The very thought of a totally natural delivery with no pain meds freaks me out more than I can say. However, billions of women have done it and there is something to be said for that. One of the ideas presented in the Business of Being Born film, also mentioned in my previous post, is the cycle of women being induced, which strengthens contractions causing the desire for pain medication to assist with the pain which then causes labor to slow or stall out or the heart rate of the baby to jump. In turn, the increases the need to have a cesarean delivery. The argument makes sense to me.
Induction, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a procedure used to stimulate uterine contractions during pregnancy before labor begins on its own. Primarily used when there are concerns for the mother or the baby's health. When I think of a woman being induced, however, I feel like induction generally takes place when the mother is past her due date. When I think of all the pregnant ladies I have known over the past few years, the first thing I felt like I asked if they were past due is "when are they going to induce you". Ladies, slap me now if I ask you this question. The whole concept of a due date is silly to me anyway. It is a guesstimation at best. In my mind I compare it to the expiration date on milk. Who is to say that the date printed on the carton is the drop dead date that milk is no longer going to be consumable? By all accounts, a due date could be up to two weeks off.
The way I see it, a baby will come out when they are ready. If you haven't gone into labor, it is the baby and the body's way of saying it isn't ready yet. Have you ever heard of a baby staying in the womb forever? No, it doesn't happen. That being said, I do understand there are certain circumstances when induction of labor is necessary.
According to an article jointly published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine in November 2014, from 1990 to 2008 the rate of inductions in the United States went from 9.5% to 23.1%; nearly 1 in 4 women were being induced. At the same time, the rate of cesarean deliveries rose at approximately the same rate. While the article argues that you cannot make the direct correlation between inductions and an increased risk of cesarean delivery, it does indicate the being induced leads to other risk factors. Induction of labor does lead to increased risk of fetal distress, which leads to an increased chance of delivering via cesarean.
Now, lets talk about epidurals to manage the pain. Typically, when I hear people talk about having a natural delivery, an epidural is what I consider the meat and potatoes of what they are talking about. I have always understood there were risks associated with an epidural. To be honest, I'm not sure which worried me more, the thought of squeezing a baby out or a giant needle in my back..... Perhaps I thought I would be able to tolerate the short term pain of an epidural versus the extended pain of labor and delivery. In the name of researching all options when it came to labor and delivery, I started researching alternatives to an epidural.
If you are looking for some information on the potential side effects of an epidural, check out this website. It is fairly well documented that an epidural slows down the process of labor possibly by inhibiting contractions. It seems the most common side effect of an epidural on the mother is a lowering of her blood pressure. Many times, this is mitigated with an IV. The most noted side effects for the baby when a mother receives an epidural are problems with temperature regulation and low blood pressure.
Have a few minutes to spare, or maybe an evening to blow? Go check Pinterest for a list of natural ways to handle childbirth. I realize in the realm of natural childbirth, this barely scratches the surface. There is a lot more information out there. Hopefully, none of you are currently reading this thinking to yourselves, "this is all well and good, come talk to me when you actually deliver a baby". To that, I will leave you with this
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