Pregnancy Fears

I am not afraid of the birth itself. I am afraid of the hospital. I don't like them, and I never have. They smell. People die there. Needles make my skin crawl. I found out that hospital policy mandated an IV hookup and was pretty disappointed. After testing positive for Group B Streptococci, I will now have to have the IV hooked to an antibiotic drip. The chances of the baby being harmed by my own body (and let's face it, that's the message being driven home here) are 1 in 200 without "treatment". With it, they decrease to 1 in 4000. That's changing the odds from 0.005 to 0.00025. With the risk being so incredibly small either way, I would rather have the choice to avoid unnecessary stress and let the birth progress on its own, come what may. Antibiotics can be administered immediately after birth, if anything were to happen. In fact, if I'm not at the hospital 4 hours prior to delivery, this will happen anyway. So why the IV? Why not at least give me the choice? In addition, I just realized that I will probably be withheld food and drink. After all, why should I be comfortable? The handy IV can deliver it all! The attitudes of the nurses (one in particular) at the OB/GYN clinic have done little to lessen my fears. One nurse- let's call her Evil Chewy, since she's always casually chomping on something and has this sadistic side glare I could just punch- spoke of induction as routine. It wasn't Evil Chewy's choice of words, more the Way she said them. She's practiced in the art of avoiding malpractice, that's clear, but her intent was heard nonetheless. She said, "You would've had the IV anyway, if (meaning "when") they induce you." To which I replied, "Why would I need an induction?" This seemed to throw her off guard. Apparently I was not the average willing guinea pig. "Well..(She barely perceptibly faltered)..most women are given that choice." Or something along the lines of choice being given and overwhelmingly accepted. For the life of me I can't understand people's attitudes toward childbirth. The embracing of cold sterility, willingly opening veins, thighs, spinal columns... This is my body, my baby. But it is not my choice. Not in this culture.