Why is childbirth painful?

[Erki]

Simple question, innit?

[elastigirl]

haha!!!oh yes.

[Amandaaa]

I don't know... maybe our bodies should've been designed so that the baby could just fall right out.
hahhahha..




I'm not having kids (thank god), so I don't have to worry about that.

[Keith]

Basically 'cos evolution cares about species survival, not individual comfort.

Our bodies crap out when we get older for much the same reason - once we've produced the next generation, natural selection loses interest in us in favour of the new cutting edge...

[RT Wolf]

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you want to know physicall why its painful? Think pushing a bowling ball through a hose.

Thankfully (I guess), most women don't remember the pain of childbirth. As Kieth suggested, because we have difficulty remembering certain feelings from other states than the one we were in when it happened, cause evolution wouldn't be too happy if every woman only had one kid, or none cause they heard how painful it was.

[Erki]

Originally Posted by Keith

Basically 'cos evolution cares about species survival, not individual comfort.

Our bodies crap out when we get older for much the same reason - once we've produced the next generation, natural selection loses interest in us in favour of the new cutting edge...

Wouldn't a more comfortable birth be beneficial for that new generation? Evolution is so short sighted.

[Akashic_Librarian]

I thought it was because it was Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, and it is in fact original sin thatcauses pain. Because God is evil and so are women...apparently.

[Erki]

Originally Posted by RT Wolf

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you want to know physicall why its painful? Think pushing a bowling ball through a hose.

Thankfully (I guess), most women don't remember the pain of childbirth. As Kieth suggested, because we have difficulty remembering certain feelings from other states than the one we were in when it happened, cause evolution wouldn't be too happy if every woman only had one kid, or none cause they heard how painful it was.

Well, physically it's quite straight forward. My question was more philosophical, or so. Kinda like why is there pain and suffering in the world.


And even if they forget it, why does the pain still have to be there?

[Joeschmoe]

My guess is that evolution hasn't caught up with our big heads. Large brains and therefore large heads are a relatively new development. Big brains are highly selected for to the detriment of females. A big brain is worth a lot of pain, suffering, and even some death in childbirth. I'd imagine that the selective pressure would have over many tens of thousands of years selected for women who were more capable of passing the new human head without killing themselves (ability to have more children) or their baby. But, since we are so smart starting sometime around 4 or 5 thousand years or more ago we started to actively work against evolution with modern medicine. So we are sort of stuck in a transitional phase in evolution. Modern medicine has taken away the selective pressure that would have made child birth more comfortable as time went on.

[Erin Pavlina]

From what I've read, childbirth doesn't have to be painful, but the way women position themselves (or I should say the way that most OB/Gyns position women in labor) is not natural.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

From what I've read, childbirth doesn't have to be painful, but the way women position themselves (or I should say the way that most OB/Gyns position women in labor) is not natural.

I know one woman in my family who had no childbirth pain despite birthing three kids. I don't know what position she used though. What position is the best way, or do you have a link to it?

[Erin Pavlina]

No expert here so ...

But I think you want to be squatting to allow the most opening in the hip flexors. A birthing chair or similar position would be helpful.

Flexibility and overall good health are important too. I know that women who are good at yoga have an easier time.

There is also the positioning of the baby to consider. Sometimes the baby is facing the wrong way and the woman gets back labor.

Reading the natural childbirth books should give you some insight on how to minimize the pain.

I actually used a doula who did hypnobirthing with me. It was fabulous! I went 31 hours in active labor on a full dose of pitocin with no pain medication at all, and contractions coming 1 minute apart. The pain was very manageable. However after that point things got crazy and I got a contraction that did not subside! I was begging for someone to cut my head off with the fire ax, so they gave me an epidural. But I had the epi for just 3 hours and then I told them to turn it off (they thought I was crazy). Pushing was great, ripping and tearing not too great, but pushing was not painful.

[elastigirl]

its a spiritual transition for both mother and baby,pain brings us growth spiritually i think


I have given birth 3 times,and am so grateful of that pain,

just keep focus on the baby,keep that bond,channel into your body opening and allowing baby to come out.

my 3rd baby was born hand to head position,I had unassiisted homebirth,and no stitches

my first was a very traumatic hospital birth

my 2nd was a not so traumatic hospital birth.

read up on positive experiances,its amazing.

