A want to practice what they teach...

Despite being of the understanding and opinion that birth is normal and natural and that a woman's physiology was intended for the purpose of supporting and bearing life and being taught this, I am frustrated by the lack of normality that I have witnessed as a student. Our requirements to register include being primary carer of 40 women having a normal vaginal birth... that means no forceps, no ventouse and definitely no caesareans... Here fellow students and myself face a dilemma. Current figures suggest that the caesarean rate is encroaching on 30% or more of births and even higher rates in the private sector, and thats independent of assisted births. Lets for arguments sake say that 50% of all births are either by caesarean or assistance (the current trend suggests this) and that of the 'normal' births include those with intervention such as induction, augmentation, epidural, active third stage ( acascade that increases the risk of caesarean or assistance), what hope is there for us to firstly meet these requirements and secondly, witness anything close to the normality of birth?

The year I began this course, there was not yet any restrictions on us attending homebirths, well not for the university that I am studying at anyways and hence the reason why I was lucky enough to witness and be with a woman who birthed her bubs at home. It was the most amazing experience and having been a part of it, I couldn't think of any other way to have my next baby when the time came. Shortly after I attended this homebirth, we received an email from the university saying that we were no longer allowed to be present at them for insurance reasons... and there went out opportunity to experience a truly physiological birth. Having now had a homebirth and comparing that with the hospital experience I had with my first and that which I have witnessed on the other side of things, I know that I will only ever see a 'normal physiological birth' with a woman birthing at home.

Myself and others have attempted to try and change this but it seems that everyone we approached passed the buck on to someone who would also pass it and so we went round in circles, without getting any answers.

Another reason why I want to bring birth back to what it is in its rawest form and practice what we are taught... and I guess, naming this blog what I have.