Usenet Writings

Pain Relief

My own experience

©1992 Beth Weiss, Posted to misc.kids Usenet newsgroup, July 28, 1992

I wrote this two weeks after my first child was born.

When I checked into the hospital to be induced, an anesthesiologist came to talk to me about epidurals.  Since I arrived just before shift change, I got visited twice, actually.  Both of them really stressed how they could "take the pain away", and make me "comfortable".  I didn't want an epidural (I actually wanted a drug-free birth--I didn't have one) in any case, and it turned out that it wasn't an option medically.  When the anesthesiologists reviewed my medical history and discovered an epidural was contraindicated, they kept saying they wouldn't be able to do much to make me comfortable--they didn't know anything at all about medication besides epidurals, spinal blocks, and general anesthesia. 

I really did feel they were "pushing" an epidural, although I don't know the epidural rate for the hospital.  Their c-section rate is the lowest in Tucson, though (but still fairly high 17% maybe?).

Our childbirth instructor was our doula, and was with us throughout my labor.  She knew that I wanted a drug-free birth (and has had 3 herself, as well as two c-sections, at least one of which was with general), but she warned me that with an induced labor I might need something for the pain, and not to get all wrapped up in the idea of a drug-free birth.  As it turned out, she was absolutely right, and I needed something to help me relax between contractions (which were 2 minutes apart for 11 hours). 

Recognizing going in that an induced labor could be rougher than a spontaneous labor, and knowing that my primary goal was to bring a healthy baby home from the hospital really helped me not get hung up on needing medication.