feedback for "Insufferable"

1. The simple reason is that eliminating pain completely can and does affect the baby. I'm amazed that the same women who will not drink a cup of coffee or take an aspirin while pregnant cannot wait to "bring on the drugs" in labor. You claim that the rising c-section rate has nothing to do with pain management. Not true. Unnecessary c-sections are often the result of early pain intervention which then slows labor, spurring the Pitocin drip, which then creates unnaturally strong contractions which stress the baby and lower the heart rate. I had two babies, both with no drugs. The first was a gradual, easy labor that I managed with simple relaxation. The second was an intense freight train that lasted only about six hours but was mind-blowingly painful. In both cases, "pain management" would have killed my baby. My daughter (1st) was born with severe meconium aspiration and a 3 Apgar. Had I done anything (Demerol was the drug of choice in 1985) the little respiration she had would have been compromised.With my son, I pushed his head out without a tear or episiotomy but he was a shoulder dystocia baby. Stuck. A critical situation that required me to push with all my might to free him, because a shoulder dystocia baby is literally being crushed by his mother's body. An epidural would have prevented me from pushing the way I needed to.I'm a certified childbirth educator and labor assistant. I don't believe that women should never have epidurals or any pain meds. I just think they need to know that there is no free lunch. *Educated* choices is what it's all about. For me personally... I knew that the pain wasn't going to kill me, but eliminating it could adversely affect my baby and I wasn't willing to take the risk.

   posted by : panthergirl on 2/19/2007 at 7:22 AM Flag For Abuse

2. Thank you, thank you for the great article! I always thought the unwillingness to go for pain relief during labor was silly, until I was pregnant. Then I read books on drug-free delivery, and some sort of bizarre earth-mother thing took over. I wrote up a birth plan that resisted epidurals and so on, and I vowed I would triumph over pain and have that mystical birth experience the books talked about. (I should add that I live in an area where "natural" birth is highly encouraged--even the hospital labor prep classes strongly discourgaed any anesthesia.)
   Twelve hours into my labor (with pitocin, btw, not so natural there) and I was praying for death as sweet relief from my agony. My labor had stalled for the last five hours. When the anethesiologist finally arrived and gave me the epidural, I dialated the remaining four centimeters in an hour. And I felt close to human again.
   It's a personal choice, but if I could do it again, I'd get the epidural sooner. There's so many things to feel inadequate about in parenting. How the baby gets out should not be one of them.
   

   posted by : fitnessfixation on 2/19/2007 at 10:22 AM Flag For Abuse

3. "Contrary to the suggestion made by its opponents, the epidural is not an unnecessary medical intervention that deprives women of satisfaction and empowerment while giving birth. "   No, but epidural is a neccessary medical intervention to keep women laboring in bed and hooked up to all the machinery you later describe. You call pain disempowering, I call laboring strapped up to everything, told not to eat or drink and told to push when the nurses think I should not when I feel like it as ultimately disempowering, ultimately patronizing, ultimately infantilizing.   When I had my sons (without epidurals) I wasn't in it for the empowerment or spiritual satisfaction either. (I hate it when people writing about pain/no-pain during labor assume that everyone giving birth "naturally" does it for spiritual/proving-something reasons) I just didn't want to feel the pain of needles, a torn perineum, people checking me again and again and again. I just wanted to be left alone.   The writer's lifelong battle with pain (the menstrual cramps she mentioned) already sets her up for fearing the intense pain of childbirth, for wanting to get rid of it with the birthing equivalent of her cramp-relieving, Motrin. Which is fine! But I had never experienced any kind of real pain in my life, was willing to give it a try. Lucky for the writer, women looking for pain-relief in labor, by and large in the U.S., get support and encouragement far more than women choosing to deal with it in other ways.   

   posted by : birdfourth on 2/19/2007 at 11:55 AM Flag For Abuse

4. It is true that if you want an epidural, or a narcotic drip, or any other form of medical pain relief during labor, you will wind up hooked up to a lot of wires: most likely an IV, a Foley catheter and two belts around your waist — one to monitor the baby, one to monitor your contractions. Your blood pressure may dip. You may feel itchy. You may spike a fever. But, here is the great big On The Other Hand: You will not be experiencing mind-blowing pain.Call me nuts, but I was more scared of all that medical intervention than I was of labor pain. The cascade effect of intervention (pitocin can require an epidural or vice versa, and complications with either can lead to a c-section) scared me more than the natural process. Thought of a needle in the spine scared me too. Labor wasn't that bad, seriously. But I hear they're all different. So let me amend that -- my labor wasn't that bad.
   
   It's refreshing to see this article, but I completely disagree with it.
   

   posted by : Maujer on 2/19/2007 at 2:15 PM Flag For Abuse

5. "It is true that if you want an epidural, or a narcotic drip, or any other form of medical pain relief during labor, you will wind up hooked up to a lot of wires ....Your blood pressure may dip. You may feel itchy. You may spike a fever. But, here is the great big On The Other Hand: You will not be experiencing mind-blowing pain."
   
   having you mind blown once in awhile can be a very good thing.  there's a lot of "you" in your explanation for someone who says that birth isn't about self-actualization.  for me, birth was about self-actualization (among other things), which continues as a mother.
   
   women who have the rare opportunity to go into labor naturally are very lucky. i PROMed at 34 weeks and held out until 35 weeks when i thought the benefits of inducing outweighed the risks.  i labored on mega pitocin and delivered without an epidural (although i did get one push of demerol in my i.v.  about 4 hours before i delivered).  to me, an epidural was out of the question b/c if i spiked a fever, my son would probably have had to undergo a spinal tap to rule out fever caused by infection (related to the PROM).  so a needle in my spine might well mean a needle in his, too.  if so, it would also mean that my son would spend his first day, maybe more, in nicu instead of in bed with me. nfw.
   
   i was 41 when i had my son, "sunny side up" (aka back labor) and yeah, it hurt.  it hurt in such an odd and overwhelming way that it felt good to push him out when he crowned, even though i tore a bit.  i never gave myself the option of epidural, and i'm glad i didn't, not just because it was in the best interests of my son, but because it did empower me to give birth and feel it.  but i might not have found that out if i had delivered him at term.  i think parents should support each other, not judge, and of course, the health of the baby is the utmost priority. but a mom's birth experience stays with her a long time, so it is critical to give it a lot of thought and accept that it will not be what you imagine, no matter what you imagine. you are right to call b.s. on all the euphemisms used for labor and birth pain.  but it is equally b.s. to say, essentially, that there is nothing in that pain except pain.
   
   

   posted by : ffp on 2/19/2007 at 2:40 PM Flag For Abuse

6. My labor didn’t really hurt that much, certainly not enough to warrant a catheter in my spine. It was uncomfortable, and it was most definitely intense, kinda like the time I got food poisoning while on a designer psycadellic, but the only real scary pain was when my daughter’s head came out. Um, ouch. It wasn’t even the most painful part of my pregnancy. The six-week migraine in the 3rd & 4th months (no meds cuz we don’t want a flipper baby) was way more painful. I may be some sort of genetic anomaly, but I really wonder how much expectation, fear, and an institutionalized setting contributes to birth pain. I had my baby at home, not out of some crunchy Birth Warrior notion, but because I didn’t like how I was treated in the hospital with my first birth. No one fended me off from the refrigerator, no one strapped me to a machine, and no one tried to push pain meds on me. I was comfortable and supported before, during, and after the birth, and I really believe that had a lot to do with why I didn’t need an anesthesiologist.
   

   posted by : Adelheid on 2/19/2007 at 3:01 PM Flag For Abuse

7. "Childbirth professionals with a nature-worshipping bias against medical pain relief seem to suggest that only self- indulgent, entitled control freaks — void of spirituality, feminist enlightenment and the ability to bond with their young — would want a pain-free birth." 
   Are you kidding me?  All I heard after my daughter was born were shocked and terrified gasps from anyone I told I didn't have any medication during my labor (even from the "nature-worshiping biased" medical professionals).  Yes, I, the amazing super woman birthing machine was able to get through an entire birth without taking drugs!  I am not super woman, my labor wasn't that bad.  I am not trying to say that some women don't have excruciating pain during labor, and any woman who wants it should have th choice to have an epidural.  However, pretending that women who go through childbirth naturally are silly or stupid is just childish. 
   Why is it that those of us who advocate for natural childbirth are called judgemental feminazis (as if being a feminist were a bad thing) but the rest of the world is free to demean our choice by acting like we are martyrs suffering for an unnecessary and outdated cause!
   
