Joint Pain - Why are some people against using pain relief in labour?

Why are some people against using pain relief in labour?

There seem to be 3 views on this issue. The first is that all pharmaceutical pain relief is bad, and that mothers that use is are selfish. The second view is that moderate pain relief is fine. The third is that the more medication you can get the better. My question is this - to those who hold the first view - why are you so opposed to using pain relief? It doesnt harm the baby, and makes the expectant mother's job easier, thus making the babies life easier, right? Or am I wrong on this? If it was harmful to the baby, surely they wouldnt prescribe it. SO why NOT use pain relief? I particularly want to hear from expectant mothers or others who oppose the use of pain relief. i am pregnant with my 2nd child. With my first i didnt know i was in labour (long story) so i didnt go to hospital until v.late, and by then it was too late for epidural. The contractions were unspeakably painful, so much so that i just pushed too early, in an attempt to end the agony, and i ended up tearing in 3 places ... and for a month i couldnt pee without being in agony. I was traumatised by the whole experience and am now morbidly fearful of going into labour again.... i feel like crying now just thinking about the whole thing

Public Comments

well, i plan on getting something if need be, but i can say i went to my friends birth, and she was sober whne i got ther and in pain so they gave he rdrugs and it slowed the babies heart rate way down, so that all the nurses were running around.. they in my opinion gave her too much, so i disagree with what you said about "If it was harmful to the baby, surely they wouldnt prescribe it. "
People are against the use of pain relief for a couple of reasons: 1) Most can't even be used until the labor is mostly over, anyway, 2) A spinal will make the mom unable to push effectively, as she can't feel below the waist 3) General anesthesia makes the baby groggy 4) Ones that make the mom less able to push then necessitate more use of instruments like forceps, that can injure the baby's head, sometimes causing permanent damage
I don't OPPOSE the use of pain relief, I just find it to be very annoying! I have had 5 deliveries and 4 of then were with pain relief and 1 was all natural. When you get an epidural, you are: a) Hooked up to an annoying IV b) Subject to constant fetal monitoring c) Cannot walk around d) Are prohibited from eating anything c) Feeling "spacey" and out of it d) Experiencing side effects such as, low blood pressure, nausea, headaches & more e) More likely to have a c-section f) Have difficulty pushing the baby due to the numbness you feel *down there* So, after comparing all of my epidural deliveries to my natural delivery, I say "no thank you". The pain is intense, but it does not last forever. I like being able to feel everything and knowing exactly what is happening to my body. I will never, ever do it any other way!
Sorry that I don't oppose pain relief, but I can tell you why mothers do it. They think things ought to be done the old fashioned way. They think that it is a natural experience that should be dealt with naturally. They really don't have any good reasons. I think not getting pain relief isn't the smartest idea in the world, but it isn't me who's hurting so I don't care what they do.
I haven't had children yet, but when I do I plan on using no pain medication. I hear it can make you feel groggy and I don't want to be feeling like that when I have my baby. I want to prove to myself that I can make it through without using the easy way out, so to speak. I don't think women that use it are selfish.
It's just a personal decision, like every other decision when having & raising a baby. I have a friend that is all for natural, a friend who is only for IV meds, & then I only want an epidural because all the IV pain meds they give just knock you out or make you feel drunk. I don't judge anyone for their decision, I only hope they feel the same way about mine. Everyone has a choice about what they do with their body, more power to them & whatever their decision is in my book.
There are many veiws. But dependent on what pain relief you use...the baby does get a dose of what you use! So some babies are born a little "droopy". In addition, drugs do prevent you from feeling when something could be going wrong...pain in nature's way of telling us this. I am in the pharm industry and pain meds were made to dull pain. They have safety warnings...all of them...for a reason. There is no totally "safe drug" they all have safety warnings...and we all take calculated risks when taking any meds...as in - is the problem/pain worse than the drug possible side effects. only you can answer that. It is your decision..and there are ranges...a local pain killer works and is least impactful on the newborn, epidurals kill all the pain the waist down...your baby - until the unbilical cord is cut - shares your circulation. Your call. I took the high road and pain...and yes it is no picnic - but is also the most amazing experience you will ever have. Follow your heart on this one. And good luck.
