To have an epidural or not .. that is the question?
musicgirl99
Posts: 252 Member
I'm sure this question has been thrown out a thousand times but I'm curious to hear from you ladies regarding your thoughts on having an epidural. I'm still undecided but leaning towards having it but I'm honestly terrified of needles and of getting it. I would love to hear what you think about getting an epidural. For those who have had it, did it help diminish the pain? Did the needle hurt going in? Were there complications associated with it? Any feedback is most appreciated. Thanks!!
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I've never had one because this is my first baby but I don't plan on having one. I want an all-natural drug free birth. I'm keeping an open mind but the way I view it our bodies were designed and meant to go through the birthing process. That being said, I don't look down on any woman who makes the choice to have pain medication, etc. because it's an individual decision and what works for me might not work for someone else. One of my friends had her baby in November and her epidural numbed her back but nothing else, so she could still feel the entire birth including the crowning and all that. I know some people who say it has drastically helped them and worked great while others say it didn't work so great.0
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I delivered my 8 lb, 21 inches son drug-free, now to clarify this was not by choice. I arrived at the hospital around 8:00am, by the time I was in the delivery room... it was too late for any drugs, he was in my arms by 10:53am!!! in all honesty, it was the most painful experience of my life and I begged the doctor and the nurses and everyone around me to make it stop. I was also experiencing back labor, it was very very painful. the doctor said an epidural was no longer a choice
Now I'm pregnant with my second boy, I plan to have this one drug free as well. The one part that I loved about no drugs is that after giving birth, I took a nap and when I woke up I felt great, I was ready to go home and take on the world. I did stay for 48 hours and was discharged with my son. My doctor told me that my body did very well and the delivery was fast, although, painful.
I will be taking an epidural class next week, in the state of GA, if you do not take this class you don't have the choice to even have the epidural. I know how it feels not to have the choice, and I would like to have it just in case. Every delivery and every woman's body is different, I just want to keep my options open. for now, I have told my doc and hubby, NO drugs... but we shall see0 -
I've never had one. I had my first drug-free. I'm not going to lie. It hurt. But it was different from pain that is just for the sake of it, and it was a productive pain. But I was really glad afterwards I had done it. I was up within minutes of having her and in the bath, and didn't have to worry about IV's or catherters etc. It's given me the confidence to try for a home birth this time. With my last I knew I didn't want an epidural so I just stayed at home until I couldn't take it anymore, by the time I got there an epidural wasn't even an option. I did have a very quick labour but I can't say for definate this was due to not having one. If you want to try to go without I would recommend staying at home as long as possible. If you are in the hospital for ages in pain and someone is offering it to you, it would be hard to say no. If you do decide you want one, that's okay too. You wouldn't be the first!0
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I've had two epidurals. Both times I was going to attempt to avoid it, both times I wound up with an epidural by around the 5-6cm point. I would just get to the point I could not stand the pain anymore. I'm not a needle fan either, and it doesn't help that it's like a 6 inch BIG ole needle. Does it hurt...honestly labor is such an intense, no relief kind of pain that for me when I was in labor I knew that the pain from the epidural couldn't be any worse than what I was going thru. I was correct, it is a quick pain and then beautiful relief!! The positive element, you can relax, chat, and just enjoy the birth experience with no pain. The downside, there are good anesthesiologists and terrible ones, and that makes a huge difference as to whether or not the epidural is that helpful. My first epidural experience was not a good one, I went numb quickly, was in labor a long time and the epidural seemed to either wear off, or not be strong enough to begin with and by the time my daughter was crowning I could feel everything, even the episiotomy. Plus the epidural site hurt for a long time afterwards and would still get sore from time to time even a year later. My second epidural was wonderful, felt nothing, not even the birth. All of that being said!!!! I would really like to try to this birth without the epidural. I don't know why the thought of a third epidural is scary to me. I'm just concerned that something is going to go wrong. So who know, it's just going to depend on how it goes. I'll probably get to the hospital and be begging for one again.
Good luck in your decision making, there is no right or wrong. It's a person by person case as everyone's labor and pain tolerance is very different! 0 -
Similar to tcrofford, this is my first, and I do not plan on having one. I'm also delivering at a birthing center that does not even have pain meds on the premises.
My sister in law had one last year, and loved it, but she also now has residual pain at the injection site and had some complications from placement (the first one didn't work and only numbed her left leg).
