Childbirth Without Pain? | Join the Poll!

Childbirth Without Pain? Not quite! This poll is dedicated to the sacrifices experienced by mothers giving birth to their unborn children, for their partners, and for the society in general.

Childbirth Without Pain? My Thoughts!

My pick will be the first option, excruciatingly painful. Contractions happen in a few seconds to more than a minute. They occur from a difference of every hour and become less as labor continues. The pain associated with every contraction is intensified as it progresses.

My mother said she labored on me for more than 24 hours. I went through laborious pain for almost 24 hours as well. It was too long that Caesarian section childbirth was already suggested by one of the attending gynecologists. It was to prevent the baby from being poisoned inside the womb. There was no longer sufficient amniotic fluid which will support her. Most of it was expelled early during the initial stages of labor. It had become a dry labor already.

The pain was minimized with the injection of Epidural on an every four hour window. Based on researches though, the pain relief provided by it had side effects. It causes difficulty during actual delivery of the child. Most of the time it induced sleeps for me. I awake to feel excruciating pain again once the drug's effect lapses. The four-hour time frame was not even enough to alleviate the immense pain. So it wasn't completely without pain despite the presence of Epidural injections. 

At the delivery room, anesthesia further prevented any labor related sensation. It was without pain but only for a while. At that point, I was already weak that I can no longer force nor induce labor. There was no longer intake of food and water a few hours earlier. Pushing the baby out was only successful until her hair line is exposed. Afterwards, the baby seemed to pull herself back inside.

Forceps delivery was utilized. The baby was gently pulled out of the womb thru a pair of forceps clipped through her fetal head. After which, it was discovered that her umbilical cord were strapped underneath her armpits like a tube blouse’s upper garter support. This caused the pulling back effect.

In Preparation for Childbirth

Preparations for childbirth were done based on medical recommendations online and in person. One of these included breathing exercises and walking. Breathing exercises were performed numerous times during day and night with repetitions. Walking involved uphill and downhill steps from and towards our residence during my pregnancy.

When occasion arose, I even walked from up and down a famous road in that little, populated city up north (Baguio). Incidentally, it was during the culmination week of a yearly flower festival in the same city that I walked hours. It was with him, the same person whom I am inspired to write these words. Not by inspiration but by angst. Emo. Drama. As this blog is all about.

Childbirth Complications

Mine was not as complicated as C-section childbirth is. In fact, hospital records account that the procedure was a normal delivery via forceps. Even the use of oversized spoon clips, it was still technically labeled as normal. There were just setbacks. The fact that the labor lasted for almost 24 hours is one. Second is the baby’s extended stay at the hospital due to jaundice. Phototherapy eventually corrected the problem and she was discharged healthy a week afterwards.

Overall Childbirth Experience

Some credit labor related pains to a more fulfilling childbirth experience. I don’t credit anything to anyone, not even to myself. I am grateful for everything and everyone who have made it possible. Yet I did not wallow nor scream in pain during the excruciatingly painful hours of child birth. The pain was still present afterwards. After the delivery, a whole month of recovery was needed. During which, there was seemingly an everyday unending menstrual cycle.

Childbirth without pain? Really not quite possible.