What do you think of mom’s who CHOOSE to get pain relief during labor?
March 2nd, 2009 | by Michael |
She’s a FiRE ? CRACKER! asked:
Do you think any less of them?
Do you think mothers who chose NO pain relief are stronger mothers?
THOMAS
Do you think any less of them?
Do you think mothers who chose NO pain relief are stronger mothers?
THOMAS
40 Responses to “What do you think of mom’s who CHOOSE to get pain relief during labor?”
By »-(¯`v´¯)-» Mark's Wifee ? on Mar 4, 2009 | Reply
Gosh no. Child birth is child birth, it’s no cake walk either way.
I had the epidural and still felt enough pain to last me a lifetime!
But I couldn’t be closer to my son if I had him with NO pain medication …………………….. and delivered him out of my nose!
By Baby #1 Due Nov. 20th <3 on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
I think that its the mothers decision……
It doesnt make them any less/more strong of a mother if they get pain reliever or not…..
Its a personal choice.
By ?j-LyNn? on Mar 6, 2009 | Reply
I choose to get pain relief….does that make me a bad mother? Absolutely not. I salute the women who have a natural birth, but I could never do it. Pain tolerance has NOTHING to do with being a mother.
By grumpbear on Mar 7, 2009 | Reply
no i was one of those moms and i think i am just as strong a mother as someone who didnt have drugs…..i wanted my labor to be something i loved and not something i look back on w ith misery saying i never want kids again which some mothers have said who havent had drugs..,,i believe its a personal choice but i dont believe your a better mother for not having drugs and anyone who does think that i would tell them off
By HD on Mar 10, 2009 | Reply
I think that moms who are scared of feeling anything at all during labor and go into it wanting less pain than a trip to the dentest are sissies. Pain relief is personal, I used it, but I didn’t obsess or freak out when things were painful. You are sqeezing a head out of your ****** for goodness sakes…… it isn’t a walk in the park.
By Mindy M on Mar 11, 2009 | Reply
who cares if you got an epidural or not? your there to give birth to your child….thats the outcome everyone gets and wants…so why would anyone think less of someone just because they got an epidural…
By Randy B on Mar 12, 2009 | Reply
All things being equil, why the heck would someone choose to have pain when they don’t need to? It just seems foolish to me
By arial39 on Mar 12, 2009 | Reply
i think if you find the time to look down on mothers who choose pain relief, you more then likely have never given birth.
By bailezra on Mar 14, 2009 | Reply
I don’t think one is any better than the other.
I would never go in and have a root canal or an appendectomy without pain medication, so I am not sure why women feel the need to absolutely rule out the idea of pain meds for what will likely be one of the most painful experiences of their lives.
I had to be induced with my son, since my water broke, and while I didn’t ask for the epidural right away, after laboring for 13 hours with no end in sight (I was stuck at 7 cm forever), and having excruciating contractions one on top of the other, I was exhausted. If the doctor had told me I would be ready to deliver within the hour, I probably would have stuck it out. But I was already exhausted, and there was a distinct possibility that I might be laboring for another 10-11 hours. I finally gave in to my doctor’s recommendation to have the epidural, and I was glad I did.
I gave it the old “college try,” but I also needed to make sure I had enough energy left for the delivery. Turns out to have been a moot point, since I had a c-section.
By ?? Mummy ?? Earth ?? on Mar 17, 2009 | Reply
i chose only gas and air but its nothing to do with me what anyone else chooses and it certainly doesnt give me the right to pass judgement on those who made a different choice than me.
a strong mother doesnt come down to what pain med you chose in labour. it comes down to looking after, loving and protecting your children. what you chose during labour is irrelevent. and if it was really that bad, the pain meds wouldnt be available to take during labour. each to their own
By Kate on Mar 20, 2009 | Reply
I wanted to be “the strong one” but I wish I had gotten the epidural a lot sooner so I could rest because after 28 hour with hardly any sleep I was to tierd to bond with my baby.
By Terri C on Mar 20, 2009 | Reply
I think it’s a personal preference thing. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different too! I had epidurals with both boys and nothing with both girls! Why suffer if you don’t have to?! You’ll be sore afterwords eitherway, why suffer THROUGH it? But everyone is entitled to do what THEY want to do. Remember, it’s still YOUR body, you’re just temporarily sharing it! : )
By trinket503 on Mar 23, 2009 | Reply
I think any women who gets an epidural during labor is a very SMART woman I had no pain medication with my first child and I must say that I thought I was going to die. So I had an epidural with my second child It was the best thing ever If I ever have another child I will absolutely have an epidural again
By frustrated on Mar 26, 2009 | Reply
I have my first child natural, no paid med at all and I will NEVER forget the pain. The second two children I was ready for the needle! I love the epidural!
