Giving Birth & Pain Tolerance
May 30, 2007 by kate baggott
Filed under Labor & Delivery, Mental Health
When my baby was about 6 months old, I noticed that I was a lot wimpier than previously.
I once would have just suffered through a mild ache or pain to see what it was trying to teach me about my body’s general condition. Now, though, I reach for the ibuprofen almost immediately. This, I reasoned, was due to the trauma of giving birth without medical pain relief for the second time. I thought it was something that would get better in time. I have since learned that I was wrong.
I used to be a tough broad. Tough enough to go through birth without an epidural. Primal enough in my understanding of womanhood to scream and draw power from my own howls.
Now, I even dread the very idea of a paper cut. I have used all my toughness up.
Perhaps, it is time for me to explore the long-neglected pampered princess side of my character? Maybe I need a third child just to experience a private hospital room, epidural and maybe even an elective c-section…
I don’t know what made me so angry about this particular post but I think it was the attitude with which you talked about c-section. As someone who wanted what YOU had, and ended up with something entirely different, I find your smug humour sticks in my throat. I am not going to read any more.
While I can highly recommend epidurals, I don’t think major surgery equals pampered princess, unless they remain thoroughly medicated for pain for weeks afterward. Recovery from a c-section is no joke.
ROFL – there is something about life experience, time and aging that feed this phenomenon. I used to avoid taking anything for anything, now I know better. I take an Advil the moment I feel a headache coming on and avoid hours of “getting it under control” time. I’m a wimp now too – and proud of it!
Hugs,
Holly
Angry Mum- It’s not smug humor, it’s called honesty. And there is a huge culture around the discussion of birth. In fact, have you ever heard the description “too posh to push”? It sounds like, if anything, you need to read more. Not just my blog, but all the others.
Even more important, it sounds like you need to do some healing over the kind of birth you wanted versus the kind you had. If there are two women in the world who have gone through birth the same way and had the same experience, I’ve never heard about it. Perhaps you need to write your own blog?
Ratphhooey- No it’s not. That’s why I wrote the C-Section recovery omnibus. But a private hospital room? I want that next time.
Holly- Thanks for getting it.
A c-section is, alas, no guarantee of a private room.
Damn!
But I am not talking about a normal c-section.
Probably not even the “normal” elective c-section.
I’m talking the celebrity c-section treatment where I get to choose the date of delivery, have my personal chef bring in hot meals, and have spa services while I recover.
There’s nothing normal about the pampered princess pregnancy and delivery.
Not that I know from experience anything about the PP culture. I don’t even have an engagement ring.
One thing that I find really affects my pain tolerance that’s directly related to recently having given birth is: LACK OF SLEEP. When I don’t get enough sleep, the tiniest little pains ache and ache.
On the other hand, I’m actually less likely to reach for pain meds these days (my first is 15 almost 16 months). I had a spinal headache from my epidural, which has also made me more sensitive to headaches than I think I used to be (could be the sleep thing, too, though).
Why didn’t anyone mention pain management continues for the rest of your life?
Jordan- Lack of sleep makes dealing with EVERYTHING more difficult, doesn’t it?
Your comments make perfect sense. Especially the last part.