HOME

BOOKMARK

NEWSLETTER

Join our newsletter to receive news of offers and discounts

Search

AS FEATURED IN...


Lucy Siegle On Eithical Living: Sunday March 5, 2006 The Observer

Weight Watchers®.co.uk. Now with an online plan.

Navigation


Parening Books

Search Now:
Amazon Logo


Are Epidurals Bad?


EPIDURALS CAN SAVE YOU FROM THE "HORRORS" OF CHILDBIRTH

It is true that an epidural may make a woman have an easier birth, but may also complicate matters? Recently, I heard of a new study written by an anesthesiologist, stating that epidurals do not increase the woman's risk of cesareans. I immediately dismissed it as an attempt to sell a book. The audience is for women who are wanting the validation that it is OK to have an epidural. Guess what? It is OK to have an epidural. If that is what a woman wants, I am all for her right to choose. However, there are still risks with any medical intervention. To sell a book to women who are wanting an epidural and convincing them there are no complications is a farce. This author loves what he does. He loves to save and protect women from the "horrors" of labor contractions. I would love to have him inside my labor and delivery room, if I desired an epidural.

WITH NATURAL CHILDBIRTH YOU DON'T NEED "SAVING"

I am passionate about what I do as a childbirth educator and a birth Doula. I have been at hundreds of births from the first to the last contraction. I bet money that this physician has never seen a natural delivery in a hospital setting where the mother is silent, controlled, enduring, and taking each contractions as it comes. These women act as if they have the whole world supporting them. Some of these women never seemed to have any discomfort because of the body's endorphins. They view birth as natural and healthy and they don't need to be saved.

HOWEVER:

With the typical birth in the hospital, most deliveries will be induced or augmented with pitocin. Pitocin makes the contractions stronger and more intense than nature intended. Other medical interventions will take place sooner than later. The woman is stuck in bed with a lot of pain. She isn't able to move around and treat labor as natural, normal and healthy. Therefore, she has no choice but to have pain medications to endure the "wrath of the managed labor." That is why I am glad that the epidural is available for those women really needing it.

BENEFITS OF A NATURAL DELIVERY

The epidural vs. no medication is this analogy. Are you going to hike up the most beautiful mountain canyon or are you going to take a tram? The ultimate goal is to reach the top. Both ways will reach your goal. One will endure more beauty as you take part of the entire scene. Taking the tram allows you to see some beauty but not all of it. You miss the power that you see in yourself as you hike. You miss out on the support system that is there to help you endure.

I have had two epidurals myself which I will never apologize for. However, I have also had the most beautiful unmedicated delivery. I did say immediately after that delivery that I wanted to do it all over again. It is true that no one throws you a party for not using the epidural. But, I will never forget the love, support and guidance from my birth team. I would not have had that if an epidural had "saved me."

Julie L. Johnson is a wife and mother of three who has experienced every pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding situation there is and has lived to tell about. She is a Certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator, Certified Doula and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant practicing in Southern California. Her website http://www.birth-angel.com provides services and products to help ease the transition into motherhood.


MORE RESOURCES:

ABC News

Autumn Babies More Prone to Asthma
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 17 hours ago
21 (HealthDay News) -- The season of a baby's birth may help predict that child's risk of asthma, new research suggests. Babies born in autumn -- about four ...
Fall Babies May Have Higher Asthma Risk ABC News
Autumn babies at greater risk of asthma: study Reuters
Autumn Babies Are More Prone To Childhood Asthma eFluxMedia
Hindu - WebMD
all 135 news articles


guardian.co.uk

Study: Forward-Facing Strollers May Harm Babies Emotionally
FOXNews - 17 hours ago
Pushing babies in forward-facing strollers may harm them emotionally due to the lack of face-to-face contact with the parent pushing them, a British study ...
Are modern buggies bad for babies? guardian.co.uk
Study: Away-facing strollers stress babies CNN
Babies' strollers could affect development ABC7Chicago.com
AFP - Mom Logic
all 74 news articles


Miley doesn't want babies named after her
Times of India, India - 1 hour ago
Teen actress Miley Cyrus is appealing to new mothers not to name their babies after her. According to thesun.co.uk , the Hannah Montana star wants to be the ...


Los Angeles Times

A safe haven for whom?
Baltimore Sun, United States - 2 hours ago
The 2002 law was an attempt to prevent the dumping of newborn babies in trash bins. It's an imperfect law; children are still being left in dumpsters - and ...
Lessons from Nebraska Ottawa Citizen
Nebraska stops taking abandoned kids Toronto Star
all 16 news articles


Kissing babies isn't enough
Globe and Mail, Canada - 1 hour ago
No politician has ever gone wrong by promising pro-baby policies in Quebec, where increasing the province's low birth rate has been a near-obsession since ...


Babies Stressing Strollers Study
kypost.com, KY - 11 hours ago
The study actually calls for the redesign of baby strollers. Beverly Smolansky, a child psychologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, says not so fast. ...


Fresh News

Early HIV Treatment Best for Babies
U.S. News & World Report, DC - Nov 19, 2008
19 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finalizes research that changed guidelines around the world regarding when HIV-infected babies should begin drug therapy. ...
Rapid care 'cuts baby's HIV risk' BBC News
Treat HIV-positive babies from the start Science News
Early HIV Treatment Cuts Babies’ Death Risk eFluxMedia
Business Day - Reuters India
all 67 news articles


Baby shower connects mothers-to-be, agencies
Oxford Press, OH - 5 hours ago
Melissa attends parenting classes with Kristen, a pregnant 16-year-old sophomore at MHS, and they attended the Help Me Grow baby shower Thursday, Nov. ...


Hospital Welcomes ‘Miracle Babies’ Home
Queens Tribune, NY - Nov 20, 2008
By Nicole Alibayof The monitor was showing a flat line and the baby wasn’t breathing. Nineteen minutes later the doctor was still trying to resuscitate him ...
Infant child care is scarce in Central New York The Post-Standard - Syracuse.com
all 2 news articles


'Take care of my babies,' suspect pleads
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - Nov 20, 2008
"She said, 'Take care of my babies,' " said Darlene Wakmunski, who spoke by phone Thursday with her sister. "She felt bad for the agent and his family. ...

babies - Google News