• Home
• About
• Archives
• Contact
Recent Posts
• Fourze Cake!
• Daddy Sings Happy Birthday!
• Fourze Cake - with a big 4 candle!
• Present Frenzy
• Happy Mother’s Day!
• 仮面ライダー Collection!
• Tricky Trio
• Swing~~~~~
• First Trip To ER
• Hanging Around
• Contemplation
• Pictures In The Mirror
• First Tattoo
• Laughing with Daddy
• Cake!
Monthly Archives
Categories
• Birth
(42)
• Friends & Family
(19)
• Information
(9)
• MJ
(22)
• Pregnancy
(15)
• Observations
(2)
• Elliot Mason
(685)
• Yoshi
(19)
Lack of Pain Relief
I know this may come as a shock to some people (especially to those living in highly medicated Western countries) - but giving pain relief during birth - such as epidurals - is extremely uncommon here in Japan.
Usually you have to choose a clinic that practices it and that is your clinic for the duration of your pregnancy.
Here we use “gaman” - which essentially means “suck it up and take the pain”.
So please - no further comments dismissing the pain of childbirth by referring to epidurals - cause I ain’t getting one. I just have to try and be all zen about it when it happens.
Tags: birth • epidurals • pain | Comments (5)
-
I know you’ll do great.
-
MJ, you can get thru it. All my three were born without an epidural because I was too scared of the needle.
My advice is to relax. I know that sounds silly, but try and relax and let your body do its work. Yes that is harder than it it sounds!!! Also try to stand up for as long as you can. The contractions will be stronger but they will work better and the labour will go quicker. I found that lying down slowed my contractions down.
Labour can be long, scary, tiring and PAINFUL. But it is ultimately worth it. With all the self reliance you have shown throughout your life, you have all you need to get through the birth of your baby.
Everything will go well.
Love Ange -
You have my serious sympathy, me being the kind of “guy” whose tolerance for pain is nearly nonexistent. But hey, I’ve learned to tolerate Medium Salsa, so I’m getting better.
If you think it’d help, I could FedEx you a bullet to bite on, but it probably won’t make it through security at the clinic.
-
When I was approaching my due date I kept reminding myself that women have gone through labor billions of times, most of them without the benefit of epidurals, and have done just fine.
As you know I didn’t get a chance to get an epidural, and now that it’s done I am glad- I think my recovery went a lot quicker than it would have if I’d had drugs. The advice above is excellent- relax as much as you can, keep breathing, and stay on your feet as much as possible. (my labor only lasted a short while, but I was on my feet for most of it…)
I’d heard that when the contractions reach an intensity that make you think you can’t possibly tolerate anything worse, that is as bad as they actually get. That was definitely the case for me. Your body was built for this, and you’ll be fine.
-
Ange! You funny girl.
I think I’ll be ok - I kinda don’t care at this point I just want it to be over!
Next entry: at clinic
Previous entry: *Shake, Shake*
