Third Trimester
At the final meeting of my childbirth preparation course, the instructor finally broached the subject of labor pain relief. It was a topic that, up until that point, had not been discussed with much gusto. Even then, in the eleventh hour of the class, all I heard were words like "trust," "empowerment" and "self-confidence." Was this a scout meeting? Trust, empowerment and self-confidence are not anesthetics.
I was pregnant for the first time at 37. Having coped with Motrin-defying menstrual cramps since adolescence, I felt I had a reasonable pain threshold. But as my due date approached, I grew increasingly concerned about the physical experience that awaited me. I wanted more concrete information about how painful childbirth would be. I kept hearing a response from my caregivers that was vague and patronizing: "Childbirth is different for everyone." Read more about preparing for labor in "Insufferable: Why do people talk about managing birth pain, not eliminating it?"
