Epidural -- Not Only Skin Deep
A letter from Sarah Goldstein, Professional Labor
Assistant, Jerusalem:
Once again, another comment on epidurals by a respected head
of a department. This time, Head of Emergency Medicine of
Maayanei HaYeshua, Dr. Joseph Liebman. He "cannot condemn the
practice." He goes on to say, "Childbirth is painful and
epidurals have a remarkable safety record." "Remarkable" is
relative.
Statistics show up to a 400% higher rate of a posterior baby
(back of head towards spine), which interferes with labor and
descent. Labor is longer, as is pushing (+/- 3 hours). There
are higher rates of pitocin (ziruz) to induce or speed
up the labor, help with delivery (vacuum/forceps) and an
episiotomy (stitches) that may not have been needed. Also,
there are more instances of backaches, headaches and infection
needing antibiotics. The baby is at a higher risk for distress
which can lead to other problems, including possible C-
section. And what about the rare cases of paralysis and
death?
I am not opposed to interventions and hi-tech WHEN NEEDED.
However, birth is a natural, physiological process needing no
intervention 93% of the time. We are a generation that has
been convinced that the medical staff must do something. A
hands-off approach is known to be the healthiest, G-d- given
way to give birth.
Even the inventor of the electric fetal monitor designed to
help high risk pregnancies said he was disappointed and
dismayed by the misuse of it which is now causing the very
problems it was meant to prevent.
Yes, childbirth is painful but are women given the options?
Are they given alternative and safe comfort measures? Where
are the uninterrupted showers, baths, massages, birthing
balls, beanbags, rocking chairs, dimmed lights, one-to-one
support and non-rushed atmosphere?
As a labor assistant, I have seen the difference between women
who are informed, given options in labor and true support from
a caregiver and those who aren't.
A woman needs to know the risks well before she starts labor
to be able to make an educated decision. She should take a
quality course which informs and teaches comfort measures. The
birthing woman should be offered all the alternatives to a
medicated birth. Then she can choose epidural out of her own
free will and not because the midwife says, "Take it now
before it's too late," or "It's only going to get worse."
In working together in an informed, prepared atmosphere of
teamwork, women can have a safe and positive [natural] birth
experience.
Can You Say it Both Ways?
An English born contributor to this paper had her dander up
about a phrase she saw in a recent family section of
Yated titled "A Vicious Circle." She writes:
In a recent conversation with an American acquaintance, we
were discussing the quality of the English used in Orthodox
publications. Obviously, there are differences between U.S.
English and U.K. English [the President's and the Queen's?].
Apart from the dozens of variations in the actual vocabulary
e.g. sidewalk and kerb, pitcher and jug, diaper and nappy, to
mention but a few, there is American spelling and British
spelling. My computer is programmed for American spelling and
much of my work is underlined in red by my faithful friend.
There are also a few grammatical variations e.g. "She looked
out the window" whereas in England, you would say "She look
out OF the window." Grammatical errors are pointed out in
green on the computer.
Your Editor: A nursery song-and-dance had American kids --
no, not little goats -- going "in and out the window." I
wonder how they sing this in England, if they do at all. And
then, we DO go -- for happy occasions, hopefully -- to THE
hospital, whereas in England they only go to hospital.
In some of the Orthodox English publications, there are slips
and gaffes, some of which creep in via translations and some
are typos. I imagine that about 85% of the readers don't even
notice them. Of the remaining 15%, presumably some notice but
are not really bothered by them. Others wince, much as one
does when hearing someone sing slightly out of tune [Ed. `WE'
say `off tune'] or a musician hitting a false note, and may --
or may not -- willingly subscribe to the paper again.
In English, when two words are used in conjunction, the
stronger word is always said first: "More or less." In other
languages, the weaker word is mentioned first, "Pachot oh
yoteir." Thus, if someone is translating from his own
language, he may well slip up. [Ed. Granted. This should not
be forgiven.]
You [read: the American editor] may not find a discrepancy in
a phrase like "a vicious circle". Admittedly, dictionaries are
made by the people who use the words, and if enough of the
population uses a word, it finds it way there. Thus: meshugge,
nosh, maiven, for the Yiddish connection, [Ed. or verbs like:
access, program, which come from computer language, borrowed
from nouns. Acceptable language].
However, there are many figures of speech or idioms which can
only be said in one particular way. OR CAN THEY? When an
appreciative Israeli child devours a hunk of cake and asks,
"You doed dis cake or you buyed it?" he is making himself
clearly understood. But when this American lady [the editor]
says, "You can say it both ways," does she mean that both ways
are correct? They are both intelligible, but they are
certainly not correct.
Your editor, again: Our point of contention was "vicious
circle." My case for it, as opposed to her one-and-only
"vicious cycle" is that 1) it is used this way, too, 2) there
is absolutely nothing grammatically or logically incorrect
with a vicious circle as there is with a `dude' and his `doed'
cake!
Having said all this, what a pleasure it is to know that when
you buy a paper, YATED, of course, there will be nothing in it
which will be detrimental to any member of the family.
Ed. again. Thank you, dear reader, for bearing with this
perhaps silly argument. Who do YOU side with? Is this American
vs. English usage or pedant's pride? Or are we just going
around in a vicious errrr...
Re: An Alternative for Aviva (14th Av)
Elka Silver writes:
I feel that a school like Yerusha is an idea whose time has
come. Many English speaking teenage girls in this country are
having difficulties with the school system here. Not only new
immigrants like `Aviva' but girls who came here as small
children or even those born to Anglo-Saxon families, here.
My own niece, age 15, came here as a three-year-old. She has
been in several schools over the years, trying to find the
right one for her, where she can feel she belongs.
She was interviewed at Yerusha and was accepted. She is very
excited that she now has a place where she can learn and grow.
Her parents are also relieved and happy. May this new school
have much success in helping her and all the other Avivas out
there.
