Excerpt: Pain Relief: the Oldest of Desires



You are not the first woman in history to seek ways to relieve your pain during childbirth. You have probably heard some variation on this stated many times: “Women have been giving birth for centuries without the benefit of modern pain relief.” What this statement does not reveal, however,is that women in almost every culture have tried to find ways to effectively relieve their pain during childbirth. Whether we are talking about an ancient herbal tea or a modern epidural, women's quest to relieve the pain of childbirth is timeless. At this point in history, you do not stand alone in your desire to experience a comfortable, or even pain-free labor and birth. Each generation of women before you has sought ways to make their childbirth experience less painful.

This chapter will cover:

  • Interesting pain-relief methods used prior to the discovery of anesthesia.
  • Attitudes toward the introduction of pain relief during childbirth.
  • Women's fierce political struggle for the availability of anesthesia during childbirth.
  • The pendulum swings back to natural childbirth.
  • The modern approach that blends “old” with “new.”