Craziness factor

OK, here comes a rant....

Why is it when you are in labour it suddenly gives you the right to be a crazy person?  Having been through the whole process of being pregnant, going through 12 hours of labour, pushing for 2.5 hours, only to end up with a c-section, I can tell you that through it all I was NOT crazy.  I did not scream or yell.  I did not swear, or call my partner names.  I did not blame him for the state I was in.   I did not cry and carry on and tell people I was going to die.   I did not treat the nurses or other staff with disrespect.  And above all, I was always courteous to the Anesthesiologist.
The people in the hospital are there to help you.  The nurses are there to look after you, and coach you.  The Obstetrician is there to bring your beautiful child into the world.  Your partner loves you and is with you 100% on this (or at least they should be, but that might be a different blog).  And, the Anesthesiologist is there to make your experience as pain free as possible. 
Now, let's remember that this is LABOUR.  It is called that because it is hard work and it hurts.  It is supposed to hurt.  In fact it was decreed by God:  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.  Genesis 3:16  Like any muscle that you work out with or lift weights with, they get sore when they work hard. 
Luckily, there is a wonderful group of people out there who have dedicated their lives to helping people not have pain through things like surgery, and of course labour and delivery.  They are called Anesthesiologists.  I am not saying that everyone needs to have an epidural, or any kind of pain control for that matter.  If you don't need or want one, great!  But, if you do want one, or for some reason are told you need one, then please try to reign in the crazy.  Try not to yell, scream, or swear.  Don't continually ask, "Are you done yet?"  That is rude, and trust me, you'll know when it's done.  And, for God's sake, be STILL!  There is a very large (10cm long, 0.5cm thick) needle sticking in your back where there are lots of important structures that you do not want them to hit.
Try to remember that this is only a short time in your life.  In fact, it is only a short time in your pregnancy.  You are a strong individual who will need to be strong for your baby in the time to come.  This baby will rely on you for the rest of it's life and will look to you for strength.  Show them what you are made of now. 
And finally, remember, at the end of this marathon there is the best prize waiting - a smiling little baby.