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Local lass · Calnetalk Oracle Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 4792 Status:

copied from bbc web

The pain of childbirth may have benefits on which women who opt for painkilling epidurals miss out, a senior male midwife has said.

Dr Denis Walsh, associate professor in midwifery at Nottingham University, said pain was a "rite of passage" which often helped regulate childbirth.

He said it helped strengthen a mother's bond with her baby, and prepared her for the responsibility of motherhood.

But an obstetrician said epidurals were an important option for some women.

Do not under-estimate the pain of having a baby - it is a very, very intense and painful experience

Dr Maggie Blott
Consultant obstetrician
Dr Walsh, who wrote on the subject in the journal Evidence Based Midwifery, agreed that in some cases epidurals were very useful.

But he said epidural rates had been rising over the last 20 years, despite the fact that alternative, less invasive ways to manage pain in labour were available.

He said pain in labour was known to have positive physiological effects, such as helping to establish a rhythm to childbirth.

It also triggered the release of endorphins which helped women to adjust to pain.

Dr Walsh said epidurals were known to increase the risk that hormone treatment would be needed to boost contractions, and that devices such as forceps would be needed to complete the birth successfully.

He said: "I am concerned that if we increase epidural rates we do not know the long-term impacts of that."

But he warned that a culture had emerged where most hospitals effectively offered women epidurals on demand.

Official figures show the number of mothers receiving an epidural rose from 17% in 1989 to 1990 to 33% in 2007 to 2008.

Dr Walsh said the NHS should encourage alternative ways to deal with pain such as yoga, hypnosis, massage and birthing pools.

Very useful

Dr Maggie Blott, consultant obstetrician at University College London, agreed that pain could help aid the physiology of labour, and that alternative ways to manage pain were available.

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She said: "There are some labours which are very prolonged, some are very complicated, and we need to have epidurals available so that women have access to them if they need them.

"Do not under-estimate the pain of having a baby - it is a very, very intense and painful experience.

"If it is happening hour after hour in a very prolonged labour it is very tiring and wears people down and I think epidurals are very useful in that situation."

Dr Blott also stressed that the use of forceps, or other devices to aid birth was a relatively simple procedure, which many women would prefer to enduring pain over long periods.

Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, offered support for her colleague.

She said: "At the moment it is very easy for most women to ask for an epidural, and if they want one they definitely should get one.

"But what Denis is saying is that we want to make sure that women get other options, and that they do get really good support from midwives."

Carrie Longton, from the parenting website Mumsnet, said her contributors had given Dr Walsh's views short shrift.

She said: "It is very difficult to talk about this unless you have been through it. Childbirth is such a different experience to breaking a leg, or breaking an ankle, and it is different for every woman.

"So anybody saying you must not do anything is unwelcome."

Ms Longton said it was vital that women who asked for an epidural were not made to feel they had failed in some way, as that was very likely to damage the bonding process with their baby.

pimpdriver · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject:

childbirth is clearly not as painful as getting kicked in the meat and two veg.

Lots of women have more than one kid, but after you have been kicked in the knackers you wouldn't wait a year then say "go on then, do it again".

(stands back and waits for the flack!)

jolou39 · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:10 pm Post subject:

If men had to endure carrying a baby for nine months and giving birth you can pretty much bet your life they would have come up with a better way of doing it by now!!!

Also if men had periods tampons and the like would be free on the NHS!!!

I had an epidural first time and I had to have a c-section in the end.......believe me I felt plenty of pain.

The second time I clearly remember puffing away on the gas and air for dear life and my beloved hubby saying "ooooh look there are squirrels outside.....have a look" ......he nearly had a squirrel shoved where the sun doesn't shine!

Biggles · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:48 pm Post subject:

i agree pimp

they dont have a clue reguarding pain

GTB · Bushton Bushwacker Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2206 Status:

My wife had a C section with our Twins and a natural birth with the last one. Although it was clear that she found the experience painful I soon reassured her that it was nothing compared with a firm boot in the nads.

I see that Pimpdriver is on my wavelength.

_________________

pimpdriver · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject:

glad to see you can all see the funny side!!!

My wife had 3 kids all by C section.

The first was after 90 hours of labour. I tell you what, I was knackered!!! She had an epidural and slept for some of it!!!!

No 2 was lying transverse and was 59cm tall, so there was no way she was coming out naturally.

No3 was another bugger, General Aneasthetic for that one.

GTB · Bushton Bushwacker Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 2206 Status:

pimpdriver · Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:33 pm Post subject: