Dec 25

“…Epidurals Are Nothing!”

Don’t be scared of an epidural. Epidurals are NOTHING!” -OB to mother who stated that she wanted to deliver without medications, while putting his hand on her knee and shaking her leg, which was in a stirrup.

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There are 11 comments to this post.

Guggie Daly had this to say, Dec 25, 2009 @ 5:01 pm (Quote)

Really, he must figure he gets to say whatever he wants b/c women don’t bother to read the release form?

LMAO

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nadia had this to say, Dec 25, 2009 @ 5:18 pm (Quote)

epidurals are nothing my butt! having a needle shoved in your spine is NOT nothing! i had one with one of my kids and never again will i do that! i had migraines with ligtningbolts across my vision for 6 weeks and then 6 months of backpain. it was aweful. the only reason i ended up with an epidural was because i was harrassed and pressured into an induction a couple weeks before my due date for no good reason. the pitocin contractions were so much more difficult to handle than natural ones. so the pitocin led to me getting the epidural. i’m glad it didn’t domino into anything worse… it was kind of a rough labor though and i had a hard time bonding with my baby afterwards.

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Claire Reply:
December 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm Claire(Quote)

nadia,

I’m so sorry you had such a challenging birth! Not only did you have awful and long-lasting side-effects from the epidural and a difficult labor, but you got cheated out of what is considered to be the highest peak of oxytocin release a woman experiences in her life-time–the one that happens right as/after the baby is born. The Pitocin blocks the oxytocin receptors and although its half-life is supposedly short, it sounds as though it can totally derail oxytocin production intended to support the initiation of breastfeeding and bonding. Researchers still don’t know much about how Pitocin affects babies but suspect that it messes with their oxytocin systems, also. But if you ask most OBs, they’ll tell you that Pitocin and oxytocin are identical (which they are, chemically, but not in how they operate). Always busy tweaking the facts to suit their purposes . . .

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Judith Reply:
December 25th, 2009 at 9:04 pm Judith(Quote)

pitocin does not cross the blood brain barrier as opposed to oxytocin.

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Knitted in the Womb Reply:
December 26th, 2009 at 10:23 am Knitted in the Womb(Quote)

I think the “deal” is that the blood/brain barrier is a “one way street” for oxytocin. Biochemically, Pitocin *IS* the same as oxytocin. But in the body, oxytocin is produced in the brain, and moves out to the body. While in the brain, it stimulates production of endorphins (body’s pain killers).

Since Pitocin is given via IV rather than an intracranial drip (THAT would be freaky!), it never gets into the brain to stimulate endorphin production.

Its also often given at doses that are 2-3 times greater than what the body would produce naturally.

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Partlysbabe had this to say, Dec 26, 2009 @ 6:22 am (Quote)

The first one I ever had they had to try 4 times to place it, eventually someone else had to come in and do it because the incompetent Doctor couldn’t!! and then after around an hour of trying to place it I was given so much meds that when it was finally working (about 10 minutes later) I said Hey I think the baby is coming all by himself, the nurse said “ridiculous, you only just had the Epi!!, Let me check I guess..”… *look* Jumps up “OOhhhh get the doctors quick this ones not waiting” and sure enough my little boy was simply slipping from my body as I could feel a thing nor hold it back at all, the Doctor rushed in and had one hand on the babies head while she was getting a robe and glove on the other hand one little squeeze and there he was!!!.. What a Waste of an Epi!!! LOL..

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Jennifer had this to say, Dec 26, 2009 @ 8:05 am (Quote)

So then, why did a friend of a friend of mine DIE from complications from her epidural just earlier this year?

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Dawn had this to say, Dec 26, 2009 @ 9:35 am (Quote)

My cousin, an L&D nurse witnessed a woman die in the OR while the epidural caused her to become frozen from the shoulders down, she was not breathing and turning blue. They had to crack her chest and do heart massage. She didn’t make it…all because the epidural was improperly used and was higher in her spine than it should have been. She could tell she was not breathing, and her eyes were wide with blue lips…all while she was dying on the table.

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Melanie had this to say, Dec 28, 2009 @ 3:14 pm (Quote)

My epidural saved my sanity. It *was* nothing, compared to the agony I was in. I realize that it’s not for everyone, but it definitely was for me!

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Kat Reply:
December 28th, 2009 at 3:57 pm Kat(Quote)

Melanie, it’s great you got the experience you wanted. However, can you see how the condescending tone and attitude of this doctor were inappropriate to a woman who did not prefer to have an epidural?

I am sure you’d have been upset if when you asked for an epidural the doctors and nurses had patted your thigh and said “Oh honey, this is nothing, you don’t need any pain relief.” I know I would.

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