Listen to Jacqui Greig's podcast on BirthMatters about the above. It brings together a combination of anthropological, medical, and social perspectives that may help you to understand the various perspectives and strong opinions you are subjected to when it comes to how you want to manage pain associated with birth.....
Want to take something that will reduce the pain and duration of your labour. Keep hearing about rasberry leaf tea? Sounds like the trick? If it was that good then health departments, hospitals, and obstetricians would be giving it out for free. Dont believe me?. Please listen to a podcast or read the transcript from Evidence based birth, run by a PhD nurse who is anything but part of some sort of conspiracy to deny women easier births. While I dont agree with all that Rebecca writes, she has a number of other interesting articles on her website.
Everyone asks you dont they! They want the obstetrician to tell you. If I was dishonest, I would tell you something like 7.5 to 8 pounds (the average weight) or look at your last babies weight and make a guesstimate based on that. Well, the truth is that as part of your care I am trying to detect those babies that are small due to placental insuffiency, and manage accordingly. The actual birthweight estimation is fraught with error. Please see this website for a detailed explanation as to why that is so.
You may be interested in listening to podcasts about womens' health issues and birthing? Told by a retired Obstetrician (Dr Jacqui Greig) using stories that combine historical, literature, and medical perspectives you will learn how to look at birthing differently, and be entertained along the way.. Jacqui is a mother of three, so its more than academic !.
