Natural childbirth is a more fulfilling experience than drug induced childbirth

by Vinitha Fredenburgh

research

I remember when my water bag broke; it was August 12, 1992, and the time was 12:15am.I was very excited that I would see my new baby on her due date. I did what the child birthing book recommended. I woke my husband up and told him to call the hospital. In the meantime I decided to take a shower. I was pretty calm because I didn't have any contractions. I wore my best maternity outfit and was spruced up compared to my husband. I even put on some perfume. You see, we had just gone to bed at 11:30 that night. My husband looked a little worse for wear. We got to the hospital and then were led into the maternity room. The room looked a little dingy with its yellow light and peeling paint. The hospital bed was small and narrow. I got scared, and I wanted my mother.

My husband and I had moved to the States from the Middle East when I was seven months pregnant. We never had a chance to take any child birthing classes. I was nervous. A very pleasant-faced nurse came into the room to talk to us. My unfounded fears were brushed away by her calm demeanor. A few hours went by, the contractions started to get stronger, and I requested an epidural. After I got the epidural I didn't feel any pain at all. I was excited. I told my husband if this was how child birthing is, I was ready to have a brood like the Waltons. Then my labor pains stopped completely. My dilation stopped at seven centimeters. The doctor came in to check me and said that it would be better if they induced me. So I got a dose of pitocin. I felt pain like I had never before. I couldn't bear the pain of the contractions anymore. Finally, after twenty two hours of labor, the doctors told my husband that they would do an emergency Cesarean section. By then I was oblivious to all the ruckus going around me. I remember being on a gurney and everything seemed surreal.

The birth happened very quickly. I recall tugging at my nether lands, and a swoop of hands into my womb. The doctors got the baby and she let out a cry that sounded triumphant. They showed me the baby and it seemed like they whisked her away too quickly. There is a fog around the edges of that memory. The doctors said that my baby was doing fine. My body started to shake and wouldn't stop. I was wheeled into recovery and then all was dark. I didn't bond with my baby until the next morning- seven hours later. She was beautiful but I felt very unfulfilled.

Four years later, I got pregnant. I was nervous, scared and anxious. The doctor I saw said that I could have a VBAC(vaginal birth after c-section). I raided the library and read books on that subject. It was then I found out that the United States had the highest incidence of C-sections in the world. Research shows that epidurals increase the use of other interventions that themselves carry risks. These interventions include electronic fetal monitoring (which has shown to increase the likelihood of a cesarean without improving outcome), I. V oxytocin, and instrumental delivery. Epidurals also deprive women of a sense of mastery over labor. Goer, Henci. "Epidurals Myth Vs Reality." Childbirth Instructor Magazine Winter 1995: 17-22

I prepared myself mentally, physically and spiritually for the birth of my second child. I decided to become a better consumer by educating myself with all the child birthing techniques that were out there. I chose the Bradley Method of child birthing because it suited my needs. My husband and I went to the classes faithfully. We practiced all the relaxation and breathing methods. We even asked our instructor to be our birthing coach.

My water bag broke when I was in the bathroom. It was June 26, 1996, three days before the due date. The time was 6:30am. I woke my husband up and told him to call our coach. I took a shower trying not to let the sense of dE9jE0 vu build up. I was ready in ten minutes and so was my husband. We kissed our daughter and told her that we would see her later on in the day. My father hugged me and told me not to worry.

As soon as we got to the hospital, I saw the new rooms that Kaiser, Walnut Creek had. They were very nice. I even had a television and a VCR in my room. What an improvement, I thought, in four years. I gave the doctor my birthing plan. It stated that I did not want any drugs to be offered to me while I was going through labor. Epidural anesthesia disrupts labors feedback mechanism. In an unanesthetized woman, messages from stretch receptors in the cervix and upper vagina stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete more oxytocin. This increases the tempo of labor. Later, surges of oxytocin create the urge to bear down. Goer, Henci. "Epidurals Myth Vs Reality." Childbirth Instructor Magazine Winter 1995: 17-22

We made a great sight at the hospital walking the corridors. Every time I had a contraction, I would stop and squat and breathe and relax through it. My husband and coach would whisper words of encouragement in my ear. I took hand held hot showers in my room, concentrating the spray of soothing warmth on my belly. My birthing instructor said that it would relieve the pain of the contractions, and it did. I got popsicles to suck on when I got thirsty.

Then my body took over on its own accord. I made these weird grunting noises I have never heard myself make before. I felt my body contract and I was calm. It did not hurt. I felt like my womb was pushing the baby out using its muscles. I was just a bystander, yet I felt like I was part of the whole magic. The midwife brought a mirror so that I could see my baby crowning. I must say, by then I did use a lot of choice words. I couldnt think of anything else more appropriate. It was the primal instinct coming out. I was ready to push, and the time had arrived.

Studies have shown that the key to a positive labor experience is mastery- a sense of control over events- and that how a woman experiences labor has a profound long term impact on her life. Goer, Henci. "Epidurals Myth Vs Reality." Childbirth Instructor Magazine Winter 1995: 17-22.

I took a deep breath and pushed till I thought my eyeballs would pop out. In a gush she arrived, and they laid her on my chest where she immediately started to nurse. My husband started to cry for joy and I just had the biggest grin on my face. I did it, I did it!!

Through the research I have done, I have found that you have choices in everything. The choice that I made was worth it -for me and my baby. Natural child birth is fulfilling, and I am thankful for all the help I got to make that happen. Choices in child birthing have to be made carefully and wisely by the family and their OB/GYN doctor. Information is vast in this country, and it is just a matter of educating yourself to make the right choices.

Return to English 122 syllabus
Return to English 122 main page
Questions? Brian McKinney (bmckinne@home.com)