Pain in childbirth is a good thing!

[Tiger Eye]

[Rizzo]

If the woman concerned had never given birth, I probably would have thought she was entitled to her opinion but could not express anything that was down to experience - the same as a man.

Having said that, some ladies have no pain, no hours of labour and so on. Others have a lot. When I had my daughter I was in labour 30 hours and I can honestly say it hurt a lot but she was 5lb 12oz. Another lady the same night had an 11lb9oz baby in 3 hours and walked out to go home within another 2 hours.

I did however get a good piece of advice from a friend - who told me to grow my nails and keep my husband's hand held firmly in mine - so he could also experience some of the pain

[Kinoulton]

That's exactly why this new fangled fashion for having the man present at the birth is an absolute load of sloblock.

Our role is to pace up and down the hospital car park until some senior doctor looking a lot like Leslie Phillips comes out and says "I say, old bean, you've got a baby girl".

At which point we :censored: off down to pub to have beer and cigars with our mates.

That's proper bonding, that is.

[Welford Tigress]

I find it amusing some of you have immediately jumped on the 'man v woman' bandwagon. If you care to read all of the BBC article, it appears two other professional people are in general agreement with Dr Walsh. To those of you who suggest Dr Walsh should try castration or a vasectomy without anaesthesia, may I ask from where you draw the comparison? Childbirth is a very natural process: since when have castration or vasectomies been so?

Perhaps it was inappropriate for a man to make these suggestions. Would you have reacted in the same way if it had been a woman who wrote the article? Personally, I don't think you would have.

So any natural process that causes pain shouldn't receive pain relief or is it just childbirth? Incidentally I did read all the article and 3 professionals agreeing means just that, I'm sure just as many would beg to differ. The issue really is about choice, whatever the mother decides should be supported where possible without making them feel a lesser person for doing so.

[Kinoulton]

There is, of course, a parallel argument about sports injuries.

If you inject the sportsman with painkillers, or even just warm the area with Deep Heat, then you are encouraging the player to play on when his body is telling him not to. This can lead to worse long term problems.

But apart from that bit of philosophy, if I was a woman about to give birth, I'd want all the drugs going!

[cornish tigress]

Dying a slow painful death of something horrible is also "natural" but I think it might be nice to have a little pain killer perhaps. I don't think just because something is natural we should all just grin and bear it...if it hurts like hell-we have pain killers-take them.

[Hairy Egg]

I don't think just because something is natural we should all just grin and bear it...if it hurts like hell-we have pain killers-take them.

So if the result of my previous comment was Welford Tigress or Tiger Eye giving me a swift and violent knee to the ‘soft dangly bits’ could that be construed as ‘natural’ and if so would I be allowed pain relief…………please?

[Hull Fan]

I don't think just because something is natural we should all just grin and bear it...if it hurts like hell-we have pain killers-take them.

So if the result of my previous comment was Welford Tigress or Tiger Eye giving me a swift and violent knee to the ‘soft dangly bits’ could that be construed as ‘natural’ and if so would I be allowed pain relief…………please?

If you ask them nicely they may rub them better for you.....just check their hands for deep heat first!!!

[Welford Tigress]

I don't think just because something is natural we should all just grin and bear it...if it hurts like hell-we have pain killers-take them.

So if the result of my previous comment was Welford Tigress or Tiger Eye giving me a swift and violent knee to the ‘soft dangly bits’ could that be construed as ‘natural’ and if so would I be allowed pain relief…………please?

Sorry if I hit below the belt Hairy Egg, will an apology suffice for a pain killer and I'll try to be more gentle next time.