[Michelle]

All birth is painful - childbirth, birth of consciousness, creation of anything. But I suspect that it is only that way because we humans make it so. It doesn't have to be like that.

[Lauxa]

Well, one thing that can make childbirth a lot more painful than it needs to be is improper positioning of the baby. And one thing that can cause that is staying in a reclining position during pregnancy, especially the third trimester.

Much of the pain of childbirth is from contractions of the uterus. I mean, this muscle doesn't really get a lot of exercise and all of a sudden it is responsible for pushing out a baby.

Also, from my experience, the second child is much less painful than the first, maybe because everything is stretched out more.

But yeah, it's mostly the brain thing. I mean, once the head comes out, the body is a cinch.

[Honeywith4bees]

I've given birth to four beautiful, healthy babies, all without the use of any sort of pain medication. They were all over 7 lbs with the second child weighing over 10 lbs at birth. I used self hypnosis techniques during every labor, got lots of exercise during every pregnancy, and even gave birth to the last child in a standing position (in the hospital). The hospitals generally don't like that, they prefer to keep their patients laying down and hooked to moniters, which does greatly increase the amount of pain that you can experience. Every one of my births hurt like nothing I could ever describe. I will never forget that pain.

I think, though, that the experience of birth, if it had been just an easy, non traumatic thing, maybe would not have bonded me to those babies so much. After all, I went through a personal hell to bring those little beings into the world, nothing could (or will!) stop me from enduring anything for them now.

[Erki]

Interesting. My thought was that it(childbirth) actually doesn't have to be painful at all, we have just forgot the ways we are geared and not working with nature but against it. Trying to bring everything under control with the modern medicine and pills and monitors and what not. I remember something about reading that a lot of indigenous peoples(I mean those who still live in good living conditions, so Inuits etc don't really count) don't expereince this pain and childbirth is a natural thing. I guess they might be able to do it later in their lives too(than the mid-forties that we usually consider the ceiling).

Pain as a gateway to (spiritual) growth? Where has this notion come from? If pain makes us better people, why shouldn't we go and injure ourselves?

Bonding between mother and child seems a good explanation, though. It just sucks that men have a painless life(less spiritual growth too he he - no wonder only feminine is divine). And then go on and make women suffer even more by oppressing them and etc. Maybe if we(men) would also have a painful existence, we wouldn't go around raping and destructing everyone and everything.

And in the end I'm just curious (and envious) because I just want to know "how it feels like". (And having the right and ability to be worth my child and bonding with her seems to be worth it too..). Anyway, I'll let the normal service resume.

[Dharma]

It's resistance... to the moment. To that thought in your head that says I really should be squatting right now but it's wrong for me to upset the doctors, resistance to expansion, resistance to joy, resistance to ease...

Pain is compressed joy.

We are not trained to go into our pain and soften, we are trained to medicate our pain away.

Originally Posted by Erki

Pain as a gateway to (spiritual) growth? Where has this notion come from? If pain makes us better people, why shouldn't we go and injure ourselves?

Sadly, pain is the only thing we listen to. And sometimes it takes a whole lot of pain to make a personal course correction in life.

Originally Posted by Erki

Bonding between mother and child seems a good explanation, though. It just sucks that men have a painless life(less spiritual growth too he he - no wonder only feminine is divine). And then go on and make women suffer even more by oppressing them and etc. Maybe if we(men) would also have a painful existence, we wouldn't go around raping and destructing everyone and everything.

Are you in pain right now? That's some painful logic.

Originally Posted by Erki

And in the end I'm just curious (and envious) because I just want to know "how it feels like". (And having the right and ability to be worth my child and bonding with her seems to be worth it too..). Anyway, I'll let the normal service resume.

Being a parent to your child is not enough? Are you saying you have to earn something though blood, sweat, and tears or else you're not worthy? I'm not trying to be confrontational here, just playing devil's advocate to your beliefs if you meant what you said above.

[Lauxa]

HAHAHA! I also had my two babes without any painkillers, etc. With my first I wanted to know what it felt like. With the second, not so much. Actually, I was terrified and cried a lot during the pregnancy. After the second I figure I could do it again...

[Erki]

Originally Posted by Dharma

Are you in pain right now? That's some painful logic.

Yes, I'm in the middle of giving birth to my new being.

Originally Posted by Dharma

Being a parent to your child is not enough? Are you saying you have to earn something though blood, sweat, and tears or else you're not worthy? I'm not trying to be confrontational here, just playing devil's advocate to your beliefs if you meant what you said above.

