Natural Childbirth VS Epidural/Medication/Interventions

[tinabohio]

I had an epidural with my first only after going 9 hours at the same dialation and station. Stupid pelvis dystosia!
I was induced due to pre-e. I had to be dialated from nothing. I did pretty well, even though the idiots had my pit turned up so high I was getting contractions on top of each other for 13 hours!
My aunt had two births with no drugs, my friend Mel had a couple of home water births. Other than my pelvis problem, the main problem I saw in my labor and in most of the womens in this country is our idiotic practice of making women lay on their backs! Hello doc peeps! Walking and standing and kneeling and all of the other wonderful labor postions can make the pain way less and make labor progress faster and better!
As someone who HAS to have a c-section due to a body defect, I cringed at my second epi, I hated it. My back still feels odd from time to time and the headaches that I had were God-awful ones.

Oh, and as to pain, after talking with a good many of my female friends who have gone through labors and had kidney/gall stones- the pain from the stones is so much worse! Across the board, talking with those who went natural childbirth, they said they were crying for some pain relief with those! Just so you kind of can know more of what to possibly expect... (that and I am still dealing with the remnants of my laser blasted and stent installed kidney stone- worse than my induced labor and pitocin I tell you!)

[oscamaya]

I agree that you need to keep your options open. Don't wholeheartedly decide against an epidural b/c you will feel guilty if you decide you need one. DS was induced b/c I had pre-eclampsia so they also had me on some other drugs and I was completely sick and out of it. The epidural was my best friend and I pretty much slept through my whole labor. They actually had to wake me up to start pushing. I don't think that was the epidural though I think that was the other stuff they had me on.

For DD I already knew I wanted to epidural. Especially when I was laid up in labor and delivery and listened to the lady in the room next to me scream for 6+ hours. The idea of having to go through labor and feel every bit of the labor and childbirth freaks me out. I know I couldnt do it and I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Oh, I also had big babies. There was a good amount of tearing. That is another thing to keep in mind....Not trying to scare you. Just trying to give you all the possibilities so that you don't make a decision against it without keeping options open.

[hambirg]

Lots of good advice in here. I will say with my first, the childbirth class instructor had me sooo freaked out. Don't let them break your water! Don't let them induce you. . .blah, blah, blah! And so I didn't. My first was a full 2 weeks late. I felt like I was in labor on a Sunday. . .thought maybe I was just being a pansy, even though I had always thought I had a pretty high tolerance for pain. Went to the hospital on Monday and they told me. . ."Oh yea, you are having strong contractions! :surprise: BUT you are only dialated to one." They gave me a shot in my leg and I went home. I didn't have her till Thursday! I was exhausted and knew I was going to need my strength for the delivery. They broke my water Thursday morning, and just let me say, it HELPED so much with the pain. So don't listen to what people tell you. . .it's very much a FOR YOU kind of thing. I had an epidural right around 7cm. I said from the beginning that I would. People would ask, "Are you going to have natural?" and I would reply, "Would you have your gallbladder out without pain meds? Why would I have natural if I can have something to help with the pain?" I'm very glad that I did have the epidural, because it allowed me to get some much needed rest before the delivery. I pushed for about 2 1/2 hours before they decided to suction her. I didn't have any problems nursing. She was HUNGRY! As soon as they laid her on my chest she latched on.

With my second, I was having contractions about every 10mins, but was coping just fine. I had a Dr's appt at 4 and when she checked me she told me I was at 4cm and could go to the hospital anytime. I wanted to go home and take a shower first. But by the time we pulled up in the driveway I knew it was time to go. I had the epidural and was just kicking back and relaxing, but the epidual this time really slowed the labor. They gave me pitocin around 9 and I was at 10cm at 12:30 am. They had to call my OB and get her out of bed. She just barely got there and I only pushed 3 times and he was born. I looked at her and said, "Wow! That was easy." She said, "I think you are the only woman who has just given birth to ever say that!" It was true though. I was expecting it to be so much harder because what I had gone through with my first. He also had no problems nursing. . .latched right on. This time the epidural did make me pretty numb for awhile after that. . .just my left leg, lol! But by morning it was fine.