   
   

   posted by : apridgely on 2/19/2007 at 7:02 PM Flag For Abuse

8. Great article.  I've always wondered why there haven't been more women saying 'what's the big deal with natural labor?'.  We don't all sign up for natural dentistry, now do we?  The difference is that we're birthing our son or daughter, says everyone.  But psychologically, labor and delivery is about the mother - not about the baby.  Your baby doesn't care if you endured pain or not.  What really matters is being a loving mother to your baby, not how much pain you endured to birth him/her.  And expending all your energy cursing, bearing all that pain, and pushing leaves you with less energy to nurse and start your endless days of sleep deprivation.  I was all set to request an epidural for my birth plan, but my daughter's breach position meant a C-section.  I know this isn't true for all C-sections, but mine was so easy - a lovely O.R. experience, an easy physical recovery, and extra time in the hospital to take all those baby care and breastfeeding classes and make sure my daughter was up above her birth weight and not jaundiced before going home.  I highly recommend a C-section, even though it costs more health care dollars.  Women who give birth without pain and those who bear it all naturally are both Mothers.  That's what counts.

   posted by : violinline on 2/19/2007 at 8:17 PM Flag For Abuse

9. Fabulous.  This article says what so many pregnant women are thinking after their births.  I've had 3 children, all with epidurals, all fantastic experiences.  During my pregnancies, I heard nothing but badness about epidurals from every childbirth educator and book that I read. I heard nothing but good stories about epidurals from all my friends. Why is there such a disconnect in this country between what women are taught and what actually happens in labor? This article is a real service to all pregnant women who want to know the honest truth! Thank you for writing it. 

   posted by : SusanT on 2/19/2007 at 8:51 PM Flag For Abuse

10. I think what most women are saying here is that each individual has an idea about labor and delivery, based, yes, on friends' and sisters' experiences, but also based on personal concerns or preferences.  For example, I did not want a needle in me.  And, I do not handle pain well.  That's where I started my research and decided to do hypnobirthing. No needles and no pain.  We took a class and we worked very hard at it throughout my pregnancy. I met with women who did it with great success.   I read and made notes to familiarize myself with the labor process.  I intended on staying home as long as possible.  I just don't like needles or the idea of things sticking on or in my body and I was determined to be ready to handle it all.  And I felt I was as ready as I could be.  Most importantly, my doctor and the nurses at the hospital were prepared and supportive.  The baby, though, not so much.  He turned breach after his due date and quickly moved down so we were unable to turn him around.  Even though my doctor was willing to work with me to wait for labor and deliver the baby breach, I was not willing to take the chance that another doctor, a stranger and maybe not willing to do it, would be on call.  So we did a c section and even though I had needles sticking in me all over the place, I thought it was wonderful.  Easy recovery as I was well rested, hydrated, well fed, and did not expend energy laboring.  And I believe my hypnobirthing training helped as well, even though I used it in a different manner.  (not feeling pain through self hypnosis is an incredible thing, I highly recomend everyone check it out)  And not for a second have I felt that I misssed out on something.Unfortunately, as we approach having a second child, I am not comfortable admitting to many women that I just may go that route again.  It turns out I am also a control freak and the scheduled c section with a phenomally skilled doc makes lots of sense.  

    posted by : rebekah on 2/20/2007 at 12:30 PM Flag For Abuse

11. Great article. I spent a lot of time and energy thinking about and "practicing" drug-free ways to manage labor pain before the birth of my son, which did give me the comforting illusion that I would have some measure of control over how much pain I was in. But it all did absolutely nothing to help when the contractions started. Not the hypnobabies CDs, not the hot tub at the birthing center, not the raspberry leaf tea.   It all seems incredibly silly to me now--no one gave me a medal for a natual labor and it was hell on earth--I ceased to be human and had the cognition level of a raccoon whose leg was caught in a trap. Yoga doesn't help you then. Instead of hypnotizing myself every night I should have been worrying about how I was going to pay for childcare! 18 hours of back labor with no drugs and truly wishing for death by the end--needless to say, next time I'm going to get an epidural as soon as I can get one.  

    posted by : Darkandstormy on 2/20/2007 at 3:59 PM Flag For Abuse

12. Great article. I spent a lot of time and energy thinking about and "practicing" drug-free ways to manage labor pain before the birth of my son, which did give me the comforting illusion that I would have some measure of control over how much pain I was in. But it all did absolutely nothing to help when the contractions started. Not the hypnobabies CDs, not the hot tub at the birthing center, not the raspberry leaf tea.   It all seems incredibly silly to me now--no one gave me a medal for a natual labor and it was hell on earth--I ceased to be human and had the cognition level of a raccoon whose leg was caught in a trap. Yoga doesn't help you then. Instead of hypnotizing myself every night I should have been worrying about how I was going to pay for childcare! 18 hours of back labor with no drugs and truly wishing for death by the end--needless to say, next time I'm going to get an epidural as soon as I can get one.  

    posted by : Darkandstormy on 2/20/2007 at 4:00 PM Flag For Abuse

13. I guess it's true, then: everyone's experience really is different. Too different to generalize, even about intensity and duration of pain.
    
    Interesting article and a fascinating set of responses. My daughter was born in the tub, attended by midwives in a hospital setting. I had no drugs and fifteen and a half hours of brutal back labor. I completely sympathize with the desire for pain relief in whatever form it can be applied.  But I also agree with the commenter who said that the pain of a drug-free birth did not, for me, eclipse the adventure and joy of having the baby. I attribute the sense of adventure and joy to: (a) my persisting in the attitude that this was a normal thing to do and I would get through it (which was largely due to my having been through childbirth classes and Buddhist meditation, not some inborn tolerance of pain); (b) my partner's relentlessly positive coaching and offering of pain relief measures; (c) the hospital shower never getting cold; and (d) midwives who acknowledged the awfulness of the pain and were consistent, attentive and reassuring the whole time. Oh, and being left alone by the hospital staff was really really helpful.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    posted by : unionmaidn on 2/21/2007 at 11:17 AM Flag For Abuse

14. Ha ha ha ha, I am laughing hard.  (Since I am so supportive of hypnobirthing but didn't actually USE it at the moment of truth.) 'Yoga doesn't help then.'  Love it.And I have heard horrible things about back labor.  My closest friend, who had that with her first, called me the day after and recalled for me step by step the intensity of the pain so that I would remind her in case she forgot.  And she is one tough broad.  By the way, she went on to have her second at home, no back labor, much easier.It seems to me having a baby is as intensely personal as anything can ever be.  It gets to the core of who we are, not who we think we are. And ffp's comment that birth is about self actualization is right on, whether we are aware of it or not.  But at the same time, every baby born is this country becomes part of a statistic, a wave of medical trends and beliefs, a part of the battle.  Kinda sucks, doesn't it?

    posted by : rebekah on 2/21/2007 at 11:26 AM Flag For Abuse

15. interesting article and set of responses, and i say this as a father who is one step removed from the process. the heart of this disagreement, it seems to me, is the question: are things that are "natural" inherently better than things that are not "natural"? what is natural for homosapiens is a high incidence of death during childbirth for both mother and child -- much higher than other animals experience. Because our brains have gotten progressively larger during the course of evolution, childbirth has become more and more dangerous for all involved. There is nothing romantic about it -- it's basically a design flaw.
    
    many things that are natural (like mushrooms that grow organically) can kill you dead. Many things that are unnatural are good for you (and many others are not).
    
    i think the question is: what is best for the health of the baby and the mom?  based on conversations with doctors, my guess is that 10 or 20 years from now c-sections will have a lower incidence of complications that natural childbirth. surely some will disagree ... we'll see.
    
    though i understand why people see childbirth as a romantic, potentially transcendant experience, it seems like given (a) the high stakes, and (b) the fact that there is another person involved (the child), it is best to do whatever you can to minimize risk.
    
    

    posted by : Papaganoose on 2/21/2007 at 1:23 PM Flag For Abuse

16. Want to minimize risk? Homebirth with a trained attendant offers the lowest risk for normal healthy women; mortality and morbidity for mother and baby are the same, and both experience fewer birth injuries, infections, attachment problems and other sequelae with homebirth.  The ACOG won't tell you this, of course; they're too busy publicizing research that even its authors admit is unsound.  You'll need to seek out the BMJ's large, methodologically sound American homebirth study, never published in this country (you know, the industrialized nation with terrible infant outcomes and one of the lowest rates of home and midwife-attended birth among peer nations).
    
    I never know what to say about pain; apparently drug-free, virtually painless birth is unusual for a 30yo first-timer.  My pain tolerance is nothing impressive - I dope up with back injuries - but birth is not an injury.  Unlike most, perhaps, I didn't have any illusions about "controlling" the pain - what a hilarious idea!  If there was pain, I let it be, dove down to the bottom of it, let it wash over me, leaving me lucid and unconcerned.  There *was* intensity - which I experienced as near-orgasmic, laughing and moaning my daughter out.  The kicker?  After the birth, a long-lasting, rolling high that must be what heroin is like.
    
    Pain is responsive to our frame of mind.  Fear makes it worse.  Focusing on it makes it worse.  Running from it makes it worse.  Enter it.
    
    
    

    posted by : nomama on 2/24/2007 at 12:00 PM Flag For Abuse

17. I think the comments here are all summing up the big point that the article missed - labor is different for every woman, not solely the pain. A laboring mother's choices on pain relief should be dictated by her particular medical and emotional situation and she should have all the up to date information available to her. That goes triply so for nomama's suggestion on homebirths - make informed decisions based on your unique situation and talk with your OB about your choices.
    
    That being said, I believe that who ever it was that devised the epidural should be nominated for a Nobel prize. I went through a mind numbing, mind blowing, paralyzing labor with contractions that were so close together for about six hours that I couldn't do anything more than roll on my side and grip the side rails of the bed and plead for unconsciousness. When the pain went from unpleasant to homicidal in the period of fifteen minutes breathing exercises and concentrating my way through the pain were absurd notions. The narcotic drips did absolutely nothing for the pain of contractions. When that miraculous relief of the epidural kicked in I was able to finally contribute to the birthing process. Going for the epidural was the best thing I ever did. If I didn't have the epidural I am certain that I would have spent a full day in labor and my doctor would have ordered a c-section because I would have been entirely unable to push. My son was born healthy (APGAR of 9 thank you very much) and I feel pretty damn self actualized for the whole experience.
    
    And to every woman out there who has ever said "Oh you'll forget about the pain and what it was like" I say to you in no uncertain terms, that you are delusional. I will *never* forget that pain. Never.
    
    
    

    posted by : HDCS on 2/25/2007 at 11:18 PM Flag For Abuse

18. I get it- I do.
    I had two unmedicated births at home and they sucked.  I didn't have natural births because I love pain.  Do people who climb Mt. Everest do it because they love pain?  Shall we minimize their accomplishments by belittling their acheivments?
    It is no small thing to tolerate the ordeal of labor and birth.  It is hard work without drugs and it is a different kind of hard work for medicalized births too.
    
    I chose to birth the way I did because I didn't want someone to tell me what I could or couldn't do with my body.  It was hard, long, intense, emotional and at times dark.  But I got to know myself.  It was just my baby and myself in those long, dark stretches and I discovered my strength.  That was the positive.  The negative?  It sucked!  But I did it.
    
