Natural Childbirth: Brave or Crazy?

Conde Nast Digital Studio
Conde Nast Digital Studio

By Anna Maltby, SELF

From the slightly obnoxious (supermodel Gisele Bundchen famously said hers "didn't hurt in the slightest") to the more realistic (Danica McKellar, better known as Winnie Cooper of "The Wonder Years," admitted that it was tough and that she had "Western medicine close ... just in case"), celebrities seem to be embracing natural childbirth all over again.

But is skipping the epidural brave and commendable, or is it just plain crazy?

We asked Randi Hutter Epstein, MD, a medical writer and the author of Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank, for the real deal.

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"Women tend to be horribly judgmental of each other about child-rearing, beginning with conception," Epstein says. "For some women, natural childbirth is what they really want -- they want to cherish the birth and feel proud of themselves for doing it without any drugs. And there are other women who are just as good mothers and just as good women who feel that the drugs available today are safe and they don't feel like enduring the pain of childbirth."

So what are the reasons some women go drug-free?

"There is a risk of headache after having an epidural, which is a huge downer on top of being exhausted and all the other normal discomfort after childbirth," Epstein says. "Plus, it means you're adding more people around you, more tubes, more checks. And it's a needle in your back!"

But what about the pain?

"The biggest drawback of natural childbirth is, there is more pain," Epstein admits. "For some women, that might be scarier, and increased fear does make you tense, which can make it harder for the baby to get out."

Is there any way to get the best of both worlds?

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"Some women say that natural childbirth isn't painful, it's just your attitude -- but it is painful! The trick is to find some techniques to get your mind off the pain," Epstein says. "Anyone who can teach you some meditation or visualization techniques will be really helpful.

"And remind yourself -- the pain of childbirth isn't a constant pain. It's very up and down. So if the pain is really hard to take, remind yourself that once it reaches the peak, it'll be over again just as quickly."

The bottom line? Choose what's right for you.

"There's this pressure these days to do a marathon at nine months pregnant and then have natural childbirth and fit into your skinny jeans two weeks after you give birth," Epstein says. "I say, if you personally feel better about natural childbirth, then good for you. I kind of wanted to do it that way. But women who want to go through it without the pain are good mothers, too -- they just have a different attitude. It's not more valiant of women if they want to go natural, it's just a personal decision."

Would you consider natural childbirth?


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