It's entirely up to you. Do your homework and due diligence on it, and make whatever choice you feel is best for you and your child.0 -
I had an epidural with my first son and drug-free with my second, so I can give you pros and cons of each.
Epidural - Yes, it does help with the pain. I don't remember the needle hurting because I was focused on sitting perfectly still through a contraction. Side effects included vomiting, not feeling my legs so I had to stay in bed, and when it came time to push I couldn't really feel when to push so it took 3 hours to get him out.
Natural - It happened by accident. I dilated so fast in the tub that when I asked for an epidural it was too late. It hurts like hell! I could feel everything, but when it was time to push he was out in two pushes. Much faster recovery time. No tearing.
Now pregnant with my third, and I will definitely be going the natural route again.0 -
I am hoping not too, of course, I am really hoping to have labor with this one! I do have to say, I did have an epidural with my first. After 12 hours into an induction with pitocin at the highest setting, I couldn't handle it anymore. My advice, honestly is to keep an open mind about it. There are things that can happen where you might want or even really need one, and other times when the doctor is offering it and you don't need or want it at all.0
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Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.0 -
I did it drug free, I went in with a firm NO epidural plan.
I totally understand why women get epidurals. Mega pain!!! At one point I said I couldn't do it anymore and wanted drugs, but I was 9cm at that point and just kept going. I'm glad I made it au naturale.
You can go in with a detailed plan, but be open to the idea that it might be derailed.
At the end of the day, do what you need to do to successfully deliver your baby. We're all heroes 0 -
Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.
I have had three naturally, and I am currently planning a home birth with my fourth. When I was pregnant with my first, I made my mind up to have only natural childbirth unless absolutely necessary after much research in medication side effects and possible reactions. I didn't want to put anything into my body that could harm me or my baby. I can say that if you don't want one, you have to really put your mind to it. I had pitocin during my first, and it was extremely painful, but I was determined not to take anything, so I didn't. My second and third labors had no interventions at all, and I felt amazing during the labor and after, and didn't feel like it was very painful. Just make sure that if you go naturally, you have options to move around as much as you want and to labor and or birth in a tub, because that helps pain immensely. Good luck!0 -
Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.
I have had three naturally, and I am currently planning a home birth with my fourth. When I was pregnant with my first, I made my mind up to have only natural childbirth unless absolutely necessary after much research in medication side effects and possible reactions. I didn't want to put anything into my body that could harm me or my baby. I can say that if you don't want one, you have to really put your mind to it. I had pitocin during my first, and it was extremely painful, but I was determined not to take anything, so I didn't. My second and third labors had no interventions at all, and I felt amazing during the labor and after, and didn't feel like it was very painful. Just make sure that if you go naturally, you have options to move around as much as you want and to labor and or birth in a tub, because that helps pain immensely. Good luck!
Thank you. Your response is very reassuring. I'm planning to deliver in a hospital but thankfully each delivery room has a jacuzzi tub, birthing stools and balls, shower and other natural relaxation techniques. I would absolutely LOVE to try to do it naturally but have heard so many horror stories of women that tried to go natural only to find out they couldn't take it and then the epidural was a nightmare to administer because the contractions were too strong for her to stay still. I guess I'm just not sure if I'll be able to take the pain.0 -
Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.
I have had three naturally, and I am currently planning a home birth with my fourth. When I was pregnant with my first, I made my mind up to have only natural childbirth unless absolutely necessary after much research in medication side effects and possible reactions. I didn't want to put anything into my body that could harm me or my baby. I can say that if you don't want one, you have to really put your mind to it. I had pitocin during my first, and it was extremely painful, but I was determined not to take anything, so I didn't. My second and third labors had no interventions at all, and I felt amazing during the labor and after, and didn't feel like it was very painful. Just make sure that if you go naturally, you have options to move around as much as you want and to labor and or birth in a tub, because that helps pain immensely. Good luck!
Thank you. Your response is very reassuring. I'm planning to deliver in a hospital but thankfully each delivery room has a jacuzzi tub, birthing stools and balls, shower and other natural relaxation techniques. I would absolutely LOVE to try to do it naturally but have heard so many horror stories of women that tried to go natural only to find out they couldn't take it and then the epidural was a nightmare to administer because the contractions were too strong for her to stay still. I guess I'm just not sure if I'll be able to take the pain.
