As I battled the agonizing and never-ending abdominal discomfort, I saturated my clothes in cold perspiration. Before my labor, I had no idea that a simple back massage could help me feel better. When it happened again, I winced in pain, and I felt like I had the worst case of dysmenorrhea I'd ever had.

Not only dysmenorrhea but also constipation! I followed the midwife's advice to relax by repeating the breathing mantra of inhaling and exhale, but the paint wouldn't go away, so I requested that my child be delivered via CS. I wanted to terminate my pain as soon as possible, but the midwife denied my request, telling...