I was listening to a program on Radio 4 the other night and they where discussing how even the medical professionals can not agree on what a normal birth is.
This got me thinking, I think all of my births were normal, all natural with no intervention and no pain relief but all three were classed as high risk labours. With my first I had pre eclampsia which meant I was induced even though I was in the very early stages of natural labour.
With my daughter, I arrived at the birthing centre I desperately wanted to deliver at, only to be blue lighted to a larger hospital as there was mechonian in her waters and they thought she may be distressed. She wasn't and the ward was so busy and short-staffed I was left alone and due to the under staffing, I was unable to have an epidural so again another labour without pain relief.
My little man was again another high risk labour as my waters had broke but after 36 hrs we were getting no where. I was again sent away from my desired birthing centre and sent to the larger hospital. This time they were not as busy and the staff where very helpful and another birth without intervention or pain relief.
So these are what I class as normal births although high risk, would you agree?
If you look back through history, normal births were carried out at home yet although they are becoming more popular, they are still seen as different from the norm. Again C-sections are on the increase, now as many as 25% of all birth's are C- sections, so is this type of birth becoming normal as well.
What ever type of birth you have, as long as you feel happy, well-informed and cared for during labour and the end result is a happy healthy baby then this is a normal birth and every mother should feel this way.