Why are some people against using pain relief in labour?

Question

There seem to be 3 views on this issue. The first is that all pharmaceutical pain relief is bad, and that mothers that use is are selfish. The second view is that moderate pain relief is fine. The third is that the more medication you can get the better.

My question is this - to those who hold the first view - why are you so opposed to using pain relief? It doesnt harm the baby, and makes the expectant mother's job easier, thus making the babies life easier, right? Or am I wrong on this?

If it was harmful to the baby, surely they wouldnt prescribe it. SO why NOT use pain relief?

I particularly want to hear from expectant mothers or others who oppose the use of pain relief.

i am pregnant with my 2nd child. With my first i didnt know i was in labour (long story) so i didnt go to hospital until v.late, and by then it was too late for epidural. The contractions were unspeakably painful, so much so that i just pushed too early, in an attempt to end the agony, and i ended up tearing in 3 places ... and for a month i couldnt pee without being in agony. I was traumatised by the whole experience and am now morbidly fearful of going into labour again.... i feel like crying now just thinking about the whole thing

Answer 1

well, i plan on getting something if need be, but i can say i went to my friends birth, and she was sober whne i got ther and in pain so they gave he rdrugs and it slowed the babies heart rate way down, so that all the nurses were running around.. they in my opinion gave her too much, so i disagree with what you said about "If it was harmful to the baby, surely they wouldnt prescribe it. "

Answer 2

I think you are over simplifying the issue. There aren't only 3 schools of thought on this - there are as many opinions as there are people.
Edidurals are considered safe but they are not without risk. They can cause long term back problems for example. They also usually make labour last longer, so don't necessarily make the mother or baby's life easier.

I personally didn't want one because they restrict movement and I wanted an active birth. The pelvis is designed to open up at the tailbone during labour to make more room for the baby. This can't happen properly if you are lying flat on your back. I also wanted to feel the sensation of giving birth.
I only had gas and air and I gave birth standing up, holding onto my husband for support. I can honestly say that feeling the baby move down the birth canal and out of my body was the most amazing experience of my life! I also had no stitches.

I don't oppose pain relief. I just personally didn't want it and I was lucky that I didn't feel the need for it. I would never tell someone else to have it or not. It's a personal choice and depends on the individual and on the labour. All pain relief has it's place, but I think it's a shame when women decide to have an epidural before they even go into labour rather than just seeing how their labour goes.

Answer 3

I suppose if you can cope with the pain then that is ok, but until you experience each labour you really don't know. Anyone who hasn't had a child will never know the pain of it and it is very easy to say I won't use pain relief until you actually experience the pain. I am all for any pain relief you can get, if you had pain from an injury or illness you would take pain relief so why not in labour.

Answer 4

I've had 2 and have used the epidural for both. Neither child was "groggy" or have had any mental delays, etc. I was enduced at 41 weeks with the first, and they wouldn't give me the epidural until I had reached 4 cm (to prevent a longer labor). However, I had been in HARD labor for over 7 hours by the time I got it. It was the most HORRIBLE pain that I had ever felt. So, for those of you who have never had children and are saying what you will and will not do, you may change your minds in the delivery room. Anyway, I had no complications from the meds. It was instant relief, and I was able to actually breathe better since I was not freaking out over the pain. I had to have oxygen and was given a sedative (from hyperventilating) before the epidural due to the pain. I highly recommend it. Also, your second child will come much easier and faster (for most). I spent 13 hours in induced labor with first, and only six with the second. It was so much more pleasant, and it came out much easier. lol (I ripped with the first also, and that was an awful recovery.) Do what makes you feel best, and don't worry about what others think.

Answer 5

I didnt use any pain relief with my last birth simply because I didnt need any. I had a home birth and had the drug Meptid and gas and air waiting for me but I never felt in enough pain to need any. Dont get me wrong it was painful but when it got to the really painful part I knew I was near the end so didnt bother.

I think that if an epidural was available for home births I would have had one as soon as I went into labour and what a waste that would have been.

Keep an open mind. Women expect to be in total agony in labour and if you think like that then you will be in agony. However, if you think you are going to manage ok and relax and move about during labour, the pain really isnt all that bad. Honest!!

Answer 6

I don't OPPOSE the use of pain relief, I just find it to be very annoying!

I have had 5 deliveries and 4 of then were with pain relief and 1 was all natural.

When you get an epidural, you are:

a) Hooked up to an annoying IV
b) Subject to constant fetal monitoring
c) Cannot walk around
d) Are prohibited from eating anything
c) Feeling "spacey" and out of it
d) Experiencing side effects such as, low blood pressure, nausea, headaches & more
e) More likely to have a c-section
f) Have difficulty pushing the baby due to the numbness you feel *down there*

So, after comparing all of my epidural deliveries to my natural delivery, I say "no thank you". The pain is intense, but it does not last forever. I like being able to feel everything and knowing exactly what is happening to my body.

I will never, ever do it any other way!