By Brittany on Mar 28, 2009 | Reply
I don’t think any less of them at all! I mean if you can go through labor naturally, good for you. But my goodness, it would HURT!
If you have the epidural at your disposal, and you are in pain, by all means GET IT! This is the future, and we have relief for things like this. Take advantage of it!
((Edit))
Why go through pain if you don’t have to!? Totally agreed! 
LOL at Randy B’s answer
By Anna on Mar 31, 2009 | Reply
I don’t think it really matters if a mother chooses to have pain relief or not. As long as the baby arrives happy and healthy that is all that counts. It’s a personal decision and the ability to parent the kids has nothing to do with it.
By McMom on Apr 2, 2009 | Reply
“What is a troll?
A “troll” is someone who intentionally and persistently posts inflammatory messages about sensitive topics to bait users into responding or provoke a confrontation. We also consider people to be trolls when they persistently misuse product features such as the ratings system to negatively target others.”
–ETA — Pain relief comes with risks, for the mother, and the baby, to take pain relief before it is absolutely necessary (IE emergency c-section) is foolish to say the least.
By Olimpia 2066 on Apr 3, 2009 | Reply
Think the ones who don’t take any are crazy! I went most of my labor without it the doctor told me I was doing great. Then something like clicked and all a sudden it was a nother sort of hell I never felt before. And I paniced and knew I needed medication. Good luck!
By lacldc on Apr 4, 2009 | Reply
I was too far gone for an epidural by the time I got to the hospital so had to make do with gas & air and I still felt every second of it. Someone said to me you don’t get a medal for giving birth with no pain relief get everything you can to make it as best as you can! I got a beautiful baby girl for ‘our’ efforts and I parade her like a medal!
By j3brat on Apr 4, 2009 | Reply
I have had labor with and without an epidural, I don’t feel like I am a stronger woman because I labored w/o pain relievers.
By bettany on Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
What do I think of moms who choose to get pain relief during labor? Someone who wants to enjoy one of their most profound moments in life in a little less pain! I call them smart!
No I do not think less of them–I think our job here on earth is to help ease others suffering.
I can think of a few reasons why mother’s would choose no pain relief. They are afraid it might harm the baby, and their religion has them programed that they must be like EVE of ADAM and EVE and suffer in pain because Eve sinned and got ADAM into trouble. It eases their guilt in someway.
They used to put woman to sleep when they delivered and when you woke up your little bundle was all swaddled ready to be bottle fed because woman were told not to nurse. That’s the story my mom told me.
Then woman’s liberation came along and husbands fought to be in the delivery room, and things kind of changed.
Excellent question–I hope the answers you have received help you!
By Lorraine A on Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
Its completely up to the mother in labour to ask for what she wishes and I wouldnt think otherwise about them. Im the worlds worst wimp when it comes to pain and when I was in a 12 hour labour, all I had was gas and air. I **** needles and obviously had to have them for blood and stitches etc but I didnt want an epidural or pethadine. I dont think im a stronger mother just because I had no pain relief. And id hardly call gas and air a pain relief as I still felt those awful contractions and tore in 3 places!
By Leah S on Apr 9, 2009 | Reply
No, I do not think less of them and most people who do are not very educated about the process. Childbirth is not a macho “who’s the tougher mom” competition. An epidural is administered directly to the spine to act as a nerve block for the lower body. The drug never comes in contact with the baby and has no adverse effects on it. On the other hand, lessened pain has been shown to reduce the mothers stress levels and tension, as well as the levels of chemicals produced by her body in reaction to the pain (chemicals the baby DOES come in contact with, and CAN be harmful). Reducing the amount of stress for the mother during labor is crucial to an easier labor and birth, and the easier the birth, the better the condition of the baby when it’s born. That is why there are so many pregnancy classes that teach relaxation and breathing techniques for labor. Other pain relief drugs can come into contact with the baby, but none of them will hurt the little one. The baby may be born a bit, well, stoned though. There are certain risks with any drug that’s going to come into contact with the baby, but if it isn’t a drug you react badly to the risk is minimal.
Another thing to consider is the risk of a C-section. A mother who is having a difficult labor runs a very real risk of getting too physically worn out from struggling with the pain to push when the time comes. Vaginal birth pushes fluid out of a baby’s lungs and stimulates a variety of responses within their bodies that make those first few moments a lot less risky. You don’t have those benefits with a C-section, and I personally feel that exposing a baby to a tiny amount of a pain medication is far better than a C-section when one didn’t have to happen.
Personally, I feel the best option is to go without pain relief as long as possible and request it if and when you feel you need it. That way the baby is exposed to as small an amount of the medication as possible but the labor will also go as smoothly as possible. Best for mom and baby.
By linedancer563 on Apr 9, 2009 | Reply
I am thankful I had pain relief when I delivered my daughter. I had to be induced, which means quicker, more painful contractions. Plus, the doctor ended up having to use both the forceps, and vacuum. It hurt like hell WITH the epidural. I don’t know I would have made it through without it.
I’m not sure if your asking because you’re curious, or because you think this one choice actually makes a difference on ones strength as a mother. If it’s the latter, then your sadly mistaken. I know women who had epidurals who are the greatest mommies you’ll ever meet. And some who did it the natural way, and have no business being mothers. And vice versa, of course.
I think mothers who do what they believe is right for their child, who loves them unconditionally, and who will always be there are the stronger mothers. It was nothing to do with how much pain you felt during delivery.
*I’ve also found that women who DIDN’T have an epidural seem to think it’s some wonder-drug that takes away all feeling, and lets you lounge around and laugh during the whole process. Definitely not true. Plus, the pain is actually worse for the epidural-using mommies after baby is born. Epi wearing off=feeling all the pain the drug actually managed to block.
By mrs.mama21 on Apr 9, 2009 | Reply
I’ve been both.
My first birth was medicated, and in a hospital.
My 2nd birth was all natural and at a birthing center.
With my first child, I was totally clueless about the short and long term effects of the stadol and epidural. I just wanted to escape the pain, and I was scared. Ultimately, it slowed my labor, forced me to push while on my back, caused distress in my baby and I, and resulted in a vaccum assisted birth and a deep episiotomy. The drugs also contributed to juandice in my baby, which made breastfeeding a real pain for the first 3 weeks, and required at home treatment for jaundice for my daughter.
When I looked back, I decided the drugs had not been worth it for me. Its a perfectly acceptable decision for other women, but I decided not to use that route for myself ever again. I did a lot of research over the course of about 2 years, and when I became pregnant with my 2nd daughter, I decided to have a natural, midwife attended birth.
I am extremely happy with my decision. Being educated and prepared for birth made all the difference in the world. I used the Hypnobabies home study course to learn deep relaxation and focusing techiniques, and I labored in water which also made things far more comfortable.
My medicated labor was 38 awful hours.
My 2nd non-medicated labor progressed from 3cm to 10cm in ONE HOUR. My water was broken for 48 hours prior to that, but I wasnt having labor pains in that time, so it was simply just a matter of waiting and relaxing. The whole experience was peaceful and wonderful. I would do it all again a hundred times before I’d give birth in a hospital with drugs again.
I dont look down on a mother, no matter what her choice about labor is. I do advocate being as educated as possible, so a woman knows she has options and can be in control of her own birth.
Going natural wasnt about proving a point or anything. It was simply about wanting a better experience for myself and my baby, and I knew that in OUR case, natural was the best choice.
I can relate to both sides of the issue, and I think that moms should just make the best decision for them.
Medicated births are more likely to result in c-sections, however, and c-sections increase the infant and maternal mortality risk. Those are things that moms should know and understand before choosing drugs.
***Now that I know the risks involved with a medicated birth, I have a hard time understanding why a woman would put her child and herself at risk, just for the sake of a few hours of “relief”. Trouble is, many women dont KNOW about the risks. I was that same woman a few years ago. We need to all take responsibility for our bodies, and make a point to UNDERSTAND the decisions we make about our pregnancies, labors, and births. Doctors arent teachers. Its not their job to educate us about these things. I wrongly assumed that my own doctor would properly inform me about my various choices. I just went with the flow. It was a mistake, and I’m glad I learned from it. I just wish it could have been avoided in the first place. I’ve lived, I’ve learned. Labor doesnt HAVE to be painful or scary, even WITHOUT medications.
By mammywebb on Apr 10, 2009 | Reply
Not at all..Every child birth is different, i had gas and air only and only had it 5hrs 15mins into an 8hr 45min labour but that dont make me any stronger than someone who had gas and air plus other pain releif or someone who had pain relief for a longer length of time…All mothers are brave for going thru it…No one is better than anyone else
By Waiting for Summer on Apr 12, 2009 | Reply
I don’t think any less of moms who choose pain relief. I’ve not heard too many moms who go natural criticize other moms for choosing pain relief. In fact, I’ve heard the opposite a lot more. Some of the other answerers have made similar comments (it’s smart to choose pain meds, for example). It’s a personal choice. I had a natural labor with my daughter and labored for a very short amount of time. In 3 pushes her head was out. She was very alert, ate right away and never had any problems latching on. I was alert as well and able to get up out of bed right away. My recovery was quick and I didn’t tear or need stitches. I personally credit my midwife and the lack of pain meds for those things. I had a wonderful birth experience and barely remember the pain. I plan on laboring as long as possible without pain meds for my second baby too. Those are my personal reasons why I chose to go natural and I’m sure other moms feel differently.