    

    posted by : savvy on 3/11/2007 at 4:27 PM Flag For Abuse

19. Interesting article and comments. While the old adage that "it's different for everyone, everyone makes their own choices" is very true, the main point that I took away from it was that there exists right now a cultural trend towards this idea of "natural" as being superior. And, as a corollary, choosing "non-natural" childbirth methods makes a mother somehow inferior or a failure.
    
    The same can be seen in many aspects of the parenting debate, such as the breast-feeding vs. bottle-feeding debates that are raging (but certainly I don't intend to start one here).
    
    Obviously there is quite a bit of cultural pressure to embrace these natural methods. I'm expecting my first child in a couple of months and hear the same messages throughout my childbirth classes as the author noted: the emphasis is definitely on avoiding medical assistance at all costs. And my classes are being given by a supposedly neutral medical organization, unaffiliated with any particular birthing philosophy.
    
    And what I wonder about the most is the huge gap that exists, as the author noted, between what we are being taught is superior (natural birth) and what women are actually opting for (bring on the epidural) when push comes to shove, so to speak. The statistics for breastfeeding show the same trend when you compare how many women leave the hospital breastfeeding to how many are still keeping it up three or six months later.
    
    And why is it that, though a very large number of women are choosing in practice to go against the trend of "natural" methods, we are not discussing or encouraging the alternatives as just as acceptable an option? Hearing all of the recent mothers I know discuss their epidurals with a voice tainted by shame and embarrassment, while emphasizing that they really did everything possible first to avoid it, is just so sad.
    
    

    posted by : psu on 3/13/2007 at 6:34 PM Flag For Abuse

20. i approached my labor and birth without a birth plan.  i didn't know what would happen, and i wasn't going to make any assumptions about what i would or would not do wrt pain medication.  i spent several years competing as an endurance athlete & i know about the pain, the boredom, the letting go & surrendering & getting through, &c.  but i didn't know what my body would do.   as a result, i labored all day long without even knowing i was in labor!  i just thought the periodic contractions i was feeling were stomach cramps.  the baby came a week early, so i wasn't expecting anything yet, and i didn't experience braxton-hicks contractions at all, so i didn't know what labor pains felt like.   when the "stomache cramps" started coming 5 minutes apart, i called my husband at work (he's an MD) and he told me to haul my butt to the hospital ASAP.  a friend drove me, laboring the whole way (me: if this isn't it, it's sure something!).  i didn't believe i was really in labor until they measured my cervix and told me it was dilated almost 4cm.   so they transferred me to the birthing room.  i had my cd's.  there was the hot tub, the birthing ball, all the different positions the childbirth classes told me i could try.  the crouching & squatting &c.  i do yoga regularly, have for years, have the breathing down, all of it.  and none of it meant a d&mn bit of difference.   because that's when the real pain started.  not the "stomache cramps" i had been breathing through for the past five hours.  but pain.  the closest analogy i can make is that i felt like buffy the vampire slayer getting picked up and thrown against a wall.  nothing "intense" about it.  i was not going to breathe through this pain.  for one simple reason:  i couldn't breathe!!!!!!!  all the years of yoga training, my brain telling my body to relax & my lungs to fill -- didn't matter.  my back muscles were spasming & cramped up so tight that there was no movement happening.  my entire body was one big tight muscle spasm & there was nothing my brain could do to get it to release.   so i begged for the epidural.  and it took an hour for the anaesthesiologist to get free.  by the time the epidural was in, i was at 9cm.  it's actually a miracle that he could do the epidural at all, with how fast my labor was.  i had a friend whose labor was even faster, and she couldn't get an epidural, even though she wanted one.  she told me under no uncertain terms how lucky she thought i was.   anyway.  what are you going to do?  i agree that the inventor of the epidural deserves a nobel prize.   i'm going to go a step further here.  i'm going to call b.s. on the term "natural" childbirth.  people who are proponents of pain med free birthing like to call it "natural", in the sense that it is the way women have been giving birth for millenia.  and to that i say -- b.s.!!!!  women who are able to manage their pain without drugs, unless they are in the middle of nowhere somewhere that an ambulance cannot get to them, are not giving birth the way that women have for millenia.   because as long as we are within an ambulance ride to the hospital, even if nothing goes wrong, which in many cases it doesn't, we are NOT giving birth the way women always have, which is with a 1 in 10 chance of dying.  the fact that there are ER rooms and OB's on call & surgery rooms & anaesthesiologist set up & waiting should anything go wrong, and things do go wrong with home births and births that are intended to start out as pain-med-free, &c, makes us able to go in to the birth process assuming that we are going to come out of it alive.  and that is huge.  the women who don't need to help of an ER, an epidural, a c-sectionk, any of it, that's great.  but noone knows that going in, and i seriously ask -- would you get on an airplane that had a 1 in 10 chance of crashing?  i seriously doubt it.    don't get me wrong.  i think it's absolutely fine that women choose to forego pain medication during labor!  but don't call it "natural", please, because you are not taking the same risk that women, either for you or your baby, that women did for millenia before modern medicine.

    posted by : trishka on 3/20/2007 at 2:51 PM Flag For Abuse

21. I have also wondered why childbirth should be any different to dental work when it comes to pain management. The cynical side of me asks whether reducing pain during birth would mean reducing the need for birthing classes. Could that be why childbirth educators discourage the use of drugs?

    posted by : kiwi on 4/8/2007 at 9:48 PM Flag For Abuse

22. Such a breath of fresh air reading this article and so annoying to find some of the defensiveness and bossiness (the whole idea that I should have my mind blown every once in a while caught my eye) of those who chose natural childbirth.  If it's so great, why go on and on about how great it is?  Most great things: a sunset, a great meal, the smell in the air after a spring rain, don't demand such stridency so there must be something else going on here.  The self-actualization comment has helped me to understand this.  I do not hold this point of view.  I don't have this need.  At 38, I am already myself and I don't need a painful childbirth to make that happen.  If others do, so be it.
    
    What I continue to meditate on is how dishonest the childbirth education was.  My instructor was strongly on the natural childbirth side of things even though the people in the class seemed equally divded into what they were looking for.  Those who were looking for more information about the drugs only got to hear how dubious a proposition it was to have them.  Keep in mind that we spent the same money on the class as the natural childbirth folks, shouldn't we have gotten something more than horror stories?  We were even given that 'it's good b/c it's natural' line.  Huh?  It ended up that my baby was in distress because her natural cord was wrapped around her natural neck and I am glad I was in a hospital with professionals to catch it on one of those horrible monitors and to take care of it without any further harm to her.
    
    I loved my birth experience ... once I got the epidural.  I was led to believe by my childbirth educator that there would be a period of 'early labor' where I would be in discomfort but would basically be biding my time doing yoga, watching DVDs, and making a frittata.  Yes, folks, that was a suggestion from my educator.  Make a frittata so you'll have something to eat when you get back from the hospital, birthing center, whatever... How lovely, I thought, I'll make a frittata, watch 'Guys and Dolls' go into downward facing dog for a bit and then proceed serenely to the hospital.  As I drew closer to my due date I made sure there were plenty of eggs on hand and I stocked up on things to put in the frittata.  Maybe I would make two frittatas!
    
    There was no such thing as early labor for me.  I went from my water breaking but feeling nothing to contractions four minutes apart within an hour or two.  That epidural was like a cool drink of water on a scorching day.  I found labor confining in space and time, that's the best word for it from my experience, and the epidural allowed me to expand my body and my mind.  I was able to sleep through the night, not without a visit from John and Abigail Adams, not even my favorite president, but I guess Lincoln had another laboring mother to visit, and I gave birth at a decent hour the next day.  The drugs are so good that I thought a lot of the world's problems could be solved if leaders could meet while having epidurals.  As for being stuck in bed, I was under the misguided impression (thanks to my class) that this was undesirable.  What was I thinking?  I loved lying around, being waited on hand and foot, and visiting with the nice nurses.  The catheter?  Great, because I didn't have to get up to the bathroom and I have read that midwives use them in homebirths so there's not much to criticize there.
    
    Now can someone come back at me with some awful story of the epidural not taking or of someone having to get jabbed nine times in order for it to take.  Yes.  But I can come back with a story of woman who labored way too long at home and basically tore up her uterus to the point that it would be unsafe for her to try to give birth vaginally ever again.  I wonder what snappy response my childbirth educator would have to that...
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    posted by : WonderingWilla on 4/13/2007 at 12:03 PM Flag For Abuse

23. I have five children.  I have had three births.  I have had one planned-turned-emergency c-section, one HBAC turned c-section, and one VBA2C.  I have had spinals and epidurals.  I have had labor with and without medication.  I have had c-sections with and without medication.
    
    Labor does not have to be painful.  Pain comes from fear and ignorance, lack of knowledge.  My first labor, I was terrified.  I was only 26 weeks along, and three babies' lives were on the line.  The labor was excruciating until it was stopped.  Absolutely excruciating.  My second labor was great, most of the time.  Without fear, with full knowledge of the birthing process, I was able to work with my body.  Intense, yes.  But my body responded to the intensity by releasing massive amounts of endorphins.  I was higher than a kite!  And they served their purpose.  I was spaced out, focused only on the labor.  Everything changed, though, when control was taken from me.  When I was told when to push, when to stop, what position to be in.  It began to hurt, whenever I did what I was told instead of what I felt.  By the time we transferred, I will agree with those who called it hell.  The ride to the hospital was hell on wheels.  When I got the epidural, the hell ended.  But the epidural portion of my labor didn't feel as good as the natural portion, the time before I lost control.  With the epidural, I felt disconnected.  I was still not in control of my body.  I couldn't feel anything, even the contractions.  My endorphins shut down completely, and I crashed back to earth to face a c-section.
    
    My last labor, I made absolutely clear to my midwives that I was to be left alone.  Don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't try to help, just stay out of the way unless I need you.  Again, labor started out great.  Very intense, but the endorphins kicked in again, and I was off in la-la land.  And they continued to leave me alone.  I did what felt good, I moved to wherever I felt better.  In the tub, out of it, on the bed, off, walk, sit, whatever the moment called for.  I pushed when my body pushed, and what an amazing feeling it was, to actually feel the baby moving down with that very first push!  I delivered that baby naturally, on my own, all 8 pounds 10 ounces of him.  And I will gladly call that labor and birth the most painless experience I've had.
    
