Draft: April 26, 2001; added a pushback on April 27, 2001 (dealing with the "Curse" in Genesis 3)...May 11: added a quick 'quality control' response
Dear Glenn,
I have been struggling just to make
it through each day now for a while not (since just before I was married). I understand that you are very busy and this
email might seem long-winded to you so I thought perhaps your daughter may be
interested in helping me, if you can't.
I know (as I shared with you in personal correspondence) about how difficult this struggle can be, and I hope some of the below material can help you find some relief and comfort...
I am struck with the injustice in
this world, not so much the injustice that is caused by humans but the
inequality that God has created between men and women. It's seems that God has created women's'
bodies to hurt them (menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause) while men
seem to get off scot free. A man
becomes a father by having an orgasm, a woman becomes a mother by going through
years of discomfort and often days of agony.
Why is it always women who draw the short straw? I can't read the bible because it wounds me
to the point that I fantasize about ending my life. Men are physically stronger
than women, they can force themselves on women yet women have no say on whether
they conceive or not. My body is not my own, it is my husbands' as his is mine,
yet it is my body that is at risk. The
idea of giving birth makes me want to step out of my body yet in the bible it
seems that's how God "rewards" women.
There are several issues you mention here, friend, and let me see if I can represent them fairly:
Okay, let's go through each one of these and try to surface all the pro & con data, and try to see all of it as a whole (if possible). I'll try to confine myself mostly to objective data--from medical, historical, academic sources--but will also draw in semi-subjective perspectives from women of different (but non-religious) persuasions (e.g., feminists). Hopefully, this will keep the discussion less susceptible to bias or over-statement.
God created women's bodies deliberately in such
a way as to be a major
source of pain to them, and this pain is experienced in
menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause by all or almost all women.
First of all, let's assess how much pain we are talking about here, and how extensive these are among women. To do this I need to divide history/cultures into what we might call "pre-analgesic" and "analgesic" cultures/histories, depending on the widespread availability of effective pain-alleviation medicines. [Although all ancient cultures had various substances and methods used for this, I might add, but with varying levels of success. Of course, much ancient pain 'effectiveness' might have been due to placebo effects.]
Since the vast majority of pain can be eliminated in analgesic-cultures, I will try to focus on the rest of human history, where the pain is more likely to be more unrelieved. [note: we are not trying to minimize the extensiveness/intensiveness of this very real pain, but only to "size it"--i.e., how close does it come to inflicting 'all women' and thereby perhaps grounding an accusation of unfairness?]
I also need to focus on non-pathological pain. If we are talking about "design" here, we need to restrict our research to how the systems are designed to function, and NOT try to analyze all the pathologies that are extrinsic (or at least, not 'normal') to that design. Accordingly, the many things that can go wrong with female (and male, for that matter) functioning are excluded from this study.
Menstrual pain. Menstruation begins around 12-14 and ends around menopause, and does not occur during pregnancy and regular nursing. In the ancient world, most women would have been married by 13-14 years of age, and commenced child-bearing at that time. Since children were normally nursed for 2-3 years in antiquity [OT:DLAM:120] and a little shorter in the Middle Ages, most women would not even have had very many menstrual cycles in their life, unless they became unmarried due to widowhood (common) or divorce (very rare).
For example, in the 9th-12th centuries AD:
"Demographers assume that women's potential for childbearing remained the same throughout the centuries, roughly twenty years. Women, regardless of social position, began to menstruate between twelve and fourteen. ...Demographers estimate that a woman might have five to seven successful pregnancies at two and a half year intervals if she lived a normal life span. From the woman's perspective, she could assume that she would be pregnant or nursing a child for most of her adult life." [WS:AHTO:105]
The actual type of pain associated with menstruation is called Primary Dysmenorrhea (basically,
non-pathological cramps). Many women experience NO discomfort at all during
menstruation, and for those that do, the discomfort declines over time:
"There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary and secondary. The primary form usually occurs in females who have just begun to menstruate. This form may disappear or become less severe after a woman reaches her mid-20s or gives birth [http://external.aomc.org/selfcare/common/menstrua.htm]
The largest variables in presence/amount of discomfort are health and diet:
"Menstrual
cramps are like cramps elsewhere in your body. A muscle contracts too hard or
too fast, constricting the blood flow and producing pain. In this case, the
muscles are in the uterus...Mild cramps are
often caused by factors other than menstruation itself. Good
menstrual health, free from pain or cramps,
is closely related to good health and a positive mental attitude.
