Epidural Q & A

Q: I have two children, aged 4 and 2. The first was a natural birth at a hospital with midwives. The second was a homebirth. My sister is pregnant and planning on getting an epidural as soon as labor starts. How can I tell her there is a better way?

A: The first thing to remember when talking to friends or family is that "better" is a relative term. You made the choice for natural birth and are happy with your choice. It might not be the choice she would be happy with. The fact is that over 95% of births in hospitals are medicated. Even homebirth midwives appreciate the availability of epidural for long labors, posterior babies, etc. Instead of making it your goal to show your sister the better way, make it your goal to provide her with knowledge so that she can make an educated decision about what is right for her. Kim James, a doula and childbirth educator, has done an excellent job of compiling a balanced presentation of both the risks and the benefits of epidurals .

Remember that just as your want your choice of homebirth to be respected, and you wouldn't take kindly to someone trying to talk you out of it, your sister doesn't want to be treated that way either.