Anxiety Rising

I recently heard a story about a woman's experience at the hospital where I'm supposed to birth. She also was in the midwife program, but at the time of her labor there were no midwives on duty. Apparently she attempted to contact a midwife and have them come in, but they refused. The OB on duty basically told her that since there was not a midwife available to monitor her she had to remain laying in bed for the entire birth, hooked up to IV's and monitoring equipment. The pain simply from laying in the same position caused her to beg for an epidural...just 1 hour before her child was born.

To most women, this seems the norm, but I freaked. It infuriates me that the medical model of childbirth calls for procedures that are not only unnecessary, but have proven through studies to actually be harmful. I can't believe with all the research that proves that moving around results in quicker and less complicated births they would still force someone to stay in a hospital bed. I understand that a lot of women want help when it comes to dealing with pain during childbirth, and I would never try to tell someone they are bad or weak for wanting pain medication, but I have found that for me the complications and after effects in the future far outweigh the benefits at the given moment. And once you have had these medications it does become medically necessary to be monitored.

I just refuse to be hooked up to machines if I don't have to. Call me old fashioned, but women have been giving birth successfully without IV's and heart monitors for THOUSANDS of years. If a woman wasn't capable of giving birth on her own none of us would be here.

I'm furious at the situation this woman had to go through, and I'm filled to the brim with anxiety about what it will be like when I have to go in. I would rather give birth at home then be strapped to a bed with needles forced into my arm. Contractions are painful enough. Must we really add more discomforts to the mix?!

Again, I'm furious, anxious, scared, worried.... all emotions that should NOT surround the biggest miracle in my life.