Okay I have had 3 all natural births no pain relief at all for my first 3. I did not have any pain relief in first 3 births because I read books on it and thought I would be brave and not put my baby in risk and risk a c-section. each time I was hooked up and monitered and was not allowed to drink anything. the pain was really horrible and it made me feel trumatized after and scared about going through that again. And I have big babies too / 9lb 10 oz. anyway with my 4th baby I started talking to people about the effects of a epirdural that they themselfs used with their baby and everyone I talked to said it was great. even my own woman doctor who have 3 kids of her own and tried it both ways said try the epirdural that it would be okay. so I asked for it and it was the Best birth ever. My Baby was just as healthy and alert my others were and I kept saying afterwards I cant believe that that I didnt feel any pain. And Yes I could feel to push I even knew when it was time to push as the baby was traveling down. but I did not have any pain and labour was great and I enjoyed giving birth and I bonded to my Baby sooner as I was just so overjoyed with not feeling all that Pain. And I Told the nurses after that I felt so stupid suffering so much each time.. even they said if you had to get your leg amputated you would get pain relief for that and this hurts no less.. Face it giving birth can be the most painfull thing a woman have to go through and if you have the option of having some pain relief then go for it..
I suppose if you can cope with the pain then that is ok, but until you experience each labour you really don't know. Anyone who hasn't had a child will never know the pain of it and it is very easy to say I won't use pain relief until you actually experience the pain. I am all for any pain relief you can get, if you had pain from an injury or illness you would take pain relief so why not in labour.
I had epidurals with both of my kids but soooo wish I hadn't with the second. The first was a very long labor so it was worth it. The second, I got the epidural and then had him so fast after that it wasn't even worth it. Worse though, when they put the needle in they punctured my sciatic nerve and I still, and always will, have pain all the way down my leg to the bottom of my foot. I've had blocks (more shots) put in to try to block the pain several times and have tried several other things, and nothing has worked. Now I'm stuck with taking pain pills every day for the rest of my life just to make it tolerable, all for about 40 minutes of relief during labor. So I say no, don't do it! Not the whole needles in the spine thing anyway. Now something in the IV, I think that is just fine. Little cocktail for mommy, and its all good!
I think you are over simplifying the issue. There aren't only 3 schools of thought on this - there are as many opinions as there are people. Edidurals are considered safe but they are not without risk. They can cause long term back problems for example. They also usually make labour last longer, so don't necessarily make the mother or baby's life easier. I personally didn't want one because they restrict movement and I wanted an active birth. The pelvis is designed to open up at the tailbone during labour to make more room for the baby. This can't happen properly if you are lying flat on your back. I also wanted to feel the sensation of giving birth. I only had gas and air and I gave birth standing up, holding onto my husband for support. I can honestly say that feeling the baby move down the birth canal and out of my body was the most amazing experience of my life! I also had no stitches. I don't oppose pain relief. I just personally didn't want it and I was lucky that I didn't feel the need for it. I would never tell someone else to have it or not. It's a personal choice and depends on the individual and on the labour. All pain relief has it's place, but I think it's a shame when women decide to have an epidural before they even go into labour rather than just seeing how their labour goes.
This is my own opinion- I think that women were meant to have pain when birthing their children. It comes from the bible where Eve disobeyed and ate from the tree- God said that she would have pain when bearing children. They didn't have epidurals back then and women and animals have been birthing babies without drugs for years. If we weren't meant to feel the pain then we wouldn't feel it. I don't point the finger at women who choose to use drugs for their delivery because that is their own choice, and have every right to choose what they want. As for me, I am hoping to go natural drug free. I know that I may ask for drugs though but hope I can make it to the point where it's too late for drugs. We'll see what happens though :-)
i had lots of pain releif with my first two births and i plan to do so with this one aswell. i am not ashamed to admit that, it doesn't make me a bad mother just bcoz i had pain releif. dam right i am scared of going into labour again. i hold my hands up to all the women who can do it without pain releif. they are braver than me. sugarstarmama- lets see how far you get. i take it this is your first baby.
