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Page 2 of 2 Epidural anesthesia has been linked to an increase in cesarean births due to failure to progress. This is because the usual tactics applied after EA are a recipe for a “failure to progress” diagnosis. A cesarean birth requires no expulsive efforts on the woman’s part and complete reliance of pull and traction through a small incision in the abdominal wall and uterus. This undeniably puts a significant amount of tension on a newborn’s spine and has been linked to a host of newborn and maternal injuries, including nerve damage. Having your newborn’s spine checked after birth makes a difference in the function of his or her nervous system. Perhaps the most concerning of all is the fact that EA is so effective at what it is designed to do—eliminating sensation. Dr. Chung Ha Suh, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado, received the first-ever National Institute of Health grant for chiropractic research. His research showed that pressure from subluxation equal to the weight of a quarter can decrease nerve transmission by 60 percent. This pressure can occur without any pain, or other signs or symptoms. In other words, the vertebral subluxation complex, a condition in which there is abnormal and decreased movement of the spinal bones, often occurs without any immediate signs or symptoms. Although a newborn can exhibit signs of subluxation, such as difficulty turning his head or colic symptoms, it is very likely there will be no symptoms at all. Combine this with a woman’s inability to experience the sensations of birth, and she might assume that no spinal trauma to the baby could have occurred. The literature associated with epidural anesthesia clearly indicates the need for a close evaluation of a newborn’s spine soon after birth, and a discussion of epidural use during labor and birth as a must in the chiropractor’s office.
Alternatives to Epidurals
There are many safer avenues a woman can explore for pain during labor in place of an epidural. In her paper “Update on Nonpharmacologic Approaches to Relieve Labor Pain and Prevent Suffering,” doula and childbirth educator Penny Simkin discusses two different models of care: the medical model and the midwifery model. The former usually involves actions done to the woman to eliminate pain, while the latter focuses on the elimination of suffering by understanding and respecting the process of pain. Simkin also states that the elimination of pain has no bearing on the satisfaction of a woman’s birth experience. In fact, women who choose not to use EA consistently report a high level of satisfaction with their birth experience. The midwifery model of care offers “reassurance, guidance, encouragement, and unconditional acceptance.” Pain is seen as a normal experience, and not a sign of damage, injury or abnormality. Adding a doula, a labor support person, to the birth team has been shown to reduce a woman’s request for pain medications and epidurals, among other benefits. A woman can go into her labor and birth with certain expectations, which can quickly change when she does not receive support and understanding from her caregivers. Discussing these concerns with the birth provider and the labor and delivery team is important. The hospital staff are trained to be doers. And, while it may come with the best of intentions, often doing in labor leads to problems that were hoped to be avoided in the first place. I remember hearing a doula suggest to a client to post a sign during her hospital birth, saying, “Natural childbirth in progress. Please do not offer an epidural. Please do offer support, encouragement and love.” The Farm, a birthing center in Tennessee founded by world-renowned midwife Ina May Gaskin, boasts amazing birth statistics by today’s obstetric standards. Of thousands of babies born at The Farm, 96 percent were without any medical assistance. This is quite an achievement considering the C-section rate in the United States is at about 32 percent right now, and has climbed steadily for decades. In her book, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Gaskin writes, “When you are injured and feel pain, its message is ‘Run away!’ or ‘Fight!’ You are being damaged. This is survival information. The pain of labor and birth has an entirely different message. It says, ‘Relax your pelvic muscles. Let go. Surrender. Go with the flow. Don’t fight this. It’s bigger than you.’” Many women today learn to fear birth. It is an unpredictable event. Therefore, anything that appears to control this and make it more predictable appears to be a good thing. Reflecting on her thirty years of practice, Gaskin says, “My experiences as a midwife taught me that women’s bodies still work.” Chiropractors appreciate and support that women’s bodies are designed to work during childbirth and beyond.
 This article appeared in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #31.
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