A long time ago in Europe, women gave birth sitting in a chair that had a huge hole in it for the baby to drop through.

With a birthing chair (I think it was called), a woman can use gravity and don't need to push as much.

There's a movie with Kevin Costner about Indians and their culture. There's a scene where a Indian woman has her baby all alone by squatting down and and using 2 trees for support. She has the baby in no time (as the saying goes) and gets on her horse and rides away with her baby on her back.

I've heard stories of pregnant Vietnamese women working in the rice fields till they get labor pains, then they squat down, drop their baby with the help of gravity, put the baby on their backs and go right back to work.

Is there a deliberate conspiracy to torture our women? to make childbirth a nitemare for them?
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Former California resident who loves Maine

Last edited by Neal on Mon 20 Jul, 2009 12:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

I would say Neal, it isn't about torture. It has more to do with the medical mania that teaches the women in America that they can't deliver baby's themselves. Only a doctor has any knowledge at all of delivering a baby.
It is also true that more baby's die in hospital birth than in homebirth.
My youngest is about to have a baby. I went with her to check out the possiblity of a midwifery. She was so rude to me and to the midwife that the midwife suggested that she do the hospital birth. With my daughters attitude, I can only say, "you asked for it".
I sort of had to just let go. I adopted both of my girls at birth. My eldest was born in a hospital, very traumatic birth. The woman was ready to give birth and the nurses was telling her to wait. Duh... The youngest was delivered by a midwife and it was an awesome memory for both of us!!!
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"What goes around, comes around" When it does, watch out!!!

Don't most mid-wives also put women on their backs?

Are there any mid-wifes out there using birthing chairs?


Maybe the norm is to put women on their backs because it means more money for doctors, hospitals and midwives?

Doctors are greedy?

If a woman is on her back and can't use gravity, (gravity is your friend) it takes many hours longer, and surgery is often needed to (ouch) cut the birth canal bigger.

Often a C-section is needed---more money for doctors and hospitals.
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Former California resident who loves Maine

Last edited by Neal on Mon 20 Jul, 2009 10:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

What is most popular in Maine is giving birth in a warm bath at the present time. That is what I've read as I was searching for a midwife and for info. No, most women prefer to give birth via birthing chair and in a more natural environment. That's the main reason for doing homebirth. We get to choose what's natural for us.
I don't know the position while in the tub, but the warmth of the water makes the delivery quicker and without a lot of pain. They don't use the regular bathtub as we have in our bathrooms. It's inflatable I believe.
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"What goes around, comes around" When it does, watch out!!!

I saw on TV yesterday...A teenage woman didn't know she was pregnant.

She's on the toilet and the baby's head appears. She's screams for help from a friend, and within minutes, her friend is holding the new born.

Because she was sitting...NOT lying on a bed..the birth was over in minutes.

Then she goes to a hospital and the torturers but her on her back to deliver the placenta--she says that was more painfull then the baby's birth !!

It's time to reject doctors and hospitals AND midwives who put women on their backs!!

Have your men build you a birthing chair...or sterilize a toilet !!!

GRAVITY IS YOUR FRIEND !
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Former California resident who loves Maine

Neal, Midwives don't "put" the women in any particular position. When my 2nd girl was born, Sandi was laying in bed, on her back like she thought she was supposed to do. The midwife said, "Why don't you get up and move around. You're not in a hospital where you are confined to a bed." Well, all Sandi did was to sit up in preparation to get up, and out came my 2nd daughter. Just as natural, and pain free as could be. It was so awesome being there!!!
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"What goes around, comes around" When it does, watch out!!!

We have changed just about everything when it comes to child birth, They are probably on their backs so the doctor can decide easily to just do a c section.