TSara & eKayak: Knocked Up!!! :^D

[Alelou]

Yeah, a little.

I wouldn't have minded a little more warning in Lamaze that maintaining breathing exercises can get a little tricky if you're busy puking. That was when I said screw this, I want an epidural! Unfortunately it was a busy night so I still had to wait another hour.

And mind you, I was barely dilated until that epidural finally got put in and then BAM I finally relaxed and dilated and I pushed that baby out less than 30 minutes later. My doctor said that's not uncommon. So the Nazi line on enduring all that pain for a faster natural birth might just be a load of crap.

As far as I can tell natural childbirth is mostly good for being unbearably smug about it afterwards.

[Distracted]

Yep. I agree. Epidurals all the way for me, baby. I studied during my first labor and took a Physiology exam the next morning in the hospital on painkillers. Made an 88%.

[Linda]

Well when I had my one child, gosh, 32 years ago, I did okay with the breathing until what they called transition (changing from contractions to pushing). After all these years, I still remember that! Yeah, I remember saying something like "if you don't do something about this, I am going to jump out the window". The labor room was on the sixth floor I think, and I had been in active labor for 24 hours. Hey, I thought labor relations laws guaranteed an 8 hour work day. Guess that is only for males, LOL. I got an epidural which was the only thing which kept me from the ledge.

[JadziaKathryn]

I wouldn't have minded a little more warning in Lamaze that maintaining breathing exercises can get a little tricky if you're busy puking.

*files this information away, to hopefully be used within the next 7 years*

[justTripn]

As far as I can tell natural childbirth is mostly good for being unbearably smug about it afterwards.

*smiles smuggly*

Hey, and Sunday is Mother's Day! I feel a long essay about the miracle of natural childbirth coming on . . .

[Distracted]

Groan.

[Linda]

An essay on natrual childbirth? I'm gonna go hide out on my boat. It goes in the water tomorrow, just in time for a nice Mother's Day seclusion from the rest of humanity.

[Alelou]

Defense de smugness!

Take it out on your kids. They're the ones who ought to be grateful, if anyone is. (Maybe the insurance company too.)

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

*runs screaming from thread!*

I'm so glad I'm a male!

[blacknblue]

Don't think it will save you. Not if your wife makes you stand there while she screams. Then holds it over your head for the rest of your life, right along with the children.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

Well, I still have to get to the "wife" part...

[enterprikayak]

Ah, with the wee little bums and narrow hips that Kevin goes for, no way will she be pushing the child out naturally. He can stand there and watch the surgery instead.

Yeah, as for natural childbirth.....I did it with Aureilia... though I was calling for that spinal tap the whole time and it was just too busy that night for me to get one. (Busiest night in months apparantly).

But I figure, would anyone get a "natural" bone-setting operation... no painkillers? Would anyone go for "natural" heart surgery? "Natural" knee replacement?

"Yeah Doc, I really want to FEEL it...you know? The MIRACLE of my appendectomy."

The doctor would send you off for evaluation.

But birth? We're supposd to NOT WANT any help with the madness? S'long as it won't poison the bairn, gimme gimme gimme.

I *did* quite enjoy that maskful of nitrous hanging on the wall. So it wasn't totally natural. They had to literally break it out of my hands when it was time to push. The cruelty!

[JadziaKathryn]

Don't think it will save you. Not if your wife makes you stand there while she screams. Then holds it over your head for the rest of your life, right along with the children.

If a woman has to actually do the work, the least the man can do is be there!

[panyasan]

In my country you pratically have to beg your doctor to get painkillers. Most of the women don't get them. They say, just use your breathing technique and you be okay. With the first I forgot all about it, till my husband started saying focus, breath and everything was okay, except him having his hand crushed. The third was so quick, that the doctors had not even checked on me yet... And when we got back home, we have this special nurse (a costum in our country) how takes care of you and the baby for 10 days in your home, while you get used to being a mom (and dad). I really like that part!

[Alelou]

Ouch. I guess lack of painkillers could be one downside of medicine provided by the government.

The home aide part sounds nice -- some people hire a 'duma' here to do that. Usually it's your mom who comes and helps. If you're lucky (I am) your husband can take time off and is actually helpful. I had an older friend who had just given birth and I just spent a day just doing laundry and showing her how to sterilize bottles and mix formula and things like that and she was so pathetically grateful. Everybody needs a mom, even if they have to hire one.