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Why Epidurals are NOT "God's Gift to Women"
- Jan 8, 2009 at 3:12 PM
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- Comments (243) Total Views (2914) Everyone can see this journal post.
I hear this so many times...."Thank GOD for the Epidural!", or "The Epidural is God's gift to laboring women..."
There are so many reasons why an Epidural in labor is a BAD idea, nevermind that it is definitely NOT a gift from God.
Why?
1.
God designed labor to work perfectly together. This includes *FEELING*
your contractions, pelvic floor, and pushing sensations so that your
body can respond accordingly. With an epidural, you *cannot* push as
effectively as you would without one.
This OFTEN leads to
longer labors, augmentation with pitocin ( because an epidural has a
high risk of slowing labor down ), and a much longer pushing stage that
is often accompanied with an instrumental delivery ( Vacuum, forceps ).
2. Epidurals can cause a fever in mom. In turn, the baby will
likely be sent to the NICU for a complete sepsis work up, because they
cannot assume that the fever is simply from the epidural, instead of a
full infection in the uterus.
3. Epidurals can cause both
temporary and permanent back and nerve damage. If it is not placed
PERFECTLY, it can cause major damage.
4. Epidurals can cause
major headaches that can last up to several weeks. Try recovering from
childbirth, caring for a newborn ( which hopefully includes
breastfeeding ), while dealing with a headache that won't go away.
5.
Women who use epidurals during labor are statistically less likely to
be breastfeeding at 6 months. And, since breastfeeding was designed by
God to be a baby's perfect nutrition.....
6. Epidurals come with
a higher risk of cesarean surgery. When a woman's labor slows, and
pitocin can't pick it back up...it usually leads to a cesarean. When a
woman cannot push effectively, and it's been longer than your
Obstetrician ( Trained Surgeon ) is comfortable with...it usually leads
to a cesarean. If you happen to get a fever from the epidural, and it
increases and you are not near delivery...it usually leads to a
cesarean.
7. Having an epidural disconnects you from the
birthing process on an emotional level. You basically leave your baby
to go through the physical aspects of labor, by him/herself, while you
chit chat away, do your makeup, or get some shut-eye.
8. When
you choose an epidural in labor, you screw up the flow of endorphins
that was supposed to be released ( the HIGHEST amount your body will
ever receive at once .... that God is a smart one! ) after natural
childbirth. Now, you will not have that release. The release of
endorphins after natural childbirth aids in the breastfeeding
relationship, the immediate bonding, and lowers the rate of Post Partum
Depression.
9. Epidurals confine you to bed, which can lead to
a malpositioned baby. God designed our pelvis to be mobile, and this
helps *tremendously* during labor. Through remaining mobile, we are
able to help the baby rotate into optimal position for birth. In the
absense of mobility, the pelvis can become stiff, and not respond to
labor/pushing as it should. Epidurals also often come with the doctor
artificially breaking the amniotic sac, which in turn helps to create
or cement a malpositioned baby.
10. The final reason?
Epidurals are selfish on the part of the mom. Epidurals have no benefit
for the baby, it only adds risk. Epidurals allow the mom to have
decreased to no pain during labor, once again, leaving the baby to
experience the physical aspects of labor on his/her own.
Women,
we are STRONG. Our bodies are CAPABLE of pushing a baby out without
anesthesia. We were designed, by God, to birth babies without
intervention. And sadly, it's the intervention that often leads to
problems during labor and delivery, and leaves our babies susceptible
to invasive intervention in the first hours of their lives...when they
should be in mama's arms, and at mama's breast.
Comments:
Well Ihad epidurals with both my kids so if that makes me selfish, so be it. Also I'm atheist so the whole "god" arguement doens't have any standing. Let's face facts getting an epidural is simply another CHOICE we make just as breastfeeding or formula feeding, vaccinating or not, and circumcision. ALL choices and if you don't make the same choice I do I dont give a rat's ass, that's YOUR choice. Leave me to mine!
Great post again Christie!
And for the above poster, I don't believe in a specific God either but it is hard to argue with evolution . . .
LOL - Kristi - this is MY journal. I didn't come to YOURS and tell you that you're selfish. You didn't have to read. ;)
Aside from the "God" argument....epidurals inhibit the labor process, and are still selfish. So, take God out of it...and you still have a bad idea for labor.
And choice. Yes, choice. Women have choices in a lot of things. They have the choice to smoke, do drugs, or to drink alcohol in pregnancy. They have the choice to not put their child in a car seat. They have the choice to feed their child crap, from birth. But not all choices are good ones. Epidurals and formula feeding are ABSOLUTES that are NOT good for babies....and that's from medical literature as well as from us "crazy" midwives. ;) Circumcision and vaccinating are harmful too...but this is yet to be wholly proven by the medical community...and well, I don't expect women like you to actually do your research. It's so much easier to just swallow whatever information is told. ;)
Have a wonderful weekend!
I didn't have one, but I did ask for one and it was, you guessed it, tooooo late. I say, if you wanted one and got one, good for you. If you don't want one, don't get one. So what? I think that the holier than thou attitude has got to go. Get over it. We all make our own choices. Frankly, if my labor had been less painful, I would have been pretty thankful!
For health reasons, if I can get an epidural or spinal for a procedure, be it birth by c-section or other surgery, I take it.
It's better than my chances of possibly NOT waking up from general anesthesia.
By the way, all three of my kids were born via c-section and I had an epidural with every single one. During labor as well as surgery.
What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander...
Well you know what you remember that when you are having a heart attack, or your spouse is having a stroke, or one of your kids has cancer that God meant it to be that way are you are just supposed to die.
Seriously now, get over it. Unless you have NEVER used any kind of medical technology get off your high horse.
My daughter would have died with out the epidural I had. I was tensing up and crushing her with my contractions. The epidural relaxed the necessary muscles so that the doctor could insert the necessary tubes to save her, and you know what, I THANKED GOD that technology was advanced enough to make that possible.
omg, this in hilarious--you're constantly pissing off the sheep! Christy, great post, as always!
Well I"m not the one telling other mother's they are selfish and "bad moms" for making a choice. Pot meet kettle!
I had an epidural. Could I have given birth without it, sure, did I want to, FUCK NO. Those contractions hurt! And yes while there is the risk of it causing adverse effects that does not mean it will.
So by saying epidurals and formula feeding are "absolutes" that "aren't good for babies" you are calling all mothers who chose those methods "bad" moms. Or even "uneducated.
I did my research, I made my choice I have no ill fellings about it. You can bash me all you want but it won't bother me. However I won't let a fruitcake like you insult and hurt OTHER moms by calling them bad mothers for making different parenting choices. And yes I see midwives that are hell bent on telling other people how they should treat their bodies as fruitcakes. You people don't have medical degrees and your only goals are to make other people feel bad for their choices. All your information comes from biased sites as well. So if I were you I would concentrate on your own family instead of everyone else's
I'm not a sheep...And I'm not pissed off. Sorry.
Just stated how I felt.
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Amen. I didn't have any form of meds whatsoever when I gave birth to my son. I wouldn't trade it for the world. The nurses and my husband were great to talk me through everything and at the end, the moment my son was laid in my arms...the memory of the pain went totally away!!
- SouthernMama08
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