Birth is a personal experience and as women and mothers, we should be supportive, not critical, of one another’s choices.
By mary m on Apr 14, 2009 | Reply
NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!! no women should fel ashamed of havinfg the epidural and it does NOT make you any less stronger mother! I had one and id have it again coz it eased the pain and believe me you still feel your bundle of joy entering the world
By its_victoria08 on Apr 17, 2009 | Reply
It’s about personal preference.
I have absolutely no thought of wanting pain relief during childbirth.
Another person may not have as high a tolerance level as me. And besides, I’m really into doing things as natural as possible, meaning cloth diapers, home-made baby food, all that jazz.
There are side effects to the epideral, however, that I don’t think many moms take into account. It can make recovery last much longer, and it can actually cause the baby to be more lethargic during the first week. When human babies are born naturally, they have the strength to pull themselves from the mother’s pelvis to her ****** and begin suckling on their own. They are born with that ability. Babies born by a mother who has had an epidural, however, cannot do this.
By Hayley on Apr 19, 2009 | Reply
I think its the mothers choice.. I wouldnt think any less of anyone who used pain relief its childbirth and it hurts.
By #2 due on May 18! on Apr 21, 2009 | Reply
I don’t think any less of them, but I choose not to have pain relief myself.
I had a home birth with my almost four year old, and i’m planning on having another one with this baby.
I think it is a decision that every woman has to make for herself. It is definitely a painful and personal experience, that every woman handles in her own way. For me, the benefits of being able to give birth in the comfort of my home, without the cold sterility of a hospital, outweighed the idea of havign something for pain.
to each her own.
By ginger4cmb on Apr 23, 2009 | Reply
child birth is HARD and VERY PAINFUL!!! if i can get a SAFE dose of pain medication, BRING IT ON
i used pain meds while i was in labor. it doesnt make me less strong, it just hurts like hell! i am as strong now as i was before.
By tory43215678...*RF*. on Apr 24, 2009 | Reply
No I do not think less of them.
No, I do not think they are “stronger” mothers.
What about you?
By Deborah P on Apr 26, 2009 | Reply
Its a mothers right to choose whether she wants something for the pain. I got an epi after IV meds didn’t work. And my sister in law had 2 epi’s(1 with c-section) and 1 natural drug free..It’s a mothers right to say she needs something for the pain…
By Bugsy on Apr 28, 2009 | Reply
No and no.
Thanks for the points.
By C J on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
I dont think any less of them at all nor do I think mothers who choose no pain relief are stronger. I went all natural, at home births. My pain relief was positions and it worked wonders. But for some women thats just not the best choice for them. I think making the right choice for you and your situation is what makes you a strong mother.
By lilly_mom_pr on Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
I didnt get any… I wanted it to be as natural as possible. Thebaby receives all the medication the mother gets and I didn’t really want that for my son.
But I think its a personal decision… I guess some women think they need it…
By EvansMommy on May 1, 2009 | Reply
Why in the world would I think any less of them.It’s not like you are any better or anything if you go without pain relief.Either way baby gets here,so it doesn’t matter.I would NEVER judge anyone who decided to get pain relief.Yes I had an epidural.It speed up my labor & made it very managable.I don’t regret it in the least.It also didn’t hurt my child.Why have pain when you don’t have to is how I look at it.If you wanna go all-natural,by all means go for it.But don’t belittle or judge other moms who don’t want to go that route.You aren’t any better than them or vice verse.There are risks with just about everything in life.My child was also not “lethagic” for the first week lol.He was bright eyed and alert seconds after he was born & wasn’t “stoned’
Can’t live in a bubble.
By PROUD BREASTFEEDIN' TEEN MOM on May 1, 2009 | Reply
of course people is going to think we are less…
here in the USA you can get the medication… kuz’ this country is advanced in everything…
but like other country… not…..
when i told my mama about the pain relief… she was like…. OMG… LUCKY…. “than you don’t really know how hard is to gave birth”…… the 1 that not chose to have it… THEY ARE STRONGER….
so i guess WE ARE LUCKY…….
By BoSox27 on May 4, 2009 | Reply
Of course I don’t think less of them, and I certainly don’t think I’m stronger than them. Childbirth is a great ordeal, with or without drugs. It’s a matter of preference, really.