I know its late but I felt very compassionate about this topic and wanted to take a little more time to do some research and strengthen my overall argument.

The whole concept of birth is still iffy to me. I believe that all of the world’s many problems branch from the fact that there are just too many people. But this doesn’t stop couples, date rapists, lonely mothers, and Catholics from reproducing at a rapid rate. But why do people have babies? They leak from every orifice on their bodies, they are loud, and above all, they are expensive. But for some reason in our clean, perfectionist culture people feel the need to have more and more kids. It appears to me that there are three main reasons why people continue to have kids: Some people want a baby that will love them eternally with godlike devotion. Other people force their kids to have kids that will love and adore them. And then there are those who just want to have sex: people who appreciate the process (sex) but not the product (the baby).
Regardless of their cause these all result in the same thing; a baby that will, if treated properly, love, adore, and take care of you in your old age. “Sounds like a sweet deal. I just have to wait 9 months, go through a few hours of physical pain and take care of the thing for a few more years and I’ve got me my own personal servant.” Of course, this is in exaggeration but does not stand from the truth. People in our society love to watch other people live; doing so gives their dull lives some meaning. Seldom, however, do we see people like Brad Pitt or other tabloid celebrities reading shallow and low-brow magazines like “People,” “Vogue,” or “Elle.” Those with money can live their own fantasies while those without watch and try to experience the affluent lives of the very people that keep our capitalistic culture going for gold..
Back to babies; children provide more or less the same sort of entertainment. A child’s life is essentially a soap opera that parents can sit back and eat pop-corn to while watching, occasionally stepping in to assure that they grow into . They watch their children grow up and develop like Stephanie from “Full House.” When their little angels hit puberty, parents buckle down while trying to maintain a friendly relationship with their child and relive those first episodes of “The Gilmore Girls.” Finally they release their kids into the world after having hypnotized them into becoming everything and more than they (the parents) were as children. Sound familiar? Vicariously living through ones offspring is quite common in our culture.
Of course, some people may not agree with me on that. Looking at birth statistics, mothers, more often than not, use epidurals during labour to relieve themselves of pain. However, evidence proves that epidurals drug the baby as well which can make it reluctant to breast feed, an important factor in the mother child bonding process. Breast feeding soon after birth helps the mother to release oxytocin, a “bonding” chemical, that the child then absorbs into his body through the breast milk. If mothers are willing to sacrifice their bodies and their entire live for their unborn children, one would assume they would be willing to endure a few hours of pain to ensure the healthy and un-stoned birth of their baby. This being said, why then do most mothers use epidurals and other birth intervention drugs? I do not believe that mothers do not love their babies, but there has to be something, aside from the pain, that would encourage a mother to take such a risk.
Being fairly familiar with the way our culture works I feel that I can adequately assess what may possess people to use these drugs. Who other than the multi-billion dollar business that holds the lives of millions of Americans at stake for money; big pharmaceutical companies. Epidurals can run up to $1000 on top of the outrageous fees that come with most hospital births. Having searched around online, looked at blogs, and heard my mothers own personal birthing experience, it seems to me that most Americans believe that these drugs are basic essentials in the birthing process. Observing the normal way of birth, one can see why many mothers may believe this. My own birth was very typical, and was archetypal of the American way of Birth.
My mother’s water broke on august 10th, 1991. She went to the hospital where she was told to return home and wait for 24 hours. The following day she went back to the hospital where the doctors gave her Pitocin to help induce labor. From this point on there were about 15 hours of labor before I was actually born, so it was a fairly long wait. The Pitocin made her contractions more frequent and they grew stronger each time. To pass the time my parents walked around the hospital until the contractions got to be so painful that she had to be confined to her bed. My father helped her through each contraction until, finally, she began crowning. Shortly before she was given Darvon, a light sedative to reduce the pain, but it was ineffective so she had an epidural. In an attempt to make the environment more welcoming for me my mother had very relaxing music playing in the background. When she finally began crowning a surge of doctors appeared in the room; she recalled there being no medical figures there up until that point. She had an episiotomy to stop any inevitable ripping from happening and shortly after I was born.
