Okay, I'm starting to freak out now
Well, we've been through three childbirth classes now and I'm really starting to freak out.
This week we discussed epidurals, episiotomies, and c-sections. I'm going to give you a little run-down of what was said/seen so you too can freak out with me.
Epidurals
This is a pain killer that is supposed to help with the pain of contractions. The anesthesiologist has you lean forward so your spine curves, and he sticks a needle into your back, then inserts a tube through that needle into the epidural that surrounds your spinal cord, and leaves the tube in there pretty much through the whole labor process so the pain killer is constantly flowing through it to your spinal cord. In case you didn't really catch the freak-out part of that last sentence, let me re-state it for you: THEY STICK A NEEDLE INTO YOUR BACK. They use a numbing agent first, so you supposedly don't feel the needle, but still ...
This absolutely brilliant man in our childbirth class was kind enough to ask, "What's to keep the needle from going through and cutting the spinal cord?" Pretty much every expectant woman in the place tried her best to shoot needles out of her eyes to cut HIS spinal cord, but to no avail. This genius of a man kept us all enthralled by constantly asking worst-case scenario questions such as, "What if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck and he's not getting oxygen to his brain?" I think if the women (including his own wife) had all had a little more mobility/flexibility in them, there would have been a lynching.
The best part about the epidural portion of the night was the labor video of the woman who got one. She had huge red hair circa 1989 and a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face through most of her delivery. Everytime they cut to the interview with her a few months afterwards, when her hair was really done up and the make-up was just "so", I wanted to let loose with my best Axl Rose rock-and-roll wail.
Episiotomies
Well, this is just gross, but basically it's where they cut the woman as the baby comes through, in order to make more room for the little darling. Again, in case you didn't get the freak-out part: THEY CUT YOU. IN A VERY UNPLEASANT PLACE. I'm just not even going to say anymore about that.
C-sections
Okay, this is probably what scares me most. I can handle needles. Even needles in the back. But I don't like cuts. At least the episiotomy is just a little cut. But to have my belly sliced open and have the baby pulled out that way ... Shudder, shudder, shudder. I realize that if I have to have this done that I won't feel a thing, but it's just the IDEA of it.
We also saw a video of a couple who decided to go "natural" with their childbirth. This means they didn't have any pain-killers at all. They were very yuppy-ish types, very type-A personalities. The husband was coaching the wife with all the techniques they had learned, and the wife was doing all her breathing exercises perfectly. I wanted to shoot them.
I did take some comfort in knowing that she still hurt like hell though. In her post-delivery interview, she said the pain was much worse than she anticipated. Which made me think. After watching six videos now of women yelling, moaning, screaming in pain, with their husbands looking for the most part very scared and helpless, it occurred to me that, gee, this may hurt. And as this idea has settled in more and more, I'm beginning to freak out.
I haven't decided yet whether to get an epidural or not. Getting an epidural is known to prolong the pushing part of labor, which is supposedly the most painful part - with or without epidural - so I'm thinking, screw the epidural, I just want to get it overwith as soon as possible. But if I'm in labor for like 12 hours before I even begin pushing, the contractions may exhaust me so much that I may want the epidural just to get a stinkin' break. So I won't really know until I'm into it if I'm going to go the needle-in-the-back route or not.
I'm also concerned because Catri is going to be there. I mean, I want her there, but at the same time I'm worried about it. I think she may be traumatized for life after witnessing all this. I've tried and tried to warn her that it will FREAK HER OUT, but she calmly replies, "I know," and what am I supposed to say to that?
This week I've had a lot of pain move into my lower back. Despite my long list of pregnancy discomforts and complaints, this is the first time lower back pain has entered the picture. Most likely the reason I'm feeling this now is that little Gwennan is beginning her descent (what the medicos call "lightening" - HA!) Which means she's coming. She's on her way. I'm really happy about that, of course. I just wish it didn't mean hours and hours of hell for me.
Where is that darn stork?
This week we discussed epidurals, episiotomies, and c-sections. I'm going to give you a little run-down of what was said/seen so you too can freak out with me.
Epidurals
This is a pain killer that is supposed to help with the pain of contractions. The anesthesiologist has you lean forward so your spine curves, and he sticks a needle into your back, then inserts a tube through that needle into the epidural that surrounds your spinal cord, and leaves the tube in there pretty much through the whole labor process so the pain killer is constantly flowing through it to your spinal cord. In case you didn't really catch the freak-out part of that last sentence, let me re-state it for you: THEY STICK A NEEDLE INTO YOUR BACK. They use a numbing agent first, so you supposedly don't feel the needle, but still ...