The simple health habits of good posture, exercise, adequate diet, regular
elimination-all are important in preventing
painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea). [http://bodymatters.com/questions/questions2.html#cramps]
The discomfort's primary cause is chemical imbalance, which is correctible by nutrition:
"Many women
have dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) just before or at the beginning of
menstruation, and continuing for one to two days. The pains can be sharp or
dull. Some women have such severe pain that they must stay in bed a few days each
month. Most often, cramps are a symptom of a
simple chemical imbalance....Menstrual pain is commonly caused by your body making or taking in too much of
one chemical, and not enough of another. [http://www.aomc.org/HOD2/general/general-PAINFUL.html]
Treatment approaches emphasize
rest, activity, and nutrition:
"Therapies
for primary dysmenorrhea include rest;
heating pad to the lower abdomen or back; nutritional,
aerobic exercise; and medication. Nutritional
therapy includes a well-balanced diet with an adequate intake of calcium (1200 mg. per day). An adequate
fluid intake of 2 quarts of water
each day is very important. Vitamin B6
, 50 to 100 mg. each day, may occasionally be helpful. [http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/health-info/womenhlt/mencramp.html]
With a vegetarian diet being highly
effective:
"Reducing fat and eating a vegetarian diet can
significantly decrease menstrual pain and premenstrual
symptoms...Each study participant followed a low-fat, vegetarian diet for two months
and her pain and menstrual symptoms were compared to how she felt before the
study... Study results show about two-thirds
of the women reported improvement in menstrual pain and premenstrual
symptoms. Other research has shown that a
low-fat diet can reduce the amount of the female hormone estrogen in the blood
by as much as 30 percent. [http://onhealth.webmd.com/fitness/briefs/item%2C33890.asp]
What is interesting from this data,
is that the prescribed preventative
and remedial actions are essentially the life
styles of the ancient women:
This means that the discomfort experienced by the vast majority of pre-analgesic women of antiquity would have been either (a) precluded--due to childbirth/nursing; or (b) non-existent/minimal--due to lifestyle.
In "analgesic" cultures (often also more 'healthy' cultures), the amount of discomfort is largely a function of individual choice and lifestyle. [My two daughters provide anecdotal confirmation of this to me: the one who has been constantly physically active and nutritionally-aware, experiences absolutely no discomfort whatsoever; the other, with a more "casual" lifestyle, experienced difficult periods at time.]
So, the fact that this is easily preventable (or certainly, considerably reducible) and not as pervasive as might appear, I would hesitate to consider this a "design for pain" at a significant level.
In addition to the fact that the pain is often reduced by "the
mid-20's or by the first birth" (above), one other fact to consider is
that the actual painful aspect only affects
less than half of all women. The Merck
Manual of Medical Information (Home Edition, 1997, page 1086)
describes the extent of the regular form of menstrual pain (primary dysmenorrhea) in these
terms:
"Primary
dysmenorrhea is common, possibly affecting more than 50 per cent of women; it's
severe in about 5 to 15 percent."
"Possibly more than 50%"
is another way of saying "we only have evidence that it affects LESS THAN
50%". The number is thus most likely between the 5-15% range and the 50%,
but even if assume the number is at 50% of women, it is certainly not even
close to being 100% ("all women").
Pain in Pregnancy. I am not actually sure why this one was mentioned, since pain in pregnancy is not even close to universal, nor is it typically severe. The major areas of non-pathological discomfort/pain would be in (a) morning sickness; and (b) low-back pain.
Morning sickness can be uncomfortable and irritating, but is certainly not in the league with actual child-birthing, nor even the pain of menstrual cramps.
Low-back pain, is a little more serious, but occurs in only half of all pregnant women, and for them, only about half the time:
"For about half of all pregnant women, low-back pain is inevitable."
"Formal study of the incidence of low-back pain in pregnancy has been very limited. The overall prevalence of back pain during the 9-month period is thought to be approximately 50% "
And the best preventative is, again, an active lifestyle:
"Before a woman becomes pregnant, encouraging her to become fit and resolving existing back problems is the key to back pain prevention."
[Source: "Back Pain and Pregnancy: Active Management Strategies", by Julie Colliton, MD, THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE - VOL 24 - NO. 7 - JULY 96]
Menopause. Menopause is the common term for the cessation of menstruation in women. Strictly speaking, the period of transition from menstrual to non-menstrual status is called perimenopause:
"According to CAMS, the term perimenopause includes "the period immediately prior to menopause (when the endocrinologic, biologic, and clinical features of approaching menopause commence) and the first year after menopause."
"The median age for the onset of perimenopause is 47.5 years. For most women, perimenopause lasts approximately 4 years. Only about 10% of women cease menstruating abruptly with no period of prolonged irregularity.
