Cesarean birth outside the natural childbirth culture.

The meaning of cesarean birth to women who are not typical members of the natural childbirth culture was examined. Fifty women who received obstetric care in a public inner-city hospital serving the medically indigent and who sought minimal preparation for childbirth were interviewed. The findings suggest that the women used distancing behaviors prenatally and postdelivery to cope with the idea and reality of cesarean birth. In addition, the women did not display the psychic wounding following cesarean birth reported by natural childbirth followers.