Childbirth: Separating Fact From Fiction

Anyone who has experienced childbirth will know that it is an experience with no match. We are not just talking about the pain level here, although that is obviously something unlike anything else. Childbirth as a whole experience is so unique, and yet so often it is completely misunderstood by those involved.

There are so many myths floating around, so it can be hard, to tell the truth from the lie. In this post, however, we are going to attempt exactly that. Let’s look into some of the more pervasive myths and see what the truth is.

Epidurals – Do They Affect The Baby?

Everyone knows that childbirth is incredibly painful. The vast majority of women today prefer to use painkillers rather than go without and for good reason. The most common form of this is the epidural. This is what most women will receive as long as your lucky enough to have time to administer it. I wasn't so lucky.

Many people believe that epidurals are completely harmless, or that they don’t affect the baby at all. This happens to be not true. Epidurals can cause the mother’s blood pressure to suddenly drop. This can in turn cause issues with the blood flow to the baby. There is also some research that suggests that babies can also have trouble latching on during breastfeeding as a result of epidurals.

Induction – What Are The Best Methods?

Sometimes it is necessary for labor to be induced. When this is the case the main question will be which method to use to ensure the proper delivery. A particularly harmful myth out there is that inductions are always necessary and you will never go into labor on your own. This is completely untrue.

Unfortunately, being induced can even be harmful to both you and your child if the right method isn't used. Attempts with methods like dry needling don’t tend to work well, and there is actually no evidence to conclusively show that dry needling will induce labor. But with known methods like stripping the membranes or breaking the water can be extremely helpful to induce labor when it's needed.

Natural Childbirth – Is It The Way Forward?

There is no doubt that there are many advantages to natural childbirth. Giving birth naturally means you will likely have a shorter recovery and a faster labor. People seem to know this. In recent years, the number of women choosing to have a natural childbirth seems to have increased. However, it should not be overstated how beneficial it is. If there is one common misunderstanding about natural childbirth it is that it is the only REAL way to give birth.

There are a lot of people out there who say that natural childbirth is the best way to give birth for all mothers, NO MATTER WHAT. But it all depends on the situation. It is not true to say that it is ALWAYS the best option for everyone. Ultimately, mothers need to decide for themselves what they think is best, and that should be the final authority on the topic. PERIOD.