Every woman who’s given birth probably secretly hopes her spouse or partner will one day know what it’s like. Not because they want to see them in pain, but because they want them to know that they weren’t faking their pain!
To the excitement of women everywhere, there’s now a labor simulator available so that men can do just that. Two men took on the challenge — with their wives watching.
Labor simulation entails hooking up a series of electrical nodes to muscles in the abdomen.
These send electrical pulses, causing muscles to contract. It’s not exactly what happens in labor, but it’s about as close as you can get.
The two men were allowed to lay down on examination tables as they were hooked up to the simulator. Then, they began to go through “labor.” The plan was one hour, under the supervision of the doctor and their wives.
The doctor was able to adjust the level of the contractions, first easing them into labor similar to what women feel.
Eventually, though, she ramped it up to the real thing.
One thing should be said for their wives: they gave them some help through their pain, even if they couldn’t help but laugh a little as they did.
When the men were done on the simulator, they were asked how they felt.
“I’m telling you right now, I felt like I was having a baby,” said one man.
The other man decided to make it personal, speaking directly to the camera.
“Mom, if anything that I just experienced is anywhere close to what I did to you all those years ago, I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re like a superhero. You’re one tough mama. Happy Mothers’ Day!”
Everyone knows that childbirth is painful.
Part of the reason for this is the evolutionary manner in which human babies develop. Unlike many other animals, humans are born with highly-developed brains and more vulnerable bodies. Most animals are able to walk shortly after birth, while humans are reliant on their caretakers.
Evolution worked against us when it came to childbirth.
In order to walk upright, humans need a narrow pelvis. However, their large-brained children mean that it’ is not easy to give birth through this narrow passageway. This is an unfortunate evolutionary impasse. But the good news is that labor pains aren’t the same for everyone.
First-time mothers are often frightened by stories they hear of exceedingly painful labors.
The truth is that some women have less pain, instead, feeling more of intense discomfort. Others find ways to manage their pain levels through mindfulness, water, gentle exercises, breathing, or medical relief like epidurals. Pain levels depend a lot on your genetics, the positioning of the baby, and your level of pain tolerance.
Of course, women have something that men undergoing labor simulation do not: the promise that it’ll be over soon. Then, they can hold the baby in their arms.
In the meantime, watching these two men go through the labor simulator couldn’t be more hilarious!
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