Re: In Favor of Epidurals Where Indicated
Pending a more formal and educated letter from a professional
source, I feel it my duty to report a very strong, emotional
reaction to our recent article which came down strongly
against epidurals and in favor of pure natural childbirth
without drugs of any kind.
One of our readers, a veteran midwife of many years, argues
that this article (Parshas Vayishlach) was heavily biased and
did not show the full picture. The emotional trauma that may
sometimes be caused by a long and difficult birth process can
throw a woman into a postpartum depression that could have
been avoided by easing her pain and suffering, at worst, and
leave a traumatic attitude towards birth in general, at best.
The risk, she claims, is hardly as great as described, while
the article only quotes one medical opinion. The source's
statistics, she says, are all wrong and not completely
informed.
Furthermore, most of our frontline halachic authorities, she
maintains, including Hagaon R' Steinman shlita, have
come out strongly for epidural where it is requested by the
mother -- for that very reason.
We would like to set the record straight by urging our
readers to consult their own daas Torah in their
personal instances.
[Caller's name withheld but available upon request]
