Posted on 03/04/2009 8:27:26 PM PST by Lorianne
Pregnant women are being denied epidurals during labour it has emerged. The strong anaesthetic which is injected directly into the spine, is a popular choice with mothers-to-be to help them cope with the extreme pain of childbirth.
And up to 60 per cent of first-time mums opt for an epidural in some regions.
But now new guidelines have categorised the procedure as unnatural in a bid to boost the number of women having traditional births.The aim is to reduce the number of women having epidurals or caesareans by up to 40%.
The recommendations are contained in a guidance document, Making Normal Birth a Reality, supported by the National Childbirth Trust with the backing of the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Many NHS Trusts have signed up to the guidelines. The report states that both mothers and doctors are too keen to resort to medical intervention in what is one of the most natural occurances on earth.
They say by rushing to administer an epidural or a conduct a caesarean they are creating other potential risks to mother and child.
One senior obstetrician condemned the implications of this policy as a ‘disgrace’ and raised concerns women would be branded abnormal.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Oh, well, to my recollection we never tried an epidural. Between space cadet almost hysterical nurses and doctors who managed to appear just in time - one didn’t - my girls just came on their own. Army medical system, you know...
Sorry, guys, don’t mean to bore you.
I attacked my doctor while I was in labor. He was “checking” me during a contraction. I told him to stop and he didn’t.
So I sat up and ripped both of his arms open with my nails.
It’s been 15 years and I’m still not sorry. :-)
Two of my four were sunny-side up. The fourth started out that way but turned in the birth canal. Do you happen to have a tilted uterus? I think that increases your chance of implanting in-front, which increases your chance of OP (face-up). With my third, the epidural didn’t “take”- they kept putting meds in but didn’t reposition it. She started out face up, got stuck on my pelvis (they didn’t believe something was wrong, until I screamed and refused to push anymore, because it didn’t feel right.) The doctor had to turn her manually. She still came out facing the side, with a hand by her face. My pelvis separated and her nose appeared to have been broken.
Never threw up, though- just got the shakes during transition!
yes! - I am tipped. Or tilted - or whatever you want to call it.
Big babies - tilted uterus = epidural.
Somehow I managed to avoid c-sections.
Baby #5 - they were prepping me for emergency c-section when an overly aggressive nurse decided to puch on my belly and pop him under my bone.
It worked!
Methinks the UK is less concerned with natural childbirth as they are with the cost of the epidural.
—funny how government is supposed to get out of bedroom when conceiving, but re-enters in the delivery room.
I was born on a "US owned property" and was delivered by two USAF doctors who were literally reading a "how to" manual with a friend of my dad's wife basically making sure the doctors didn't screw anything up.
15 years later my mom was pregnant at 38 with my youngest brother back in the states and loved her OB/GYN doctor. She would recount to him on every visit how much she hated "military doctors" and how she would rather give birth in a field than have to depend on a "military doctor" and how glad she was that she had a "real doctor" to get her through this delivery. Mom said that he was such a great doctor and that the labor and delivery was so easy that she actually thought about having 2 more kids.
He came to see her as she was packing up and getting ready to take my little brother home from the hospital when she once again told him what a great doctor he was and reminded him about how she felt about "military doctors" when he told her he had to make a confession, he had retired from the US Navy.
She was so embarrassed and asked him why he hadn't told her that from the beginning, he said, "are you kidding, I learned enough in the military to know you never piss off a pregnant woman!"
By pure coincidence my son was born on Memorial day 12 years later and my wife's OB/GYN was off for the day. That same doctor was on call and ended up delievering my son. My mom was tickled pink and when he realised who my mom was the first thing he asked her was whether or not she has had anymore military doctors.
Me too....I had them when my wife had all our kids....but with the grandchildren and great grandchildren I've done without....much better!
Not for me.
Well, easier in the sense that you know what’s coming, but just as difficult as far as pain, and all that.
