Drugs during labor

ldholcombe

I had a epidural. THANK GOD! Because my baby was 9lbs 2oz.

Ready2Rock206

I had a midwife - no epidural - just some wimpy IV something or other. I'd suggest discussing your options w/your dr beforehand and coming up with a plan A and plan B.

jessicae1aine

Waiting until your body is ready to go into labor can help immensely vs. being induced. Water seems to work well for a lot of people, too.

RockaholicMama

I went au natural. No meds of any kind with both my daughters. I used the Hypnobirthing method and LOVED every min of labor and delivery. It was enjoyable being able to control the pain, knowing that I was bringing my daughters into the world.

ELENA_Z

No drugs for me.. 3 awesome boys.. good luck to you on whatever choice you make..

sleepytexan

I have posted this topic before, but I wanted to post it again for more suggestions!! I am 8 months pregnant and am trying to decide on what pain control method to use!! I had an epidural last time and do not want to go that route again!! What have other women found to be helpful in pain management during labor??

Since I used nothing at all for all 5 of my births ( no drugs, no procedures),
I can tell you for certain what causes pain during labor.
It's fear.
The only time I had pain was when I was fearful.
And the only thing that caused my fear was if someone was in the room that I did not want there.

So I got picky about that, and planned ahead of time to have that controlled for me
because I wanted to focus only on the task.

So my suggestion, if you still want to use drugs, to also use fear management...
determine ahead of time what things cause fear for you and address them.
I believe this will give you a much more comfortable labor.

I agree with this; for my first birth I was frightened and everything seemed to be going wrong; I felt a lot of pain and had no backup plan (was not permitted epidural bc I never dilated).

For my 2nd I had gone through hypnobirthing and had a doula. I truly never had pain except for 2 5-minute periods when I became frightened and distracted -- both times were a result of being roughly "checked" by a rude nurse who announced "no progress! you'll be in surgery soon" (*****). However, as soon as I refocused I was fine again.

DistantJ

I adore epidurals, but I understand not wanting to go with something that severe. I had an intrathecal (shot of painkiller into the spine) with one of my 6, and it was great as well. Didn't last as long as the epidural, but the labor was also faster without the stronger epi drugs so it didn't matter. I know a lot of people are anti-drugs during labor, but I personally love them. LOVE THEM!!!!

Best of luck as you deliver your baby!

Ely82010

I had some kind of drugs; don't know what and I didn't care. I didn't feel the push but I was told that I did push. I was very small and my baby was 8.5 lbs. I spend 7 days in the hospital because my uterus didn't want to contract back, not due to the drugs but because the bay was very large. Epidural was not an option 40 years go.

One year later I was induced with my second pregnancy. Things were better but I also got drugs. That was it for me.

domsmoms

Best of luck to you! My epidural only numbed one side of my body. So I guess it was half good...

Lynne_m_davies

hahaha funny !

MFPBrandy

I never said that labor was a wonderful, pain-free experience. It certainly did hurt, but education, preparation and a "wait and see what might be necessary" attitude would go a long way to reducing the over-interference in childbirth, often making it much riskier than it needs to be. There are several good documentaries on the subject of how one intervention (drug) leads to the next and the next and pretty soon, there is a real problem.

A high risk delivery or complication certainly requires medical intervention and the best medication available, but for most routine deliveries. . . not really.

Sorry--wasn't geared as an attack at you, but at a message for the OP. There are a lot of people who are VERY adamant that THEIR way is the right/only way. Some people actually DO say labor isn't painful (there was one on this thread); others have said it was downright orgasmic. Well bully for them, but I think if it's not phrased very carefully, it puts a lot of pressure/false expectations on the mom, or sends a message that they're somehow less-than. Much like those who are adamant a REAL woman who cares anout her child will do it drug free. Or those who have a sickness-free, glowing, wonderful pregnancy full of sunshine and daisies and fart butterflies instead of gas, who make the people who have been miserable for nine months and just want the monster OUT of them already feel like crap. There's a lot of one-upmanship in the mommy business, and a lot of propaganda about how blissful it's all supposed to be as long as you're doing it right, which lays all the blame and guilt squarely on your shoulders if it's not what you've read/heard about.
Okay, ending rant now ... OP, I am happy for you, and hope to again be in your shoes in the not-too-distant future!

Bahet

I never said that labor was a wonderful, pain-free experience. It certainly did hurt, but education, preparation and a "wait and see what might be necessary" attitude would go a long way to reducing the over-interference in childbirth, often making it much riskier than it needs to be. There are several good documentaries on the subject of how one intervention (drug) leads to the next and the next and pretty soon, there is a real problem.

A high risk delivery or complication certainly requires medical intervention and the best medication available, but for most routine deliveries. . . not really.

Sorry--wasn't geared as an attack at you, but at a message for the OP. There are a lot of people who are VERY adamant that THEIR way is the right/only way. Some people actually DO say labor isn't painful (there was one on this thread); others have said it was downright orgasmic. Well bully for them, but I think if it's not phrased very carefully, it puts a lot of pressure/false expectations on the mom, or sends a message that they're somehow less-than. Much like those who are adamant a REAL woman who cares anout her child will do it drug free. Or those who have a sickness-free, glowing, wonderful pregnancy full of sunshine and daisies and fart butterflies instead of gas, who make the people who have been miserable for nine months and just want the monster OUT of them already feel like crap. There's a lot of one-upmanship in the mommy business, and a lot of propaganda about how blissful it's all supposed to be as long as you're doing it right, which lays all the blame and guilt squarely on your shoulders if it's not what you've read/heard about.
Okay, ending rant now ... OP, I am happy for you, and hope to again be in your shoes in the not-too-distant future!