This absolutely brilliant man in our childbirth class was kind enough to ask, "What's to keep the needle from going through and cutting the spinal cord?" Pretty much every expectant woman in the place tried her best to shoot needles out of her eyes to cut HIS spinal cord, but to no avail. This genius of a man kept us all enthralled by constantly asking worst-case scenario questions such as, "What if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck and he's not getting oxygen to his brain?" I think if the women (including his own wife) had all had a little more mobility/flexibility in them, there would have been a lynching.
The best part about the epidural portion of the night was the labor video of the woman who got one. She had huge red hair circa 1989 and a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face through most of her delivery. Everytime they cut to the interview with her a few months afterwards, when her hair was really done up and the make-up was just "so", I wanted to let loose with my best Axl Rose rock-and-roll wail.
Episiotomies
Well, this is just gross, but basically it's where they cut the woman as the baby comes through, in order to make more room for the little darling. Again, in case you didn't get the freak-out part: THEY CUT YOU. IN A VERY UNPLEASANT PLACE. I'm just not even going to say anymore about that.
C-sections
Okay, this is probably what scares me most. I can handle needles. Even needles in the back. But I don't like cuts. At least the episiotomy is just a little cut. But to have my belly sliced open and have the baby pulled out that way ... Shudder, shudder, shudder. I realize that if I have to have this done that I won't feel a thing, but it's just the IDEA of it.
We also saw a video of a couple who decided to go "natural" with their childbirth. This means they didn't have any pain-killers at all. They were very yuppy-ish types, very type-A personalities. The husband was coaching the wife with all the techniques they had learned, and the wife was doing all her breathing exercises perfectly. I wanted to shoot them.
I did take some comfort in knowing that she still hurt like hell though. In her post-delivery interview, she said the pain was much worse than she anticipated. Which made me think. After watching six videos now of women yelling, moaning, screaming in pain, with their husbands looking for the most part very scared and helpless, it occurred to me that, gee, this may hurt. And as this idea has settled in more and more, I'm beginning to freak out.
I haven't decided yet whether to get an epidural or not. Getting an epidural is known to prolong the pushing part of labor, which is supposedly the most painful part - with or without epidural - so I'm thinking, screw the epidural, I just want to get it overwith as soon as possible. But if I'm in labor for like 12 hours before I even begin pushing, the contractions may exhaust me so much that I may want the epidural just to get a stinkin' break. So I won't really know until I'm into it if I'm going to go the needle-in-the-back route or not.
I'm also concerned because Catri is going to be there. I mean, I want her there, but at the same time I'm worried about it. I think she may be traumatized for life after witnessing all this. I've tried and tried to warn her that it will FREAK HER OUT, but she calmly replies, "I know," and what am I supposed to say to that?
This week I've had a lot of pain move into my lower back. Despite my long list of pregnancy discomforts and complaints, this is the first time lower back pain has entered the picture. Most likely the reason I'm feeling this now is that little Gwennan is beginning her descent (what the medicos call "lightening" - HA!) Which means she's coming. She's on her way. I'm really happy about that, of course. I just wish it didn't mean hours and hours of hell for me.
Where is that darn stork?
posted by Donna-Marie at 3/23/2006 08:17:00 AM
1 Comments:
DM, I wish I could offer some comfort about the whole labor and delivery part, but I've never been there. The best thing I can tell you is to talk to women who have had positive birthing experiences- like Susan Harris. It is said, that after she had Grace, when they were leaving the hospital she said that it was no big deal and she could do it again...and she has.
The only thing I will comment on is what I know. I watched Sherry give birth to Elijah, and I was really afraid that I would do something stupid like pass out, or be really freaked out and never want children. I have to say, I watched her receive her epidural (which from observation, I would highly recommend gettting, but would highly recommend that Catri not watch) and I nearly lost it. But watching her deliver Elijah was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life, and even with all of the fluid and weird things happening, it seemed like the most natural thing in life. Sherry was also my hero for many many days after, for acheiving a feat I had never seen anyone before acheive. I think it will be a great experience for Cat- bonding her more tightly to you and Mark and the baby, and also seeing a miracle that very few her age ever get to witness.
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