I think one cannot separate the specific drug effects of epidurals from:

(1) a culture that thinks that pain is bad, and that women, especially,
cannot tolerate pain
(2) longer labor due to the epidural
(3) inducted labor (pitocin) due to failure to progress due to the epidural
(4) a culture that thinks that women can't tolerate pain, are weak, and
have bodies that don't work very well

etc. etc. etc.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email:
[log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html