Mama Llama,

I love that Amanda Peet is complaining. I don’t really even think of it as complaining, more venting. She’s behaving like most of the mamas I’ve known in person… They wear sweatpants, they have huge bags under their eyes, they’re tired, they feel like crap, their bodies are doing strange things, things aren’t working as easily as everyone says they are… this isn’t what they expected. It’s nice for potential mums to see a balanced range of experiences. It would be horrific for a first time mum to bring their bub home with only the perfect, media-sweet representations portrayed by most celebs. Mums need all views so they don’t feel inadequate.

PSB… there’s a high instance of Autism spectrum disorders now, ADD/ADHD, and more disorders (mood, etc). Who’s to say what’s causing all them? I can’t help but think that our modern way of living (including medicated births, quick cord clamping and so much more) is partially responsible. As a parent I feel it’s my duty to minimize each risk to my child that I’m able to. For me, opting for no drugs of any kind during pregnancy and delivery (and nursing) is an easy choice.

Is is just my imagination, or does Amanda Peet complain a lot? It just seems like every in article I’ve read about her, she is complaining about everything, including her baby.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie she was in or any pre-pregnancy articles featuring her, so maybe this is just her personality?

Meh. I threw up with both my kids. The first one in the beginning after my water broke before I had my worthless epidural that numbed my left side, but not my right. And the second one throughout my 2 hour rollercoaster labor.

I also pushed for 2 hours with the first one and he had shoulder dystocia so he had to be helped out and came out brusied and ugly.

It is true that throwing up can be a normal part of the birth experience with or without drugs – what’s disappointing and somewhat irresponsible in my opinion is the way she glamourizes the use of drugs during birth. As someone else said, it’s a personal choice and whether you understand or agree with someone’s choice or not, you shouldn’t criticize it. Especially when you are given a national platform to do so on TV.

She says she can’t understand people who don’t get an epidural… I say I can’t understand people who DO. There was no way a needle that big was going anywhere near me. Plus there’s the whole possibility of the domino factor that leads to a higher risk of c-section. Even with the hideous back labor I had, I went all natural. There’s so many other, natural, ways to ease labor pains. Tub, shower, TENS machine, yoga ball, sterile water shots.

I personally used a tub, shower and the sterile water shots. I had two rounds of the shots, which are only sterile water injected just under the skin on the lower back to ease back labor and lasted 30 minutes each time for me.

*shrug* To each their own though.

I ended up with an emergency C-section, so I can’t speak with any authority about labor and transition–but my opinion is that whatever effect drugs have on the baby, it can’t be serious, or there would be some sort of epidemic of brain damaged babies running around. Most women in the USA use medicated pain control during birth and most babies are born healthy.

I think women should do whatever makes them feel the most comfortable–whether it be natural or medicated. I think it’s kind of mean to insinuate that women who use drugs during labor are somehow damaging their babies, when there is no widespread proof of this. Anecdotes do not count!

As for my baby–I had a spinal block and he was able to latch on and breastfeed right away in the recovery room 20 minutes later, so the drugs didn’t seem to affect his latching ability.

Thanks for the info Amy…now that I think about it, i remember reading that. I still stand by the fact that drugs are not good for the baby.

I can explain why some women–some, not all–refuse epidurals. I am one of those people who is DEATHLY AFRAID of needles. Believe it or not, I would much rather experience unmedicated labor than have a needle inserted anywhere for even half a second. I go into hysterics at the very sight of a needle. Needle-less to say (hee hee), I had a fully natural labor and I would do it again because the thought of getting an epidural makes me want to chew my own arm off. This goes to show you just how powerful the brain really is.

“a lot less painful without the drugs…” ha ha ha ha ha. Sorry – had to laugh at that