Natural is optimal.

I support midwives, natural vaginal birth and breast feeding.

My now 6year-old, son was 9lb4oz, it was -30 out, we had cows calving, and after 36hr of labor was more determined to birth my son at home and did with another four hour push! I renewed my midwife's faith in the power of a woman's ability! My daughter, 2years-old, was bigger but easier, 9lb12oz and only about 12 hours including a 20 min push! I know I gave my children the best start with a birth at home, with absolutely no medical intervention, and breast feeding. It is the greatest experience!

I envied you women that could give birth the normal way. Gosh, how I wished I could! I felt like I was beat with clubs and the other Moms walked around and were sore but renewed in body, mind and spirit. I, in turn, felt awful, was doped up and wondered what was wrong with me that I couldn't do one of the most natural things in life. :-( As blessed as I was with my children, each had a scary, painful memory that I wish I didn't have to go through. At least I could breastfeed without any problems!

I had my twins naturally and my singleton (9 lbs). I would never have a c-section unless it was medically necessary.

I think women should try to do what's medically best for baby and mother. I had an epidural and no c-section; both babies were born alert & healthy in a hospital setting. Some people villify hospital births with epidurals, but no doctor was lurking around the corner glancing at her watch, pumping me full of pitocin or pushing c-section so she could schedule her time better. And my babies weren't born blinded by glaring hospital lights, terrified by hospital staff shouting and racing all over the room in confusion, all hope of breastfeeding tragically lost because of lethargy because I didn't have an unmedicated birth. I think that's sometimes how women are made to feel about various birthing options - that there's only one BEST way for the baby and anything else is wrong and bad.

I do think C-sections are major surgery and should be used only in pregnancies who really have a medically need for the surgery. But that being said, no woman should be made to feel that she didn't give her baby the "best start in life" for having had a c-section. My word, when you're at the park with your toddler, can you really point to each child and say, "That child had an all natural home delivery, that one had a hospital birth with pain meds, and that one is obviously c-section!" Of course not.

I think doctors need to live by the code of doing what is best for the patients, and we need to deliver our babies in the way that is safest for each specific case. Enough of this "birth experience" trumping the goal of having a live, healthy baby.

I had my first baby naturally almost one year ago and while I am glad that I had her naturally, it didn't end up being the best experience. During childbirth, I dislocated my hip and went home from the hospital in a wheelchair. I was in a wheelchair for 3 weeks and then used a walker for another 3. My sweet girl was 6 weeks old before I could even go to her when she cried. I didn't get to carry her for 6 weeks either. I pretty much was a bed mommy. A total of 12 weeks of physical therapy. Both the OB and PT recommend CSection next time because of the likelihood it would happen again. I am torn.... I feel that natural is best, but the thought of going through all that again is more than I can handle. Your thoughts would be interesting!

Had my first 2 kids naturally, but had to have an elected c-section with my last. He was breech and even though the docs wanted to do an inversion, I had gestional diabetes and the risks outweighted my decision to have the surgery for me instead of having something happening to my son causing him to be in NICU. Other than that, I would have had him naturally (he was 9 pounds 6 oz)

Had 6 naturally, including one 84 hour labor. Although it was best for me i couldn't possibly hold it against any woman who would elect to do it differently. i had a great midwife though, that made a lot of difference, i might have elected to do a c section, the dr who was overseeing it suggested it, but i wanted to wait until it was absolutely necessary which didn't happen. But any woman who would have opted not to go that long would have my blessing. All my babies were from between 8-10 pounds. When my daughter had her two babies, the first was miss handled by a Dr. He screwed up, so that i requested pain medication for her, and i would have asked her if she would have done better with a c-section when she finally gave birth. With her second one she had a great midwife, everything went so much better but it was still a difficult delivery and she had to have pain medication. If the drugs they use now were available when i was having mine i would have been first in line. If in either of my daughter's births she had decided to go for a c-section i would have supported it. i don't feel it should be elective for just because it's thought to be easier, but for a real need I'm all for it.

These experts are missing the point here. The whole C section movement is because woman want to maintain a better quality of life. I know many moms will disagree with this. But for many of us who are more vain, we want to make sure the pelvis doesn't stretch, look good down there, and plan the delivery around us, but not around whenever the baby wants to come. Yes it is more selfish. However this is entirely up to the mother. If a mom would be unhappy with herself many years to come after giving a natural birth, is it worth it??

