Natural nightmare

Last night I had a horrible nightmare. The baby's limbs were protruding through my skin out far so a limb was fully extended (like some alien). And the feet were huge and I realized he was fully grown and people said I had to give birth now (at 22 weeks) and I was crying and so scared. I woke up in a panic and had to wait awhile before I could sleep again.

Even this morning, feeling him move inside is a little creepy post dream.

I wonder if other women have nightmares like that during pregnancy?

So, in the on-going saga of whether to go "natural" or not, I am re-thinking epidural again. I spoke to one of my best friends in Australia who has had three children and she convinced me that no birth is truly "natural" and if the process was so natural then why do women all around the world have extreme complications, even death, giving birth? She has a point. Even now my body feels like it is in shock and that this process is anything but natural. At the same time, it is the essential act of nature. The most pristine event that accompanies life on this earth. Thousands of women give birth every day and have since the dawn of time. Surely it is natural?

In any event, for me personally it may come down to finances as my health insurance does not cover a "natural" birth and the birthing center is expensive. Add the doula and the post-hospital "hotels" here in Israel and we are looking at an expensive birth. So the question remains...

I imagine the answer is going to be somewhere in the middle...