Thank you Catherine for your words.  I think all of us LCs need to be on the
lookout for proponents of the program and (lovingly) explain the scientific
rationale for treating babies the way we do.  I had a long talk with a good
LC friend of mine over coffee yesterday - finally able to sit out on the
front porch & watch the world go by.  She teaches Lamaze classes as well as
being the LC for a hospital near here, and was sharing some of her
frustratiions with teaching.  The hospital is using a modified version of the
Dublin protocol (in - pit - out) modified because they skip the doula part
and define onset of labor differently than Dublin, so of course most of the
moms get epidurals at 2 cm.  We were wondering what it was that motivated
women in the mid 70's to early 80's to fight tooth and nail for their birth
experience and the right to have it their way, while women now seem so
passive and accepting of medication, etc. regardless of how it affects their
babies.  And of course, the LC is reaping the fallout of the
overtechnological methods with babies who won't breastfeed....

I wonder if any of these women are runners - have they experienced the pain
that comes with running.  Do they quit?  Both my daughters are cross country
runners, and I have to tell you, when I see them in a meet - faces contorted
with pain, white, drawn, miserable half way through the race - sometimes
running with abdominal cramps, my heart goes out to them.  But what good
would it do them if I, instead of cheering them on with a "you can do it!
 Good job! Keep it up!!" offered them a ride to the finish line.  The outcome
would be the same - they would cross the finish line.  But would they feel as
if they had accomplished anything?  I think not.  Would they get that rush?
 The high that comes with a hard effort successfully completed?  No.  There
are analogies here to birth....

Not to say that there aren't times when an epidural isn't needed, or
medication may not be indicated, or a C/Sec is the appropriate way to go.
 There are also times in a race when the winner must be carried over the
finish line or has to drop out.  But most are motivated to finish.  Why not
with birth?  Why do we give up before we start?  And a big and very
controversial question is, do we value more what we work hard for??  For
those of you who get the ICEA journal, there is an interesting commentary on
birth in the 50's & 60's the "knock 'em out drag 'em out" sort, and the
rather detached parenting that came with it....and a reference to the
love-starved flower children of the 60's & 70's.  I wonder if we may see some
of the same when the children of the epidural generation come of age....

It's one of my (many) soapboxes - and food for thought.

Looks like rain.  Glad we had two good days....

Jan B.