    This is the key.  This is what your childbirth educators are leaving out.  This is what you aren't being told.  It's about control.  It's about you and your body being in charge.  When you aren't being pestered every 15 minutes or every hour for something to stick their hands up your genitals and evaluate you, when you aren't feeling that needle in your hand or arm with every movement, when you aren't watching the clock, when you aren't being poked and prodded and evaluated and measured and charted, when it's just you and your partner, doing what needs to be done...everything changes.  I've been there.  I've been through the hell labor, I've been through the fear...and I've been in control.  And it makes all the difference in the world.
    
    

    posted by : solinox on 6/28/2007 at 10:16 AM Flag For Abuse

24. Heh. I've had plenty of pain and surgery in my life (as a Crohn's sufferer) and I already knew my pain threshhold. A Crohn's buddy told me that all 3 of her natural births were NOTHING compared to the cramps you can suffer in the throes of a Crohn's attack. That had me thinking, "COOL!"
    
    Then it was recommended that I have a C-section (with compelling medical advice), so I did it.
    
    Now that my daughter is two, it amuses me how much controversy surrounds birthing choices!
    
    

    posted by : jenseju on 8/7/2007 at 1:24 PM Flag For Abuse

25. I thought this was a great article, I wish there were was a more open discussion of pain medication and its benefits .  At this point in time I really think we have gone from the horror of mothers being completely unconscious and having no control over the labor to the opposite - stigma against mothers who would choose a less painful labor.  My first labor was one  of those awful LONG labors, nearly three DAYS - about 31 hours.  It wasn't until the 2nd day and multiple trips to the hospital that I finally received an epidural and my labor went "relatively" quickly afterward.  I had a healthy and very large baby girl - almost 11 lbs. 
    
    Unfortunately after the birth of my first child I suffered very severe post pardum OCD.  It took almost three years to have the guts to try for a second child.  In my second labor, I was determined to have a med free labor ,  concerned that the  all the medication in my first labor had contributed to the OCD.    Although the labor was much  closer to "normal" in terms of time - 12 hrs - the pain was absolutely incredible.  I had no idea what pain was prior to  my labor.  When the "transition" started it was as if I jumped to a new pain scale, one that I never previously knew existed.  Did going through this kind of hell make me a better person?  NO!  If anything, I find knowing this makes me even more fearful.  I now know how torture feels. 
    
    On the otherhand, after the 2nd labor little to no post pardum OCD.  Did the lack of meds help? I will never know. Maybe my chemical "soup" was better, maybe the exhaustion of the first labor contributed.. the list goes on. 
    
    I am not planning a third child but if I did.. I guess I would trust my body.  Walk the halls, sit in the tub as long as possible and when the pain becomes excruciating - EPIRUDAL!
    

    posted by : Kristin on 8/27/2007 at 5:36 PM Flag For Abuse

26. i liked this article.  i'm looking at giving birth for the seventh time in 13 years (they are 11, 9,7,5,3, and 17 mo), and honestly, not looking forward to the pain. BUT i'm willing to put up with more pain to get less intervention.  The last birth was at home, in water, with just my husband and mom there, and it was worth it to me to NOT have the nitrous oxide (which i loved in the hospital) if it meant i could exclude the people were extraneous, distractions, and downright hindering as i gave birth.  I wish i could get both (privacy, freedom to choose a way of giving birth that i find optimal, AND have all the mess at the hospital and not my house), but as i can't, i'm choosing home and pain again. sigh.
    
    
    
    

    posted by : mamazee on 9/2/2007 at 11:15 PM Flag For Abuse

27. The issue of pain management vs. pain relief doesn't only exist when it comes to childbirth. Many people suffering from everything from back pain to pain from surgery are choosing non-medical pain management for a very good reason; medical methods simply don't work. During my labor I stuck through it for 18 hours, most of which I labored at home, on my own while my boyfriend slept (I had let him stay out until 5 am that night, because my doctor told me that day there was no way I was going into labor before my due date). I went to the hospital very early on in my labor, but was sent home because it wasn't coming on fast enough. I was spent home with the instructions that it was ok to take Tylenol which I can't take because it makes me puke and to take a warm bath, which at that time our apartment only had a shower. So I yelled and screamed through most of the pain, until hours later I could battle through it. 10 hours after labor started, my sister came over and insisted I get to the hospital (I had been calling my midwife who kept telling me it wasn't time yet) where I spent another 8 hours walking and rolling around on our yoga ball that we brought with us to the hospital. Then I was told they wanted to break my water because my contractions were getting very close together. I had two options. I could get into the bath and try to do it on my own, or I could get an epidural. My sister who has had 4 labors with and 2 without told me if I didn't take the epidural and couldn't push I would have to have a c-section. So I got an epidural. I just needed something to keep me going. Less then half way through pushing I could feel the contractions again on one side of my body. Worse I felt "stuck" because I couldn't move the lower half of my body at all. I could still feel my daughter moving around, but I also couldn't feel anything while I was pushing. I just pushed when I was told to. I also could feel hunger pains almost as bad as the contractions.
    
    There are lots of problems with and with hospital births in general. For one thing the woman in labor cannot eat, it's a new environment, the women is forced to give birth laying down which is not the best position. During at home births, women are more relaxed and have more freedom of movement, they can also get pain relief by getting massaged or having a water birth. Pain relief in the terms of medical is not always effective and does have risks (I think seizures are one of them). I also think doctors are not willing to start out early because that means the women will most likely need more then one. I get the idea that women should be able to control their births by getting pain relief, but any hospital birth is going to be in the hands of doctors and nurses, not in the woman's hands.
    
    

    posted by : dhsredhead on 10/3/2007 at 12:46 PM Flag For Abuse

28. some people are really missing the point with the epidural discussion.  your child will get the "medication" across the placenta and it can take up to 6 weeks for the effects to wear off completely.  your pain relief can be your child's drugging.  plenty of studies have shown the differences between children born naturally and children born to pitocin, epidurals, and (illegal in europe) demerol.  pain is awful and childbirth pain can be the worst for many, but drugging your child can lead to all sorts of problems later.   one study showed that homebirths without medical intervention never lead to autism.  i would like to see epidurals and pitocin stand up against that sort of information. 
    realistically, some children will not get here safely without intervention, but many more would be just fine if left to nature's way.  i am not a nutty hippy, but i am glad to not have to blame myself for ADHD, autism, or something worse later in my child's life. 
    so many women wince at the idea of another mom having a glass of wine while she's pregnant, but bend over for that epidural catheter the first sign of real pain.  if your entire lower half is completely numb, what in the world do you think is happening to your baby?  get a clue already people.  and try to not be so selfish.  i am glad we have hospitals and doctors and medicine, but let's not abuse them.
    
    

    posted by : andcounting on 11/5/2007 at 7:59 PM Flag For Abuse

29.   Being an anesthesiologist in a community hospital in rural eastern Washington, my daughter thought I might find this article interesting and sent it to me.   What is being overlooked here is that all epidurals are not the same.  It has been mentioned by others that an epidural can be used as a complete anesthetic for a c-section. The variable that should be considered is how "strong" or "dense" a block one is trying to achieve.  That is determined by the amount of local anesthetic drug that is used.   As several have discussed in postings, there are strong reasons to keep the abdominal muscle strength intact during the actual birthing process.  A shoulder "dystocia" (a shoulder hung up in the birth canal) can result in serious complications if the mother cannot participate and push the baby out.  This is one of the reasons we try to come to an understanding with laboring mothers that the goal of epidural analgesia (a better term since it means relief of pain, whereas anesthesia means the absence of pain) is to make the pain of the labor contractions "easily tolerable".  Ideally, the mom can sleep through the contractions if she is sufficiently tired and be rested and in a good frame of mind when it comes time to push the baby out.  If anesthesia is achieved and all sensation is wiped out, this correlates with poor or no abdominal muscle strength, a situation many feel is dangerous.   In my experience, 20 to 30% of laboring moms choose not to have epidural analgesia, but want very much to know it is available should they so choose.  It is sort of like a big "panic button" up on the wall that they can push any time they wish.  Just knowing this emboldens many moms to "see how it goes", and many have their baby without utilizing an epidural.   One last thought:  in the situation of an arrested labor or failure to progress, adequate pain relief can often enable a vaginal birth thereby actually preventing a c-section.  The postings that state epidurals increase the rate for c-section are based on older studies that reflect the use of much more dense blocks than are usually in use today.

    posted by : kre on 11/13/2007 at 9:54 PM Flag For Abuse

30. I almost find this article a bit disturbing.. It seems you miss the entire point of childbirth, and the process of actually having a baby. While I agree, no one has clearly defined what child birth feels like (including you). I disagree in replacing what a womans body has naturally done for thousands of years with what technology has come up with recently. Don't get me wrong, I am not against modern medicine by any means, and don't judge or look down on people who opt out of pain in childbirth. However, I don't really find your article realistic because while pain relief is better for the mother during the actual birth, it suppresses natural endorphins, and chemicals your body releases after you give birth. The body was made to give birth, and THOUSANDS have endured it before.
    Let it do what it's made to do, and if you personally need an epi, or another source of pain relief, by all means do it. But, don't act as if pain is horrible and bad and purposeless. You not realizing what childbirth symbolizes and how it changes a woman, and instead just seeing it as a way to extract a baby is baffling and completely missing the point, and aw of what your body is naturally doing.
    Completely eliminating pain in childbirth eliminates the experience, and sets you up for risks and issues that could backfire. That is not the solution for everyone, and the more and more depedent our society continues to get on medication, the worse off we'll be down the road.
    Why not let mom's labor and decide on a personal basis what is best for their body? That's what you ask the opposing side of your argument to do, why don't you do the same?
    

    posted by : em8305 on 12/4/2007 at 8:50 PM Flag For Abuse

31. Oh, and one more thing I wanted to say after reading through the feed-back..
    
    I think those who jump to medical intervention underestimate what their body is capable of. I am not some spiritual nature doula, but what did people do before last century if this is so inhumane.
    I personally think the worst part of the epi was feeling out of control in what my body was doing, where without I was completely in control. I knew when to push, it was instinct..
    
