Epidurals, known as mutsuu bunben in Japan, are heavily stigmatized in Japanese culture. According to the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, only 5.2% of child deliveries were done with the use of anesthesia in 2016. In comparison to 60% in the United States, it is clear that women are discouraged from using epidurals. We will explore the culture preventing women from seeking epidurals and the benefits of easy access to epidurals.
Why are the numbers so low? Women are often discouraged to use any anesthesia during birth. Japan has a culture of patience and endurance. It is believed that the pain the mother goes through during delivery is a crucial part of motherhood. Labor is seen as a “natural” process, as it’s been done since humans have existed. Thus when a woman uses something “artificial” like an epidural, she is portrayed as “weak” and “lazy.”
Furthermore, myths surrounding epidurals infiltrate every aset of Japanese culture. For instance, if a mother received anaesthesia she will not be able to love the child. Take another absurd example – a mother placed under anesthesia will struggle with providing breast milk for her child. Despite these myths not being backed by scientific evidence, it is the reason epidurals are not covered under the national insurance in Japan, forcing women to suffer through painful labor.
Outdated traditions and myths are not valid reasons to deny women the option of safely giving birth. The American Society of Anesthesiologists confirms that epidurals are “ one of the most effective, safest and widely used forms of pain management for women in labor”. Moreover, an epidural can save the happiness and confidence of the mother as it is believed to reduce the probability of Postpartum Depression. Imagine giving birth and wanting to hold and bond with your baby, yet due to severe mood swings and depression, your mind is not allowing you to do so. Mothers trying to avoid this situation by using epidurals, are criticized and scorned for making that decision for their own health. Medical reasons like these are important on their own to support the coverage and access to painless birth.
Japan’s aging population and lack of youngsters is an infamous problem, yet we don’t seem to be doing enough to address the difficulty of having kids in Japan. Without painless birth covered by insurance, women are faced with two options: a large bill or a long and painful recovery process. Furthermore, the maternity leave in Japan is not very long. Epidurals shorten the recovery process and allow women to return to work quickly. This leads to many women to simply make the option of not having children in the first place to avoid the financial burden.
Health officials in Japan should give women the option of giving birth in the way they want to. Epidurals, natural birth, and cesarean sections all have pros and cons. At the end of the day, women should have the right to make their decision without being criticized. Traditions and ideas embedded in culture should not be prioritized over the health of an individual. Shaming a woman for a decision she made for her own body reinforces a sexist idea that we don’t own our own bodies. This is why epidurals should be made easily available at the very least. Next time a woman around you is about to give birth, think about their feelings and wellbeing before you criticize or degrade them. It is their body and health that is being risked and their decision to make.
日本では無痛分娩はあまり良いイメージを持たれていません。2016年に麻酔を使った出産は全体の5.2%で(日本産婦人科学会調べ)、アメリカの60%と比べると女性達が無痛分娩を避けていることは明らかです。そこで、無痛分娩をもっと一般的に選択できないかについて考えてみたいと思います。
なぜこんなに無痛分娩が選ばれないのか？日本の女性達は出産時に麻酔を使うことを嫌がります。とくに、日本には忍耐を美徳とする文化、また、お腹を痛めて出産しないと母性は生まれないというような考え方があります。
昔は自然分娩で皆生んでいたのだから、無痛分娩を選ぶ女性達は弱くて楽をしているとまで言われる始末です。
さらに無痛分娩にまつわる様々な迷信も浸透しています。「無痛分娩で産んだら子供を愛することができない?」「母乳が出にくくなる」なんていう馬鹿げた話すらあります。これらは何ら科学的根拠もないのにも関わらず、無痛分娩は保険の対象にもならずに、日本の女性達は痛みに耐えなくてはいけないのです。
時代遅れの伝統や迷信は、安全に出産する選択を女性に与えない理由にはなりません。アメリカ麻酔学会は『無痛分娩は最も安全で広く使われている痛みを管理できる出産方法の一つである』と認めています。
さらに無痛分娩は母親に幸福感や自信を与えて、産後うつを減らすともいわれています。想像してみてください。あなたが出産後に赤ちゃんを抱きしめたいと望んでいても、産後うつや気分が揺れ動いてあなたの心がそれを許さなかったとしたら。もし母親がそんな状況を避けるために無痛分娩を選んだとしても、日本では自分の健康を第一に考えたと批判されます。
このような医学的根拠だけでも無痛分娩の保険適用や、幅広い活用は重要なのです。
無痛分娩が保険適用されない場合、女性達には二つの選択肢があります。莫大な費用をかけて無痛分娩を選ぶか、辛い痛みに耐えた後さらに産後回復に長い時間をかけるか。さらに日本では産休もそれほど長くは取れません。無痛分娩は回復も早く職場への復帰もスムーズです。女性達は金銭的負担を軽くするために、子供を持たないという選択を選ぶこともあります。
日本の少子高齢化社会はかなりの問題でありながら、子供を産み育てることの困難に十分に対応しているとは思えません。日本の保健当局は女性が望むやり方で出産する選択肢を与えるべきです。無痛分娩、自然分娩、帝王切開にはそれぞれ長所と短所があります。女性達は誰からも何の批判を受けずに、自分の出産を選ぶ権利がなくてはいけません。個人の健康は古い伝統や文化より優先されるべきです。
女性達が自分の身体について決めたことを恥ずべく考えることは、彼女達が自分の身体を自分自身のものだと思えていないという性差別主義の考えを強めます。だからこそ、無痛分娩を気軽に選べる選択肢に加えなくてはいけないのです。これからもし誰かが出産をしようとしているとき、批判より前に彼女達の気持ちや立場を考えてください。彼女達は自分の健康や幸せを考え、自分自身で決断すべきなのです。