Getting on my moral high horse today

I do not normally get this upset, but I have now had enough...I am no longer going to defend my decision to have a natural birth vs a c-section against all the SA mommies who decide to opt for elective c-sections.  OK, I am done.

"A c-section (or Caesarean section) is commonly performed when a natural birth is considered to be too risky and the mother’s or baby’s health is deemed to be at risk. Today, however, private South African hospitals are performing far more c-sections than vaginal births and a c-section is becoming an elective procedure rather than a necessity.  Mothers may be under the impression that a c-section is an easy way out of labour, or they may feel that a scheduled operation is far more convenient than trying to work around an unplanned 2am hospital visit (after their water breaks). The increase in c-sections is not only in South Africa, but in reality the procedure is being performed far more often in many other countries around the world such as in China, Latin America and the US, where c-sections are being performed as much as 46% more than in earlier years.  Interestingly the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that no region in the world is justified in having a caesarean rate which exceeds more than 10 to 15%"

       Source:

http://www.calorababy.co.za/pregnancy/c-section-vs-natural-birth.html

I always end up using some feeble excuse, like "I am petrified of operations", or the classic "my husband will never survive an operation".  No more.  My reasons for opting for a natural delivery are:

1. I honestly believe that this is the way nature intended this.  I am a healthy woman with a body that has this stunning ability to do something that no man can;
2. I hate the thought of major abdominal surgery, yes people, that is what it is, I would rather be a bit uncomfortable than have someone slice a hole in my tummy;
3. I have a child, that still needs mommy, so imagine picking up, cuddling and loving Liam within days of having major abdominal surgery;
4. I have just spent 33 weeks avoiding medicine, I have the world's most stuffy nose, and what do I treat it with?  Saline spray.  So why after all of this would I choose to drug my child at the end, why?
5. During a natural birth, certain endorphins are secreted and these endorphins have been shown to play a role in helping the new born baby adjust to life outside the womb, and the endorphins are also used to make the journey through the birth canal, more comforting for the baby. Babies who are delivered by caesarean are not exposed to these endorphins!
6. I also want to breastfeed, so a c-section would not promote this.

I can go on and on and on, yet, I don't.  The issue is that the c-section people will go on for hours and hours as to why a c-section is best, how so and so that they knew tore from navel to toe, how modern medicine now allows this, I have heard it all before.

What amazes me most is that most moms who booked elective c-sections at their 12 week visits will then tell you that their babies were:

1. Born via emergency c-section; or
2. the baby was so big that they would never have been able to have them naturally;
3. the baby would never have actually made its descent down the birth canal, it was just too high up in the birth canal.

The amazing thing is that all the elective c-section babies were born at 38 weeks gestation, so of course it was high up in the birth canal!

My issue is not that they elect to have a c-section, its that they resent me my natural birth so much.  I never judge these moms, happy mom, happy baby, yet they always make me feel like some backwards person squatting in a jungle in deep dark Africa when asking me about my options.

Having said all of this, if there is any medical reason (at present Luka will not turn) I will have a c-section, I will make this decision and live with it.

So my message to c-section nazi's, just leave me be, I respect your decision, for heavens sake please do the same to me.