^^^ Yea, that!

Oh, and to the person who keeps harping on the "high" afterwards from going unmedicated - that has nothing at all to do with medication/epidurals/etc and can be experienced by anyone whether they go drug free or are knocked out cold. It's hormonal. It has everything to do with your body's hormones fluctuating and nothing at all to do with whether or not you had medical or medicinal assistance.

theoneandonlybrookie

Personally, I didn't have an epidural only because I am more afraid of having a needle in spine than the pain! I see nothing wrong with epidurals, though, in terms of the baby. Most women have them and their babies turn out wonderfully.

As for the pain, I was in 24 hours of labor and I still found it manageable most of the time. I had twins, so my son was born vaginally without any pain meds. It was doable. My daughter flipped after her brother came out and her heart rate started dropping, fast. The doctors knocked me out cold for an emergency C-section. THAT was awful.

kelly101386

With my first I had an epidural as I was in labour for a long time and couldn't cope any longer.

Second time around my daughter wanted out, I didn't have time for an epidural or any drugs. I will tell you what, it was the better of the two. I could get up more or less straight away to shower and I wasn't confined to the bed afterwards as I could move freely. I was able to take better care with my daughter and I was allowed to go the next morning unlike waiting all day.

If I have a third I would definitely go for the second option as I felt fantastic!

jamielovesjbs

if you do not want an epidural, i don't think any pain maedication helps too much. just stubborn, prideful, will power worked for me! lol!

dodihere

I had both of my children natural no pain killers. I wouldn't advise it and I wouldn't do it again.

emsybubs

Ive had 2 CSections and a homebirth. Obviously with a homebirth there is no pain relief option. But because I did want to do my labour at home I looked into it a lot because I was worried I wouldn't be able to go the distance a drug free labour requires.

I stumbled across this book, can't remember what its called sorry, but it talked about the physiological process of labour and part of that process is that body's ability to produce its own pain relief - endorphins. I tell you its absolutely TRUE and it WORKS!!!

Understanding the process is important though because unless you are feeling somewhat comfortable and relaxed the process will get interrupted. It sounds far fetched but it isnt and its so worth looking into.

I have had the gas and epidurals and I tell you the body's natural ENDORPHINS are the best!! I remember so clearly the feeling of floating and being on a high during my labour. DRUG FREE!

Course its more unusual to experience this in hospital because you have someone coming in every 20 minutes or whatever it is to check your monitors and every so often to check dilation etc... All these things can negatively affect your labour and get you out of your comfort zone.

The key is keeping yourself happy and relaxed and those endorphins will come just when you think you cant do it anymore. I've forgotten the pain of labour but I definately remember the 'floaty feeling'. Haha.

The thing is too, epidural is fantastic when it works and you can get the rest you need etc... but there are added risks is to you AND your baby during the pushing stage. They turn it down so you can feel the pushing contractions more but it can make for very ineffectual pushing. This can prolong that 2nd stage and also cause more tearing and need for episiotomies. Especially as you are lying on your back being told when to push rather than feeling it all yourself and instinctually pushing and moving into the most comfortable position. Ineffectual pushing often requires the vaccum which is an experience you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Why would anyone allow this to happen to their child? I'd rather a CS than be ok with the vaccum. At least with the CS the worst of what happens happens to me the mother but the vaccum is not only damaging to the mother (need episiotomies) but its just such an awful way to force a child into the world. Obviously to save lives things have to be done, but is it really necessary to have as many of these births as they have when there's so much we can do to prevent things getting to this stage in the first place?

Sorry for the rant. LOL

missym357

If you really don't want an epidural, you may find that it is worth it for you to simply do it without pain meds. You might find it suprising what you are capable of! There's something pretty amazing about giving birth without that stuff. For me, going without meds was worth not being stuck on a bed attached to machines and feeling like a beached whale if I could avoid it. Mental imagary and relaxation techniques got me through. I agree with emsybubs though that there are situations when an epidural is called for. Arm yourself with information, be prepared and go from there! Best wishes to you!

momof3and3

I have had 5 deliveries...one with only demerol ( I hated that drug, it didn't help only made me really woosie), 2 without any pain meds and 2 with epidurals. I have gone into labor only once naturally (demoral) and have also been induced for all the rest. I had my first epidural for my 3rd child, I couldn't believe that I waited until child #3 to experience that wonder! (child #4 was supposed to be epidural, but came to fast for me to get it...I was so angry!) LOL

Pain management is such a personal choice. What works for one will not work for another. Each delivery is different, even your own experience from child to child. There is no right or wrong way to deliver. Your goal is to have a healthy baby.

Go in with an open mind. You don't want an epidural, but might wind up having one...that is ok.

You can look into alternative birthing methods...water birth or lamaze type breathing methods to get you through, massage, music.

But again, your plan might not be what needs to happen.

Best of luck to you, may your delivery be quick and easy and as pain free as you choose.

CarSidDar

I had a baby in May --- laughing gas takes the edge off and the effects are very short lived--- no feeling stoned when it counts... And it makes you giggle... Humor is needed during delivery...

I called laughing gas "placebo gas". It did nothing at all for me.