As I prepared for the birth of my first daughter, India, and considered my desired birthing plan, I made the decision to have an epidural if my doctor determined it was appropriate. My sister, an OB/GYN, had an epidural for both of her deliveries. As a sister and a doctor I valued her input, which was also fully supportive of the epidural. When it comes to my health and my family’s health I embrace modern medicine. I am grateful for what it offers.
This was a situation where I was entirely confident in the procedure and the benefits to me while in labor, and I relied on the anesthesiologists’ guidance to assure me the epidural was safe for India. In fact, it never crossed my mind not to have an epidural.
My experience with the anesthesiologist was a good one. He was professional and friendly and even cracked a joke or two to put me and my husband at ease prior to administering the epidural. When I received the epidural it worked well and I was also able to benefit from it after delivery as well.
I believe, in this day and age when women and their partners are increasingly engaged in the decisions surrounding the delivery process, it is important for them to be reminded that an epidural can help ease some of the pain of labor without taking away any aspect of the overall experience.