birth trauma

[finewine]

Saw some interesting thoughts over on the Tom Cruise thread about birthing methods.

Thanks for link Roman , a reasonable article on what 'silent birth is', actually NOT so odd after all, but merely another NEW AGE method of birthing, not scientology invention.

But hypnobirth is not about inducing a trance; it is a combination of relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques to control labor and birthing pain, said Linette Landa, the hypnobirth teacher.

Slow, smooth breathing counteracts what Ms. Landa called "the fear-tension-pain syndrome," the notion that women fear birth, so their muscles tense up, resulting in pain.

"We're all about the subconscious mind," said Ms. Landa, a tall, tranquil woman who teaches yoga. "The conscious mind is out of the picture."

I would say that this hypnobirth is very much like Lamaze which you mention next in your post.

It really is a matter of how you want to view labor.
I've had 5 children. My last two natural, one c-section and my first two with a spinal block because of complications.

I used lamaze throughout all 5 labors. I saw it not as pain and fear but as work and joy.

I think we've made the natural process of birthing too complicated and fearful in our "civilized sophistication".

Use to be and still occurs in some primitive cultures: A woman just squats, contracts, cuts ambilical cord, rests, cleans baby, nurses baby, puts baby in sling in front and continues to work. It was all a part of the natural ebb and flow of life.

I think nature demands a certain amount of struggling for new life to emerge into the world.
Take a look at the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Without the struggle out of the chrysalis, the blood is not moved into the wings and the butterfly cannot unfurl the wings at all.
It is an amazing thing to watch the butterfly emerge out of its chrysalis.
It is a definite fight and struggle. Feeling so sad for its struggle the chrysalis was gently cut to make it easy for the butterfly to emerge. The wings stayed crumpled and could not unfurl. It was quite a heartwrenching experiment for my children to see one survive and one die.. die at the hands of "gentleness".

According to Scientology doctrine, this is because "any words spoken are recorded in the reactive mind and can have an aberrative effect on the mother and the child.""

I find this in my own experience a bunch of hogwash!
I will concede that maybe having only 5 children instead of 100 does not represent a large enough study group, but I just sometimes find some of these claims, studies and new "elightenment" to be a twisting and complication of something so basic and elementary that I have to ask myself, "Why in the hell do people seek to make things more complicated than they really are?"

I do not see how the way one is birthed can change mankind's genetics and predispositions so greatly that the world would be a better place.
The heart of mankind must be changed for the world to be a better place.

Passivity can be as bad as aggression in the natural world.
We should take note, in my opinion.

I'm still waiting for something that makes the man generate such hysterics?

That's a good question!!!!
Ah, well. The woman really shouldn't have such hysterics. For me any hysterics (defined as intense conflicting emotions) really was just an overwhelming awe of the birth of such a beautiful creation as a child. I think men have their own quiet hysterics in the whole ordeal as they watch with their own conflicting emotions.

[Roman]

Damn, stop breeding.

[BSFilter]

Now with test tube babies, theres no need for sex anymore!

[spuriousmonkey]

The man still needs to masturbate to get the seed out.

[finewine]

Damn, stop breeding.

Why? Isn't it all about the survival of the fittest?
How old are you Roman? Why do you think having children is so terrible?
Children are a joy and blessing.

Having children is about so much more than spreading seed and controling the world's population of humanity.

Now with test tube babies, theres no need for sex anymore!

Sex is so much more than just procreation.

The man still needs to masturbate to get the seed out.

Indeed without the sperm no babies can be born... at least for the homo sapian.

[oscar]

I read the title and it reminded me of a book I once read. There's a chapter named "The trauma of birth" and how we're never really over that trauma since it's our first exposure to life in the external world, and in the Freudian sense we carry that experience with us unresolved throughout our lives, but I digress.

The debate of nature versus nurture is still ongoing. I'm definitely one for nurture though, even as insistently as my own experience proves otherwise.

Wow, this topic has had different reactions to it!

[Theoryofrelativity]

That's a good question!!!!
.

I was actually referring to the posters who were getting hsyeterical about Tom Cruise, I have no personal interest in silent birth, just trying to get to the bottom of the hysterics over Cruises position on this subject.

[finewine]

It is still a good question.
Just a different one. Why would anyone be hysterical over what Tom Cruise would say on the subject?

[Carcano]

For a women to give birth while lying on her back seems quite stupid, considering the role that gravity should play in the process.

I remember reading something about traditional midwifery practises among the ancient Greeks. Apparently the women would be sometimes have her arms strapped to the bed posts, and then the whole bed would be tilted upright vertical, lifted and dropped...using gravity to assist the passage, so to speak.

[finewine]

They have birthing beds that are similar to that in hospitals if the woman wants one. It really is easier to just squat and push as if you were passing a very large "watermelon" (said politely) ! Laying on the back in a hospital is a convention for the ease of the doctor to monitor the progress. It is not for the ease of delivery.

[Cottontop3000]

And how could such finewine ever say watermelon impolitely?

[Bells]

It really is a matter of how you want to view labor.
I've had 5 children. My last two natural, one c-section and my first two with a spinal block because of complications.

Gah! 5 children?

I used lamaze throughout all 5 labors. I saw it not as pain and fear but as work and joy.

You remind me of the midwife I had during my labour. I found her terribly annoying because she kept telling me how joyful labour is and how women are made for this. Annoyed the hell out of me.

For the life of me, I cannot understand how any woman can feel joyful during labour. None of the women I know who have had children felt joyful either. All I could think about was the horrendous pain and just wanting it all to be over so that I could sleep..

They have birthing beds that are similar to that in hospitals if the woman wants one. It really is easier to just squat and push as if you were passing a very large "watermelon" (said politely) ! Laying on the back in a hospital is a convention for the ease of the doctor to monitor the progress. It is not for the ease of delivery.

I was simply told to get into whatever position where I wanted in the birth suite that I felt most comfortable with. I remember someone pointing out a gym ball and asking me if I wanted to sit on that during the birth. I think I may have asked them if they were insane as I couldn't see the comfort in trying to balance on a giant ball while giving birth.. call me crazy. If you want to stand, sit, crawling position, lie on bed, floor, couch.. hell wherever, they are usually quite agreeable.

[Carcano]

For the life of me, I cannot understand how any woman can feel joyful during labour. None of the women I know who have had children felt joyful either. All I could think about was the horrendous pain and just wanting it all to be over so that I could sleep..

Isn't it true that humans are the only species that experience pain during childbirth?

The ancient Hebrews even created a myth around it, saying that it was Eve's curse (for disobeying Gods dietary regulations) to "bring forth children in sorrow".