I am 36 weeks and have just written my birth plan - i am keeping all my options open - this is my first pregnancy so i have no idea what is coming. I really don't like the idea of an epidural and having something put in my spine - also makes you immobile and i plan to walk as much s possible. I hope to use tens to start of with and then move on to entinox - but anything else i will wait and see because it does effect the baby and also some things like the epidural slow down the labour process .
You are right, there are some people who oppose pain relief. They all say that it is a natural process that we are meant to do drug-free. They all say that women have been doing it for thousands of years without modern intervention. What they fail to recognise is that women used to DIE of giving birth, many women didn't make it at all. It was the riskiest thing for an adult female in her entire life. Even if a woman had 5 kids already there was no guaranty that she will survive her 6th birth! It's easy to look back now and say that all those women did it without pain relief, but how many of them died? A lot. Modern medicine made childbirth a very safe process, if anything goes wrong the doctors can jump in immediately and save the mother and baby too. Many people also oppose elective caesarean sections too, claiming that these women are too soft and selfish. We are all different, and view events in our life differently. You may be a real softie when it comes to labour but you may also be the hero who would march on with broken legs during a catastrophic event carrying a pregnant woman on your back who would otherwise oppose pain relief during labour.. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but we should never judge each other on this. Your strenght might be your ability to act like a real hero as I described in this hypothetical case, however, that pregnant woman who opposes pain relief may be very weak when it comes to a situation of life or death. Good luck with your second, I hope you get a suitable pain relief for yourself.
you really need 2 relax and stay calm. 39 weeks baby number 3. both my last births i didnt have any type of pain relief....... i was very sicky during both so didnt want gas and air all i had was a few pain killers b4 i went into hospital.... u need 2 relax listen 2 the midwifes,dont push till they tell u 2 push.and stop wen they tell u 2..........they know what they are doin so just breath and listen 2 them..... i didnt need ne stitches...i just grazed a little bit..... good luck xx
I am a HUGE fan of the epidural and highly recommend it!! I think people are waayyyy too hung up on "natural" childbirth and I have no idea why they would voluntarily suffer. Technology has allowed us to avoid a lot of pain and suffering why not for child birth?
I'm so sorry to hear of your dreadful experience last time. Sadly much of what happened to you was probably caused by fear in the first place, especially if you had little time to get used to pregnancy and prepare for labour. Pain relief would probably not have prevented you from tearing. Pain relief is a matter of choice, however, there is evidence that almost all forms of pain relief affect the labour or baby in some way. Gas and air, sometimes called entonox, at this moment in time appears to be fairly safe and is effective, it is short lasting and you can decide whether to take it or not, does not appear to affect the baby. Opiates of which there are a few, such as pethidine and diamorphine cross the placenta and make your baby sleepy, this can make the heart rate a little slower, may hinder your babys ability to breathe at birth and may make your baby slow to feed; all of these things can lead to intervention which then has knock on effects. An epidural carries small risks to yourself, the most common being a dural tap, which whilst not life threatening can cause you to have such a severe headache for the first few days that you can't sit up. Also it affects the normal progress of labour, reducing the tone of the pelvic floor and can make your labour slow down. This then leads to intervention in the form of drugs to speed up your labour which can cause distress to your baby which then might lead to a instrumental delivery or a caesarean section. As a practising midwife I have cared for women who have used all forms of pain relief and none at all. Genererally speaking, mothers who use none or minimal relief feel much more satisfied after birth and babies born without are much more alert, more settled and ready to feed. Think about attending classes such as the National Childbirth Trust ones to prepare youself for labour. Also consider non pharmaceutical methods of pain relief such as TENS and water, or hypnobirthirthing. Water births are quite wonderful, most of the women I have cared for in this way cope very well. At the end of the day it is personal choice, but it is important to consider all the information available and most of all to address your fears rationally because pain tolerance is largely about attitude. Just a cautionary word about "If it was harmful to the baby, surely they wouldn't prescribe it". Often we can only determine if something has caused harm by long term studies which may take 10, 20 or 30 years. Think also about drugs such as thalidimide, prescribed for morning sickness which caused such teriible consequences. Whilst an extreme example, we often cannot say that something is truly without harm for a very long time afterwards.
