I originally said this,
<< "Hey -- good thing the men have the birth part under control.  They've
 convinced all the women that "being in control, a la epidurals" is how to
 have The Perfect Birth.">>

Rob then said this:

 <<This is getting a bit chauvinistic.
 I recent heard a never pregnant female physician say she wants an epidural
 as soon as she has labor. Never even had one contraction and already she
 wants an epidural.>>

Karen had mentioned that women talk other women into it, and that women,
powerful beings that they are (I'm paraphrasing here), should have to be
convinced by men about anything.

I apologize for my gender-related/chauvinistic remark.  Chalk it up to age --
when most OBs/anesthesiologists were men and doing the convincing.  But I
must admit, with some more thinking, I realize the whole epidural thing is
consumer pressure -- from one consumer to another.  I went to a baby shower
not too long ago -- the mother-to-be timidly said she was taking Lamaze and
was planning to have a natural childbirth.  I was the ONLY one there (of
about 25) who applauded her for that.  Everyone else (all women) told about
all their horror stories of birth, and gave graphic descriptions r/t
watermelons and so on and wondered why on earth any sane woman would even
consider having a "natural" birth.

I've had L&D nurse-friends who have wanted to go without an epidural, and
their colleagues just laugh at them and tell them they are basically stupid
for even considering it.

I gave a lecture once in a city which shall remain nameless in which I talked
about the potential problems in breastfeeding that were r/t epidurals and
other birth interventions.  There were about 8 (young) L&D nurses in the
audience who reamed me out publically, up one side & down the other for even
daring to suggest there might be another way to birth.  Obviously, they said,
I knew NOTHING about birthing or babies, or what REAL women go through in
labor....

So Karen, Rob -- are both absolutely right.  This is not a gender related
issue.  It is something that people do to other people.

Jan -- who thinks she knows something about birth, having been the
coordinator of an out of hospital birthing center, and having had 3 babies --
one with a spinal (for breech -- but hey -- vaginal!  [The advantage to old
age is that they used to allow you to do that 25 years ago], one without
medication in a birthing room, and one at home in an electrical storm.

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