It was a pretty standard birth. The key thing, however, that I questioned upon hearing this was why so many drugs? At that point I had to come out because if a mother doesn’t go into labour within 12 hours of her water breaking it puts the lives of both mother and child at risk. The doctor, however, neglected to warn my mother of the drugs harmful side-affects. Everyone is told that birth will be painful, but few are told of Pitocin’s more gentile and natural cousin. Believe it or not turning the birthing process into an orgasmic experience can mimic the effects of Pitocin. Pitocin helps the body to release Oxytocin which helps to induce labour, but because it is taken through a constant IV drip it gives the body far more than necessary, putting her in far more pain than she need be. Not only are orgasmic births more pleasurable and cost effective, but they help to release the very same chemical into the mother, her very own, internal Oxytocin IV drip. If I am aware of this then I am certain that most doctors are; why then do most doctors not encourage such an approach? These drugs are insanely expensive, and what better way to make money off of anxious pregnant mothers than to shamelessly give them some drug without any alternative treatment. Doctors tell people like my mother of this magical drug that can save their baby’s life while failing to mention that our bodies can produce the same substance for FREE.
It doesn’t stop there; after giving my mother Pitocin, they had to counter-act the pain with an Epidural. Birth is bound to be painful, especially without an epidural, but when induced with Pitocin it becomes a necessity. Having a natural, home birth is less painful; people have all they need (in cases where the birth is normal and healthy) right at home.
The setting plays an important role in natural birth as well. The standard birth takes place in a sterile hospital room with the mother propped up in lithotomy position, legs agape, surrounded by complete strangers and bright spotlights shining on her vagina. How sexual does this sound? If anything it sounds nerve-wracking, whereas a home birth allows one complete privacy, sensuality, and, above all, comfort. A natural birth with inborn labour inducing chemicals suggests that the woman should sit naked in a tub next to her husband in a warm and loving environment. If one chooses, one can have a midwife coach the mother through the birth. The husband may gently stroke his wife’s breasts or something of that sort to get the Oxytocin flowing, while the midwife helps the mother through each contraction. Unlike standard birth procedures, the mother is allowed privacy and has complete control over the entire situation. When the baby finally comes out he is born into water which allows it to transition from the womb into the outside world. When the baby is born into the air it’s and abrupt and shocking transition that could arguably scar the child’s subconscious for the rest of it’s life. All in all, this sounds far more appealing and humane than the birth that most doctors would like people to believe is necessary. Its astounding to see how much Capitalism and the profit motive permeate our culture to the point where people designated to provide us remedies and treatments deceitfully trick us into paying for drugs and procedures that could potentially harm or affect the life of an unborn child.
People make sex and birth out to be very separate deities things, thus robbing people of the sexual aspect of birth and instilling this artificial need for drugs, doctors, and hospital. People are afraid of anything outside of the norm, for it upsets the balance of their lifestyle; the same can be said of birth. Even though many aspects of our culture are sexual, for some reason we cannot combine the two. Doctors, like all other capitalists, want to make a profit and by lying and telling mothers that birth will be painful they can make more money off drugs.
Similarly to sex, drugs are demonized. For a culture that so heavily uses drugs like pitocin, Epideurals, alcohol, and cigarettes on a daily basis, people demonize drugs such as marijuana, codine, steroids, and LSD with a curious amount of enthusiasm. “A Rod can’t take steroids, but mothers are given epidurals on a whim.” This just goes to show how contradictory our societies image of whats right and wrong is.

