Dear Vaishali and Nancy, You both argue for a woman's right to choose a C-section, but there is no evidence to suggest that this right is in jeopardy. Currently, more than 25% of US hospital births are C-sections. About 10% (if that) of hospital births are unmedicated. C-section rates are increasing rapidly, with more and more doctors singing the praises of elective C-sections. Meanwhile, it is almost impossible to find a US hospital that genuinely supports unmedicated birth. While Nancy outlines a C-section situation that is minimally harmful (trial of labor, no mother/ infant separation), this situation is, in today's climate, likely to be quite rare, and, even if a mother makes this happen, she and her baby are still more likely to experience breastfeeding and other health problems than those who have had an intervention-free birth. If we want to help mothers and babies and want to preserve the notion of birth choice in any meaningful way, I think breastfeeding supporters should be advocating less birth intervention in hospitals, not more. There are plenty of powerful, famous doctors out there promoting birth interventions; I don't think they need our help. Women who would like to have an unmedicated hospital birth do, however, need our help, perhaps now more than ever. Kerry Ose, PhD (who prays that 30 years from now, when my baby daughter is ready to give birth, she is not facing a hospital climate in which it is as difficult to avoid a C-section as it is to avoid an epidural today). *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html