    

    posted by : em8305 on 12/4/2007 at 8:56 PM Flag For Abuse

32. How about letting people choose what's best for them?  I chose to have an Epidural after about 9 hours of labor and I was glad that I did since I wound up having a vaccum delivery after 2 hours of pushing and before you ask.. no the Epidural had nothing to do with it. My daughter was stuck at the pelvic arch and wasn't going anywhere.  I only wish that I had the Epidural for after the delivery when I spent the next 8 hours being packed with ice to stop the swelling from the all the pushing. 

    posted by : teacher44 on 12/5/2007 at 7:49 PM Flag For Abuse

33. Hmm. 18 months after my pain-free scheduled C-section from which I recovered immediately and spectacularly, my daughter is still in flawless physical, mental, and emotional health, and I am still blissfully unconcerned with the buzzing of the Hive Vagina.
    
    Listening to my own instincts rather than what other people try to shame me into believing my instincts *should* be, which of course means they aren't instincts at all? Priceless.

    posted by : ladyv on 2/5/2008 at 2:14 PM Flag For Abuse

34. I love this article. I had alot of judgement thrown upon me during my pregnancy when I told people I planned on an epidural, as soon as possible. My husbands family especially, really pushed the natural labor thing on me. I calmly told everyone that I respected that they have experience in this situation and I thanked them for their advice, but that it was my birthing experience, and this completely up to me to decide how it would go.
    
    Well, absolutely nothing went the way I had planned. After7 hours of very minor labor at home and three in the hospital, followed by 2 hours of moderate pain I asked for my epidural. I was not panicked, the pain wasnt that intense yet, and i wanted the epidural before it got the chance to be. Ten hours of excrutiating labor pains, and 11, count em, 11 holes in my spine from 11 different attempts to insert the epidural catheter later, I still had no pain relief. Break for three hours, sucking back the laughing gas like it was air and the 12th time was a charm. Pain relief kicked in exactly 5 minutes before I was ready to push and 15 minutes before my daughter was born.
    
    That said, the nurses are fairly the sure that the epidural was the cause of the all of a sudden rapid dilation. i was 4 cm for most of the labor up until about hour before the epidural finally worked and then 5 minutes later when I felt the need to push I was 10. They said that chances are that when the epidural kicked in I was ablet to finally relax my body which kickstarted the dilation.
    
    Even though it might sound like a monstrous time, I would still opt for an epidural again, were I to become pregnant. The reason being that the labor was the worst kind of wrenching, horrible, pain I have ever experienced and the epidural was the only thing to take it away. For that, I forgive the epidural all its flaws.

    posted by : Vanna on 4/26/2008 at 3:49 AM Flag For Abuse

35. And to adress some other comments. The epidural had absolutely no effect on my pushing ability. I pushed for ten minutes, she popped out like a pro. Also, it did not affect my baby's health in any way, shape, or form. She scored a whopping 10 on the apgar. I have no lasting effects from the epidural, had no itching, headaches, nausea. I was given fluids when I asked for them, and to be honest, couldnt even think about eating during the natural labor anyways. I was not hooked up to fetal monitors and I had my dilation was checked 3 times during my entire hospital stay, once on arrival, once near the end and the last time to confirm the 10 cm dilation, all of which were at my request.

    posted by : Vanna on 4/26/2008 at 3:56 AM Flag For Abuse

36. And another thing. 99 percent of my labor was done without an epidural, and I honestly don't believe that the amount of pain a woman goes through during labor has anything to do with how "empowered" she feels, or how much she bonds with her baby, or how much of a woman she is. When I held my baby in my arms, I wasn't thinking about what an awesome warrior I was, I was thanking god that my daughter was given to me safely. I know that had I had the epidural from the start as I asked for, I would feel no less strong, or in awe of what my body created, or proud.

    posted by : Vanna on 4/26/2008 at 4:00 AM Flag For Abuse

37. "some people are really missing the point with the epidural discussion. your child will get the "medication" across the placenta and it can take up to 6 weeks for the effects to wear off completely. your pain relief can be your child's drugging. plenty of studies have shown the differences between children born naturally and children born to pitocin, epidurals, and (illegal in europe) demerol. pain is awful and childbirth pain can be the worst for many, but drugging your child can lead to all sorts of problems later. one study showed that homebirths without medical intervention never lead to autism. i would like to see epidurals and pitocin stand up against that sort of information.
    realistically, some children will not get here safely without intervention, but many more would be just fine if left to nature's way. i am not a nutty hippy, but i am glad to not have to blame myself for ADHD, autism, or something worse later in my child's life.
    so many women wince at the idea of another mom having a glass of wine while she's pregnant, but bend over for that epidural catheter the first sign of real pain. if your entire lower half is completely numb, what in the world do you think is happening to your baby? get a clue already people. and try to not be so selfish. i am glad we have hospitals and doctors and medicine, but let's not abuse them. "
    
    Ok I have a couple problems with this post.
    First of all, there is no conclusive evidence to show any kind of long term effects on the babies and children whose mothers opt for epidurals. The short term effects SOME (healthy) babies experience, are absolutely non-life threatening.
    
    Secondly, what are these studies you speak of that have PROVEN that women who undergo non invasive birthing procedures will NEVER have autistic babies. Who conducts these studies? Where are they conducted and who pays for them? And exactly WHICH kind of medical interventions are you referring to? Cervical exams? Baby heart monitors? Laughing gas? Epidurals? Please quote your sources, otherwise I would be led to believe that you perhaps created this fictional study out of thin air to make your argument sound somewhat fact-based. I can do that too. Studies have shown that jumping up and down three times while eating cures syphillis. See? Pretty easy.
    
    Here's my one little peice of anecdotal information that completely blows that study out of the water. My best friend has two boys, both the result of home births, absolutely no medical intervention what so ever, and completely normal pregnancies. BOTH are autistic. Impossible! Yet true.
    
    It is people like you, using fictional "studies and statistics" to scare people into making decisions that might not be the best for them individually, that really piss me off. Are you suggesting then, that a woman who is given anesthetics in the event of a c-section is selfish because she accepted the pain relief rather than feel the pain of being cut open? Do you think that she then cheated herself out of the oh-so-empowering pain of giving her baby life? Ridiculous right? My thoughts exactly.
    
    I am absolutely NOT against women having the right to choose a drug free birth, however that does not mean that women who do choose pain relief are "selfish" or weak. Whatver it takes to create the best possible birthing experience for the individual is what is needed. Whatver the decision, I would much prefer to look fondly back on my childbirth experiences and know that I did what was right for me, whatever that means, than regret that I did something I was not comfortable doing.

    posted by : Bree on 4/26/2008 at 4:29 AM Flag For Abuse

38. "But pain relief is not the culprit."
    
    And you know this how? Interventions lead to interventions lead to interventions. There is still so much we DON'T know on this.
    
    But we do know that our bodies were designed to give birth and usually can. And, that if you're on your back, your going to feel more pain (probably) and your going to "need" pain relief (probably) and your going to be progressing slower (probably)...and you may "need" further interventions!

    posted by : NatalieJean on 6/25/2008 at 1:22 PM Flag For Abuse

39. Great article. I tried for natural childbirth but knew that if things got too intense I would get an epidural. My water broke and within an hour I had very painful contractions 5 minutes apart. I went to the hospital a few hours later and they sent me home. I wasn't dilated at all. Dr told me I could be like this for days. This ripped all hope from me, I couldn't stand to have another contraction much less "days" of them 3 to 5 minutes apart. A few hours later I went back and they admitted me because they finally believed me that my water broke. From what I had read I assumed all the nurses and Drs would push pain meds on me and I'd have to steel myself up to refuse them. Well little did I know that they refuse to give you anything until you are 4 cm. No stadol, not even a friggin tylenol. The made me stay in bed, not eat or drink, wear an excruciatingly tight monitor and did horrifically painful cervical checks. They told me that if I didn't progress they'd have to "section" me. So basically, I had all the bad crap without any pain relief. I couldn't use the shower which I had been using at home to help. I finally reached 4 cm after 10 hours. I got the epi...and felt wonderful. I was pain free and full of hope that the end was in sight. 7 hours later they turned down the epi when I hit 9cm. I could move my legs just fine and could feel the pressure (and pain, just not hellish pain) of the baby moving down the birth canal. I could have birthed in a better position if they had let me. In 15 minutes I pushed the baby out.
    
    After the birth I was elated and thrilled at what my body could do...it birthed a child. I was really proud of my vagina. Pain relief didn't lessen that fact.
    
    My Hospital and obgyn sucked because they give you an iv, strap you with monitors, stick you in bed and keep you from drinking, give you an episiotomy when you don't need one and make you birth on your back even if you are drug free. But having the option of pain relief made it worth it. The pain was just too incredible, and I have a high threshold. I wish I could have an epidural at a birthing center. sigh.

    posted by : thankgodforpainmeds on 7/1/2008 at 10:03 PM Flag For Abuse

40. Amen! I've done it with and without and there's NO WAY I would willingly do it without. My birthing experience WITH the epi was awesome, it was still uncomfortable, it was still hard, I was still tired, but I was awake and active in the labor..I too could focus on the excitement of it all.
    
    My second time around they botched the epi..they numbed my legs and not my va-jay-jay..and it was awful..the labor: Forget all that "you're not hooked up to wires, you can walk, yata yata" I was riddled with pain so bad that I couldn't move my body.. Delivery time came and I was literally screaming "Get this baby out of me!" at the top of my lungs. That's not exactly the gratifying personal growth experience they speak of now is it?
    
