This has definitely gone off topic I think, but I had to respond to
(uh-oh, I forgot your name) someone's post who was reflecting that it
seemed to her that those women who used medication, particularly
epidurals, were less passionate about their birth and seem very
matter-of-fact about it.

I really think that we have to be careful not to suggest that two
phenomena are causally related just because they are correlated.  I mean,
I think that yes, probably a lot of women who receive epidurals are less
passionate about their births, but I don't think the epidural has
anything to do with the lack of passion, usually.  I think that the type
of women who feels passionate about pregnancy and childbirth is usually
the same type of person who wants to have natural childbirth - and so
there is a correlation.  But I also know of people, I for one, who had an
epidural after many hours of labor (and the epidural was in for many
hours more), and feel *VERY* passionate about their birthing experience,
rehashing it constantly and reliving it -- loving it.

I think there are women who want to give birth becaues they really want
to *have* the baby, and there are those of us who really want *to give
birth to a baby*.  I hope this is making sense.

Someone on this list once said that satisfaction with birth experience
has less to do with the procedures and drugs used, and more to do with
whether or not the woman received the birth she *wanted and expected.*
Women feel empowered by *making choices*, not necessarily by a certain
type of birth.

Amy C. G. Scott
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Cincinnati, Ohio