"Enjoy your Labor" by Gilbert Grant is GREAT!

[fatmama]

Only the over defensive would take it as an insult. I've been MORE than polite given the implied insults to me.

Read the book. Bag it then if you wish. But until you've read it you can't bag it. That's not just evidence based, that's fact.

I want other women on BB to know that I had the most gentle possible birth with my DS. I slept through the early stages, how much more gentle can you get? I had 35 mins of painless pushing. It was pretty much perfect. And yeah I adore the man who enabled that, but I think his book is worth reading anyway. And as I said, bag is AFTER that by all means.

[Toomanytoomany]

You are shouting in parts of your post (all caps) and calling the reasoning many women use "propaganda" and accuse "natural-birthers" of being biased from the get-go (even though as an author with a professional agenda to push, he is apparently not biased). I'm failing to see how that's not insulting to the intelligence of your audience here. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

I don't have any wish to read his book - I've had five labours, enjoyed four of them very much and have had little to no need of analgesia of any sort, let alone spinal anaesthesia. I'm sure that if his research is of a high quality, it will be included in all of the reviews and reports upon which I normally base my opinions.

[MantaRay]

It seems fatmama that you have an agenda - to sell the book - not to be part of the community. It is always suspicious when someone signs up just to post a recommendation. It's not like you are contributing to any other discussions.

On the subject of epidurals, personally I don't really care what the "experts" or "statistics" say. I know I would never have one again. I ended up with slowed labour, low bp, a baby in foetal distress, forceps, a tear and an episotomy. All that when my labour would have been quick and easy other wise, as I know now after having a fantastic epidural free birth the next time. And boy, I can tell you how much better it feels after giving birth without an epidural. If you've ever experienced both I can't imagine you'd ever choose an epidural again.

[Oorki Galoorki]

i have slept throught 2nd stage of labour with no epidural as that is what my body needed and it wasnt a un natural responce.

i would love for you to show me some of the references he has cited so i can check them out my self. but knowing the research i have looked at and am currently looking at for university that the common opinion is that epidurals shouldnt be used as a pain relief, they do slow labours down and have longer lasting after affects on many women.
i have not said there is no need for them.. just like c/s there is a needfor a 5 of them. but most doctors and a few women like to think its the best thing to have... when if dodctors where honest about the risks involved then most wouldnt want it.

i would love to know your story.
what did you have that meant you HAD to have an epidural?

[fatmama]

No agenda, and no shouting either. My italics are not working and I only put caps where italics would be. Shouting would be more obvious.

I didn't HAVE to have (yes italics again), an epi, but without it I would have had a c section. That was predicted and turned out to have been right as t hings went.

I know perfectly well many will not want them or disagree with it. That's fine. But read it first otherwise its not really fair is it? How do you know he's wrong yet?

I have posted elsewhere btw. I just discovered this site and goodness, I thought what a great topic it was to share info. Boy, obviously I was wrong.

I bet if I'd posted about Ina May I'd get whoops and kisses even though she has way less supporting data.

Doesn't matter. There may be a woman out there who reads this and who decides to read it and NOT to be scared off the epidural. This is for those women.

[christy]

Dou dou I too slept through my second stage of labour in between contractions. I loved feeling my baby move down the birth canal as well... it was like a celebration for us.

With my first labour, the epidural dropped my blood pressure so much that it caused heaps of issues. They had to turn off the drugs which then led to me being unable to move while the contractions ripped through my body and then... well it was traumatic.

I would suggest to move women to read more than one study on their own and with their birth support before listening to second hand advice.

[fatmama]

LOL - all your posts are second hand advice too my dear
And until you've read the evidence he presents you can't even argue with it. But well done at sticking to your guns. No one can say the midwife lobby isn't tenacious.

[christy]

I am not a part of the midwife lobby, thank you very much. I am someone who has had to do heaps of research leading up to my own birth, and am passionate about women having the opportunity to make decisions for themselves.

[MantaRay]

There are no mws posting in this thread fatmama. Just experienced birthers sharing our experiences. And I could read 1000 books and none of it would change how I feel because my experience carries more weight for me.

I would be very interested to hear how an epidural prevented a c/s - given that it usually works the other way I am sure your story would be worth a read.

BTW - you can put words in italics but highlighting them and then pressing ctrl-I.

You have 9 posts and 8 are in this thread - what commission do you get for book sales?

[Peg]

Doesn't matter. There may be a woman out there who reads this and who decides to read it and NOT to be scared off the epidural. This is for those women.

im not scared off by them...i've had 3 myself lol

I appreciate the ideal 'natural birth' senario , but lets face it, birthing is not easy or pretty or mystical in any way...its damn hard and in the years before the C-section was used, women died. Many women died during childbirth.

I did try to do it naturally, but my body wanted no part of it so it became a matter of 'just get the baby out'

the epidural was like being in heaven after a solid 28 hours of labor!

[Tobily]

*sound of crickets chirping*

Gee. Awful quiet in here all of a sudden.

~E~
x

[MantaRay]

The thing that I found, was that I didn't have the right information going into the birth. I seriously didn't even know that lying on my back would be the worst possible position in terms of both pain and speedy labour. I mean after all, they're always on their backs in movies and on TV!

So when I was told to lie on my back for an internal and then got a contraction (the first one that hurt, I wonder if that's a coincidence), then they said "it will be at least 8 hours more of this pain and the anaethisist is about to leave - have an epidural now or you won't have a choice", and then badgered me when I was uncertain - well I believed them and had it. And later regretted it.

I think what would be really useful for women is to have birthing positions and active labour explained to them, and the pros and cons of pain relief better explained. Sure I was told there were risks with an epidural, but no-one told me how much more likely intervention was going to be, no-one told me that I would have pain for weeks afterwards because I would need an episotomy due to forceps use, no-one told me that having an epidural makes you feel like an invalid after the birth, rather than fantastic and invincible like you do after a drug free birth. I was also told of the "1/100" risk of severe headache. After the epidural was in, the anaethesist told me that I would have been that 1/100 with a less experienced doctor, as I had a very small space and he nearly missed it. Very reassuring!