12/17/2025
Posted by my beautiful sister Laureen Michelle Freire-Gamba
“There’s No Trophy for Natural Birth”… But There Is Physiology, Wisdom, and Informed Choice
I often hear statements like:
“I wasn’t trying to win a trophy. There’s no reason to go through all that pain. I just got the epidural.”
And I want to gently and respectfully clarify something important.
Choosing to labor without an epidural is not about proving anything.
It’s not about toughness, superiority, or earning a medal.
It’s about how the female body was designed to work during birth.
Why Labor Sensation Matters
Labor isn’t just about enduring pain—it’s a complex hormonal and neurological process that unfolds in stages:
• Early & latent labor
• Active labor
• Transition
• Pushing
• Birth of the placenta
During these stages, the body releases oxytocin, endorphins, catecholamines, and beta-endorphins—hormones that:
Help labor progress
Guide instinctive movement and positioning
Support effective pushing
Reduce postpartum bleeding
Support bonding and breastfeeding after birth
When sensation is removed too early, the brain-body feedback loop is interrupted.
This is why many women who receive early epidurals experience:
Slowed or stalled labor
Need for Pitocin to restart contractions
Increased likelihood of continuous monitoring
Increased risk of assisted vaginal birth or cesarean
This isn’t opinion—it’s well-documented physiology.
Epidurals Are Not Risk-Free
Epidurals absolutely have a place in modern obstetrics—but they are not neutral and were originally designed for specific medical situations, not routine use upon admission.
Potential risks include:
Drop in maternal blood pressure
Fever during labor
Reduced mobility
Difficulty sensing effective pushing
Increased need for additional interventions
Impact on baby’s alertness immediately after birth
Again—this doesn’t mean “never.”
It means informed timing and intentional use matter.
Why Timing Matters
Research consistently shows better outcomes when epidurals are delayed until labor is well established—often around 6 cm or later, when:
Labor patterns are more stable
The body has already benefited from its natural hormone cascade
The risk of labor stalling is lower
Waiting doesn’t mean suffering alone.
It means using movement, support, comfort measures, positioning, water, breath, prayer, and encouragement—with a skilled support team—before altering the physiology.
And Yes—I Support Epidurals When They Are Truly Needed
Let me be very clear:
Supporting physiologic birth does not mean withholding relief.
If a mother:
Is exhausted
Feels she cannot continue
Has medical indications
Has labored long and hard
Makes an informed decision after understanding risks and benefits
Then an epidural can be a loving, appropriate, and supported choice.
Birth is not one-size-fits-all.
The Real Issue Is Routine, Uninformed Use
The concern isn’t epidurals themselves.
It’s the message that:
“There’s no downside, so you might as well get one right away.”
That simply isn’t true.
Women deserve full information, not dismissive phrases or false binaries.
My Role as a Doula
My role is not to tell women what to choose.
My role is to:
Educate honestly
Support physiologic processes
Reduce unnecessary intervention
Advocate for informed consent
Walk with women in whatever path their birth takes
Because informed choice is empowering—and empowered women birth differently.
If you’d like to learn more about labor physiology, comfort options, and evidence-based timing of interventions, I’m always honored to walk that journey with you.
Laureen Michelle Gamba
By Grace Through Faith Birth Services, LLC
Faith-Filled Birth Support for Every Mother’s Journey
Community-based Doula/Sistas Caring 4 Sistas (SC4S)
