So, you’ve waited somewhat patiently for nine months now to meet your little one. You’ve read “What to Expect When You’re expecting.” You’ve asked all the right questions at every OBGYN appointment and your hospital bag is packed. Your contractions are starting to happen nearly every five minutes for close to one hour now. It’s time to make that journey with your little one.
Stages of Labor
I remember one brisk September evening as my husband and I were making s’mores with my then three-year-old on our patio, my second born child decided to grace us with is presence. The nerves I had with my first born were practically nonexistent this time around and my husband and I foolishly thought we were pros at this whole “giving birth” experience. Little did we know, our second born would humble us quickly.
I hadn’t experienced my water breaking with my first so when it happened with Luca, my second, I was googling every two minutes what women experienced. In our society, birth is portrayed as a harrowing experience with a woman’s water splashing to the floor as if the floodgates opened at the Hoover Dam. With most women, the experience is more like a trickle or a stream that happens gradually. My contractions were surprisingly strong shortly after.
My latent phase of labor (the slow phase of labor as the cervix lates to four centimeters) lasted from about 6:30 pm to around 8pm. In case you were wondering, this is record speed. Luca wanted out, now. I got to the hospital around 7:30 and as the nurses were tracking my dilation every so often, they were nervously hiding their surprise as they realized, I had labored to 6 centimeters in almost two hours. I was officially in active labor. “Get her to a room,” they said as they scrambled around trying to smile through their worried eyes. I was getting hooked up to equipment slower than I was dilating. I heard screams in the next room. “What is happening in there?” I asked. “Epidural didn’t take,” the nurse responded.
The anesthesiologist made her way as I was struggling at seven centimeters dilated. I had the epidural and gave birth to Luca around 11:30 that night. The transition phase, the phase in which contractions are spaced out about a minute apart and pushing is required with each contraction, lasted around ten minutes. The chaos surrounding me was most of what I remember, unfortunately.
Epidural or No epidural? That is the question.
In the United States, we surprisingly have one of the lowest birth weights out of most developed countries. (Goldenberg, 2007) While there are a number of reasons for the shocking statistic, the low importance placed on prenatal care in this country is the most shocking. Those who do not plan accordingly or educate themselves on nutrition, appropriate weight gain or teratogens to avoid, can ultimately harm the growth and development of the baby. As stated in my previous blog, low birth weight can result in many complications.
The culture we are immersed in plays an integral role in a mother’s choice in going the epidural route or the prepared childbirth path. Every aspect of our culture portrays a woman screaming in unbearable pain while physically abusing her husband and demanding the doctor give her “more drugs!” while desperately waiting for the baby to come. This is truly an unrealistic portrayal.
Imagine a world where birth was depicted as this beautiful journey that one could prepare for in such a way that it wasn’t “dreaded” experience? In more developed countries, this is the case. In countries like (cite countries and study) there is a higher rate of home births and doulas. In correlational studies, these countries are seeing higher birth rates and all-around healthier babies. This could stem from placing more importance on prenatal care and less hospital births, but again this is all speculative.
As the saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20. Looking back, I would have chosen a different journey with my second born child. If given a second chance, I would not have chosen the epidural. Had I stressed more importance on a prepared childbirth and a possible doula, I would have been less stressed and would have potentially experienced less complications.
Birthing your child is your own personal journey and you should be behind the steering wheel. Don’t ever let people sway you one way or another but please make sure you weigh the benefits of all your options. It will be worth it in the long run. Who knows? Maybe you can tune out the cultural noise and proudly declare you chose the best path for you and your bundle of joy.
References:
Goldenberg, R. L., & Culhane, J. F. (2007). Low birth weight in the United States. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.2.584s