I had one with my son 6 weeks ago..I went in with wanting to go all natural but was still open to the idea of the epidural. Like you said, I'm one of those who couldn't take the pain and had to give in to the epidural, it was VERY hard to sit still through the pain of the contractions (I was at a 7-8) but I knew it was only a matter of time before I was painless so I kept that in mind lol
That said, I absolutely do not regret my decision to get one, it made my birthing experience so much more enjoyable and after getting the epidural I was able to relax and enjoy the company of my friends and family before pushing, also for me it didn't take much time at all to wear off. IMHO!
good luck with your decision and ability to stick to it 0 -
Thank you for your input. Mrs. Carter. I really appreciate your response and it makes me feel much better knowing that not all instances where an epidural was administered were bad.0
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I had my son nearly two years ago, and I begged for the epidural (I was having multiple contractions with no breaks inbetween, and it felt like I was being stabbed repeatedly from multiple angles - I literally would have been happy to die to make it stop). The epidural was AWESOME.
That said, that's my only L&D experience, but I'm open to having it again this time around. Like last time, I professed to be "open to it." Meaning if I can get by without it, cool, but if not, I'll take it without hesitation.
The needle burned a little. I wouldn't say hurt, though. It's just sort of weird because you're trying to sit perfectly still (and for me they told me to tell them when a contraction ended, but that obviously wasn't happening - I had an L&D nurse basically hugging me to help me hold still), and they tape this stuff on your back and give you a little thing that looks like a Jeopardy buzzer with a little red button on it. The red button is supposed to give you another rush of drugs if the current dose wears off (so I just put it to the side, no big deal).
Once it was in, I laid back in bed, had a semi-painful contraction and was then cool as a cucumber, like nothing was going on. I was happy, talkative, watching TV, just hanging out until it came time to push.
Because I couldn't feel any contractions, I didn't know when to push. My OB and the L&D nurse just told me to push like I was pooping whenever they saw a contraction hit, and my son was out in three pushes (less than 5 minutes of pushing). I had one teeny, tiny little tear-- my OB at first thought I didn't have one, but then she said, "Oh, yeah, there's a tiny one, you just need one stitch." Since I'd had the epidural, I couldn't feel that, either. It was a dissolving suture, too, so it just kind of disappeared on its own. When I went for my 6-week postpartum check-up, she said it didn't look like anything had happened because the tear was that small.
The only downside was that I had to hang out in the room for about an hour to wait for my epidural to wear off, and they were extra careful in getting me down from the bed to be sure that I could feel and move my legs. (I wasn't totally numb down there, but I probably wouldn't have been able to walk with the epidural in place.) Then they moved me to the bathroom to hose me down (an exaggeration, but I did joke that it looked like a murder scene in there) and to my room on the maternity ward.
I had absolutely no complications from the epidural. I mean, my skin was a little itchy for a few days afterwards due to the adhesive on my back, but I have eczema, so my skin is mega sensitive. (Sometimes I can use a Band-Aid and be itchy where it was for a day or two afterwards.) The only weird thing I can remember happening as a result is that I had shivers immediately after it was put in. I wasn't cold, but I was shivering pretty hard, like I was freezing. They all said that was normal, and it lasted maybe 5 minutes and didn't happen again.
ETA that my opinion on the matter is that you can focus on what's awesome about giving birth without worrying about any pain. I was totally focused on just pushing (which wasn't painful at all) and getting my son out, then seeing him, etc. My sister and two sisters-in-law all had epidurals with 7 kids between them and did not regret them. They all said the same thing, too, that you can focus on the birth itself rather than the pain. I don't fault anyone for not wanting or getting an epidural, though - to each her own!0 -
This too is my first pregnancy, but I plan on having one. I fractured my vertebrae when I was younger and then sprained the same area twice more...I have had back issues my entire life, and while I would like to say I can do this medication free I do not want to take the chance of putting my baby (or myself for that matter) through any unnecessary stress.0
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Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.
I have had three naturally, and I am currently planning a home birth with my fourth. When I was pregnant with my first, I made my mind up to have only natural childbirth unless absolutely necessary after much research in medication side effects and possible reactions. I didn't want to put anything into my body that could harm me or my baby. I can say that if you don't want one, you have to really put your mind to it. I had pitocin during my first, and it was extremely painful, but I was determined not to take anything, so I didn't. My second and third labors had no interventions at all, and I felt amazing during the labor and after, and didn't feel like it was very painful. Just make sure that if you go naturally, you have options to move around as much as you want and to labor and or birth in a tub, because that helps pain immensely. Good luck!
