Women 'unprepared for childbirth'

[Happybunny]

My hubby found an interesting article on the BBC news website this morning. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7292565.stm

I went to NCT classes and although they promote a natural labour, they did thoroughly cover all pain relief options and our teacher said 'if you need them, use them, there is no golden pelvis award.'

I want a natural a birth as possible, but if I am in pain I am not going to struggle through regardless, I think it is best to have a plan but be open minded and not feel crap if it doesn't work out.

I wondered what kind of births you are planning and what your thoughts are on pain relief.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

that's freaky! We both posted with the same title and the same article within minutes of one another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pain relief for me will hopefully be gas an air and the pool i'll be in... and hopefully being at home will help!

But if i end up in hospital then i probably will agree to anything!

 

[loz]

I want as natural as possible too. I think I need to get a TENS machine for early part of labour then I would like to try a water birth if there is one free. I think it would be good to get by on that and gas and air, but if it goes on for ages and I am not coping with the pain, then I would go for an epidural. Not really sure about pethadine.

 

[Happybunny]

that's freaky! We both posted with the same title and the same article within minutes of one another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pain relief for me will hopefully be gas an air and the pool i'll be in... and hopefully being at home will help!

But if i end up in hospital then i probably will agree to anything!

doh

 

[heles7]

If I'm at home I plan on having gas and air with pethedine on stand by. If I feel I need it I won't have any worries about taking it. If I have to go to hospital I wouldn't mind using a birthing pool but I don't really want an epidural - I'm happy to be open minded though.

I hope that focusing on my breathing will help and I think regualar yoga classes have made me better equipped for this although I haven't continued going throughout the pregnancy.

 

[GBLiz]

to be honest not one midwife has given me any information on pain relief and i havent really given it any thought- I know i'd rather not have a hospital birth though and if that rules out some forms of pain relief then so be it! Im not refusing anything out of bravado, and if i DID go to hospital i'd take whatever they recommended i have at the time!

 

[purple13]

hehe - i wanted a natural labour - tens, gas & air, paracetamol, birthing pool, massage etc...

the only thing i'll say, is be open minded.

i've got a v high pain threshold, but was induced (that's my excuse anyway )... despite all my determination not to go down the painkiller route, i ended up with both pethidine and an epidural


ps. epidurals are FAB!!

 

[Llys]

I really really really REALLY don't want anyone sticking a needle in my spine.... the thought of it makes the pain of giving birth more bearable even I'm that against it!!

 

[Bloom]

Im the same as Babybee gas and air and the pool hopefully.

I really want try and avoid an epidural but then doesnt everyone
Im going to take it as it comes as nothing ever goes to plan.

After reading the article i think its a bit unfair to say a lot of mothers expectations of childbirth are totaly unrealistic I dont see how any first time mother to be who has never experienced childbirth and how painful it is can be prepared, i for one know its going to hurt but i probably have no idea just how much its going to hurt .

 

[GBLiz]

do u know what, i dont think i'm even against epidurals , just hospital wards....!!! Now i read that article comparing it to dentists im thinking hmmm i want an epidural haha (hate dentists too LOL)

 

[heles7]

if it's like at the dentists then can I either bury my head in the sand and refuse to go at all or have a general aneasthetic (sp??) please?!?!

 

[fifi211]

This is my second baby and I was induced last time, I went in open minded but once the pain hit I wanted an epidural.

Having a needle put in your spine isn't very nice but I would not let it put me off having another one if I needed it.

This time round I hope that I will not have to be induced and am hoping for a different experience to last time, and again I am going in with an open mind, but I am a great believer in if you are in discomfort and pain and there is something that can make you feel better, have it

 

[clarey]

I am really surprised by that article, I wouldnt have said my local health authority are any better than anywhere else but I have had lots of information regarding pain relief at my antenatal classes and extra free classes aimed at promoting 'natural' labour. None of the midwives have suggested that to have pain relief is to fail, they have all said keep an open mind and listen to our advice, but that they will do their best help us to have the labour we want, drug free or otherwise.
Maybe I have just been lucky in having lots of classes available? Or maybe everyone needs to have access to forums such as this to get their info? (As great as the classes are, I have to say I didnt really learn much that I hadnt already heard on here!!)
Also, what a funny comparison with the dentist Do you reckon a man wrote that article?

 

[debecca]

Things I hate / am phobic of:

* Doctors
* Needles
* Hospitals

I am going to a midwife-based unit for this reason, although that does mean I'm somewhat limited - I can't have epidural even if I want to part way through. Like Llys though, no bugger is putting a needle anywhere near my spine EVEN if the pain is agonising.

Give me gas and air and I'll get high

 

[Urchin]

Also, what a funny comparison with the dentist

It's kind of true though isn't it? I wouldn't have a tooth pulled without pain relief.

I've done 2 births 2 different ways, although I was induced both times. I had one 24 hour back to back labour and I had an epidural. My second labour was OK until I went from 5 to 10 cms in 20 minutes and I was begging for an epidural but the lady was delayed so it was too late for anything other than gas and air, and a tens machine at the start.

This time I'm not going to leave it so long to ask for an epidural. I would really like to go into labour naturally, as I've heard being induced is much more painful and I want to know LOL
I have a hypnobirthing book, will have gas and air for as long as I can but I'm not going to delay the epidural if I feel like one.

 

[muppetmummy]

At my antenatal classes the midwife went into detail about the pain relief options available.

I'm hoping to use the tens machine and walk around at home early on, then go to the midwife unit, get into the birthing pool and use gas and air. If I'm not coping with that I will ask for a shot of morphine.
I'd rather not have morphine cos of the side effects on the baby (pethidine made James sleepy and uninterested in feeding), but if I'm in too much pain and it's there I will take it.

I don't think you can know for definate how you'll cope as there are so many different factors involved, the size and position of the baby, how tired you're feeling, how well you cope with pain generally etc. I think it's good to have a rough plan in mind but be prepared to deviate from it if neccessary. Go with the flow and listen to your body.

As I said in baby bees thread on the subject I don't see how birth can be compared to having teeth pulled out, your body was designed for birth, not for having teeth pulled!
Yes in the olden days more women died but that was because of complications, now if those situations arose you'd be whisked into theatre for an emergency c-section.
When births are straight forward and the circumtances are right it can be possible to do it natural.

 

[shadow]

When it comes to pain I am a complete wuss; i want everything possible. Of course if i feel i can cope without it, then i will, but other than that i am open to ANYTHING that will provide some sort of relief.

i am such a wuss!

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I think my wish for a natural birth comes a lot from not wanting to have to be in hospital. If they did home epidurals then maybe i wouldn't be SO against them!

I'll just see how it all pans out, i'm not saying no to anything, fingers crossed my pain threshold is high!

 

[Becs]

I'm planning a home birth as I hate hospitals and the idea that the quality of my care and time dedicated to my birth will depend on how busy they are bothers me a lot.

I find I manage pain better when I am relaxed and I know I will be more relaxed at home. I do believe that panic increases pain, but I am not in any way denying it will be incredibly intense, hard and probably excruciating.

I am however really trying to not build up a fear of labour as I don't think that will help me in the long run, and it's frankly bloody difficult to do that with all the horror stories friends relish in telling you and articals such as this one.

I'm getting a little fed up with the negativity around a natural experience. I would rather just get on with it and be focused and supported through the contractions than be fearful and a reck. Why am I constantly being asked to consider this to be something to fear, dread and be petrified of? It's really pissing me off.

No wonder women get so shit scared!!