There's an interesting report on the Dutch tradition of giving birth
from the perspective of a Reuters reporter. Basically, the Dutch
believe birth optimally happens at home (30 percent of births happen
this way, compared to a tiny fraction in the U.S.,) no pain medication
is necessary, and that labor pains are part of the way the mother bonds
with the baby. (If so, I ought to be practically fused to my child.)
The bottom line is that birth is not seen as a medicalized process. Oh,
and get this: A maternity nurse takes care of the family at home for a
week and does cooking, cleaning, and infant care. Sign me up for that
part!
While I've never been a convert to the notion of natural
birth as essential...
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