I forgot I wanted to rant about this. For some reason teringat while in the shower this morning.
Someone asked me how Lisa’s delivery went. I said "Oh it was great. Epidural all the way." She gave me this half-smirk and said "Oh, that's cheating. You have to feel all the pain." While the my-mother-raised-me-to-be-polite person outside just smiled at this remark, the secret blogger inside raises her fist and uncurls her middle finger.
What do you mean it's cheating? Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize giving birth to a baby was a test.
I'm annoyed by these women who thinks the 'proper' way to deliver a child is to feel all the pain. If it's your choice to forego any type of medication, more power to you dude, but don't judge or look down on other people who choose to manage their pain with the medical options available to them. If I wanted to deliver my child sans drugs, I might as well just do it in a barn somewhere.
It's my body, my child, my decision. Who are you to judge me for not wanting to feel pain on my hoo-ha? If you had a headache and took some aspirins to relieve it, I wouldn't call you a cheater. I'm sure going through 5 or more hours of labor without any drugs can make you feel like a warrior woman, but that doesn't mean other people who does it any other way are weaker than you. If my hands were mangled and bleeding, and I choose not to get any pain relief, you would call me stupid. So how is this different?It's not weak or wimpy or cheating to make full use of the medical options available to me.
That's what the doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists are there for. If I were to have 10 kids, I would deliver them all with the aid of epidural. I don't think you're stupid if you want to "feel all the pain". That's your choice, go right ahead. But don't start looking down on me just because I don't make the same decision.
Phew. Feel so much better now.