Thank you. Your response is very reassuring. I'm planning to deliver in a hospital but thankfully each delivery room has a jacuzzi tub, birthing stools and balls, shower and other natural relaxation techniques. I would absolutely LOVE to try to do it naturally but have heard so many horror stories of women that tried to go natural only to find out they couldn't take it and then the epidural was a nightmare to administer because the contractions were too strong for her to stay still. I guess I'm just not sure if I'll be able to take the pain.
I had one with my son 6 weeks ago..I went in with wanting to go all natural but was still open to the idea of the epidural. Like you said, I'm one of those who couldn't take the pain and had to give in to the epidural, it was VERY hard to sit still through the pain of the contractions (I was at a 7-8) but I knew it was only a matter of time before I was painless so I kept that in mind lol
That said, I absolutely do not regret my decision to get one, it made my birthing experience so much more enjoyable and after getting the epidural I was able to relax and enjoy the company of my friends and family before pushing, also for me it didn't take much time at all to wear off. IMHO!
good luck with your decision and ability to stick to it
Also, I forgot to ask, did they have to use a vaccum or forceps? That is another fear of mine as I've heard that the epidural usually heightens the chance for the docs to have to use these methods. Don't know how true it is ...0 -
My epidural was great with my first :O). I was going to go all natural, but at 7 cm I caved in when I heard girls screaming down the hall! As long as the needle is inserted correctly (which you don't see because you're bending forward) it should be a breeze and cause no side-effects...just make sure the anesthesiologist you would have is experienced--also, it doesn't cross-over and effect baby like drugs that are inserted by IV :O). It honestly gave me more time to think about my son entering the world and less about the pain!0
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I have delivered 4 babies. My first I had an epidural. I was pretty much forced to have one because I was at 63hrs and was exhausted. Also I had been on PIT the entire time which makes (for most) your labor 10x more intense. I have a back injury and should never had received one. It took them 6 pokes to place it and the whole time I was having severe contractions. When they finally got it in both me and baby's heart rates plunged. I was put on oxygen and they took the epidural out. So I had it for a total of an hour. Yes it did numb me completely, but I also got the bed shakes. By the time I pushed it had worn off. My labor was 73hrs long.
NOW with that said...THAT IS NOT COMMON! So don't let my story freak you out. However because I then on knew I couldn't have one I did the rest pain med free. Yes it was hard and yes with each subsequent birth I reached a point where I cried and asked for some pain meds. BUT my birth partners (my hubby and mother) knew that I honestly didn't want it and really helped me and encouraged me. They where crucial to me being able to deal with the pain and make it through without pain meds which we knew 1) was very important to me am 2) I had very limited options anyway.
As I tell anyone who is having their first make a simple, but detailed birth plan. Make sure you and your birth partner are on the same page and they are willing to support you 100%. Also know that sometimes things happen not the way we planned and birth plans get tossed out. But have confidence that this is done for you and your babies safety. Good luck!0 -
This is my first and I am planning on having one, just to help calm me and in case anything unexpected happens. I've heard stories of it being painful when there is tearing...and that the placenta can be painful when it comes out or that it if it is deeply rooted it hurts much much more than the delivery of the baby. Also, large heads run in my family, and on my husband's side the babies are usually 9-11 pounds. My mother had all 4 children without one because she had quick labors....who knows if I will take after her but if it's possible to have one, I will.
The only time I've heard of forceps or a vacuum being used is when the baby has a very large head....one of my aunts and my mother had to go through that because of the size of the baby's head, but neither one of them had epidurals.0 -
Just FYI...my last two babies where 9lbs 2oz and 9lbs 9oz. So it's doable to have big babies vaginally without pain meds.0
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I have done both epidural and no epidural and I say epidural. The epidural as I recall did not hurt or at least not as bad as the contractions. As far as complications I shook when it wore off and to this day 9 years later the spot that it was injected in still scabs over and hurts from time to time. Now this last time I went too fast to have the epidural and it hurt like hell. I was only in labor for 4 hours so it was fast, but honestly it felt like my vagina was splitting in two (sorry TMI) I of course probably went faster because an epidural tends to slow down your progress but I would have preferred the epidural. I did recover faster without the epidural so if you have a high tolerance of pain and a husband/boyfriend who loves you dearly and is understanding and won't leave you over stupid reasons go natural. I would never choose that but that is just me. My babies were 8lb 14oz and 8lb 12oz.0
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This is my first and I am planning on having one, just to help calm me and in case anything unexpected happens. I've heard stories of it being painful when there is tearing...and that the placenta can be painful when it comes out or that it if it is deeply rooted it hurts much much more than the delivery of the baby. Also, large heads run in my family, and on my husband's side the babies are usually 9-11 pounds. My mother had all 4 children without one because she had quick labors....who knows if I will take after her but if it's possible to have one, I will.