    I dont' know, I'm just sick of them trying to convince women to do it naturally - guilting them into it actually, when it's not necessary! Get the EPI!
    
    http://heyyourememberme.blogspot.com

    posted by : that girl on 9/8/2008 at 3:02 PM Flag For Abuse

41. 25 hours natural labor speaking. It SUCKED. I HATED IT. and yet I'd do it that way over again because messing with your body results in consequences. Like another commenter said-- there is no free lunch.
    
    For me, labor was hard enough even in the freedom of my own home. I needed to be able to squat, to walk up and down steps, to change postions over and over again, coaxing my daughter down.
    
    there is no doubt in my mind that an epidural, with its necessitation of laboring on my back, would have resulted in a complete stall of labor.
    
    it was one crappy day. but i didn't tear. i didn't have major surgery. and my baby's heartbeat never faltered since i was able to be in the best possible positions, free of lines and IVs.
    
    Interesting article, but natural childbirth is not always about "empowerment." It's about trusting that our bodies are designed this way for a reason and messing with the natural process can have consequences we can't always anticipate.

    posted by : ableponder on 9/9/2008 at 5:13 PM Flag For Abuse

42. O.k., here we go. I had to wait until 4 cm. dilation to get an epideral as well. Gut-wrenching pain - yes, I can't remember it, but I do remember my body's response to it. Impossible to imagine how deep breathing and yoga knowledge could have possible helped. During our birth preparation classes, we heard a great deal from the nurse midwives on staff about the importance of trying to birth naturally, but - guess what? They were not working when my son's birth took place.
    
    I got the epidural, and the labor continued for a total of 20 hours. Finally, I was moved to the OR and the epidural was shut off, but I was still numb for some time. Well, my son had shoulder dystocia (sp.?), and his head was quite rotated. Despite all of this, I was eventually able to push him out, thanks to the doc, who honestly seemed to be avoiding Caesarian, and thanks to me who, despite nourishment in close to 24 hours along with great fear and anxiety, no support, and 2 additional hours of pushing, managed to do my part.
    
    I know people who have gone through voluntary Caeserian and, quite frankly, understand why completely. They were not to posh to push. They were often here with their husbands only - no sisters or moms or midwives available to help.
    
    I suspect that the natural birth proponents, and I agree with the post that points out it's not natural when a hospital is minutes away, have a great deal of support from other women - doulas, midwives, yes, but most importantly, female relatives. At that time in my life, I truly had little support for the entire venture of childbirth, period. I did the best I could under the circumstances.
    
    Am I less of a woman or less of a mother? Doubt it. What matters is how you raise your child, the respect you have for a life that may have sprung from you, in part, but is an entirely different little life. It is also a willingness to forgo what you may have envisioned for *yourself* to protect what may be best for your baby.
    
    There has been a lot of loss in my family due to various illnesses, notably cancer. I lost my mother at 10. I have great appreciation for the fact that medicine does, in fact, change and develop over time. I may live to see my child graduate from college thanks to circumstances and developments in medicine that my mother could not have benefited from.
    
    Want more women to feel empowered? Reach out to women you may not know so well. Inquire about their resources and support system. Let them know that you have been through what they are about to go through and can offer support. Maybe they lack that - you can help. It is a whole lot more worthwhile and productive than the endless self-righteous preaching and the needless guilt trips you are putting them through.

    posted by : bwonk on 9/19/2008 at 2:53 PM Flag For Abuse

43. Hey, would like to add that the comparison between giving up caffeine for an entire 9 months and opting for pain relief during labor is ridiculous. Continuing to drink a lot of coffee, alcohol, and/ or smoke during throughout pregnancy has got to have a lot more toll on a baby's health then an epidural which lasts for 24 hours or less on baby's final day in the womb.

    posted by : bwonk on 9/19/2008 at 3:26 PM Flag For Abuse

44. Many more women have epidurals than don't have them. Get over the idea that you are being oppressed by the minority, and enjoy your epidural. Oh, I had a scheduled c-section and it was more painful than having kidney stones, only I couldn't move my legs or try to get into a more comfortable position. Next time around, I'd rather be lucid and able to move my own body at will, and not dependent on an indifferent medical staff.

    posted by : painfullysectioned on 10/12/2008 at 8:29 PM Flag For Abuse

45. I'm a physician, and in medical school participated in many deliveries (only we called it "catching" the baby, because it was mom who was delivering, after all! Not us!) The natural childbirths were often screaming, tense, difficult affairs. The epidural labors were... civilized. The family was relaxed, the nurses were busy encouraging pushing rather than keeping mom from ripping her belly open with her own hands to get it over with... I knew that I really wanted an epidural when I went into labor. My labor went on overnight, as they are wont to do, and with the epidural I was able to get some sleep, which was pretty awesome, as I had been up since 3am the previous morning when the contractions began and didn't go to the hospital until 11pm. With the rest, I was able to keep up with the 3 hours of pushing (the umbilical cord was wrapped around the kiddo's chin). My epidural was perfectly tuned - no pain, but I could feel pressure, I could feel my contractions, and I could put weight on my legs to help me push. My little girl was born perfectly healthy and happy (well, pissed actually, but that's happy for a brand newborn), no sedation, no decells during labor. With my doctorly experience, I wasn't afraid or dehumanized by all the equipment - in fact I was very happy to have the catheter in, because during the earlier hours I had to pee with every single contraction, and it was getting really damn old to waddle in and out of the bathroom every 2-3 minutes as things progressed.
    
    Yay epidural. Yay yay yay.

    posted by : bisous on 10/30/2008 at 7:40 PM Flag For Abuse

46. The last comment from the physician is hilarious. "The epidural labors were civilized." Hmmm...civility is certainly of utmost importance during labor. This comment exposes the idiocy of having doctors oversee childbirth--they have no idea what to do unless the laboring woman is sedate, drugged, compliant, "relaxed." They have no respect for the natural progression of birth, as evidenced by this comment.
    
    And in my case, my home birth in water was the complete opposite of a "screaming, tense, difficult" affair. Any discomfort was managed extremely effectively with hypnosis techniques and above all, a surrender cultivated through a complete abandonment of fear of labor. It was glorious and wonderful and amazing and I don't really give a rat's a-- if you think this sounds stupid.
    
    I also don't give a rat's how you want to give birth. Just know that 33% of C-sections are occurring with standard OB care (most women using meds), around 10% with midwives (most women not using meds) and 3.7% with home birth (no women using meds). I prefer to minimize the risk of major abdominal surgery by birthing naturally.

    posted by : KRA on 12/27/2008 at 11:36 PM Flag For Abuse

47. "Childbirth professionals with a nature-worshipping bias against medical pain relief seem to suggest that only self- indulgent, entitled control freaks — void of spirituality, feminist enlightenment and the ability to bond with their young — would want a pain-free birth."
    
    I don't feel my choice to give birth naturally, nor my midwife's support of this choice, had anything to do with "nature-worshipping" or my levels of "spirituality, feminist enlightenment and ability to bond with [my baby]" In fact, my choice was made based on simple facts, having to do with a strong desire not to undergo a c-section (which meant I wanted to avoid a hospital birth and therefore drugs as a result) and especially, with the fact that I would never choose to put any sort of drugs into my 3-day old baby's body, so why would I do so when he was still in utero? I spent my pregnancy careful about everything I put in my body; this included consuming no caffeine, alcohol, or mild pain relievers, and avoiding second-hand smoke. So, if other women had proven able to give birth without drugs in their bodies and therefore also their babies bodies, why would I NOT at least make this option my first best effort? Does my personal conclusion about the best way for me to birth my children hold any relevance to other women's right to have access to and choose their method of pain relief? Of course not, and I wouldn't ever be the one to tell other women their choices were less valid. But nor is my choice not valid; I arrived at it through thought and deliberation, and yes, some degree of trepidation about how it would feel. I don't feel superior to other women, nor do I feel guilty for demonstrating that it can be done. If the simple fact of women choosing to and succeeding at natural childbirth makes other women feel inadequate or bad, that is a result of something within them, and is not caused by me.
    
    I was happy enough with the choice to repeat it with the second birth, and will do so again within a month with my third child. All this might lead you to believe my births were "not so bad." Not true. For my first son, I was in severe pain while contracting up until the 6th centimeter when I was allowed in the hot tub. Then my pain was cut in half, and was quite bearable. Nonetheless, it was still intense and all-consuming to deal with the contractions. The real pain was seeing my midwife and family stressed when I spent 2 hours trying to push my son out. They were worried it wasn't going to happen. And looking back, the fact that I finally WAS able to with my midwife's support and confidence, is amazing. I am 100% positive I would have had a C-section had I been in a hospital (my labor was also pretty long). Knowing that I avoided that outcome, and looking at my son come out and nurse for over an hour, alert and connecting with me, undrugged, was worth all the pain and anxiety (which was almost as bad due to being 10 days late, and having a slow build-up of contractions over 3 days prior) I suffered.
    
    For my second son, the hot tub again made the pain endurable, however, there was a point of pain/intensity severe enough, that I am going to try to listen to some hypno-birthing cd's this time, and I have made a strong effort to exercise more in this pregnancy by walking, because I believe that will help alleviate that experience (this is solely based on my knowledge of my own body and what I experienced at that moment...I felt like had I gotten my body into better physical condition, it would not have been the same).
    
    
    Another thing....just because a woman chooses to give birth with medical assistance doesn't mean she's in the clear. I suffered immensely over the first 5 months of my first son's life while breastfeeding, due to a severe yeast/thrush infection on my nipples and through my body. That experience was worse than the birthing by far (imagine your nipples being simultaneously sliced with razors and burned with open flame every time your child suckles, which is about 10-12 times a day). I would rather give birth twice than suffer through that again. I finally managed to treat it with a zero-sugar diet and colon cleansing, and went on to nurse my son for about 20 months total.
    
