Ouch! Moms in our community are lashing out at the absurdity of a male midwife spouting theories on pain during childbirth.

If you missed the story last week, Midwife Says Childbirth SHOULD Be Painful, a British midwife went on record saying: "Pain in labor is a purposeful, useful thing, which has quite a number of benefits, such as preparing a mother for the responsibility of nurturing a newborn baby ... Emerging evidence [shows] that normal labor and birth primes the bonding areas of a mother's brain better than caesarean or pain-free birth."

Here's what our momlogic community had to say on the subject:

That "man" has never gone through the pain of childbirth. I have had four children and had three "painless" births, and the one [painful birth] was not by choice. I can tell you that there is no way that not having a painful birthing experience takes anything away from the moment and the bonding of mother and child. For me, I feel that not having the pain makes the experience more enjoyable. When there is all of the pain happening, all you want is to get that thing out of you. When there is no pain, then it's the feeling of 'I can't wait to see my baby.' See the difference, thing vs. my baby ... you decide? -- Stephanie

Not so long ago I would have screamed that we string him up, but my ex-stepmother pointed out to me one day that she never had to go through labor. Her first child was a breech, so they did a planned C-section. And elected for a C-section for the second. She's a pretty crappy mom, and I think that has a lot to do with it. Going through labor and delivery bonds you and your baby forever. Not that I'm against some pain meds being used properly. But, he has a point: too many women are taking the easy way out these days. -- Beth in SF

How about this idea, suggested by a (male) doctor I used to work with: the woman in labor has her hand over her husband's testicles. Every time she has a contraction (without pain medication), she squeezes his testicles and slowly lets go as the contraction goes away. This is only for the men who discount the pain involved in giving birth. After delivering hundreds (thousands?) of babies, and having 2 of my own (vaginal births with epidurals), I can pretty much say that the experience of pain during labor does not correlate in any way with parenting quality or ability. -- Doctor Liz Lyster

First of all, I don't think there's any such thing as a painless birth. Two kids and two epidurals later and it hurt like hell both times. There isn't an "easy way out." A C-section has a whole other kind of pain involved. Second, we aren't apes. We have a higher level of processing, particularly when it comes to emotional connections. We bond with our babies either way, and we don't eat our own sh*t. And, lastly, I think you'll find plenty of adoptive moms who haven't gone through the pain of childbirth, but are still excellent mothers and closely bonded with their children. I'm sick of people telling me what kind of childbirth experience I should have. Butt out, already. -- Christy

To each their OWN!! Women give birth to THEIR child and do what is best for them. Each labor is different and no one can say they know what someone else goes through. -- mumof3