When pregnant, many expecting mothers are faced with a very tough decision, the decision to have an epidural during labor or to have a natural birth. Both methods have negative and positive aspects. This topic has such conflicting views that about 50% of women decide to get an epidural when going into labor and the other 50% of women choose the alternative: natural childbirth. It is important for an expecting mother to look into both options thoroughly to ensure they make the best choice for both themselves and for their child. With all of the speculations circulating about both options, it is hard for mothers to see the truth about both epidurals and natural childbirth.
In order to be completely informed a mother needs to know what exactly an epidural is and how it works. An epidural is the most popular form of pain relief during labor. An epidural is a regional pain reducer. An epidural is analgesia, which is meant for pain relief. This is much different than an anesthesia, which provides total lack of feeling to a region of the body. Epidurals are giving intravenously. There are two types of epidurals a woman can get. The first method is a regular epidural. In a regular epidural, after the catheter is in place, a combination of narcotic and anesthesia is administered either by a pump or by periodic injections into the epidural space. The second type of epidural is a combined spinal-epidural, these are often called the “”walking epidural”. In this type of epidural, an initial dose of narcotic, anesthetic or a combination of the two is injected beneath the outermost membrane covering the spinal cord.
Then after threading a catheter through the needle, the anesthesiologist will withdraw the needle and leave the catheter i...
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...other can move around more freely and find positions that help her stay comfortable during labor. Natural child birth is also a very intimate process. Your partner can be involved in the process as you work together to manage your pain (2013, November).
Along with the many advantages there are some disadvantages with natural childbirth. The main disadvantage is the pain that is associated with natural childbirth. Without any medicine the pain of labor is very intense, and this is what turns most mothers off from this method. However, there are various breathing, and movement methods that are meant to decrease the pain.
Works Cited
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McCutcheon, S. (1984). Natural childbirth the Bradley way.
"Natural Childbirth." Babycenter. BabyCenter, L.L.C, n.d. Web. 17 Nov 2013.
Phillips, S. (2005, November). epidurals: fact vs. fiction.
The use of epidurals is so common today that many perinatal professionals are calling the 1990s the age of the epidural epidemic. Believed by many in the medical profession to be safe and effective, the epidural seems now to be regarded as a veritable panacea for dealing with the pain of childbirth. It is true that most women experience pain during the course of labor. This pain can be intense and very real, even for those who have prepared for it. But pain is only one of many possible sensations and experiences that characterize the experience of giving birth. Barbara Katz Rothman, a sociologist who studies birth in America, writes that in the medical management of childbirth, the experience of the mother is viewed by physicians as pain: pain experienced and pain to be avoided.1 Having experienced childbirth ourselves, we have great compassion for women in painful labors. However, we also feel a responsibility to mothers and their babies to explore issues concerning the use of epidural anesthesia in labor issues that are seldom discussed prenatally.
The first outcome: 100 % of the staff will comply with hourly rounding and promptly answer call lights. Will be accompanied by the following activities: laminated sheets and markers will be placed in each postpartum/post epidural mothers room. The nurse on duty will initial each hourly round that she/he complies to. Signs reading, "To prevent a fall, please call" will be hung in every postpartum/post epidural mothers room. The second outcome: 100% of the staff will be able to assess the maternal mother's deep tendon reflexes and motor strength (using the motor strength scale) prior to receiving an epidural to use as a baseline and again once the epidural is discontinued. Will be accompanied by the activity: initial and annual training courses will be mandated for all ante and postpartum nurses.
Induction of labor comes with many risks. According to Moore & Low (2012), when patients opt to induce their labor,
Why should I have a natural birth, “You don’t get a medal for going without drugs, you know.” Why go through the pain when you can get an injection that can take away just enough of the pain that you can still enjoy the labor? “There is no shame in asking for an epidural,” said Dr. Cynthia Wong of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University. In the United States more than 80% of pregnant women are now having c-sections. Epidurals give the mothers a chance to participate in the delivery and actually enjoy it. You can also get a walking epidural so that you can still push during the labor and cope with the pain.
A description can never be as vivid as an event that has been experienced. An experience can never be as defining as an event that has left you changed. Under the intensity of childbirth, you're more likely to remember details that would otherwise go unnoticed. All the scenes come together to leave a permanent imprint on the mind's eye.
The version of childbirth that we’re used to is propagated by television and movies. A woman, huge with child, is rushed to the hospital when her water breaks. She is ushered into a delivery room and her husband hovers helplessly as nurses hook her up to IVs and monitors. The woman writhes in pain and demands relief from the painful contractions. Narcotic drugs are administered through her IV to dull the pain, or an epidural is inserted into the woman’s spine so that she cannot feel anything below her waist. When the baby is ready to be born, the doctor arrives dressed in surgical garb. The husband, nurses and doctor become a cheerleading squad, urging the woman to, “Push!” Moments later, a pink, screaming newborn is lifted up for the world to see. Variations on this theme include the cesarean section, where the woman is wheeled to the operating room where her doctors remove the baby through an incision in her abdomen.
