Have you ever seen Matrix Revolutions? In that movie, the character Morpheus makes a speech that I think is fitting. In Morpheus’ speech to Zion, he says
We are not here because of the path before us. We are here because of the path behind us.
True so true. We are not here because women’s bodies are completely faulty and incapable of baring children. We are here because women’s bodies are more capable of birthing children without complications than some would have us believe.
I was talking with a woman a few days ago (actually, a receptionist at the dentist’s office) and she was telling me about how she had her first child via cesarean and the second was a VBAC. When it came to her third and fourth children, she was told that she would have needed a cesarean had it not been for her previous VBAC. The fact that she has already successfully had a VBAC was the only reason they would allow her to have another, otherwise, they would have cut her open, regardless of whether or not a cesarean was needed. And here I thought VBACs were on the rise. Well, they are, but apparently not in our more rural area. I don’t like how they call the little town where she might have had an unnecessary cesarean, a city. It makes it sound like a pregnant woman might have more choices when in actuality, the choices are fewer unless she is willing to brave labor alone.
The same woman told me the name of a midwife who apparently does home birth in this area, but when I checked it out on line, it said nothing about home births, which leaves me wondering if this women is putting her neck on the line to help women have the birth experience they want or if she’s just out right being reckless, or if there is any truth to it at all. I look forward to speaking with her to find out the scoop (the receptionist is going to get her number for me).
I think birth options are so important. There is not a single time when I think the freedom of choice is more important than when it comes to bringing a new baby into this world. A mother’s comfort in labor is important to the safety of the child. Being comfortable is not being selfish.
Hundreds of years ago, before there were doctors, women were allowed to birth in more efficient positions. Of course, they were likely in better health too, since there weren’t all kinds of sodas, fast foods, and several forms of MSG to make them overweight and nutritionally depleted.
Some people feel that history repeats itself. If that’s the case, then perhaps we need to go back in time a little, long enough to where a woman’s body will be respected as her own during childbirth and not as a matter of convenience for some obstetrician or attending physician. It’s important to have birth options, that is what has kept us going this long already.
Baby’s have been born and will continue to be born. The medical field used to have an oath that started out basically by saying, “I promise to do no harm.” But what is it when a woman is threatened with unnecessary abdominal surgery? I’d say that is harm.
If you want to get stuck in the rear, you should go see a proctologist. If you want to have a baby via natural birth, be sure your physician is not a proctologist in disguise.
If you are facing a VBAC, know that you are not alone. For example, here is the blog of a woman going on her own vbac adventure. (I hope you don’t mind the link Kendra).
Stay positive, stay focused, and birth well.
Sheilah 
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) My loaner copy is a much newer edition but still says almost exactly the same thing. I only found one minor change in a word. The meanings are the same and also importantly, the techniques are the same as well.