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At my National Childbirth Trust (NCT) classes I was advised that tapping out "Oranges and Lemons" on my leg would help me through the most intense period of labour pain. During my actual experience of labour (albeit under induction), I found all pain relief other than an epidural totally ineffective.
As induction looked increasingly unlikely to succeed, I was told that I needed to consider an emergency Caesarean. The doctors expressed concern that I might feel a sense of personal failure, but I was prepared for the operating theatre. I would have failed if I had put some half- baked notions of non-interventionist childbirth before the safe delivery of my child.
This article serves to remind me that there is nothing unmissable or sacred about the process of childbirth except the baby itself.
Deborah J Thomas
London NW
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Woolwich: The EDL were camped outside my house
Emily Jupp -
What, let gays get married? We must be bonkers
Mark Steel -
Woolwich is only the latest act of barbarism: Muslims, we must take on this cancer in our midst
Ali Miraj -
The Daily Cartoon
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Woolwich attack: The EDL will seek to exploit this evil crime for their own evil ends
Jamie Lewis
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Dogma will always lead to murder. In the end, scepticism is the only answer
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Editorial: This grisly crime must not erode our freedoms
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The long recession has one silver lining; EU leaders are finally tackling 'tax shopping' head on
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Editor's Letter: Images of Woolwich suspects were used in public interest
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Editorial: Obama’s decisive break from the ‘war on terror’
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Errors and omissions: How a wrong translation became the great Berlin bake-off
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