"I'm ALL about the drugs!"

Nothing causes me to have to pull together every single ounce of self-control, like this phrase when it comes to childbirth:

"I'm ALL about the drugs!"

I had a booth at a local fair here this past weekend. It was for my Midwifery services, and some slings and nursing covers ( which I'm not entirely for, lol ) that I've made. Several women walked by, and when they saw that it was for home birth, laughed and said "I think it's great. But I'm personally ALL about the drugs. ALL about the drugs!" I had to choke back the comments that wanted to pour out of my mouth. Such as, "Yeah, I used to be selfish too." and "Oh. Your poor baby isn't though, do you care about that?"

I really have a very hard time restraining myself from these things. And it seems so harsh, but this is really something I am passionate about, after knowing first hand what drugs and intervention can do. And half of me gets it - I was like that too. When I didn't know any better. But I can't avoid thinking of Noah lying sedated in a NICU bed, because of my poor choices, when I hear these women say this. Maybe they truly don't know what drugs do to babies. Mostly, as I've done some informal polls in many mommy-sites, just don't care. Their comfort is more important than the risks to baby. This is a TRAVESTY! When you know better, and you still put your baby at risk ... you can no longer claim ignorance.

My heart breaks for these women who don't know better, and for the babies that have no choice. And it KILLS me to hear women say "I just don't like pain". Life is painful. You get injured, you get sick, you go through pain in working out or training for a marathon. But you can't go through childbirth without numbing yourself from the chest down?

I just really wish more women knew that they are capable of going through childbirth without drugging themselves and their babies. I wish they knew of how empowering natural childbirth is, and how very rewarding it is to get that HUGE release of endorphins after birth when no drugs are involved. Really, they are robbing themselves of a life-changing experience, and putting their baby at risk at the same time.

Why Epidurals AREN'T "God's Gift to Women"

I hear this so many times...."Thank GOD for the Epidural!", or "The Epidural is God's gift to laboring women..."

There are so many reasons why an Epidural in labor is a BAD idea, nevermind that it is definitely NOT a gift from God.

Why?

1. God designed labor to work perfectly together. This includes *FEELING* your contractions, pelvic floor, and pushing sensations so that your body can respond accordingly. With an epidural, you *cannot* push as effectively as you would without one.

This OFTEN leads to longer labors, augmentation with pitocin ( because an epidural has a high risk of slowing labor down ), and a much longer pushing stage that is often accompanied with an instrumental delivery ( Vacuum, forceps ).

2. Epidurals can cause a fever in mom. In turn, the baby will likely be sent to the NICU for a complete sepsis work up, because they cannot assume that the fever is simply from the epidural, instead of a full infection in the uterus.

3. Epidurals can cause both temporary and permanent back and nerve damage. If it is not placed PERFECTLY, it can cause major damage.

4. Epidurals can cause major headaches that can last up to several weeks. Try recovering from childbirth, caring for a newborn ( which hopefully includes breastfeeding ), while dealing with a headache that won't go away.

5. Women who use epidurals during labor are statistically less likely to be breastfeeding at 6 months. And, since breastfeeding was designed by God to be a baby's perfect nutrition.....

6. Epidurals come with a higher risk of cesarean surgery. When a woman's labor slows, and pitocin can't pick it back up...it usually leads to a cesarean. When a woman cannot push effectively, and it's been longer than your Obstetrician ( Trained Surgeon ) is comfortable with...it usually leads to a cesarean. If you happen to get a fever from the epidural, and it increases and you are not near delivery...it usually leads to a cesarean.

7. Having an epidural disconnects you from the birthing process on an emotional level. You basically leave your baby to go through the physical aspects of labor, by him/herself, while you chit chat away, do your makeup, or get some shut-eye.

8. When you choose an epidural in labor, you screw up the flow of endorphins that was supposed to be released ( the HIGHEST amount your body will ever receive at once .... that God is a smart one! ) after natural childbirth. Now, you will not have that release. The release of endorphins after natural childbirth aids in the breastfeeding relationship, the immediate bonding, and lowers the rate of Post Partum Depression.

9. Epidurals confine you to bed, which can lead to a malpositioned baby. God designed our pelvis to be mobile, and this helps *tremendously* during labor. Through remaining mobile, we are able to help the baby rotate into optimal position for birth. In the absense of mobility, the pelvis can become stiff, and not respond to labor/pushing as it should. Epidurals also often come with the doctor artificially breaking the amniotic sac, which in turn helps to create or cement a malpositioned baby.

10. The final reason? Epidurals are selfish on the part of the mom. Epidurals have no benefit for the baby, it only adds risk. Epidurals allow the mom to have decreased to no pain during labor, once again, leaving the baby to experience the physical aspects of labor on his/her own.

Women, we are STRONG. Our bodies are CAPABLE of pushing a baby out without anesthesia. We were designed, by God, to birth babies without intervention. And sadly, it's the intervention that often leads to problems during labor and delivery, and leaves our babies susceptible to invasive intervention in the first hours of their lives...when they should be in mama's arms, and at mama's breast.