"Perimenopause is the correct term for what some call "being in" or "going through" menopause.
[http://www.menopause.org/aboutm/facts.html]
In pre-analgesic cultures (of the ancient world), most women (and men) would not have even experienced this:
"In previous centuries, few women lived beyond menopause; today, women spend one-third to one-half of their lives after menopause." [http://www.menopause.org/aboutm/facts.html]
Although there are many myths/stories/stereotypes of the "menopausal women", the actual experience can range widely, from liberating/positive to difficult/negative:
"Menopause happens to all women, but affects each woman uniquely. For some, the end of fertility (and the end of concerns about contraception and menstrual periods) brings a sense of freedom. Menopause is a bridge to a part of life when many women report feeling more confident, empowered, involved, and energized than in their younger years. For some women, however, menopause -- coupled with midlife emotional and social crises -- can contribute to serious health problems. " [http://www.menopause.org/aboutm/facts.html]
"A popular myth pictures the menopausal woman shifting from raging, angry moods into depressive, doleful slumps with no apparent reason or warning. However, a study by psychologists at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that menopause does not cause unpredictable mood swings, depression, or even stress in most women...In fact, it may even improve mental health for some. This gives further support to the idea that menopause is not necessarily a negative experience. The Pittsburgh study looked at three different groups of women: menstruating, menopausal with no treatment, and menopausal on hormone therapy. The study showed that the menopausal women suffered no more anxiety, depression, anger, nervousness or feelings of stress than the group of menstruating women in the same age range. In addition, although more hot flashes were reported by the menopausal women not taking hormones, surprisingly they had better overall mental health than the other two groups. The women taking hormones worried more about their bodies and were somewhat more depressed...However, this could be caused by the hormones themselves. It's also possible that women who voluntarily take hormones tend to be more conscious of their bodies in the first place. The researchers caution that their study includes only healthy women, so results may apply only to them. Other studies show that women already taking hormones who are experiencing mood or behavioral problems sometimes respond well to a change in dosage or type of estrogen...Studies indicate that women of childbearing age, particularly those with young children at home, tend to report more emotional problems than women of other ages. ..The Pittsburgh findings are supported by a New England Research Institute study which found that menopausal women were no more depressed than the general population: about 10 percent are occasionally depressed and 5 percent are persistently depressed. The exception is women who undergo surgical menopause. Their depression rate is reportedly double that of women who have a natural menopause. ..Studies also have indicated that many cases of depression relate more to life stresses or "mid-life crises" than to menopause. Such stresses include: an alteration in family roles, as when your children are grown and move out of the house, no longer "needing" mom; a changing social support network, which may happen after a divorce if you no longer socialize with friends you met through your husband; interpersonal losses, as when a parent, spouse or other close relative dies; and your own aging and the beginning of physical illness. People have very different responses to stress and crisis. Your best friend's response may be negative, leaving her open to emotional distress and depression, while yours is positive, resulting in achievement of your goals. For many women, this stage of life can actually be a period of enormous freedom. " [http://www.nih.gov/health/chip/nia/menop/men3.htm#wte]
Most of the discussion on menopause (as can be seen from the above) relates to emotional health, and not to "pain" per se. Non-pathological perimenopause is mostly an emotional issue, and not a pain one. Even the famous 'hot flashes', although potentially disruptive, are mild in terms of pain:
"Hot flashes, or flushes, are the most common symptom of menopause, affecting more than 60 percent of menopausal women in the U.S. A hot flash is a sudden sensation of intense heat in the upper part or all of the body. The face and neck may become flushed, with red blotches appearing on the chest, back, and arms. This is often followed by profuse sweating and then cold shivering as body temperature readjusts. A hot flash can last a few moments or 30 minutes or longer.
"Hot flashes occur sporadically and often start several years before other signs of menopause. They gradually decline in frequency and intensity as you age. Eighty percent of all women with hot flashes have them for 2 years or less, while a small percentage have them for more than 5 years. Hot flashes can happen at any time. They can be as mild as a light blush, or severe enough to wake you from a deep sleep. Some women even develop insomnia. Others have experienced that caffeine, alcohol, hot drinks, spicy foods, and stressful or frightening events can sometimes trigger a hot flash. However, avoiding these triggers will not necessarily prevent all
episodes.