Answers to questions on Birth

1.) What kinds of drugs/interventions are used during birth? How often?
Breathing Techniques, Positioning, Water (Hydrotherapy), Hot & Cold Packs, Massage, Sterile Water Injections (for back pain), 'Gas & Air',Stadol, Demerol, Nubain, Epidural, General Anesthesia. They are used quite frequently, sometimes without the consent of the mother.

2.) How often do mothers die of anesthesia related complications?
Drug induced labors greatly increase the risk of fatality in mothers. By taking labor inducing drugs such as pitocin, women increase their chance of having an Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE), which is the leading cause of maternal mortality in developed countries. It occurs when the amniotic fluid from the woman's uterus leaks into their circulatory system causing an arterial blockage that can, and often is, fatal.

3.) How are babies affected by the drugs?
Taking pain relief drugs during birth can supposedly prevent bonding between mother and child. Drugged babies are less likely to nurse after birth, which can affect the transfer of important bonding hormones between mother and child shortly after birth.

4.) How do drugs affect women of different ages?
The effects of birth and birth drugs in general worsen as women get older. Naturally, people are only young for so long, and the younger one is, the more likely it is that they will have an easy recovery from such an ordeal.

5.) How much are the pharmaceutical companies making off of anxious pregnant mothers?
Pharmaceuticals are a multi-billion dollar buisiness, a "vast marketing machine;"along side anti-depressants, disease remedies, and various other medical treatments, the pharmaceutical industry rakes in roughly $30.6 billion dollars (in 2001). I could easily rant and rave about how evil the pharmaceutical giants are, but that wouldn't answer this question. I rant soon enough.

6.) How much do drugs cost?

7.) How do the drugs impact the environment?

Questions

1.) What kinds of drugs are used in birth? How often?
2.) How often do mothers die of anesthesia related complications?
3.) How are babies affected by the drugs?
4.) How do drugs affect women of different ages?
5.) How much are the pharmaceutical companies making off of anxious pregnant mothers?
6.) How much do drugs cost?
7.) How do the drugs impact the environment?

Birth Story and Thoughts on Birth

In all my criticism of the AWOL, I neglected to even once mention the effect of birth on the rest of ones life. Supposedly, upon turning three infants lose all memory of past events in their lives, but the impact of our birth stays eternally with us. Something as simple as being born in a bath-tub could have a profound effect on ones experience. So one could probably see why people feel the need to manipulate every little factor.
Looking back on the story of my own birth I see the quintessential American birth at play. I was born on August 11th, 1991; my mother was running a food stand with my father at a local street fair in San Fransisco California when her water broke. She went to the hospital where she was told to return home and wait for 24 hours. The following day she went back to the hospital where the doctors gave her Pitocin to help induce labor. From this point on there were about 15 hours of labor before I was actually born, so it was a fairly long wait. The Pitocin made her contractions more frequent and they grew stronger each time. To pass the time my parents walked around the hospital until, at one point, the contractions got to be so painful that they returned to the room. For the majority of her time spent in the birthing room my mom remained seated in a chair next to the bed with her head resting on the mattress; my father helped her through each contraction until, finally, she began crowning. Shortly before she was given Darvon, a light sedative to reduce the pain, but it was ineffective so she had an epidural. In an attempt to make the environment more welcoming for me my mother had very relaxing music playing in the background. When she finally began crowning a surge of doctors appeared in the room; she recalled there being no medical figures there up until that point. She had an episiotomy to stop any inevitable ripping from happening and shortly after I was born.
My mother does not recall any pain; she remembers it being a “magical moment,” with the music, the San Fransisco fog settling just outside the hospital, and the birth of her new son. Aside from being totally stoned from the sedatives, reluctant to nurse, and mildly jaundiced, I was a healthy, six pound, six ounce, baby boy.
My brother on the other hand was born quickly in a matter of only four hours. My mom was shopping with my father for Christmas presents when her water broke; knowing that she would most likely be unable to eat for he next few hours my parents got some food at a local restaurant. They waited until the contractions became frequent enough that the doctor allowed them to come to the hospital, and they sent me to my friends house. She requested an epidural but was too far along to receive one. She gave birth shortly after; my younger brother Austin was born wide awake, un-jaundiced, and began nursing as soon as he could; a perfectly healthy baby boy.
Austin’s birth was far more natural than mine; my mother was not only more prepared for my birth, but more willing to intervene with drugs because she was afraid of the pain. Even though I came out just as healthy as my brother would, I was jaundiced and unwilling to nurse. I believe that this may be due in part to the epidural; putting any chemical into one’s body is bound to have side effects. It seems to me that epidurals are preferred by most mothers to help reduce the pain, but the effects they have on the child seem not worth the risk. It is important that the first few years of an infants life remain undisturbed, for they are crucial in their lifelong development. Epidurals could arguably affect a child’s development; being high for the first few moments of waking life can’t be a positive thing. One reason that I may have had the health issues that I did at birth could be the drugs that my mother took to relieve her own pain. Let’s just say that I find it coincidental that my brother had no immediate health problems when my mom was unable to have an epidural.