Dont worry about people thinking that mothers who use pain relief are selfish.That is simply not true.Everyone has different pain treshholds.You have to reduce pain to a level you can tolerate.Moderate pain relief is the right way.
I personally would not want an epidural or pethidine. Epidurals can make labour longer, and make it more likely that labour will be speeded up using drugs. It is more likely that a woman will need an assisted delivery such as forceps or ventouse. It reduces sensation in a woman's legs and she will usually need to stay on the bed. It can make women sick or dizzy. A catheter may be needed to empty their bladder. About 8 in every 1000 women experience a "dural tap" headache. In 6 of these women it will be a severe headache and may last for 10 days or longer. About 1 in 4000 women has a serious complication as a result of the epidural. Pethidine can also make women feel drowsy and sick. Pethidine can also affect the baby, particular if the baby is born soon after the injection was given. It can make the baby drowsy, or have breathing difficulties, or have difficulty feeding. Other similar drugs used during labour include diamorphine (heroin) and meptid. Diamorphine may work as a better painkiller than pethidine, but also affects the baby's breathing. Meptid is less likely to have side-effects for the baby, but can cause more nausea and vomiting than pethidine. I would like to have an active birth, with lots of walking and bouncing on a birth ball. Also, I hope to try Tens for the eary contractions as well as a birthing pool when it gets too intense. The only pain relief I would consider would be the gas and air, although I have heard reports that it leaves you feeling drunk and out of it. With an epidural, I would refined to a bed, most likely flat on my back, which its a lot harder as your tailbone can't extend back and the birth passage is smaller. Also, if you read any natural birth stories, alot of women find they can control the strength of their contractions with the positions they choose. They are able to speed up their own labour when they find a position they makes the contractions harder or if its unbearable they remain in the position that eases them off abit. Not once did I read in a birth story, one person who choose to be flat on their back.
While i was pregnant i was completely against usin pain relief. All types of pain relief can cause complications. The epidural can leave u paralysed. Pethidine can make u "high" and u are unable to push which can lead to use of forceps or a casaerean, thus causin distress to ur baby. Gas and air can make u vomit and give severe headaches. I was too scared to use any pain relif after readin all this in magazines. Also i felt like would be less of a woman if i took the easy way out! If labour withoutpain relief is is so traumatic then why did people have 15 kids back in the days before drugs?
im going to take drugs and more drugs im not going to be in pain 4 no1 it runs in my family 28 hours labour ouch
I didnt use any pain relief with my last birth simply because I didnt need any. I had a home birth and had the drug Meptid and gas and air waiting for me but I never felt in enough pain to need any. Dont get me wrong it was painful but when it got to the really painful part I knew I was near the end so didnt bother. I think that if an epidural was available for home births I would have had one as soon as I went into labour and what a waste that would have been. Keep an open mind. Women expect to be in total agony in labour and if you think like that then you will be in agony. However, if you think you are going to manage ok and relax and move about during labour, the pain really isnt all that bad. Honest!!
it depends on the situation and when the drugs are administered and a bunch of other things that are different for each birth. with my first i tried to go as long as i could without medication but by the time i was7 cm I was so exhausted from the pain that my Dr suggested i get an epidural, they were afraid i wouldn't have the energy to push so i got the meds and it was smooth sailing from there, i was able to enjoy labor and delivery and i recommend it for anyone but if that's not your thing its cool ,to each her own. but i don't force my opinion on anyone and i don't think other woman who are against med force their opinions on me. all my kids turned out fine and that's all that matters!
Have you ever hear of Thalidomide, it was a medication for morning sickness, babies were born with out arms or legs or both, and doctors perscribe it, some mothers just want to error on the side of caution. I believe you should do whatever allows you to sleep at night knowing you made the best choice for your baby. Until my doctor gave me the "you don't get a hero cookie" for going without pain relievers speech I was 100% against. Now No epidural but I will take some milder pain suppressants.
I plan on no pain meds for my upcoming birth. I figure if woman generations before me did it I can. I am also a recovered drug addict and have been clean for over 6 years. I do not feel confortable using anything. All my friends and family think i'm crazy and actually try to talk me into using something. I am not saying I won't change my mind. I might just decide to use something. If I had an experience like you, I would.
