Can Women Actually Have Pain-Free Births Without An Epidural?
Hypnobirthing seems to be the answer to having pain-free births, and even allowing women to experience joy in the birthing process.
If you’ve ever sat down with a circle of women who are mothers and a new mother comes along, I can guarantee you would have heard the inevitable question — “How was your birth like?”. Following that new mother’s sharing, each mother would volunteer their own story, and the chatter would become more intense and excited as each mum offers an even greater horror story they experienced while birthing — all until they take what most mothers consider the Holy Grail — an epidural.
When Holy Grails Fail
However, what happens when Holy Grails are discovered not to be all that magical, and gasp, they actually fail?
Sadly enough, I was one of those mums who actually experienced the horror of the purported holy grail failing when I needed it the most. Apart from suffering from the usual side effects of an epidural — the uncontrollable shivers, chills, and fever — it provided absolutely no pain relief, made my son’s heartbeat slow down to worrying levels, and left me with a $5900 bill for just the anesthetist’s fee. In the end, a medical decision…
