Jan and Ione,
Your so right about the epidurals.  Soap box time coming on.... Here
reservations for epi's are made upon conception. This past week, I saw an
engorged mom who said labor was so easy.  The anes. kept coming in  her room
offering the epi throughout labor till at last she was at 7 and decided to
say yes.  And I was told that the anes. was *so nice* and stayed with her the
*entire time*.  Wait till they see the bill.  Now, in addition to being
engorged as the baby doesn't yet have it together, (perhaps baby has a little
headache from the vacuum)the mom's back is bruised & sore and her head hurts
a bit, but she had her epidural!
What's the solution??

Elisa Hirsch, RN, IBCLC
mother of 18 y.o. Esther and 16 1/2 y.o. Elliot who were born amazingly
enough without epidurals