To Medicate or Not to Medicate - Childbirth

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Childbirth - To Medicate or Not to Medicate
To Medicate or Not to Medicate
Childbirth is painful; there's no denying it. Very painful, but very much worth every pang of pain you experience. You can't avoid pain completely, but you can take steps to control the pain, either through natural means or through the use of medication.

Yes, using concentration and focusing are less invasive to you and baby from a medical perspective. Yes, some pain medications can cross the placenta and enter the baby's bloodstream. Yes, many women choose to deliver as women have for thousands of years - without the use of pain relieving medications.

Ideally, all women would control their pain through natural means, but we don't live in an ideal world. That's why pain medication is available. Pain relief may be administered in the form of localized pain relievers (analgesics) or regional pain blockers (epidural).

The pros of pain medication
Reduced pain
Ability to rest during early labor
Reduced fatigue/stress

The cons of pain medication
Spotty pain relief
Headache or nausea
Less effective pushing
Your movement may be restricted

The pros of a drug free delivery
Complete awareness of birth
Baby more alert at birth
More effective pushing

The cons of a drug free delivery
Pain
No rest

The pros and cons are hard to weigh; they really are. The best advice any doctor can give a patient regarding pain treatment is to educate themselves on the options (by reading, listening to your doctor, and taking childbirth classes), make a best case decision, to leave guilt out of the decision making process and to try to be open minded.

It's a personal choice. It's also a choice that is never fully determined until a woman is actually in labor. Some patients who fully intended to use medications find that they are able to give birth medication free. Others, who are militantly opposed to the use of medications, find that the pain is more than they want to handle and ask for assistance. It's never 100% until a mother-to-be is in the middle of labor.

It's not your doctor's choice, your husband's choice, your mother's choice, your friends' choice, it's your choice. In the moment, you are the only one who will know your tolerance/threshold for pain. You are the only one who will know how you will function best. And that's the goal, laboring and delivering in a way that feels right for you.