I’ve done it both ways, and preferred “natural”, but that’s me. I have seen women who clearly did not know how it was going to feel or how to handle the pain. They thrash around and scream; you can hear then all over the floor, depending on the setup of the hospital. Those women need an epidural, if only to maintain a sense of calm about themselves and to prevent panic in themselves.
My first son was caught by the ER doc, the second son was caught by the ER nurses. No epis, no episotomey, nothing. 45 minutes of labor. Still had to pay full price to the OB doc who didn’t make it either time. I had decided if I had any more I’d just stay home and save a lot of time and money.
Now, I get epis for a back condition every few months. They are heaven when they work. Never had a problem with the big needle, except fear the first time. The first time it took 6 sticks to find a space between the bones to inject the meds. After that, the rest have been a piece of cake.
A third baby is usally easier after the first two.
This is purely choice here,,to deny epidurals as “unnatural” is disgusting, to save money is the real issue.
ANd to not do a C section when indicated is a recipe for disaster.
Govt has no place in making these decisions, based on economic issues not what is best for Mother and Baby.
Yeah but the US has way too many c sections... something like 25%!
I’m getting ready for my first and I’m worried about ending up with a c section like my mom did... she had eight c sections. Ugh.
“way too many”? Compared to what?
I don’t know if we have too many but I do know that they save baby from brain damage, death and the effects of prolonged labor. ANd the Mother at times from eclampsia and other life threatening maternal conditions.
I don’ tknow if there are truly too many or if there aren’t enough.
Compared to other countries with similar rates of mothers and children surviving childbirth. American doctors won’t risk a bad outcome they could get sued for, so they jump the gun on c sections.
My mother went to the hospital too early, was laid flat on her back for 36 hours, and then told she wasn’t progressing and needed a c section. Well yeah, if you do that labor often stops. If she had been allowed to move around she probably could have given birth naturally.
Inducing leads to higher rates of c sections, and doctors will induce if they suspect the baby is too big (but their measurements are not reliable) or is 40 weeks and 1 day late (even though studies show first time moms usually go 41 weeks).
1 in 4 births do not need to be surgical. If that’s the case then there’s something really really wrong with American women.
“risking a bad outcome”,,you assume that is to protect themselves. Maybe risking a bad outcome is bad for baby and Mother.
One case does not make the rule for all.
Surving childbirth is not the only outcome to be measured. The condition of the baby is the mostl important. Delivery is long and can be arduous and the baby’s brain can suffer and that is what most are concerned about.
I am counting myself lucky. When I was 21 and had my first baby I would just let myself go like a rag doll whenever the pain started. Because I have what people would claim were Braxton Hicks for about a month my actual labors never took more than four hours. When I had baby 5, the pain only got really bad in transition when I was getting frustrated that the baby hadn’t been born yet. Then, I had panicked. My kids still tease me about saying, “Owie!” That was the worst of it.
LOL! I like your description. I make other women annoyed when I say the I have had constipation that hurt worse than labor. The same people who don’t believe I never yelled at or swore at my husband while I was in labor. With my last baby, my midwife thought my husband was so romantic because he would whisper in my ear. He was really making funny comments, so I would laugh. When I got whiny, he helped me to our room, stroked my back through the contraction and said I had already previously had a ten pound baby. I could do this. He was so sweet.
Took two classes of lamaze. Didn’t take the third when I found out it was going to be about what could go wrong during delivery. I do remember the refreshments of strawberries, cheese, and oatmeal cookies, though. To this day that is comfort food. As for the breathing I do a slow, low breathing technique that just seemed natural and I started doing it on my own. Used it through each labor. Use it now if I am in pain for some reason or trying to keep my temper. When I do that my husband will tease me with Robin Williams’ routines, “Let’s breathe honey...”
Epidurals are wonderful.
I have nothing to compare, natural for both mine. My first labor was 22 hours and the second was 7. I had a supportive loving husband and wonderful midwives. The only way I would do it.
BTW...I know 2 people who had complications from epiduals one has permanent nerve damage and the other had an allergic reaction to the meds given.
And I know out of all the epidurals given these are just 2 cases, but this does happen...
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