I had an emergency C-section when my daughter was born. Not by choice. If it had been my choice, and if things had been different with my daughter, I would never had opted for it. And at the time, we didn’t even know about her congenital heart defect. In the days between my 39 & 40 week my daughter hadn’t even moved into my pelvic area so they were going to induce me. My 40^th week happen to fall on my last appointment with my midwife- Tuesday Oct 7^th. So come Wednesday night (Oct 8^th) I didn’t feel her moving. I performed all the tests the nurses tell you to do before panicking. After an hour or so, we went to the ER and had a stress test done. It was fine in the beginning. But when I saw that I wasn’t going home & was being admitted pronto, that’s when alarm bells went off. The head nurse said that my daughter’s heart rate was sporadic, going really high (170) to really low (110-120) with in minutes of each other & at many times. Into the wee hours of the night, she finally tells me that her heart rate is dipping to low, (it would dip every time I would have a contraction I didn’t feel) and because she can’t in all good conscience send me home and guarantee that she’d be able to deliver a live baby still, she tells me my doctor has opted for an emergency C-section. By this time I was really scared and in pain from the loose muscle pain in my legs. I was supposed to be induced Thursday night so that I could perform a vaginal birth Friday. Not what my daughter intended. I had her Thursday morning at 8:03 am. It was a good decision because who knows what would have happened if I was stubborn & refused. But the consequences is not being able to do more than ½ of what women who have had vaginal birth can do. I couldn't walk straight, I couldn’t climb stairs, I couldn't sit down without needing support. Driving still felt odd, even after the scares healed & having the baby pouch (still). Vaginal birth is the way to go if you don't NEED a c-section. I think those women are crazy for having them without needing them.

My first baby was natural but took 29 hours to have. My second was a c-section due to transverse lye (rare) her legs were stuck across (horizontal) agains my side and she was facing to the right head up. I had a last minute ultra sound (that I asked for myself, I had a feeling she had turned back) and sure enough she was head up and to the side!! I was DEVASTATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I felt like I was kidnapped and smuggled on a gurny and down the hall. (they had to hurry, my water had broke for almost 10 hours dripping. so it was RUSH RUSH. thank God for my Dr. Couch and and superior care, and of course my hubby for taking such great care of our DeLaney Brazil in the nursery while I was in recovery. I think its stupid and lazy to "want" to have a c-section. Its not more hurtful to babys than vaginal, where did you here that?

To any woman who says "I'd have a cesarean, it's safer" I implore you to do your research because that statement is false.  The NIH VBAC panel concluded this week that more women should be encouraged to try for VBAC because repeat cesareans impose serious risks on both mother and baby.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124559259

There is nothing beautiful about giving birth, the sweating, grunting and the pain and discomfort. Who are you all fooling. I elected to have two c-sections to avoid this experience and would again for my third. It boils down to being a mother's choice- but don't tell me how beautiful the experience is- I saw tapes and watched my sister. C-section all the way

I've had four natural births and amglad i did. I was able to go home with my child after three days. I think that it is the doctors that tell these young women that it is necessary, and use scare tactic's to get them to agree. Child birth is natural process and should be respected as such. Yes, there is times when its mandatory, but why has the rate of c-sections grown so rapidly? You have to ask yourself why,and can we really trust the health care system after all we know most of the time its about the money and surgery cost more then natural birth.

I had to have an emergency c-section after 56 hours of labor with my first child. My pelvis was broken in a horse falling accident when I was 14 and the Dr's told me at that time I would never deliver a child vaginally. I should have listened. Instead I chose to try natural birth. What a mistake! God bless my father-in-law who paced the floor and berated Dr's to perform a cesarean. His exact words were "I've delivered enough calves in my lifetime to know she's in trouble." Finally after the baby's heartbeat was lost, I rushed into surgery. Luckily, I delivered a beautiful baby boy 8 lbs 13 ounces.

I elected to have my other two sons by cesarean. (8 lbs 12 oz and 10 lbs 10 oz) I don't feel the survey is correct. Had I had a successful first delivery, I would have opted for natural birth. Did the survey take into account for failed attempts or mothers who have injuries that would prevent them from vaginal deliveries? They need to go back and ask why mothers chose to have a cesarean. I applaud the women who are able to give vaginal birth, I was disappointed I could not, but don't look down on or condemn anyone who has a cesarean. The birth of a child by any means, vaginal or cesarean is a blessing for any family!

I had a c-section with my first child 9 years ago, because my body wouldn't progress in labor. Now I'm pregnant with my second, I spoke with my doctor about vaginal deliver, after she explained to me the risk of normal delivery my husband and I opt to have another c-section, however i much rather have a vaginal delivery. The pain after having a c-section is awful and takes weeks to recover!