easing labor pain

Labor.

No one could do it for me.

It was about what I was prepared to do for myself.

My three natural labors were excruciatingly painful at some points, even at home where I was free to move about and moan. Accepting, surrendering, breathing while consciously relaxing helped me to get to the other side of it, one contraction at a time. Allowing the waves of sensation to accomplish their task without adding any additional unnecessary tension. Letting go of any control I might have wanted over the instinctual process of birth.

Three labors, four hours of labor or less, each. I simply took what was given me. My body was amazingly powerful to produce such life-producing energy!

You can call natural childbirth hooey, but it works. Zero side-effects. Totally worth it to me.

Was it the worse pain of MY life?

NO WAY!

It was HARD and worth every moment.

As the midwife I use comforting words such as: you can do it; I know it hurts; I know you're tired. If needed I'll say let's try this or that, the shower, the pool, or it's time to use the toilet. You're doing so well. Here, take a sip of water, or take a bite of this. Keep breathing for your baby. Just follow your baby's lead. Your body knows just what to do, just let it happen. Then the baby arrives. I've seen it time after time after time.

So why share all the above?

I read the following story today. The Mother Lode of Pain.

Has the author read the recent news report A routine epidural turns deadly? Or the two stories that I posted under epidural mistakes kill?