Fancy That Friday – Obstetric Anesthesia

Anyone whose had a baby or watched a dramatized version of someone giving birth has probably wondered: “What did women do before childbirth drugs?” I personally am SOOOOO glad that I didn’t have to live before the advent of modern obstetric anesthesia.

The only person I was happier to see than my two little boys on their respective original birthdays was my dear friend Dr. Anesthesiologist. I love that guy! Actually, those guys, as I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with two now. And although I feel that costs in the medical field have gotten out of hand (not to mention the lack of quality affordable healthcare for everyone – don’t get me started, please), I do not regret any of the money paid to my drug doctor.

But I digress. What I’m here to share today is a story about the first use of obstetric anesthesia. This story is found in the book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” and I’ll quote directly in a moment. But first I have to say, aside from the horribly scary and fear-inducing topics it contains (most of which I’ve never experienced in a pregnancy by the way, but I suppose the authors had to mention), this book really was helpful to have on hand and did answer quite a few of my questions – saving me the trouble (and embarrassment) of making daily calls to my friendly neighborhood OBGYN. The story I’m about to share is probably the funniest in the book (aside from the chapter entitled “Fathers Are Expectant, Too,” which gave both Alexander and I a good laugh – but that’s another topic altogether). Hope you enjoy:

“On January 19, 1847, Scottish physician James Young Simpson splashed a half teaspoon of chloroform on a handkerchief and held it over the nose of a laboring woman. Less than half an hour later, she became the first woman to deliver while under anesthesia. There was only one complication: when the woman–whose first baby had been born after three days of painful labor–awoke, Dr. Simpson was unable to convince her that she’d actually given birth.”

In conclusion, congrats to those of you who still do it without medication. But as for me and my house, all hail the epidural. And thank you, Dr. Simpson!