Just a quick observation: I have several friends and acquaintances that are avid runners and train for marathons and triathlons. I cannot emphasize enough how awful and painful this sounds to me. I was a two-pack a day smoker for more than 10 years -- smoke-free for 15 years now -- so I never developed a love of exercise, unfortunately.
I routinely have people comment on how high my pain tolerance must be, or how "strong" I must be to give birth without medication. I have to just laugh! This is coming from people who run for three hours straight! I would rather give birth several times over than run to the end of my street!
This is the misconception about labor and birth -- that it is about the pain -- how much you can take. It is about education, as I have said over and over. I truly believe that with conviction, education, and a supportive birth team, ALL women can give birth without medication.
I am pretty sure, however, that I could not run a marathon! Labor "pain" serves a purpose and when a woman understands that, she does not fight it, but works with her body to help her baby out. Labor is hard. I never try to fool women into thinking birth is painless, but it is the most joyful experience in a couple's life.
Anything that is difficult in life ultimately challenges our will and our mind, and often our bodies. I guess I am simply pointing out that women do hard things all the time -- don't miss this opportunity to truly bring your baby into this world with your own awesome power! You CAN do it!
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