For the pregnant readers (this means you, Kim!), I offer you this tidbit; I decided to go the no-drugs way because epidurals can cause all sorts of nasty things (headaches, fever, incontinence) and because I heard that it can interfere with breastfeeding. Of course the docs were all, "I've never heard of such a stupid thing, of course epidurals are wonderful." I know the nurses love 'em because it "makes patients easy to manage."So now the BBC is citing a whole study:
Researchers said those who have the anaesthetic are more likely to have problems in the first week after birth and to stop breastfeeding early.More here.
5 comments:
Hey - I have been researching this a bit. The thing for me is, since I am having twins, it will be a more medical setting. I can experience labor without an epidural but if for any reason they needed to do a c-section, I would be put under a general, without having an epidural catheter in place. This does not appeal to us at all. I want to be awake for the birth of my babies!! I got a friend of mine to find out if I could have the epidural in place and just not receive medication and she said I could, so that gives me the benefit of having some control.
They tend to treat multiples a little differently. We are going to do our best to implement hypnobirthing practices for labor and take it as it comes!
Yes, it's all a matter of what you feel comfortable with. FWIW, 90% of my friends (okay, many of my friends are quite yuppie and NOT alternative med types) had ELECTIVE c sections (serial ones, too) a practice I think is crazy, but their kids all turned out fine and they all breast fed. And yeah, a crash c section is generally not a good thing...
When's the due date???
The 40 wk due date is 02/27 but according to the drs there is no way they will go that far. We are hoping they stay cookin til at least the 3rd wk of Jan! I am holding out for Aquarians since I am currently surrounded by Capricorns.
Hope you are well Marie!
ox
Kim
Hi there. I just found your blog today when I was looking for blogs that discussed the book Inconceivable by Julia Indichova. I'm currently trying to conceive our second child naturally after having our daughter six years ago with infertility treatments.
I did not have an epidural as I was worried about the complications you mention. I had to laugh at the comment that the nurses love them as it makes the patients more manageable. My nurse was telling me about a woman across the hall from me that had an epidural and was screaming her head off anyway. I was calmly doing my yoga breathing.... Love the blog!
Thanks for the great comment, Heather, and good luck! Check out the acupuncture posts, I really think acupuncture helps. And INCONCEIVABLE is an awesome book. She runs a website, fertileheart.org, I think, where there are bulletin boards discussing the book.
p.s. unfortunately, I was one of those people (well, non-epidural) screaming her head off--my labor unfortunately got a little out of control. If I get pg again I guess I better ask about the yogic breathing.
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