"Hot flashes appear to be a direct result of decreasing estrogen levels. In response to falling estrogen levels, your glands release higher amounts of other hormones that affect the brain's thermostat, causing body temperatures to fluctuate. Hormone therapy relieves the discomfort of hot flashes in most cases." [http://www.nih.gov/health/chip/nia/menop/men3.htm#wte]
A more serious issue/hazard/risk, however, is osteoporosis--which is greatly increased in menopausal women. This is the thinning of the bones, associated with the reduced estrogen production in this period. In analgesic cultures, there are several treatment and prevention alternatives. In pre-analgesic cultures (typically not having this problem, obviously), the prevention regime proscribed today would have been standard fare for normal women:
"Prevention is more successful than treatment; it involves maintaining or increasing bone density by consuming adequate calcium, engaging in weight-bearing exercise, and for some people, taking drugs...Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking and stair-climbing, increases bone density. " [The Merck Manual of Medical Information (Home Edition, 1997, page 220]
One interesting fact about this problem is that the risk is reduced for women who have had prior pregnancies. [The Merck Manual of Medical Information (Home Edition, 1997, page 219)].
[Notice that both hot flashes and osteoporosis are treatable in analgesic cultures, and would not have occurred in ancient times--due to lifespan limitations and women's lifestyles.]
Childbirth. With the previous three issues (menstrual cramps, pregnancy, perimenopause), the pain was probably either too low-level (in intensity, frequency, or duration) or not widely enough distributed among women to support a misogynist charge against God, but with childbirth pain we get into a potentially much more serious arena.
One survey indicated that pain in childbirth/delivery ranked very high in the range of human experience:
"At the end of chapter 3, we looked at the
McGill pain questionnaire. The sensory words most commonly used by mothers to
describe the pain during labor are sharp,
cramping, aching, throbbing, stabbing, hot, shooting, tight, and heavy. For the emotional affective
feelings, the most common words were tiring
and exhausting. A rating scale
for pain intensity was used, with a number assigned by each mother. The average
rating for women having a first baby
was 35, and for those who had previous
children the number was 30. These numbers are on a scale in which
people with broken bones rate their pain at 20 and cancer patients at 27.
Scores above 35 were reported only in cases of nerve injury or amputation. Evidently, the average reported pain of child-birth
ranks high in the range of human experience. Of course, there is an extremely
wide variation in the reported intensity and I have discussed
variation elsewhere. But it is crucial to remember that, of first births in Canada, 9.2 percent of
mothers described their pains as "mild,'
29.5 percent as "moderate,"
37.9 percent as "severe,"
and 23.4 percent as "excruciating."
A study of Scandinavian women (despite their reputation for toughness and
stoicism) yielded similar results." [CS:PSS:84-85]
What is interesting to note about this use of McGill's pain questionnaire are the words that are NOT used by women to describe childbirth: terrifying, gruelling, cruel, vicious, blinding, unbearable. [Questionnaire choices are shown at CS:PSS:28.]
Childbirth/delivery is divided into a couple of major stages. The two periods that have strong pain-aspects are the "active" stage and the "transition".
The active stage has an average length of 2-3.5 hours [http://homearts.com/depts/health/fetal/childbirth.html#stage_1], with times being reduced for subsequent deliveries [Merck Manual gives 5 hours for a first birth, and 2 hours for subsequent ones]. Contractions (where the discomfort is) are generally 3-4 minutes apart and last 40 to 60 seconds. [At 3 minutes apart and one minute long, that would be 75 minutes of pain in a first labor, and 30 minutes of pain in a subsequent one, in this stage.]
The transition stage is the most difficult, but only lasts 60 minutes in a first pregnancy and only 15-30 minutes in subsequent ones. Contractions are very strong, 60 to 90 seconds long, and 2-3 minutes apart. [At 90 seconds long, and 2 minutes apart, that would be 25 minutes of pain in a first pregnancy, and either 6 minutes or 11 minutes of pain in a subsequent one, in this stage.]
Thus, the really serious (questionnaire level) pain ranges from some 100 minutes for a first pregnancy, to 36-41 minutes in a subsequent one. In the ancient world, this 40-100 minutes of labor pain would have occurred only once every 3-4 years or so (assuming normal fertility, pregnancy, delivery, and nursing cycles). [In analgesic cultures, almost all of this can be eliminated or reduced to significantly milder levels.]