No. I mean, yes. Mothers are more worthy of their children because they do everything to them - carry them, birth them, nurse them. My part ends just about when the little sperm boy jumps out of me.

And the other half continues to be that I don't like it that women have all the pain and men have nothing. It just seems wrong to me.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Erki

Well, physically it's quite straight forward. My question was more philosophical, or so. Kinda like why is there pain and suffering in the world.

And even if they forget it, why does the pain still have to be there?

Evolutionarily, pain is a response to trauma. It's unpleasant so as to spur you to instantaneous action to address a major problem.

The body sees childbirth (or just poorly managed childbirth?) as trauma and responds with pain. Evolution has been nice enough to issue some pretty nifty endorphins as part of the process, though.

[Erki]

So, evolutionarily speaking, childbirth is wrong?

[Erki]

Sometimes quite often walking on street is uncomfortable for me. I see so many young mothers or pregnant women. And every time I see them, I see PAIN!! I see pain everywhere, it seems... Oh well..

[NotesMaeve]

Not this young mother, Erki.

Yope. I'm knocked up.

The morning sickness bites, but is not so bad. I'm curious about birth. We'll see.

[Rose of Cairo]

You're pregnant??!!!

I'm jealous.

Oh my god, I would never have thought that! (that I would be jealous)

I'm so sorry.

Congratulations!!! Hey that's fantastic NotesMaeve! I'm so happy for you

For the young mother: ***HUG*** Many kisses to you!

Lots of love!

[8 more years]

Congratulations

i think the pain is neccessary to establish a connection with teh child i mean if you were just dropping out babies with out feeling it 1) that wouldnt envoke the animal instinct to nurture it and 2) you wouldnt feel as connected to the child and wouldnt try as hard to make an effort in its life because no pain no gain...

childbirth is a very delicate process and the pain is an indication of how things are going like with any pain it lets you know where and what is happeing to take the proper measures ...

i read somewhere that it is impossible to remember pain ...you remember the feelings and that ir hurt but the actual pain its self cant be remembered because trhe pain is felt by the nerves not conjured by teh brain and the brain cant resend the signal to the nerves to recreate pain.

[Michelle]

Originally Posted by Erki

Sometimes quite often walking on street is uncomfortable for me. I see so many young mothers or pregnant women. And every time I see them, I see PAIN!! I see pain everywhere, it seems... Oh well..

You are sensitive, Erki. Perhaps a natural empath? I see the pain, too. Real joy, love and happiness are seldom. Attachment and suffering is all too common.

[Lisa McGregor]

First of all, Congratulations NM. I know you'll make a great mother.

About the pain bonding you to your baby. I don't agree. I had an epidural and and an emergency Caesar. Just a little pain at the beginning before the epidural. I have a fantastic bond with my child. I remember his birth as a joyful occasion. I would have liked to have given birth naturally but having not done so I really don't feel that my maternal instincts are any less than those who gave birth naturally.
L

[Lola]

Originally Posted by Erki

Simple question, innit?

Oh, Erki! I've never known you to ask simple questions!

I don't have the answer to this one but I'm inclined to agree with Dharma's "it's resistance" statement. Apparently I had a great deal when my son was born - enough that I never had even a smidge of desire to ever go through it again. Don't get me wrong, he turned out to be worth it, but childbirth nearly got us both. I'm curious how different the experience would be now with my altered belief system and increased awareness.

And on that cheery note - congratulations NotesMaeve!!! Keep some Saltines around to nibble on - they'll help settle your tummy. I'm sending lots o' love and healthy big baby belly energy to you, Slamhot, and baby SlamMaeve! (Baby NotesHot? HotMaeve? SlamNotes?)

[Erki]

@8 more years: but men never have to and never can go through such torture - is a bond between them and their children then always unattainable then?

@Michelle: maybe, could be. But then again, maybe I'm just seeing my own pain(exaggeratedly) everywhere? Wouldn't that be egoic? I don't know how to explain it... maybe it's me to blame? Like, maybe I'm more concerned with me feeling bad every time someone mentions birth or when I see women who just gave birth some time ago, but not concerned with the feelings of the real sufferers? Do I make any sense?

@Lola, Honey4bees and others who have gone through the hell: sorry, I didn't want to. Would have taken half of the pain onto me if I could, but I couldn't. Oh well..