Sunday, September 18, 2005

Natural Rhythms and Pain Relief

This study has some interesting conclusions about pain relief and its effectiveness in labor. But I would argue that it can be true for any type of pain relief. Anyone who has migraines can tell you that there is a window of time during which you need to take the medication or it will not work.

Of course I don't want people to have to use pain meds during labor anyway... And I blame technique and medicalised birth for the use of pain meds as the default. I mean, you could help a mom by getting her on her feet, by changing her position. Maybe if you didn't insist on women being flat on their back and strapped to a monitor they wouldn't need the meds. But that said, the less medication they have to give women who request it the better. Any BFing support person will tell you that medicated babies are more prone to problems with breastfeeding, no matter what the Drs say. And, any woman who has ever had a spinal headache or one of the other unwanted effects of an epidural probably doesn't remember the "relief" it gave her at all.

OK, stepping off the soap box. Just wanted to share this article:)

6 comments:

Surviving said...

I had a spinal headache when I had my youngest. I had to have a c-section so the doctor choose an epidural. With my oldest I had they just knocked me out because it was too dangerous to even try an epidural. There are pros and cons to both. If I had another c-section I would prefer to just be knocked out. The headache lasted for about a week and was the awful. Since both of my kids were so premature they couldn't have breastfed so the meds weren't really an issue for me.

camilla said...

Epidural worked wonders for me only during my labour at least but after that the pain was so unbearable. I am reminded of my labour pain and all. Nice post.

UmmLayla said...

I know what you are saying surviving... I had a spinal block migrate too far and I passed out when I had my c-section. Pregnancy I told them that is I had another c-section, "Hospital policy or not, I am not getting another spinal!"

I think the key is understanding things well. I can accept things more readily if you don't sell me a bill of goods and give me a false sense of security. If I might get a spinal headache, come out and tell me that. Or, if the block might have migrated just tell me. It took another DR reading my chart to know the block had migrated. When I woke up in recovery (I passed out because I stopped breathing) I asked about it and they told me I had a panic attack. Come on guys!

Surviving said...

I know what you are talking about. I had never even heard about spinal headaches. It was so bad that I would get really sick to my stomach. Even water would make me sick. I thought maybe it was just all the stress and the pain meds. When I was in the hospital the nurse kept saying it was the pain meds that were making me sick. It wasn't until after the fact that I found some info on the internet about it. I asked the doctor about it at my 6 six checkup and she agreed that is what I had.

Anonymous said...

Everyone has days when they are down, worn out, severe anxiety and just not feeling all that happy.

That's OK, you need to have days like this, otherwise how would you know when you are happy. You need to have something to contrast your happiness with. What is black without white?

Even though you know that sadness (severe anxiety) is a part of life, let's try to make it a small part of life.

With that said, here are a few tips to help you feel better when you are feeling down in the dumps. They are easy to do, easy to practice every day and they work!

1. Stand up straight, sit up straight. When your body is in alignment your energy can flow and when your energy is flowing freely, you can flow.

2. Smile! Yes, just smile. Easy to do and effective.

3. Repeat positive affirmations. Things like "I feel good", "Positive energy flows through my body", "I see the good in all".

4. Listen to some music that you like. It doesn't have to be anything specific, just something you enjoy. Certain types of music work better than others, but experiment and see what works for you. Studies have shown that Classical music and new age music work best.

5. Take some time out for yourself, relax and read a book, do something for yourself.

6. Meditate. Meditation is an excellent habit to develop. It will serve you in all that you do. If you are one who has a hard time sitting still, then try some special meditation CDs that coax your brain into the meditative state. Just search for "Meditation music" on Google or Yahoo and explore.

Our outside work is simply a reflection of our inside world. Remember there is no reality just your perception of it. Use this truth to your advantage. Whenever you are sad, realize that it is all in your mind and you do have the power to change your perception.

These tips will lift you up when you are down, but don't just use them when you are sad or severe anxiety . Try and practice them everyday, make them a habit. You will be surprised at how these simple exercises will keep the rainy days away.

On a final note, if you are in a deep depression that you can't seem to shake, please go see a doctor. This is your life and don't take any chances. severe anxiety

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