I am 62 now and have had 3 children. I wish the pain relief women have now was available then !!! Very little was used in my day because it could be harmful to the baby. That is not true today. I could never understand a woman's desire to use "natural child birth". I think maybe bragging has something to do with it. Why suffer the pain of child birth if you don't have to?
I've had 2 and have used the epidural for both. Neither child was "groggy" or have had any mental delays, etc. I was enduced at 41 weeks with the first, and they wouldn't give me the epidural until I had reached 4 cm (to prevent a longer labor). However, I had been in HARD labor for over 7 hours by the time I got it. It was the most HORRIBLE pain that I had ever felt. So, for those of you who have never had children and are saying what you will and will not do, you may change your minds in the delivery room. Anyway, I had no complications from the meds. It was instant relief, and I was able to actually breathe better since I was not freaking out over the pain. I had to have oxygen and was given a sedative (from hyperventilating) before the epidural due to the pain. I highly recommend it. Also, your second child will come much easier and faster (for most). I spent 13 hours in induced labor with first, and only six with the second. It was so much more pleasant, and it came out much easier. lol (I ripped with the first also, and that was an awful recovery.) Do what makes you feel best, and don't worry about what others think.
All I know is that I was planning on getting the epidural before my labour...took it as planned...would do it again in a heartbeat...and it is NOT a sin in God's eyes and I don't regret it! Maybe those people who oppose it haven't been in labour before? I have no clue.
Hi, I'm 39 weeks pregnant and planning a natural birth. The reason I chose this is because epidurals can go wrong (I teach an anaesthetist and even he advised me against it) and that any use of drugs gets in the way of mother nature and literally "confuse" the body in various ways. Drugs can make labour longer as your inability to feel the contractions means you don't know when to push or are not as good at it and they can also make you dilate more slowly. After the birth they can either stop or delay your milk coming in and have a negative effect of the healing process (endorphins flood the body after a natural birth). I wouldn't say that pain relief doesn't affect the baby as anything you consume when pregnant gets passed on to him or her. You can see the difference between a new born after a natural birth as he or she looks "awake" and not completely drugged up. However, at the end of the day I think we are all free to make our own decisions. Child birth is really scary and anything that makes it easier should be considered.
I agree, but who cares, right? As long as you get the shot! People think because they didn't have the drugs back then that why should be able to handle it. But God gave us the knowledge and skills to advance, so, why not use it!
I have 2 children with another on the way, i too didnt know i was in labour with my first, but i had a long birth with him, i tried gas and air and didnt like it so the midwifes recommended pethidine, ( i refused to have an epidural ) this made me very drowsy, my husband said that i fell asleep when the midwifes were telling me to push. With my second, i knew i was in labour and because of my first experience i decided to hold off going to the hospital for as long as possible, i thought that if i could carry on doing normal things then it would take my mind off the pain, and it sort of worked, i had a drug free and very painful birth. I recently heard of a thing called Hypnobirthing, maybe you could look into that. http://www.hypnoclinic.net/
well i will tell you ok with my first i only had a short labour but being only 16 i wanted to have pain relief so i did and then with my second which was a pretty long labour i made it to the hospital too late to have the pain relief but i dont see why people should be for or against it either way it is only up to the parents of the baby congratulations by the way
I have had 4 babies, and am on my 5th pregnancy. I've done it with an epidural & demerol, no meds, morphine, and staidol. So from experience, I can tell you it really does affect you and the baby. Think of it as being a little like being drunk or hung over for the birth. But, it doesn't hurt the baby, anymore than getting high on pot one time will hurt you. Babies born w/epidural tend to have a harder time learing how to nurse in the beginning, but there's not likely to be any major damage unless you have an allergic reaction. If you really don't need it, then you should avoid it, but if you are crying or yelling, you need it, and you shouldn't feel bad about it. My first labor was a nightmare, because I had a reaction to the demerol (which I really didn't need, but the nurse talked me into it, because "you need the rest"), the second was too quick and easy for drugs, and the second two were both over 9 lbs, so it was a little more painful than I was used to. So I kinda oppose the use of pain relief, but only when they push it on you and you don't need it.