With my third, I was 2 days past due and really wanted her to come already. I had some friends telling me to take a hot shower and have a glass of wine. . .so I did. Sure enough, contractions started about 30 mins after that. It was about 9pm. I was able to sleep, but kept waking up with contractions and looking at the clock. . . still 15 mins between contractions. In the morning I waited till 8 when my OB's office opened to tell them I thought it was time. By the time I got to the hospital, I was at 7cm. The nurse told my I could have the epidural anytime, but I was doing well and told her I was really hungry, lol! She brought me something to eat and asked if I wanted to walk around a bit first, but I was ready for the epidural. Ok, this time the doc was an asssss! He couldn't get it in and was hitting a nerve. I was screaming in pain and I thought my husband was going to kill the guy. The nurse, thank gawd for nurses, told the doc to change the position, and I was really praying that it went in this time. Yep, slid right in with no problems. My OB showed up and told me she would see me around dinner time. But around noon the nurse came in to check on me, she wasn't even going to check me, I told her I could feel some pressure. I was at 10cm and she freaked out! Kept telling me not to push. . .could I hold off till my OB got there? I was all relaxed and told her. . I have an epidural. . . don't worry. . .no urge to push. When my OB got there she jumped into her scrubs in my bathroom while the nurses prepped everything. When it was time, I asked if I could start pushing and my OB said, "NOOOO! Just grunt." so I did and my youngest was born. . no pushing, just one grunt. . lol!

I guess the moral of the story is to have no expectations. Go in with an open mind and know that it is a VERY personal thing. Trust your instincts and do what feels right FOR YOU. The goal is to have a happy, healthy baby and a happy mom in the end. :)

[olivia_033003]

I was induced/epidural with the first one, and all natural with the second one. I prefered the all natural way myself. Actually, I tried to do it without the epidural the first time around, but I ended up getting it. Breastfeeding was hard at first, and my oldest son had a hard time putting on weight, and I think it had a lot to do with the labor, drugs, and the IV. I was so swollen from the IV, that I had what looked like little pillows on the tops of my feet.

With number two, I switched to a midwife in the middle of the pregnancy. I wanted a water birth, but "risked out" of birthing at the birthing center because of gestational diabetes. It turned out to be a really good thing, since the hospital was so close. If we had had to go across town to the birthing center, he would have been born in the car. I kept waiting for the contractions to get as bad as they were with number one (when I was induced), and they never did. We got in the car at 1pm exactly, and he was born at 1:26. (LOL, my husband still had his leather jacket on, and our two year old by the hand when he cut the cord!)

The biggest thing for me, I think , that made me more comfortable, healed sooner and so forth, was not having the IV. I was so swollen with #1 that I had trouble pushing him out and lots or tearing. I'm sure the fact the he was my first had some to do with it, but I think all the fluid they pumped into me played a part as well.

My advice would be just to listen to your body. There is a reason for all those medical interventions, and there is No Shame in using them if you need them! Your body will tell you what it needs, be it walking around, sitting in warm water or even the epidural. When I labored with #2, I wanted to hear a certain song (Mazzy Star's She's My Baby) and move my hips in a figure 8 to the music, or sit in a warm bath with my back and neck at straight as I could get them, face pointed to the ceiling.

[BigDog]

I was wishing I could go into labor natural with this child. But, they have said it is time to evict the baby. So on Thursday I will be induced....again. Makes me want to cry in someways as this is our 5th and our last. But, this will make a healthier baby and a healthier me.

I would like to say I think inductions make things MUCH harder to refuse an epidural.
My neighbor up the street had her 5th kid 9 months ago.
1st - 13 days overdue Natural in Birthing Center
2nd - 12 days overdue Natural in Birthing Center
3rd - 14 days overdue Natural in Hospital (moved states no birthing center)
4th - 15 days overdue Natural at home but she lost a lot of blood and went to hospital
5th - 15 days overdue Induced - requested epidural (she had low amniotic fluid which is why she was induced).

