Natural Childbirth VS Epidural/Medication/Interventions

[Cin42382]

I was planning on getting an epidural when I was at least 4 cm dialated or further along. I didnt want to be medicated the whole time. However, I ended up getting IV pain meds at about 2cm because I couldnt take the pain - although I was being induced so it may have been worse than normal. In the end I had a c section, but if I had to do it again I would get an epidural.

The best advice I was given was that childbirth is supposed to be a happy time - there is no need to suffer or be a hero.

[mother mary]

My first time was completely natural, second would have been also but I ended up having an emergency cesarian. I am pregnant now and I would love to do natural again, probably wont get to though.

[mycouponhunter]

When I was pregnant I was determined not to have an epidural or any pain meds. I had it in my head that epidural meant c-section because I knew a lot of people who ended up having a c-section who ended up having an epidural. I read everything there was and did my research. I read about hypnobirthing and a couple of other methods. I also considered doing the water birth, but my hospital did not have this. I even had a bag of tools, but my main thing was my dh was supportive whatever way I decided to go and I was open minded.

I ended up having to be induced because I had pregnancy induced hypertension and I think that made a difference as well. I told them that we'll see how it goes. I was good for awhile, but after awhile I felt I wanted something for it. I ended up asking for the narcotics. Big mistake!!! I could still feel the pain but I just felt like I was drugged. Also I got sick from the narcotics and it made me throw up. I ended up asking for an epidural later and once I had the epidural I ended up dilating quickly. The nurse said she thought it was because it relaxed me. I loved the epidural and I actually had a lot of trouble with it becaue I have scolosis so it was hard to get in and my back was really bruised afterwards. I also have occassional back pain and I think it's from the epidural or her having trouble with it, but it's not that bad anymore. If I had another child, I would do the same thing again. I would skip the narcotics and just try to make it as long as I can without the epidural and have it near the end. I have friends who had planned on having only natural birth and then ended up having an epidural and are very upset and mad at themselves for it. Just keep your options open.

[loladooder99]

Originally Posted by mycouponhunter When I was pregnant I was determined not to have an epidural or any pain meds. I had it in my head that epidural meant c-section because I knew a lot of people who ended up having a c-section who ended up having an epidural. I read everything there was and did my research. I read about hypnobirthing and a couple of other methods. I also considered doing the water birth, but my hospital did not have this. I even had a bag of tools, but my main thing was my dh was supportive whatever way I decided to go and I was open minded. I ended up having to be induced because I had pregnancy induced hypertension and I think that made a difference as well. I told them that we'll see how it goes. I was good for awhile, but after awhile I felt I wanted something for it. I ended up asking for the narcotics. Big mistake!!! I could still feel the pain but I just felt like I was drugged. Also I got sick from the narcotics and it made me throw up. I ended up asking for an epidural later and once I had the epidural I ended up dilating quickly. The nurse said she thought it was because it relaxed me. I loved the epidural and I actually had a lot of trouble with it becaue I have scolosis so it was hard to get in and my back was really bruised afterwards. I also have occassional back pain and I think it's from the epidural or her having trouble with it, but it's not that bad anymore. If I had another child, I would do the same thing again. I would skip the narcotics and just try to make it as long as I can without the epidural and have it near the end. I have friends who had planned on having only natural birth and then ended up having an epidural and are very upset and mad at themselves for it. Just keep your options open.

Yeah my epi took 40 mins to put in and it ended up wearing off at 10 cm so it was totally pointless. It was more of a pain to put it in then it was to have. Honestly since i had the worst labor you can have back labor for 16+ hrs . The next one should be a piece of cake with no drugs. One of my friends had a pinched nerve where she had her epi and now it acts up her kid is 6 yrs old now too. I even had a lady i worked with say that she still has back pain from the epi and that she couldn't feel her legs for days afterward.

[GaPeach76]

I had 3 completely natural births. Gave birth at ages 16, 19 & 21...so if a teen can do it you can do it The last baby I was 29 and was a c-section so I had no choice but to have an epidural but had fully planned on another natural birth up until that point. Women have been giving birth with no help for eternity....we are STRONG and we can do it!!

