Something’s not right. This person I never met wants my wife to hunch up her back like a cat and let him stick a needle the size of a PVC pipe into her spine? But it’s okay, the teacher assures me, they’ll only leave the small metal tube sticking out. Yikes! I’m getting squirmy in my chair just thinking about it.
We’re on week three of our one-night-a-week, four week childbirth class and tonight’s topic is Epidural procedures.
All of the veteran women in the classroom nod their heads and affirm that the Epidural was the best thing they ever did, but I’m still not convinced. The list of possible side effects reads more like a major surgery disclaimer than a ‘simple procedure’. Nerve damage, brain damage (WHAT??), paralysis, dural puncture, cardiac arrest. Did I miss something? I thought this was supposed to help. This is my wife and baby we’re talking about; my fledgling fatherhood instincts are beginning to kick in.
It seems like each week of this class, the outlook becomes grimmer. Horror stories, painful/gross videos, the passing around of medical instruments that will be used to bring my son into this world that look as though they could double as prison-camp torture tools. How is this helping me? Oh yeah, breathing exercises, *deep breath, release, deep breath, release, hoo hee hoo hee hoo hee…*
Ok, I’m better now.
In the midst of all of the talk of poking, cutting, pulling, sucking, I had a sobering thought: My mother must have really loved me to go though all of this for me. Watching Bethany face this with such courage has given me an even greater admiration for her. She has more courage in her little finger than I have in my entire body. One look at those epidural needles would make we want to forget the whole thing and just look into adoption, but not her. She’s known all along, and it never fazes her. That’s a mother’s love. The way my mother loved me and your mother loved you- we all have that debt that we can never repay. So, if you’re reading this and you are a mom. Thank you. Just in case your kids never tell you- you have my admiration.
Ben
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