So there obviously is significant/intense pain in this process, but the range of experiences of this is exceptionally wide:
"Data on expectations and experiences of pain in labor are presented from a prospective study of over 700 women who gave birth in six maternity units in southeast England. Most women preferred to keep drug use to a minimum, even though they expected labor to be quite or very painful. The ideal of avoiding drugs was unrelated to education or social class. Women who preferred to avoid drugs were more likely to do so, and were more satisfied with the birth overall than women who used drugs. In general, women tended to get what they expected. Breathing and relaxation exercises were widely used, and were most successful for those who had expected them to be so. Anxiety about the pain of labor was a strong predictor of negative experiences during labor, lack of satisfaction with the birth, and poor emotional well-being postnatally. [Birth 1993 Jun;20(2):65-72 at http://www.childbirth.org/articles/laborpain.html]
"A woman's need for pain relief during labor varies considerably, depending to some extent on her level of anxiety. Preparation for labor and delivery as well as emotional support from those attending the labor tends to lessen anxiety and often markedly reduces her need for drugs to relieve pain. Many women take no drugs." [Merck Manual, p.1175]
"While a few women will state that labor was not painful at all, and a few more will state that it is the most excruciating pain that they have ever felt, most women will fall into the middle ground. Labor pain that is tolerable and desirable...Pain comes from a couple of sources in labor. Generally these fall into three categories: emotional, functional, and physiological. Knowing what is causing the pain will help you deal with it. It is also important to realize that a certain amount of pain is normal and functional in labor, telling your body what is going on, allowing you to help yourself. [http://pregnancy.about.com/health/pregnancy/library/weekly/aa100697.htm]
Indeed, as with much/most pain, it is an important contributor to the success of the process:
"We also talk about the physiological role that pain plays in normal birth. Nature's blueprint for birth includes pain, and this pain is purposeful. The sensations women experience in labor are part of an ingenious feedback mechanism which is essential to normal labor and birth. The painful sensation of the cervix stretching open sends messages to the brain to release more oxytocin, the hormone that causes strong contractions of the uterus -- which causes further opening of the cervix...Labor pain also guides the mother. The positions and activities she feels more comfortable with are the same ones that promote good progress in labor and help shift the baby into the right position for birth. Removing labor pain wipes out that feedback mechanism." [The Truth About Labor Pain by Pam England, CNM, MA & Rob Horowitz, PhD, at http://pregnancy.about.com]
Now, let me throw a completely different light on this issue (of childbirth pain) from the writings of an aggressive feminist and naturalist, Andrea Robertson. Consider some of her 'aggressive' statements about childbearing pain [http://www.acegraphics.com.au/resource/papers/painlabour.html]:
"Pain in labour is universal: it hurts to give birth. Since this is such a common experience it could be seen as comforting, a bond among women, a fundamental truth that confirms our special biological role and affirms the importance of our contribution to society. More often, however, it is seen as a blight, an unnecessary imposition, an affliction we must bear as the price for bearing children. This view, bolstered by the perception that pain is a symptom of disease and illness, has enabled medical men to convince us that pain is dispensable during birth, and is of no value, an evil to be cured with modern treatments and technology.
"This view of labour pain as an affliction seems most prevalent among western women. In many cultures, pain in labour is accepted as a necessary, if uncomfortable part of birth, and is not seen as an insurmountable problem. Perhaps the fact that these women are usually cared for by other women, who understand birth and its mysterious benefits for the female psyche, is the central reason why pain is not feared but accepted. The enforced movement of birth from the home setting to a hospital has established birth as a medical event and the ready availability of drugs and technology in hospitals has encouraged its use (Wagner 1994). Women, often unaccompanied by knowledgeable support people, and made vulnerable by their emotional and hormonal state, are ripe for seductive messages conveyed by "experts" that labour pain has no benefit. Most of these "experts" are men who have a different biological view from women as a result of masculine reproductive information. Since men will never give birth, they have no need of innate birthing instincts, and therefore can have no deep sense of intuition and understanding of the birth process. Perhaps this explains why men are often so uncomfortable around women in labour --- they are unable to connect with the process at an instinctive level. Suspicion and fear can be created in such a climate.
...
"Since no drugs have been proven safe for the unborn in either pregnancy or labour (Haire 1994), then preventing possible harm to our children will necessitate women once again accepting that pain may be a necessary component of birth. Moreover, pain during birth may offer some positive advantages for the baby, since its presence is an integral part of the process and therefore unlikely to be an addition without some biological benefit. If there is a biological purpose for the pain, then understanding this role may alter attitudes to its action, whilst allowing insights into labour management that enhance rather than block this physiological entity.
...
These are important points for women to consider. Pregnancy proceeds without outside "assistance" and birth is similarly straightforward, cleverly designed to be as efficient as possible. Virtually all women have the potential to give birth easily and safely, and no special knowledge or learning is required. The intricate system of hormones, in an exquisite balance, ensures success almost all the time.
...
