Pain

[whitewriter]

No pain no baby.

That's what midwives tell women when they c/o pain (complain, what a horrid word, like they have no right to state how they're feeling) - but to be fair, c/o is the terminology).

I'd like to think I don't need an epidural. I don't particularly want one. I've seen multiple times when they've slowed down labor, necessitating further intervention (like increased oxytocin- which is increased stress for the baby btw). And the look on women's faces when an upright birth - would help the baby come down - is not possible if you have to lay down with an epidural. No walking, and an IDC.

I see the positives of an epidural, if it turns into an emergency C-section then your all ready to go - the line is already in and the anesthetist just increases the strength of the epidural with a top up and they're right to start cutting you open.

According to the Cochrane collaboration, use of epidurals does not increase risk of caesarian section. That's not what midwives see in practice, but after they combined a bunch of trials where some agree that it doesn't change anything and others that say that it does increase the risk - overall, apparently, it's neutral.

I reckon - that what creates a "need" for epidural is that women in labor, especially IOL for first timers - cannot visualize the end. No one can tell them when it'll all be over- 2 hours? 3 hours? 1 hour? and a VE only tells you that they're 3cm, and now they're 4 - and you've got to get to 10 ? I don't think cervical dilation is linear and I try to explain that to them- but I still can't pinpoint a length of time - and anytime I've tried to give an indication I've been flat bang completely wrong.

Maybe I'm just not experienced enough. But still if I can't give a woman an end point, I can see how if she can't see an end point either- and pain is always worse when you can't imagine an end point (or, that's what I think) then that's when they go for the epi. Apparently, some people feel guilty about taking an epidural.

Considering 80% of women at SSH do, and a similar amount at MICH (or so I've heard) - - even more so considering how "Easy" it was to get into the birth center (easy because, there's no epidurals available for the BC and women know this and so there's no line to get in)-- I have to admit in some ways, not taking an epidural makes it a harder day for the midwife.

The midwife will have to deal with the woman's noises. Odd positions - some of them look like they're about to rip up the floor and climb up the curtains - if they want to use the bath instead, that means the midwife will be on their hands and knees and wearing elbow deep gloves in order to monitor the baby's heart rate - with the steam from the water in their faces, trying not to get their uniforms wet with a plastic apron and the OH&s of kneeling beside the tub to perform observations :

Midwifery is actually probably more for the young and hypermobile.

I like music but there's probably only so much music would help.
I'd love to try sterile water injections - but that's only good if the labour pain is in your back and not your front.

I walked 100km in 37 hours once and it wasn't too bad with paracetamol and some neurofen on board. But that was off the back with 30km hike over 6 hour prior to a 12 hour nightshift- style training.

There isn't exactly some sort of training where you can experience labour prior to the real thing, and then try out different methods of coping to build tolerance.

Sure they get you to practice meditation and all those in the classes, but how many times have I heard of prinips come in having done the hypnobirthing course only to be asking for an epi like 3, hours into the ordeal ? It's almost like a certainty - that as soon as we hear the words hypnobirthing it's like cool we'll see how they go - and there is sometimes a little bit of an eyeroll there.
The course is not cheap. Lets put it this way. And I think it is effective, especially for those with short, quick labors or have had experience of doing well previously and now they're here for baby number 3 or 4 say. And there's no doubt that antenatal education is handy and useful for women to feel more in control and less fearful of the process-- also makes the midwife's job easier in not having to explain what's going on to someone completely clueless - it's easier if you have a background baseline first.

So, do I think I'd take an epidural? I hope not. But I don't wanna discount how bad it might be and or the need to have one doesn't make me think of myself as a lesser person.

I'll definitely be listening to music, though. And it'll be my nu metal or love songs- not Pete's yokle emo...