Pregnant women denied epidurals 'to boost traditional births'

Daily Mail ^ | 02nd March 2009 | Julie Moult

[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.

[kalee]

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/childbirth/exwc2.htm

Spinal headache info

[DJ MacWoW]

Sounds like you have the scenario down pat. I had all 3 kids by 3 different doctors at 3 different hospitals. They were all different. lol

[DJ MacWoW]

Talk about space cadet nurses......with my second, I tried calling the nurse to tell her there’d been a change. She argued that she’d just checked and I had a long way to go. I kept calling her and she finally came in and said, “OMG! You’re crowning!” Duh!

[DJ MacWoW]

Scotch might have worked out better for you. :-)

[DJ MacWoW]

A third baby is usually easier after the first two.

Sometimes. But there was 10 years in between number 2 and number 3. And I was 34 the last time. Two boys and then 10 years and my girl. She said she was an oops. We told her she was a gift.

[dfwgator]

Bill Cosby put it best as to what childbirth feels like, “take your bottom lip and pull it up over your head.”

[DJ MacWoW]

I was told to lie flat and not pick up my head. How can you do that and eat? I got a headache. And then blew chunks. The third was definitely better. I agree that women need the choice.

[SkyDancer]

Yeah, I heard that one .... what a riot!

[potlatch]

[I wonder what Zero’s angry wife thinks about this.]

No ‘son’ for the ZERO, lol.
The libs are doing all they can to curtail the birth of new babies. Young women now are probably scared to give birth without that form of medication.

[ArmyTeach]

That about parallels my experience! I was progressing - rather comfortably overall - up to 6 and then pop! my three lovely daughters made their efficient and graceful appearance. One at a time. The only nurse I didn’t catch unawares was with my third. She actually listened and looked at me closely when I explained how I do things. I taught myself Lamaze - no classes in the area in those days - and practiced diligently for 6 1/2 months. Don't know if that had anything to do with it.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

cost cutting measure in a socialized medicine world :-(

[DJ MacWoW]

Some nurses actually listen and some think they know it all. With the third, they assumed that I had had Lamaze classes when I hadn’t. They were nasty until they caught on. They didn’t have classes when the other 2 were born. So I knew nothing about them 10 years later.