it feel proud that they have done it all on their own without medical intervention. The difficulty is that, particularly when it is you first baby, no one, not even your doctor or midwife, can be absolutely sure that you will have a natural birth until the very last minute.
It is not something that you, or anyone else, can make happen with any certainty because it hinges upon your baby and your pelvis. You may at the start of your pregnancy, be determined to have a natural birth. The chances are that you will but in fact the choice is not yours - there is nothing you or your classes can do to ensure it. If anything it is your baby’s choice and even he can’t have it all his own way if your pelvis is a difficult size or shape for his purposes.
Nor does it matter as far as your baby is concerned. Apart from the very few babies who have been snatched from the jaws of death, babies born with medical help are ultimately no different from those who were born ‘naturally. Some mothers are understandably, though inappropriately, concerned that in order to give their babies a ‘perfect start’ they have to have a ‘natural’ birth. Honestly, there is no factual basis for this.
Thus if you happen to fall into the 13 per cent who can’t have a baby without medical help, you may feel you have in some way failed, especially if you have been to the type of class which leads you to anticipate a brief, uncomplicated birth or which implies that it is up to you. Actually, labour isn’t one of those things that you can pass or fail.
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