Daily Dose of Common Sense

The choice to do a natural childbirth vs. a birth with pain medication is always hotly debated. And, each side is sure their opinion is correct. Well, a noteworthy study has just been announced that will likely spark further conversation. A recent Swedish study concluded that natural childbirth classes didn’t offer any advantage to expecting parents.

The scientists had two groups of expectant parents who were all in their third trimester. One group received information and training only on natural childbirth, focusing on breathing and relaxation techniques. The other group learned about pain relief available during labor as well as how to care for a newborn baby. But, they did not practice any breathing or relaxation techniques.

The result was no difference at all.

When asked to rate their pain and experience of childbirth, both groups gave similar answers. Both groups had similar levels of stress when it came to being new parents. There was also no difference in the proportion of women who had an epidural, which was 52 percent in both groups.

So, don’t take anyone else’s advice on which method to use. There is no scientific evidence that one method of preparation is better than another. Do what makes sense for you and your family.

[Note: This post has been used with permission from RationalMoms.com.]

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 6th, 2009 at 12:54 pm and is filed under Family, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.