Ok, that is my pep talk for the night. It all is a personal choice though in the long run

[jkelstaten]

with dd1 my water broke at 40 weeks exactly and after 8 hours nothing had happened. Very light contractions, no further dialating that the 1cm I was at before it started. So my midwife started me on Pitocin which causes very painful contractions (harder than normal ones I've been told), so I opted for IV pain meds. The thought of an epi terrifies me, so there was no way I was going that route. After we started the pit, it took 4 1/2 hours to the end. I was totally calm through the whole thing. No one even knew I was having contractions without looking at the computer because I was being so quiet. The IV makes you a bit loopy for a while, but if they do it right you are quite alert when the time for pushing comes.

With dd2, I was in a LOT of pain because of her location (could barely walk and dd1 was 14 months old and I needed to be able to move...lol), so at 40 weeks we opted to go with another induction since I'd already been through it once. I did the IV drugs again and we had another great labor.

With dd3, we induced again because I lived 2 hours and a lot of traffic away from my doctor. I did one round of the IV drugs, but dd dropped so quickly (and the nurses didn't realize it) that they couldn't get a good monitor reading on her heart rate. Because of that they wouldn't let me get anymore pain meds. So they wore off and I actually had about 30 minutes of super strong contractions and delivered without any meds. After it was over, all I could think was "now that wasn't actually too painful". Of course she was my third and she literally popped out in the middle of a contraction, but I was not bothered by the pain at all afterward.

[434Teresa]

natural all the way.......I had my fist two boys natural no pain drugs then along came the twins by way of c section and 2 months early..it took weeks to get ove the c section instead of just a few days like with the natural way. With the c section I was so sore that it hurt to move and to get up and down it was very painful for weeks,my insides felt like they were going to fall out every time I stood up.
I thought I was never going to be normal again, I was but it just took weeks and weeks. I cant have anymore babies now but if I did I would want to do it natural not by c section no way no how.

[loladooder99]

Originally Posted by 434Teresa natural all the way.......I had my fist two boys natural no pain drugs then along came the twins by way of c section and 2 months early..it took weeks to get ove the c section instead of just a few days like with the natural way. With the c section I was so sore that it hurt to move and to get up and down it was very painful for weeks,my insides felt like they were going to fall out every time I stood up. I thought I was never going to be normal again, I was but it just took weeks and weeks. I cant have anymore babies now but if I did I would want to do it natural not by c section no way no how.

wow bravo for doing a natural labor. With my second i hope to do natural. I had my water broke with the first one and before my water was broken i could handle the back labor. I ended up getting an epi and i wished I hadn't. Did you ever have back labor? I hope next time the baby wont be sunny side up and i think i'll be able to do it if there is no back labor. I was also contracting ever minute on petocin.

[scoopdecoop]

Well, I voted yes, but I hope I don't have to do it again, because 7 times is enough. I had 2 epidurals with 2 of my boys, and they were definitely the worst deliveries. I tore more, and couldn't push coz I couldn't feel the contractions. They also didn't descend.

The 2nd, 3rd & 4th, 3 girls were at the hospital, but I waited til the last moment so I just had to push when I got there.

The last 2 I gave up on the hospitals, they are definitely the worst place to have a baby. Dh delivered #6 and we had a waterbirth for #7 with a missionary dr to help out, both at home.

The waterbirth was absolutely awesome, and I'm so glad it was a home birth because I would never have made it to the hospital. I was still having contractions 10-15min apart, then all of a sudden the baby started coming.

[Coriander]

Wow, some interesting stories here. My first was 36 hours of labor with the last 9 hard, second not any problems 8 hours labor and it was over with, last one epidural, I felt the urge but no pain. Had her within 1/2 hour of epi. I definitly think it's a personal decision because everyone has a different tolerance for pain, for alot of reasons. Stress also contributes to a long hard labor and I say if you can tolerate it, then try natural first but I would never give anyone a hard time if they chose not to. Isn't it great that we have the choices nowadays. I think if we all did the epi there would be a lot more little ones around.