Peer pressure forces women to bear pain of childbirth, says midwife

PEER pressure is forcing women to grin and bear the pain of childbirth, a midwife claimed yesterday.

A new survey shows that eight out of 10 women found childbirth a profoundly shocking, frightening and painful experience.

The survey of 3,000 women in Britain suggests that most go into labour with no real idea of what to expect.

Trea Dooge, clinical midwife manager of parent education at the Coombe Women's Hospital in Dublin, believes women should know that childbirth is painful and messy, as well as being an everyday miracle.

She said pregnant women should be flexible about planning the birth of their child.

They should not be afraid, due to peer pressure, to use the pain management systems that are very effective.

Ms Dooge was also concerned that some women were cutting their maternity leave too tight and were exhausted when they came in to give birth.

"No woman can know how her labour is going to progress so she must keep her mind open about it and get as much rest as she can beforehand," she said.

The survey, commissioned by Mother and Baby magazine, found that 75% of women found childbirth more painful than they ever imagined. The vast majority, 96%, gave birth in hospital, while only 6% had their baby without any form of intervention.

A quarter of the births were caesarians; another quarter were induced; almost 40% of the women were given an epidural and 41% had pethidine.

A quarter of the surveyed mothers had an episiotomy; 19% had deliveries by ventouse suction; 10% had a forceps delivery; and, 56% needed stitches.

Ms Dooge, said she did not believe it was possible to prepare a woman for childbirth, no matter how good the antenatal class was.

"The birth of a new baby is not always exciting it depends on the circumstances of how it was conceived in the first place."

There was no doubt that women feared labour and the first baby was the toughest.

"Most women have not experienced physical pain until they have a baby so it comes as quite a shock when they find themselves in labour."

Ms Dooge said she was not saying that women could not cope without pain relief but the reality was that contractions were very painful.

"Giving birth is a major life event but it is also a time when women feel very vulnerable and out of control. However, they need to know the pain they are experiencing is positive pain that can be managed very effectively."