    From my midwife's website:
    http://www.miamibirth.com/epidural.html

    posted by : Holly in S Fla on 1/22/2009 at 10:24 PM Flag For Abuse

48. I think drug free child birth is so beautiful. what an amazing experience for someone who want to go that route for whatever reason! now, let me tell you about my birth:
    
    -scheduled c-section, went smooth as silk. he was out in an hour and I was thrilled that pregnancy was over! I heard his cry and I was in heaven. I slept while they stitched me up. Post recovery I snuggled him to death, and just absolutely loved him in my life. i got to rest in the hospital for a few days and got wonderful sleep. my husband was there with me the entire time, night and day, didn't leave my side. i healed like a champ, my birth was perfect for me, and i knew it would be. i didn't need the satisfaction of 'knowing what my body was capable of'. i gained 33 lbs in 4 months (i did not put on any weight until the very end) 90% of it was all in the front and somehow i could still walk  & all the while there was a child kicking and growing. the process of pregnancy was indicative of what my body could do. i was impressed and satisfied with both my son and myself for making it through the whole ordeal (pregnancy and birth) safely. that was more than good enough for me. my controlled predictable birth was the icing on the cake
    
    no problem bonding, just exhausted as anyone else who is up all night with a newborn. fast forward to the 4 month mark and me and my little shawty are 'tight like glue'. bonded forever. not because i had a natural birth (because i didn't) and not because i breastfed (because i didn't) but because he grew inside me and will forever be a part of me. how lucky am i to experience that kind of love.
    how lucky are all of us mothers to know what it is to love a child. natural, epidural, c, hypnobirth...whatever. none is superior to the other.
    
    i feel like the torch of the motherhood is passed to you as soon as you announce that you are pregnant. along with that torch comes judgement and advice that you never asked for. the first time you flex your muscles as a mother is when you tell people how you are going to bring this child into the world, natural or not, and that they can accept it or eat dirt. it isn't easy, but for many of us mommas it will not be the first time someone criticizes what we do with our children. hold your heads up mothers, no matter what you choose to do. and lets remember how lucky we are that we have these options

    posted by : you can have whatever you like on 3/15/2009 at 5:05 PM Flag For Abuse

49. You ladies quite simply rock! Thank you for restoring my faith in "comments".I can get so down sometimes by the disinformation that's being circulated in online op-eds.  As for the one recent study that said that epidurals do not increase the risk of C-sections, what about all the others that prove that they do for heaven's sake?
    

    posted by : AH Midwife on 4/5/2009 at 10:36 PM Flag For Abuse

50. The ignorance in some of these posts is incredible.  To dhsredhead who said that the medication in an epidural get to the baby: this is entirely false.  It's an EPIDURAL.  That means the medication only goes into the layers surrounding the dura of your spinal cord.  From there it diffuses into the CNS fluid around the spinal cord and produces that lovely numbing effect.  This is the whole point of using an epidural instead of say, Demerol - because it has few systemic effects and does not sedate the baby.
    
    There is nothing noble about pain or suffering.  Modern medicine has made many lives possible that would have otherwise been lost, or miserable.  Children with cleft palate get these horrible unnatural surgeries that make it possible for them to swallow and interact in society without having stones thrown at them.  People with cancer can take narcotics to ensure that their last days aren't spend wracked with pain.  I have asthma.  Without that nasty "unnatural" medicine, I would have died in childhood.  If my mother hadn't had a c-section, I would have been born dead (and she would have probably died too).  And I guess if pain gives you self-actualization, then you better get your next tooth out without Novocain.  Personally, I feel like I have gained "empowerment" and self-actualization from achievements such as graduating from medical school, from creating art, from traveling, from my relationships with friends and family.  Perhaps some day I will augment this self actualization by becoming a parent.  But how I give birth is pretty secondary in terms of achievement.  I mean rats do it all the time....this is not really something I consider an amazing achievement.  Now successfully raising the kid, that's an achievement. 
    

    posted by : DrMiss on 4/20/2009 at 6:09 AM Flag For Abuse

51. What kind of idiot equates a natural, normal process (like childbirth) with a man-made, medical procedure (like dentistry) and calls the resulting ridiculous argument a good one?  Maybe what she was saying was "if you're going into a hospital to medicalize the normal process of birth, why not go all the way and do it drugged, too?"  Hell, why not ask for some drugs to put you in a coma for 40 weeks so you don't have to feel any of the natural discomforts of pregnancy!
    
    As for everyone else on this thread praising the "blessed epidural", what a bunch of pansies.  There is something to be said for doing something difficult, ladies.  Quit wussing out, put on your big girl panties and handle it. Pain won't kill you- or your child.  Drugs that leave you flat on your back unable to move take away your ability to use gravity and motion to help your child into this world.  That is a loss- and one that might cause detriment to your child (and you, if major abdominal surgery is required to bring your child into this world).
    
    The argument about natural childbirth "fanatics" existing to keep childbirth educators in business is hilarious.  There's far more money to be made by scaring women into intervention-laden hospital births.
    
    And as far as the "it's just a birth, it doesn't matter as long as you have a healthy baby- and anyone who says it does is a selfish hippy b*tch" arguments- you ladies are so detached from reality it makes me sick.  It's a rite of passage.  It matters.  Is it going to end your life if it isn't a good experience? No.  But it WILL have an impact.  Just like how you lose your virginity has an impact.  Just like being popular (or being teased) in school has an impact.  Knowing that you can endure pain creates an incredible feeling of strength and competence.  Earn it- and quit whining already.  Until "The Gods of Science" can medicate way all of the unpleasant experiences of life, we're far better served to learn to handle them rather than trying to opt-out.
    
    

    posted by : OneStrongMutha on 5/15/2009 at 6:55 PM Flag For Abuse

52. DrMiss i think you are wrong in assuming that the epidural has no affect on the baby. there are several studies on both sides( affecting and not) but assuming the medicine itself doesnt get to the baby the effects of the epidural on the mother can be profound. if the mothers temp goes up because of the epidural it may be assumed the baby has an infection which requires several tests once the baby is born. if the mothers blood pressure drops the baby can become endangered leading to a possible c-section. also in 2001 a study was done that videotaped babies after they were born and most who had gone through births involving drugs exhibited less hand to mouth movements, touched the nipples of their mothers less, didn't remain latched during breastfeeding, cried more, and had higher temps. i have also read jensen, beson, and bobaks book maternity care, the nurse and the family which purports that epidurals do cross the placents through diffusion...meaning diffuses across cell membranes and thus makes it to the baby. the resulting problems for the baby are bradycardia and fetal hypotension. that being said i also want to respond to whoever said that natural childbirths were a horrible screaming affair. i never screamed once. i had intense contractions but i was  focused on my breathing and riding the waves of contractions i didnt want to waste energy screaming. for those of you who think that no one should get pain intervention during surgery of dental appoinments...im assuming you are being silly. getting a tooth drilled out isn't natural having a baby is so there is no comparison. i haven't met a single natural birth advocate who thinks you should have dental surgery without drugs. but lets take this argument in the other direction. because you like to have drugs while having a baby why not take drugs during a haircut or while you pop a pimple or clean your ears, or shave your legs?! i mean come on people...everyone has a choice to make before going into labor. i think as long as you do your research and are comfortable with all possible outcomes to yourself and the BABY your on the right track. for me the complications that could come with drugs far outweighed what little pain birth might be. the idea of going home 4 hours after my son was born seemed more appealing than pissing through a tube in my bladder and eating hospital food. freedom was what my births were all about. whatever you choose hooray for all mothers...we kick ass!!!

    posted by : trelimon on 6/6/2009 at 11:10 PM Flag For Abuse

53. Sigh.  So much animosity here when we should all be supporting each other. 
    
    You had your baby without drugs?  Fantastic!  That's awesome.  This is completely not a sarcastic comment.
    
    I couldn't do it.  I tried.  It was too painful.  I had an epidural.  I don't feel bad about it at all.  My little guy was born alert and amazing.  I loved my doctor and nurses and anesthesiologist.  Nothing was forced on me.  It was all my choice.  I'm happy with the way things worked out.
    
    Moms do kick ass, but let's try not to kick each other's just because of our birth plan choices.

    posted by : Chimom on 6/8/2009 at 5:32 PM Flag For Abuse

54. There's a lot of free-floating rage in this comments section -- OneStrongMutha being possibly the leader of the nut pack. I don't really see what you're all so worked up about. Half of you berate everyone else for "questioning" your choices and then turn around and insult anyone who opted for a different type of birth.  If a woman wants to have a "natural" birth and can pull it off, good for her. If she wants an epidural, good for her. Neither choice makes you a better, stronger person. Neither choice makes you a better mother. So stop trying to make childbirth into a competitive sport. Seriously, men don't torment each other in this manner. Cut it out. It's embarrassing and self-defeating.
    

    posted by : werewolf bar mitzva on 7/14/2009 at 2:13 PM Flag For Abuse

55. I had an epidural at 8 centimeters because I became too exhausted and was in too much pain to push. The epidural wasn't at all what I'd been led to believe -- I could still feel contractions. I wasn't able to get on all fours, but I could feel and move my abdomen and legs and change positions to facilitate pushing (something I'd been unable to do before the epi). I simply wasn't crippled by pain any longer. I ended up delivering on my side, with my husband at one leg. I was able to push the baby out in about 45 minutes, and because of the epidural I was able to enjoy and appreciate the birth. I will never forget the first glimpse of my beautiful daughter's head emerging. Before the epidural, all I remember is blind pain. Blind, white, searing pain, punctuated by moments of even greater pain. My daughter came into the world healthy and angry, and was immediately put to my breast to suckle. I loved her from the first moment I saw her.
    