Answer 7

You are right, there are some people who oppose pain relief. They all say that it is a natural process that we are meant to do drug-free. They all say that women have been doing it for thousands of years without modern intervention. What they fail to recognise is that women used to DIE of giving birth, many women didn't make it at all. It was the riskiest thing for an adult female in her entire life. Even if a woman had 5 kids already there was no guaranty that she will survive her 6th birth! It's easy to look back now and say that all those women did it without pain relief, but how many of them died? A lot. Modern medicine made childbirth a very safe process, if anything goes wrong the doctors can jump in immediately and save the mother and baby too.
Many people also oppose elective caesarean sections too, claiming that these women are too soft and selfish. We are all different, and view events in our life differently. You may be a real softie when it comes to labour but you may also be the hero who would march on with broken legs during a catastrophic event carrying a pregnant woman on your back who would otherwise oppose pain relief during labour.. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but we should never judge each other on this. Your strenght might be your ability to act like a real hero as I described in this hypothetical case, however, that pregnant woman who opposes pain relief may be very weak when it comes to a situation of life or death.
Good luck with your second, I hope you get a suitable pain relief for yourself.

Answer 8

I have had 4 babies, and am on my 5th pregnancy. I've done it with an epidural & demerol, no meds, morphine, and staidol. So from experience, I can tell you it really does affect you and the baby. Think of it as being a little like being drunk or hung over for the birth. But, it doesn't hurt the baby, anymore than getting high on pot one time will hurt you. Babies born w/epidural tend to have a harder time learing how to nurse in the beginning, but there's not likely to be any major damage unless you have an allergic reaction. If you really don't need it, then you should avoid it, but if you are crying or yelling, you need it, and you shouldn't feel bad about it. My first labor was a nightmare, because I had a reaction to the demerol (which I really didn't need, but the nurse talked me into it, because "you need the rest"), the second was too quick and easy for drugs, and the second two were both over 9 lbs, so it was a little more painful than I was used to. So I kinda oppose the use of pain relief, but only when they push it on you and you don't need it.

Answer 9

While i was pregnant i was completely against usin pain relief. All types of pain relief can cause complications.
The epidural can leave u paralysed.
Pethidine can make u "high" and u are unable to push which can lead to use of forceps or a casaerean, thus causin distress to ur baby.
Gas and air can make u vomit and give severe headaches.
I was too scared to use any pain relif after readin all this in magazines.
Also i felt like would be less of a woman if i took the easy way out! If labour withoutpain relief is is so traumatic then why did people have 15 kids back in the days before drugs?

Answer 10

I personally would not want an epidural or pethidine.

Epidurals can make labour longer, and make it more likely that labour will be speeded up using drugs.
It is more likely that a woman will need an assisted delivery such as forceps or ventouse.
It reduces sensation in a woman's legs and she will usually need to stay on the bed.
It can make women sick or dizzy.
A catheter may be needed to empty their bladder.
About 8 in every 1000 women experience a "dural tap" headache. In 6 of these women it will be a severe headache and may last for 10 days or longer.
About 1 in 4000 women has a serious complication as a result of the epidural.

Pethidine can also make women feel drowsy and sick. Pethidine can also affect the baby, particular if the baby is born soon after the injection was given. It can make the baby drowsy, or have breathing difficulties, or have difficulty feeding.

Other similar drugs used during labour include diamorphine (heroin) and meptid. Diamorphine may work as a better painkiller than pethidine, but also affects the baby's breathing. Meptid is less likely to have side-effects for the baby, but can cause more nausea and vomiting than pethidine.

I would like to have an active birth, with lots of walking and bouncing on a birth ball. Also, I hope to try Tens for the eary contractions as well as a birthing pool when it gets too intense. The only pain relief I would consider would be the gas and air, although I have heard reports that it leaves you feeling drunk and out of it.

With an epidural, I would refined to a bed, most likely flat on my back, which its a lot harder as your tailbone can't extend back and the birth passage is smaller. Also, if you read any natural birth stories, alot of women find they can control the strength of their contractions with the positions they choose.

They are able to speed up their own labour when they find a position they makes the contractions harder or if its unbearable they remain in the position that eases them off abit. Not once did I read in a birth story, one person who choose to be flat on their back.

Answer 11

Okay I have had 3 all natural births no pain relief at all for my first 3.

I did not have any pain relief in first 3 births because I read books on it and thought I would be brave and not put my baby in risk and risk a c-section. each time I was hooked up and monitered and was not allowed to drink anything.
the pain was really horrible
and it made me feel trumatized after and scared about going through that again. And I have big babies too /
9lb 10 oz.
anyway with my 4th baby I started talking to people about the effects of a epirdural that they themselfs used with their baby
and everyone I talked to said it was great.
even my own woman doctor who have 3 kids of her own and tried it both ways said try the epirdural that it would be okay.
so I asked for it and it was the Best birth ever.
My Baby was just as healthy and alert my others were
and I kept saying afterwards I cant believe that that I didnt feel any pain.
And Yes I could feel to push I even knew when it was time to push as the baby was traveling down. but I did not have any pain and labour was great and I enjoyed giving birth and I bonded to my Baby sooner as I was just so overjoyed with not feeling all that Pain.

And I Told the nurses after that I felt so stupid suffering so much each time.. even they said if you had to get your leg amputated you would get pain relief for that and this hurts no less..
Face it giving birth can be the most painfull thing a woman have to go through and if you have the option of having some pain relief then go for it..