For this generation caesarean section is a very popular way to give birth without having as many pain as normal delivery. From the research I know how the caesarean was invented and what are the affects of caesarean birth. Even though C-section birth is very popular but there still are some problems with C-section. However, Women are more interested on having C-section. This way of giving birth has some negative effects on the mother and also brings many problems to the
An X-ray may be taken to make sure the catheter is in the right place.
To be able to nourish a baby naturally can also help a new mother feel reassured in her ability to care for her baby. Which enables the mother and infant to connect on an emotional level and get to know one another. Knowing the babies cues before he/she begins to cry can help develop a healthy relationship between mother and infant. Breast milk is also convenient and readily available at the right temperature for a baby to eat. A woman...
For women, almost every aspect of their life is critiqued. Women “must learn to be hungry” or fear ridicule for having “hairy legs and armpits”. Pain, mental or physical, is everywhere in a woman 's life, even beyond what their shamed constantly for from “the pain of rejection.... the pain of recovery... the pain of nursing... the pain of arguing with your husband while your child is on the other room”. At a certain point pain loses all its ability to be motivating or instructional, and just becomes pain. Emotional or physical, it makes no difference, the discomfort is a natural response for your body telling you to stop. For women, epidurals answer the simple question “why not do the thing that makes you happy?”. The pain that comes with childbirth is easily avoidable and no way necessarily to most women. When it comes to epidurals, the options are simple; Either you go against society telling you endure the pain and choose what’s right for you, or you suffer the pain and hope that somehow you learned your lesson. For most, it’s an easy decision to save the pain for
... Every mother is different and every delivery is different. But one thing that is always in common is the pain endured during child birth. Though there are many different ways to deliver a baby, they all involve a degree of pain. Some deliveries last a long time and are terribly painful and exhausting, yet others can be quick and less painful. The delivery can never be predicted. Once the delivery is over and the baby is in the arms of the loving parents the pain is usually forgotten and joy consumes them.
Advantages of active labour are shown throughout the article, starting with the woman’s preparation to ensure an active birth is possible. The use of props are encouraged, such as chairs, beanbags or birthing balls(Steen, 2007 cited in Steen, 2012 pg 35) which - the article states - would help and enable her to adopt positions to find most comfortable during labour (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2007). Examples of this being used in midwifery practice are often found on midwifery led birthing units, labour suites and antenatal wards where the use of such equipment is used frequently. The use of props in the first stages of labour can not only aid her comfort but also help her feel more in control of her labour and birth (National Childbirth Trust, 2010) and feel empowered by her decision making.
MacDorman said, "Women who give birth at home in the U.S. are more likely to be white, married, and have had previous children than women who give birth in the hospital”. When MacDorman said that most white women give birth at home, the thought of Mexican women came to my mind that they might have also given birth at home. Women who give birth at home are also more likely to be lower-risk— they are less likely to be teenagers, deliver prematurely, have babies with low birth weight, or have multiples (MacDorman). For all women that plan to give birth at home, they should keep in mind that home birth isn’t safe for all women. Meaning for example, women who had a C-section, or who are pregnant with multiples (twins, triplets) shouldn’t have a home birth. Also if the baby is not coming in the positioned correctly or if the women has high blood pressure and desire pain relief meaning for example the epidural. Some of the benefits of delivering at home are having more control over the action, delivering in a familiar setting (with friends and family members). Some of its cons are, the insurance policy may not cover any associated costs which means paying from your pocket. Women are more likely to be transferred to the hospital in case of an
It was August 8th, 2008 when my mom’s back pain began. After waiting almost two weeks past my brother’s due date, she finally went into labor, preparing to give birth to her third child. She had given birth to me at age twenty, and six years later she gave birth to my 10 lb 7 oz sister; she was no stranger to the pain of labor. As the doctors prepared for my little brother, they went to give my mom the epidural shot she had requested and used in both of her past labors. They’re supposed to make the pain you’re in more bearable. The last complication my mother expected was one from an epidural shot. The OBGYNs should be able to do that with their eyes closed; yet, as they inserted the needle into my mom’s back, she felt slightly uncomfortable,
Two of those include delivery at a hospital or at a birth center. Hospitals deliveries can vary from traditional hospital births with a separate labor room, delivery room, and after birth room to a family-centered care hospital where labor, delivery, and recovery are all in the same room and the baby stays with the mother most of the time (KidsHealth, 2016). Depending on the hospital, a certified nurse-midwife may be an option for those who choose to go that route. A benefit of having a baby in the hospital is, should anything go wrong, it is well equipped with doctors, staff, and supplies to support that situation. A downside could be giving birth in an environment that is not necessarily warm and inviting. A birth center can provide an environment that is more comfortable and the woman can eat, drink, and move around as she wishes (KidsHealth, 2016). Birth centers may have a nurse, midwife, or doula but usually no doctor. Usually women who are considered low risk, in good health (no gestational diabetes or high blood pressure), and have a baby who is not in breech position are good candidates for a birth center (KidsHealth, 2016). Birth centers offer private rooms with whirlpool tubs. They have medical equipment available and mild narcotics for pain. If a woman wants an epidural, she must go to the hospital since birth centers do not administer them. It is important to look at what a hospital and birth center can and cannot offer when deciding where one would be most comfortable giving