My mother in law, a nurse, said she and nearly all women delivering at Barnett Memorial Hospital in Paterson, fifty to sixty years ago, had "saddle blocks", a similar process to an epidural. My mother had a "trial labor" with my younger sister and was shocked to realize that labor was painful because she too had a saddle block. Before Lamaze became popular, women were highly drugged in labor, which was part of what the entire movement was about. So, I question the underlying assumption here that women had fewer drugs in labor then.
DianaIDof NJ5:23PM March 30, 2012
"There is a tendency for women to come to the hospital in an earlier phase of labor because of fear of arriving too late"... to get an epidural.
Frank B Goodman IIIof TN5:01PM March 30, 2012
Please read and don't believe this Liberal policy wonk epidemiologist --
Obstet Gynecol. 1999 Jun;93(6):995-8:
Epidural analgesia and active management of labor: effects on length of labor and mode of delivery
Epidurals actually shorten labor duration -- How many laboring patients has Dr Laughon ever cared for ???
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DianaID of NJ 5:23PM March 30, 2012
Frank B Goodman III of TN 5:01PM March 30, 2012
jjs5018 of NY 4:51PM March 30, 2012