"The biological necessity for pain in labour is mediated by the body's ability to produce endorphins in times of acute physical stress. This phenomenon is well known amongst athletes and those who take regular aerobic exercise. The beneficial effects and protective nature of endorphins are helpful for enhancing performance and as they are similar to opiates in their chemical structure and action, they have the ability to cause addiction in those who regularly experience endorphin release.
"Endorphins offer a number of benefits for pregnant and labouring women:
· They are natural pain killers, produced in response to the heavy work of pregnancy and the stress of uterine contractions.
· Withdrawal behaviours are encouraged, useful for self awareness and protection.
· They create a sense of well-being and promote positive feelings.
· They may be an important link in mother-baby attachment --- creating a positive emotional climate for the first meeting with the baby.
· The feelings of achievement and satisfaction with birth increase self-esteem and confidence.
· The amnesic effect of endorphins enables women to forget the worst aspects of labour providing an incentive to reproduce again.
· They offer a natural reward for the effort involved in giving birth.
"From the baby's perspective, endorphins may also be important, ensuring that the mother is feeling positive and nurturing when they first meet. The hormones produced in the baby's body in response to labour (nor-adrenalins) are important for all babies' immediate survival, ensuring that they are able to maintain body heat and breathe successfully, due to adequate surfactant production. In addition, the baby's pupils dilate and they exhibit quiet alert behaviour --- both very important in attracting and holding the mother's undivided attention (Lagercrantz & Slotkin 1986).
"Endorphins are nature's natural pain-killers, with numerous side benefits for mothers and babies. They are only released in response to the work and effort of labour, and specifically when pain is present. Therefore, women need first the labour and then the pain of contractions to ensure they have the endorphins they need. Without these factors, endorphins will not be produced, and the woman will not only suffer during labour, but may be in a less than optimal state to greet her new baby. The process of bonding, often thought to be a nice "extra" in a good birth, is actually critical for reproductive success and is guaranteed by a number of hormonal interactions.
...
"Improvements and change will come when women take charge of their bodies and acknowledge the special role of their hormones during labour...We need to come to terms with the pain of labour. It is not to be feared, but rather welcomed for its intrinsic benefits and rewards: pain is a necessary part of normal labour and is important for maternal physical and emotional well-being. It is also good for babies!
...
"The harsh reality is that we women have allowed our bodies to be taken over by the medical men peddling ideas that pain in labour is unnecessary and safely avoidable. We have condoned this takeover because we have been kept ignorant about the nature and purpose of our labour pain, and we have been swayed by arguments that seem persuasive, but are not based on fact. The time has come to reclaim our pain --- we and our babies need it to survive!
Notice that this feminist/naturalist view/perspective is entirely supportive of a 'normal pain is good' perspective, and the above perspective can hardly be accused of being some kind of theistic spin-doctoring for women(!)...
Of course, for most women experiencing childbirth pain, the pain is dwarfed by the goodness and joy of the experience...Jesus one time compared the joy of the resurrection to that of a mother (John 16.19ff):
"Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
On a personal note, friend, I have been a very active, involved, and up-close father to my three kids. We did 'natural childbirth' for each of our three, blending elements of LaMaze and Leboyer in the early days.
With our second child--Britt--I sang "Jesus loves me" to the stomach wall every night for the last 3+ months of the pregnancy. When she was born, we dimmed the lights, I put her in the bath of warm water, and I began singing that song to her, in the familiar voice she had come to know...once I started singing, she stopped crying, grabbed my hand, and opened her eyes to see me...my wife took a before-and-after picture of that moment for me. Few things else in human experience compares to that, in my opinion, but I can tell you without the slightest doubt in my heart that MY experience was only a pale shadow of that experienced by my wife, as she held her in her arms, at her breast, that first time in the Delivery room. As close as I was, I was still somewhat the "outsider" to something much deeper, richer, and real between mother and baby. And, I remember so distinctly the feelings of "I'll never know what that's like" as I watched my wife nurse the little ones, laughing and giggling and gurgling and touching and rubbing them and baby-talking...the way her eyes shone and face glowed during those times.
The labor pain just didn't seem to matter to her somehow...
