Have been reading avidly the posts on this topic. When talking about 
consumer demand, however, keep in mind that there are some women who have 
been taught (socialized?) from a very early age to expect all those high-
tech bells & whistles. There is such a limited understanding and 
acceptance of birth as a normal occurance, and the media and most popular 
magazines and books aimed at expectant parents reinforce the stereotypes. 
For instance--"How to have a pain free birth" sets up an expectation that 
1. birth pain is bad 2. great preparations must be undertaken to get ready 
for this (normal)life event 3. the docs and nurses are there to make sure 
that birth takes place with as little physical investment from the mother 
as possible. Also, there is the doctor to the rescue mentality. How many 
times have we heard a mother share her birth story about how dr. so- and- 
so stepped in to heroically "deliver" the baby. Hello mom, YOU delivered 
the baby! Also, many people believe that technology and medicines can save 
any situation. They allow fetal monitoring, epidural, elective cesearan, 
etc. because they think if they follow all the rules and use all available 
technology that no harm will come to them or their baby. All of the 
evidence and research that the interventions do more harm than good goes 
right over their heads. Because they see birth as a medical crisis to be 
managed. For those parents who do "get it" and try to advocate for a pure 
birth for themselves, the medical establishment does put them in a 
defensive position, as argued in earlier messages. I signed out AMA when 
expecting my son, after an induction was advised because I was leaking a 
small amount of amniotic fluid. (N-- it was not the camel spins I was 
doing the day before!). My "rupture" repaired itself in < 24 hours and I 
went on to deliver my son (drug free, with doula and midwife as partners) 
five weeks later. When I refused the induction (three weeks before my "due 
date") I knew Sam wasn't ready to be born. When I explained my rationale 
to the "attending",  that if my son were to be born early needing help to 
breathe and eat it wasn't going to be his problem it was going to be mine, 
he looked at me strangely. I really don't think he had given any thought 
to the impact on the baby to be forced from the womb before he was ready. 
Sad. Sorry for the excessive length here.

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