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When I think "butter birth" it makes me think the baby just slid out effortlessly. I guess that's a compliment if the mom made it look that easy, but I bet, if you ask her, she did not feel like the baby slid out effortlessly!
Is birth ever easy? Maybe. I believe that what makes birth "easy" is preparation. When moms (and dads) are well-prepared, she is able to relax and let her body do its work. I honestly feel like the journey during pregnancy between husband and wife towards the goal of an unmedicated birth helps to have an easier labor - even when it's really hard. Let me be clear here: I don't believe that labor is easy. I think women work to get their babies here. A lot of the perception of an easy birth comes from the people in the room (who are not in her head!) and how the birth is recalled months down the road.
As the founder of Birth Boot Camp, I've had some interesting conversations lately about childbirth education. I've seen some moms hire a doula and a midwife and call it good, thinking they don't need childbirth education.
NEWS FLASH: Your doula and midwife will NOT be giving birth for you!
Choosing your care provider carefully can be the difference between a vaginal birth and a cesarean, but labor and birth are often much harder than anyone anticipates. Rarely is it like butta!
I've written about fast labors before. Many women who have a fast "butter birth" wish they had had more time to enjoy their labor.
Ultimately, I guess I just hold the opinion that "butter birth" is not a nice phrase. It minimizes the work that the mom did to get her baby here. I know the people who use the phrase don't mean it that way, but I've listened to -- and read enough Facebook posts from upset women -- to know that women don't really care to have their birth described in this manner.
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