Dr. Graham,  The women before drugs, and after were being,
ripped off because they weren't getting proper support (to give
the pain meaning and value) for natural birth.  Also had someone
lessened its bite with natural techniques it wouldn't have been
so traumatizing.  And after you brought them knowledge of drugs
you must know that what a woman asks for in labor is not always
what she wants or needs.
-Joyce M


 Karen Graham wrote:
>
> Upon my wife's encouragement I reviewed the recent discussions about
> the use of epidural analgesia for the relief of labor pain.  I would
> liketo take advantage of the opportunity to add my own perspective
> to the discourse....
>  I did little to change this community perception
> about labor analgesia for three years.  As a consequence there are
> now women in this community who will never forgive me for reassuring
> them that their labors-from-hell were natural, normal, and would
> ultimately be remembered as edifying....
>
> I was reluctant to return to offering epidurals based upon my previous
> experience. ...  Never-the-less there was still the patient's
> desires to be respected.  For us the answer has been found in the use
> of intrathecal (spinal) analgesia.
>  When we first started using this technique
> five years ago about 30% of our patients immediately requested it and
> responded favorably.  Since then this technique has become known simply as
> "that shot" and is requested by about 80% of the laboring mothers - the
> cultural expectations have completely changed.
>
> Stephen B. Graham, D.O.