Remembering Elisabeth Bing, the Natural-Birth Coach Who Yelled "Get Me an Epidural!"

Two years ago this month, Elisabeth Bing, author of the guide "Six Practical Lessons for an Easier Childbirth," died at the age of 100. The Economist's obituary describes her as a "pioneer of prepared childbirth" for her efforts to make childbirth as joyous and pain-free as humanly possible. When she was working as a nurse in the U.S. in the 1930s, women in labor gave birth one of two ways: with no drugs and no preparation at all, or else totally zonked on morphine. Bing wanted to prep women to experience the sensations of the birth process in a way that felt manageable and beautiful, even relaxing. (In "Six Practical Lessons," she also advised women to bring a bottle of Champagne to the hospital; we like you already, Nurse Bing.)

Bing played a pivotal role in popularizing the Lamaze methods in America, and she helped legions of women stateside learn breathing techniques that would make natural childbirth less brutal. Her guide went so far as to replace every instance of the word "pain" with "waves." Ironically, when Bing herself gave birth to her only child at age 40, she felt terrified and mentally unprepared, and ended up needing "the works," i.e. an epidural and laughing gas, as the Economist describes.

The waves that Bing coached her patients to ride out ended up knocking her down when it was her turn. But Bing also defended women's decision to use epidurals if they needed to (as yours truly did both times, even though I gave the natural method the old college try). On that note, some doulas I know who are skilled breathing coaches and highly supportive, intuitive childbirth professionals, did the same thing. When asked if they went for an epidural during their own kids' birth, their answer was, in effect, "HELL yes."