Comments on: Epidurals – Is Pain a Good Thing? http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65 Myths and Superstitions of Pregnancy Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:01:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Sarah http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-223 Sarah Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:44:05 +0000 http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65#comment-223 Not that I'm a strong advocate of natural childbirth, but an epidural does cause blood pressures to go out of the norm. They always give an IV to help stabilize this. No one would ever get an epidural and no IV. I could be wrong, but that is general OB policy. Also, I've never seen anyone move with an epidural! Having had one, it would be a dangerous thing to move around. Women would most likely fall and hurt themselves. This may not be the case in instances of differential nerve susceptibility, where it only takes on one side or so, but in most cases there will be no movement that someone should encourage. Agreed with the bonding! There are chemicals involved that a C-section can hinder, but Mommies can totally overcome that! Not that I’m a strong advocate of natural childbirth, but an epidural does cause blood pressures to go out of the norm. They always give an IV to help stabilize this. No one would ever get an epidural and no IV. I could be wrong, but that is general OB policy.

Also, I’ve never seen anyone move with an epidural! Having had one, it would be a dangerous thing to move around. Women would most likely fall and hurt themselves. This may not be the case in instances of differential nerve susceptibility, where it only takes on one side or so, but in most cases there will be no movement that someone should encourage.

Agreed with the bonding! There are chemicals involved that a C-section can hinder, but Mommies can totally overcome that!

]]> By: Laura-Maternity Bliss http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-212 Laura-Maternity Bliss Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:53:17 +0000 http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65#comment-212 I like to actively promote natural childbirth, that said I think women do have a right to choose whether they opt for an epidural or not. If a woman is feeling distressed and is struggling with the pain, it is far worse to push her through a process that may leave her with post traumatic stress disorder or PPD. I like to actively promote natural childbirth, that said I think women do have a right to choose whether they opt for an epidural or not. If a woman is feeling distressed and is struggling with the pain, it is far worse to push her through a process that may leave her with post traumatic stress disorder or PPD.

]]> By: Melanie Kissell http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-210 Melanie Kissell Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:45:28 +0000 http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65#comment-210 I'm a perinatal educator (25+ years) and feel that epidurals definitely have a place in the labor room. If a mom-to-be is really struggling along through a difficult, prolonged labor, the epidural can be her ticket to allowing her body to relax and allowing her to get some much needed rest. NO invasive procedure comes without risk. In my experience, in 85% of the cases, epidurals work 100% beautifully and effectively and result in moms having a straightforward vaginal delivery. As a childbirth educator, I always hope and pray that my moms can labor and birth their babies with as little intervention as possible. I’m a perinatal educator (25+ years) and feel that epidurals definitely have a place in the labor room. If a mom-to-be is really struggling along through a difficult, prolonged labor, the epidural can be her ticket to allowing her body to relax and allowing her to get some much needed rest.

NO invasive procedure comes without risk. In my experience, in 85% of the cases, epidurals work 100% beautifully and effectively and result in moms having a straightforward vaginal delivery.

As a childbirth educator, I always hope and pray that my moms can labor and birth their babies with as little intervention as possible.

]]> By: Tine http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65&cpage=1#comment-203 Tine Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:51:49 +0000 http://www.handsoffmybellyguide.com/blog/?p=65#comment-203 The sad truth about hospital birth in the U.S. is that, without hiring a doula or other trained birth assistant, women do not receive enough physical and emotional support from hospital staff to deal with labor pain in a natural way. Doctors and nurses spend very little time with a laboring women and often aren't trained in the various methods of natural pain relief...so they aren't even mentioned as an option. The epidural is usually the ONLY option in a hospital. The real myth is women in our culture believing that their bodies aren't able to birth naturally. We need education about natural childbirth and constant support through labor and birth -- without those things women are most definitely NOT equipped to deal with pain and it's not surprising that the epidural rate is so high. The sad truth about hospital birth in the U.S. is that, without hiring a doula or other trained birth assistant, women do not receive enough physical and emotional support from hospital staff to deal with labor pain in a natural way. Doctors and nurses spend very little time with a laboring women and often aren’t trained in the various methods of natural pain relief…so they aren’t even mentioned as an option. The epidural is usually the ONLY option in a hospital.

The real myth is women in our culture believing that their bodies aren’t able to birth naturally. We need education about natural childbirth and constant support through labor and birth — without those things women are most definitely NOT equipped to deal with pain and it’s not surprising that the epidural rate is so high.

]]>