    An epidural isn't for everyone, but it certainly was for me. Anyone who questions my choice would feel pretty silly about doing so after spending a few minutes with my adorable little daughter. There's no question that things turned out very well indeed for us.
    

    posted by : greeny on 7/14/2009 at 2:28 PM Flag For Abuse

56. werewolf bar mitzvah...you said it very well! 
    I don't understand when Medical Practioners became the enemy in regards to childbirth.  The epidural was developed FOR women, not to trap them or take away from their experience.  It is still a choice.  There is not a hospital in the US that will force an epidural on a woman and it seems that is how proponents of natural childbirth feel.  Part of the emotional reactions from those who have had epidurals is because the word "selfish" is thrown around so much. 
    I also find it so surprising that women who are not doctors feel so empowered to try to enlighten physicians who have spent over a decade studying the body and medicine but will listen to a midwife who has a "certification".  Do you think midwifes and doula's don't also have self interest and pass on information that they "believe" to be true?  Doctors are required to give accurate and no biased information, and maybe some do it better than others, but to trust someone who does not have the depth and breadth of knowledge is a BETTER choice for your baby?  That just does not add up to me. 
    It is also extremely predictable that all of the "studies" that are spoken of are never linked or sited.  I wonder why so many who have no medical training other than the U of Google feel they are so qualified to pass out medical advice AND pass judgement on others. 
    
    

    posted by : mychoice on 7/15/2009 at 1:39 PM Flag For Abuse

57. Birthing From Within's philosophy is misrepresented in this article. The intention of the quotes mentioned is, among other things, to inspire a mother to look deeply at her inner resources so that, no matter how her birth happens, she can find ways to manage it (while she is waiting for an epidural or accidentally birthing in the car, for instance). Further, the mention of the "My Mama's A Birth Warrior" tee shirt, which I designed by the way, is offered as a tribute to ALL mothers regardless of what they utilize to come through their labor. It intended to honor the Journey that each mother takes, leading her to become a parent. Birthing From Within defines "a Birth Warrior" as "a woman who knows what to do, when she doesn't know what to do". There is no mention (intentionally!) of whether or not her "knowing" includes pain medication/support or not. Just stumbled upon this (old) article and needed to say these things.
    

    posted by : NancyElf on 8/3/2009 at 7:04 PM Flag For Abuse

58. when you expect birth to be extremely painful and you expect to suffer, you will!
    

    posted by : lienjud on 8/4/2009 at 2:59 AM Flag For Abuse

59. I would like to know how many of the women who posted here, that tried to go for a drug free birth, also employed a Doula.
    mychoice posted the following:
    
    "Doctors are required to give accurate and no biased information, and maybe some do it better than others, but to trust someone who does not have the depth and breadth of knowledge is a BETTER choice for your baby?  That just does not add up to me. 
    It is also extremely predictable that all of the "studies" that are spoken of are never linked or sited.  I wonder why so many who have no medical training other than the U of Google feel they are so qualified to pass out medical advice AND pass judgement on others. "
    
    I'm glad you wrote that, because I feel many women feel this way. Why would you NOT trust your doctor, he's there to "first do no harm", right? Well, most doctors are not scientists and most do not have the leisure time to sit and study new information or evidence based information that flies in the face of what they believe to be good information to/for their patients, because most of the time they do what they do because they've been doing it that way for a long time, and that should not be good enough for anybody. As a side note I think the only interest midwives and doulas have is to help women. Here I will cite as an example: this very common sense info comes from Childbirth Connection: to back up what I wish I could say more eloquently:
    "Evidence-based maternity care" means using results of the best research about the safety and effectiveness of specific tests, treatments, and other interventions to help guide maternity care decisions.
    
    Health systems struggle to ensure that people receive care that reflects best available research. It is difficult for busy health professionals to keep up with and interpret a large and ever-growing body of studies. Even when they understand lessons from the best available research, it is often hard to give up established beliefs and routines. Many groups have responsibility and a role in ensuring that mothers and babies receive high-quality care. These include clinicians and women themselves, as well as policy makers, payers, administrators, educators, researchers and journalists.
    
    Some basic principles of evidence-based health care are:
    Question common assumptions. Typically, both the general public and health professionals have confidence in common assumptions. However, many widely held beliefs about health care do not reflect the best available research. They may lead to poor care and poor outcomes. Be skeptical! Don't hesitate to say: show me the evidence. Know that many studies should not be used to guide decisions. Quite a few studies are poorly done, and many have weak designs that limit confidence in the results. Most studies should not be used as the basis for decision making. When a new study is reported, we should ask: what is already known about this question on the basis of the best available research, and what, if anything, does this study add? Look for the "Gold Standard." Where available, well-conducted systematic reviews of research should inform care decisions. If systematic reviews are not available, individual studies with randomized controlled trial designs provide the strongest answers to many questions. For many reasons, it may be important to consider other types of studies as well. (See more about systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials below.) Make informed decisions. When making decisions about maternity care, it is important to consider the best available evidence; values, preferences and circumstances of pregnant women; and care setting issues, such as the skills of caregivers and available forms of care.  Childbirth Connection and this website
    use these principles to provide information about the effects of maternity interventions support professionals who want to provide evidence-based maternity care encourage pregnant women to make informed decisions, and encourage women to seek caregivers and care settings with a commitment to evidence-based maternity care.
    What is the "Gold Standard" for knowledge about the effects of care? Why are randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews valuable resources? Among individual studies, randomized controlled trials (or RCTs) can provide especially trustworthy results. In this type of research, participants are randomized and assigned by chance to receive one or another form of care. Those receiving usual care (or placebo treatment such as a sugar pill) are in the control group. Those receiving the type of care that is being studied are in the treatment or experimental group. Random assignment helps ensure that the groups are truly similar, and that any differences in outcomes are due to the treatment under study and not some other difference between the groups.
    RCTs are not the best design for many important questions. For example, they do not do a good job of measuring less common but important outcomes (e.g., maternal mortality) and outcomes that may occur far into the future (e.g., effects of cesarean surgeries on mothers and babies in future pregnancies). They may be unethical (for example, we would avoid assigning babies at random to a no breastfeeding group). We need to rely on other types of studies in such cases.
    
    A rigorous systematic review of original studies, conducted according to established guidelines for research, gives the best possible answers to questions about beneficial and harmful effects of specific health interventions. A systematic review involves a thorough search for the best available studies on a specific topic. If available and appropriate, randomized controlled trial studies are generally preferred. Only relevant and better quality studies are included in the review. When possible, researchers reach a conclusion by combining data from the included studies using statistical techniques called meta-analysis. Systematic review procedures help limit the bias and error that can easily distort results of single studies and of more conventional reviews of research. They allow us to draw much more accurate and confident conclusions.
    
    Fortunately, we now have many thousands of reports of randomized controlled trials and many systematic reviews about effects of specific maternity care practices to help guide care decisions. It is a serious concern, however, that beneficial effects are better studied and recognized than harmful effects.
    
    The reason I ask the Doula question is that having a Doula can reduce your need for an epidural, here I will refer you to: The Cochrane Collaboration report ( http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/continuous_support.pdf)that showed: Main Results 16 trials involving 13,391 women met inclusion criteria and provided usable outcome data. Primary comparison:women who had continuous intrapartum support were likely to have spontaneous vaginal birth and less likely to have intrapartum analgesia or to report dissatisfaction with their childbirth experiences. Subgroup analysis:in general, continuous intraprtum support was associated with greater benefits when the provider was not a mamber of the hospital staff, when it began early in labor and in settings in which epidural analgesia was routinely available. Authors Conclusions:All women should have support throughout laboour and birth"  
    

    posted by : mommymattersonline on 8/7/2009 at 2:49 AM Flag For Abuse

60. I guess a shorter better way to say this is how I tell my students in my childbirth education classes. The docs are there to help you, remember however that they are running a business, and their business is your life and the life of your baby. It is NOT outside the realm of logic therefore that you learn as much about the choices available to you. It is not absurd that you learn ALL you can and seek out evidence based care practices(see above), ask questions and if you are not happy with what you find...seek out a second opinion.
     Just because a mechanic knows far more than you do about cars, and tells you that you need a brand new engine when you have a hunch it's the battery, would you just go along and hand him your credit card? Or are you going to do some due diligence before making such an important decision? Doctors may have studied for a decade as 'mychoice' stated above, but that doesn't make them infallible or all knowing. Obstetrics has a terrible track record when it comes to good evidence based practice. They used to x-ray women's pelvises to see if they were competent to birth, till they found it caused cancer in the babies. Then they used to used thalydimide on women till they found babies being born deformed, then Cytotec on women which caused many women and baby's deaths and that was in the 90's and they are STILL using it! (for more info on this read Dr. Marsden Wagners Born in the USA- How a Broken Maternity System Must be Fixed to Put Women and Children First)
    Because we hold a terrible ranking for infant and maternal mortality in the U.S., I don't think it's silly to question the establishment that has us ranked on the bottom of the ladder where it comes to how safe it is to give birth in this country!
    And since 98% of births in this country occur in the HOSPITAL and only 2% at home...is it the midwives and doulas doing something wrong by sharing their "beliefs" in how to do things right that is affecting things in a negative way, or could it be that -gasp-the powers that be are getting something wrong? I know we've been brought up as ladies to do as we're told and be good girls. But we are not good little girls, we are mothers, and our instinct as mothers is to protect our young and instinctively to protect ourselves.
    Are we truly mistaken/silly/crazy If we look outside of the establishment that isn't doing the best job out there (like say the Netherlands) for information that might benefit the well being of our children and ourselves? Please enlighten me as to how this does not "add up".
    

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has a sharply higher rate of women dying during or just after pregnancy than European countries, even some relatively poor countries such as Macedonia and Bosnia, according to the first estimates in five years on maternal deaths worldwide.

    The report released by various United Nations agencies and the World Bank on Friday shows that Ireland has the lowest rate of deaths, while several African countries have the worst.

    The United States has a far higher death rate than the European average, the report shows, with one in 4,800 U.S. women dying from complications of pregnancy or childbirth, the same as Belarus and just slightly better than Serbia's rate of one in 4,500.

    "Americans tend to be complacent about pregnancy and childbirth. Most believe it is now more or less routine and no longer the deadly risk it was for their grandmothers. This is true for most U.S. women, but by no means for all," the U.N.-led group said in a statement.
    www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1339620220071013
    
    

    posted by : mommymattersonline on 8/7/2009 at 3:20 AM Flag For Abuse