Another mother--who had experienced the intense anguish of miscarriage and childdeath--put it this way [http://pregnancy.about.com/health/pregnancy/library/blpaininbirth.htm]:
"In my history as a mother, about 10 years, I have deliberately chosen to endure pain countless numbers of times. Just as you point out, most of us, including me, also take deliberate steps to avoid pain, like popping the Excedrin or having that THIRD glass of wine after a particularly exhausting day...:)
"Birth, however, is not like having a toothache, backache or headache. Birth is a cataclysmic moment, a spiritual touchstone, and just as transformative for families and for the woman as it is for the baby. Nothing compares to my birth experiences in terms of changing my perception of the UNIVERSE and of myself and others, much UNLIKE my latest headache. :) [but maybe you have REALLY tremendous headaches. LOL] Birth is ALSO extremely commonplace, basic to human nature, rustic and earthly, much like a headache
"I have reverence for the pain of childbirth. For me, to numb it is like caging a mysterious but beautiful, powerful animal because we are afraid of it. It doesn't impede my joy, it helps to define it much more completely. It shapes who I am, as a mother, a woman and a human. It perhaps brings me closer to the powerful, mystical place my baby has come from, with me as the vessel.
"I guess I'd like to make the case for pain. I would like to, one more time on this list, remind people of the complicated soul and spirit of our topic. We all talk about angels and spirituality each day in reference to the souls of our children. In the same breath, however, we believe we have the right to strictly biologically control an incredibly complex process of reproduction, we wonder aloud why it is WE who must endure repeated loss, as if it isn't really normal to even have ONE miscarriage, or it is unjust (justice being a PURELY human invention) that, even if we do "everything right" we continue to suffer loss. We feel jinxed, tortured and obsessed. I know this, because I spent years of my life feeling this way. I spent three solid years dealing with the death of my babies, the near loss of my life, the burial of another baby lost late in pregnancy, the shattering threat to my marriage and my whole personality. Now THAT'S pain. And I would not trade it for the world. I have become a more humble creature, more rich in my understanding of humanness, more at peace with what seems like the unlikely marriage of pain and faith. Would you trade it? "
"But let us not be so narrow in vision to wonder aloud WHY anyone would CHOOSE to feel the pain. A headache interferes with our daily life. Childbirth shapes it.
An anonymous childbirth instructor, in an article dealing with various pain-prevention methods summarized this well, with this quote:
"View pain in labor for what it is - normal, healthy, productive, intermittent - and ending with the ecstasy of your baby's birth."
[Note: Some of the subjective aspects of this discussion apply only to wanted pregnancies and births, and NOT to unwanted ones, but this would be the normal case in pre-analgesic and pre-modern societies anyway. I suspect--but haven't looked at the data--that the ratio of wanted-to-unwanted pregnancies/birth in even the modern world would reveal it to be the 'norm' here as well (with some major exceptions in population-control areas, obviously).]
Now, if I back up a little here and reflect on this, I notice several things about the data:
If God really wanted to hurt women, their pain would likely/conceivably be much more horrific, continuous/continual, throughout all their lives, uncontrollable, and without any benefits--especially joy and celebration...
There are, of course, women who decide that the childbirth experience was catastrophic for them, and there are others who find it incredibly joyous/fulfilling. But the variation in response alone should tell us that it is highly questionable to conclude that the pain-reward mix of childbirth demonstrates a misogynist character of God...
Accordingly, I cannot see that these experiences/patterns can successfully ground an argument that God hates women...The overall childbirth experience alone might suggest the complete opposite--that of preferential treatment...
=============================================================================
And related to this is: "The bible talks about Eve giving Adam the Apple from the tree.........so God says she will have pain with child birth. I also know that God will forgive us for our sins and I have a hard time believing that Eve wasn't forgiven for her sin? "
Well, the reason I didn't mention Genesis 3 in this topic is that I personally no longer believe it is directly related to the subject of female physiology--apart from the fact that only the Serpent and the ground were actually "cursed" in the passage. Let me try to answer the second (less abusive, smile) question first, and in the process, maybe I can set forth how I now understand Genesis 3--as a conservative evangelical...
The Genesis 3 passage, of course, reads like this (from traditional translations):
To the woman He said, “I
will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall bring forth
children; Yet your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall
rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He
said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from
the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil
you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you shall eat
the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Till
you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And
to dust you shall return.” [NASB]
To the woman he said, “I
will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth
to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule
over you.”
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” [NIV]
To the woman he
said, “I will greatly increase your pangs in
childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your
desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” [NRSV]
To the woman he said:
“I will intensify the pangs of your
childbearing; in pain shall you bring
forth children. Yet your urge shall be for your husband, and he
shall be your master.”