[terrisue]

I had both of my kids without an epidural. DS was almost 17 years ago, and childbirth classes strongly pushed NOT using an epidural. I had pitocin (to speed things along) and ended up with a lot of stitching up down there. The labor was fairly short, but very painful. By the time DD came along (only 5 years later), I had a different OB, and everyone recommended the epi. I wanted to try without it--after all, how much worse would it be since I wasn't planning to use the pitocin for the dr.'s convenience? I had a great labor nurse the 2nd time, and when I finally decided I was going to do the epidural, I was too far along. It all turned out ok, and I'm kind of glad I didn't get it. I did have some complications following the 2nd birth that required a lengthy hospital stay, but that is way OT. I would also stress being flexible. With the first one, I was afraid that if I didn't agree to the pitocin, another doctor would be delivering my baby, because my dr. wasn't going to be available that evening. After going through L & D, I realized that it really matters very little as long as the person delivering is competent (of course that might not be the case if there are complications, but just for a regular vaginal delivery--it really doesn't matter). Armed with this information, it made DD's delivery much easier. Also, I had asked the nurse what time the shift change was, because that was something that irritated me with the first one--all of a sudden, I had a new nurse, and wasn't expecting it. Even though my doctor WAS there the 2nd time, I couldn't have cared less. In fact, I loved my labor nurse (the 2nd time) so much, that I kind of secretly wished she had delivered her!

[queenofthehivemomof5]

The only way to have a baby un-naturally is if you push it out of your nose...

Do what you gotta do!

With my DD#1 I had a little demoral because I was hyperventilating and causing a bit of distress to the baby. That knocked me out and put me to sleep. When I woke up I was at 10 cm and ready to push! (was induced)

With DD#2 we went natural. It just happened, she was my biggest baby at 8lbs15oz. but the easiest birth. (was induced)

With DS I had an emergency c-section because his umblicial cord was in the birth canal and getting cut off with contractions (I was induced for 2 weeks prior to him deciding it was his time...only kid where my water broke and I went into labor naturally)

With the twins DS and DD we had c-section because my small hospital does not do v-bacs.

The epidurals were not bad and I have not had any problems.

[Socsay36]

Being induced does make things harder for me anyways.

1st child I was told that I needed to be induced, I went as long as I could then requested an epidural. Things went majorly wrong to where i could not sit up with out throwing up. It turns out the needle went to far in my back and drew spinal fluid. I had to go back to the hospital after I was dismissed for a blood patch to stop the spinal leak. I lost all my weight in three days because I could not eat with out throwing up. I had a major headache and I could not even sit up to take care of my baby. It was a nightmare.

2nd child was not induced no need for an epidural because it was not nearly as painful as the first. She came before the doctor could get in the room.

3rd child hoping it would be like the second, but they said I needed to be induced. It was more than I could handle, got an epidural (at a diff. hospital) for some reason it didn't work right and they had to give me something else, I can't remeber the name.

Both times I was induced the baby's heart rate dropped.

Sometimes I think the nurses and doctors are just bored and want some action. So they tell you we need to induce. When it was the pitocin that actually put the baby in distress.

[iheartmykiddos]

I've done it all LOL.

1st : Induction and Epidural
2nd: Went into labor naturally and NO Epidural (not by choice, she was
born 30 minutes after I got to the hospital)
3rd: C-section
4th: Induction and NO Epidural
5th: Induction and Epidural - had absolutely horrid back labor
Tubal: By far worse than any labor or delivery

I was pretty open to whatever happened. I wanted no drugs with my 5th, but I just couldn't take it. I felt like a failure (I'd already done it without drugs twice so it *should* have been ok), but I realized that an unhappy mommy in pain meant an unhappy baby.

I also HATED the Stadol. Had it with my first and never again. Ever. It was awful. It made me loopy and unable to focus. That's when I got the Epidural at 8 cm. I think it actually made the pain worse. :shrug7:

I agree with everyone else, be open to any possibility. You just never know what's going to happen. Good Luck!

[BigDog]

Originally Posted by queenofthehivemomof5 The only way to have a baby un-naturally is if you push it out of your nose... Do what you gotta do!

I don't know there is just something unnatural about the baby coming out any hole on your body. Physically speaking it just shouldn't happen.

I personally see it this way. It is a bit like wedding/marriage. It is better to devote your time to planning your marriage and less time planning your wedding.

The marriage is the important thing, not the wedding.
It is having a healthy baby that is important, not how the baby comes into the world.