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The pain of childbirth may have benefits on which women who opt for painkilling epidurals miss out.
Dr Denis Walsh, associate professor in midwifery at Nottingham University, said pain was a "rite of passage" which often helped regulate childbirth.
He said it helped strengthen a mother's bond with her baby, and prepared her for the responsibility of motherhood.
Dr Walsh said epidurals were known to increase the risk that hormone treatment would be needed to boost contractions, and that devices such as forceps would be needed to complete the birth successfully.
He said: "I am concerned that if we increase epidural rates we do not know the long-term impacts of that."
But he warned that a culture had emerged where most hospitals effectively offered women epidurals on demand.
Official figures show the number of mothers receiving an epidural rose from 17% in 1989 to 1990 to 33% in 2007 to 2008.
Dr Denis Walsh, associate professor in midwifery at Nottingham University, said pain was a "rite of passage" which often helped regulate childbirth.
He said it helped strengthen a mother's bond with her baby, and prepared her for the responsibility of motherhood.
Dr Walsh said epidurals were known to increase the risk that hormone treatment would be needed to boost contractions, and that devices such as forceps would be needed to complete the birth successfully.
He said: "I am concerned that if we increase epidural rates we do not know the long-term impacts of that."
But he warned that a culture had emerged where most hospitals effectively offered women epidurals on demand.
Official figures show the number of mothers receiving an epidural rose from 17% in 1989 to 1990 to 33% in 2007 to 2008.
Genesis 3
16: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
16: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
and telling them "You cannot force people to believe and you cannot enforce 
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