17 To the man he said: “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat, “Cursed be the ground because of you! In toil shall you eat its yield all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you, as you eat of the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, Until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.” [NAB]
Western interpreters have traditionally understood these references to the pains of childbirth (even to the point of resisting the introduction of anesthesia into labor/delivery in the 19th century!), but I have lost my confidence that this is the correct exegesis of the passage, for the following reasons and considerations:
1. The effects of the first 'sin' (i.e, disruption and dissonance in the universe) were massive, and not at all restricted to Adam's workload and Eve's childbearing. The cosmic disruption (like ripples you can't ever call back) had BOTH a moral aspect to it (i.e., 'sin' or 'moral failure' or 'crime) which WAS forgiven both Adam and Eve; AND a physical aspect to it (i.e., consequences) which can only be softened or worked around. [For example, I can give someone a black eye, and get them to forgive me instantly, but the swelling won't instantly go away/down...some consequences ripple-through...and if I had chopped off their right thumb in anger, it would NEVER grow back or be restored, even though they could completely forgive me.
2. In this first case, the disruption affected the physical processes of life, throwing them out of synch with one another...various cycles of agriculture, for example, would now be out-of-phase, creating 'pain' for the man-gardener [the Hebrew word for 'painful toil' in verse 17 (cf. also Genesis 5.29: "the toil of our hands"), 'asab, for the man is the SAME Hebrew root used for the 'painful toil' of the woman in childbearing--the difficulty for each is to be equal for each, essentially], just as the muscle systems can work against one another in childbirth, sometimes...
3. This Great Disruption affected processes everywhere--for example, human life span began to decrease over time right after the Garden--but the only aspects mentioned in Genesis 3 are the one's 'closest' to the initial 'jobs' given Adam and Eve. Adam was a 'farmer/gardener' and so his initial and perhaps most vivid encounter with this large-scale disruption would be in his day-to-day work; Eve was the 'mother of all living' and it would be in that role that she would encounter the effects of the disruption most vividly. The Disruption was not at all confined to these two aspects of cosmic experience (Paul used the phrase "all creation" in Romans).
4. Actually, I should also point out that the word translated 'pain' there, might actually mean 'sorrow' instead--it is NOT the normal word in the bible for childbirth pain (which is hebel)...and this sorrow could refer to bringing children into a post-Eden world, a world that contained deception, treachery, and failure in it.
· "There is no doubt that this term refers to physical pain. Its root lies in a verb that means 'to injure, cause pain or grief.' Whether the pain would lie in the agony of childbirth or in the related grief that accompanies raising that child cannot be finally determined; the text would seem to allow both ideas." [HSOBX]
· The meaning of the two words given by TDOT are "sorrow, labor" (for woman) and "sorrow, toil" (for men)--there is a different word for childbirth pain (hebel: "very intense pain in childbirth" [Louw-Nida Dict of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Old Testament )
· The HAL gives the following meanings for the word:
1.
hurt: a hurtful word : Pr 15.1;
2.
strenuous work Pr 10.22 , 14.23 ; pl.
what is acquired with difficulty Pr 5.10, bread acquired with pain, or bread of
anxious toil Ps 127.2,
3. pain (of childbirth) Gn 3.16
· The Louw-Nida definitions focus largely on the difficulty, trouble, hard work of doing something (e.g., labor!)
· "Neither the word used here for 'pain,' nor the earlier one, is the usual one for the pangs of childbirth." [WBC, in. loc.]
· "The next clause strengthens the one we have been discussing by adding 'in sorrow [or pain] you will bring forth children'. Once again note that bearing children in itself was a blessing described in the so-called orders of creation of Genesis 1:28. The grief lies not so much in the conception or in the act of childbirth itself, but in the whole process of bringing children into the world and raising them up to be whole persons before God."[HSOBX]
· "Some believe that the Hebrew root underlying "pains," "pain" and "painful toil" should here be understood in the sense of burdensome labor (see Pr 5:10, "toil"; 14:23, "hard work")" [NIV Study Bible Notes]
5. [See http://www.christian-thinktank.com/wgencurz.html for a discussion on the "he shall master you"...]
6. The 'increase your pain in childbearing' is literally 'increase your pain/toil/sorrow and your pregnancies'...the Disruption Factor would have created much more "vulnerable" lives (which it did, through both harsher living conditions, shorter lifespans, and through increasing amounts of human treachery/violence), and for the human race to continue, expand, and thrive would have required a faster child-production rate (as it would also require a faster and higher-yield agricultural production rate, to compensate for the effects of the curse on the ground)...there is a certain amount of exertion-pain with normal childbirth (severe muscle exertion pain, as an extreme weight-lifter might feel in spurts), and this could have stayed constant with only the SUM TOTAL of the discomfort increased, through increased FREQUENCY of childbirth events (to offset natural death rates). As death invaded the world, infant mortality would also have arisen, and nothing bears so much sorrow/pain/grief for a mother than the loss of a child. This too, would have increased, with the required increase in childbirth rates.