The only time I've heard of forceps or a vacuum being used is when the baby has a very large head....one of my aunts and my mother had to go through that because of the size of the baby's head, but neither one of them had epidurals.
forceps and vacuum at my hospital are no longer used but my mother had that done with my older sister and it broke her tailbone in the process.0 -
The best way I've researched to best your chances at a natural, no-intervention, no medicine, birth is to keep your water (if it doesn't break on its own, don't let them break it! The water sack around the baby buffers the pain and it won't be as bad); use a shower/tub as again the water acts as a buffer for the pain; and no pitocin or other medical inductions (they make contractions worse which would increase your likelihood of wanting pain meds/epidural). This is my plan going into labor; I plan to labor at home as long as possible as others have mentioned because it eliminates the potential for early unnecessary medical interventions, and I'll have access to a tub (unfortunately my hospital won't have tubs available by my due date although they'll eventually have them). I'll also have a doula to provide aromatherapy and assist my husband with massages and pressure points to relieve pain that way. Also, move around as much as you can - I've heard it helps if you can manage it!Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.
I have had three naturally, and I am currently planning a home birth with my fourth. When I was pregnant with my first, I made my mind up to have only natural childbirth unless absolutely necessary after much research in medication side effects and possible reactions. I didn't want to put anything into my body that could harm me or my baby. I can say that if you don't want one, you have to really put your mind to it. I had pitocin during my first, and it was extremely painful, but I was determined not to take anything, so I didn't. My second and third labors had no interventions at all, and I felt amazing during the labor and after, and didn't feel like it was very painful. Just make sure that if you go naturally, you have options to move around as much as you want and to labor and or birth in a tub, because that helps pain immensely. Good luck!
Thank you. Your response is very reassuring. I'm planning to deliver in a hospital but thankfully each delivery room has a jacuzzi tub, birthing stools and balls, shower and other natural relaxation techniques. I would absolutely LOVE to try to do it naturally but have heard so many horror stories of women that tried to go natural only to find out they couldn't take it and then the epidural was a nightmare to administer because the contractions were too strong for her to stay still. I guess I'm just not sure if I'll be able to take the pain.0 -
This is my first baby and after hearing all the pros and cons of each I decide to go all natural. I'm not going to drug my baby because I can't handle the pain. Plus I had one woman tell me her face tingled for a week after as a side affect. And my aunt had it reverse on her, her top half went numb! So she had to have two epidurals! Plus it can cause Jandus (or however it's spelled) and has more recovery time, and can cause more tearing. I'm not here to offend anyone, if you want to have epidural that's your choice. Me personally I can't justify myself causing higher risks for jandus or a longer recovery for myself because I don't want to feel the pain. I believe God doesn't give you anything you can't handle, and if he didn't believe woman could do it natural we would lay eggs like birds. But again to each their own. Some of my friends got epidurals and I was happy to help hold their legs open while they pushed.0
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Thank you all for your helpful responses. I hadn't even thought of the epidural injection site still hurting afterwards so this information definitely puts things in perspective for me.
I also find it interesting that most women who have birthed naturally would do it again despite the pain - something for me to really consider.
Thank you all again.
I have had three naturally, and I am currently planning a home birth with my fourth. When I was pregnant with my first, I made my mind up to have only natural childbirth unless absolutely necessary after much research in medication side effects and possible reactions. I didn't want to put anything into my body that could harm me or my baby. I can say that if you don't want one, you have to really put your mind to it. I had pitocin during my first, and it was extremely painful, but I was determined not to take anything, so I didn't. My second and third labors had no interventions at all, and I felt amazing during the labor and after, and didn't feel like it was very painful. Just make sure that if you go naturally, you have options to move around as much as you want and to labor and or birth in a tub, because that helps pain immensely. Good luck!
Thank you. Your response is very reassuring. I'm planning to deliver in a hospital but thankfully each delivery room has a jacuzzi tub, birthing stools and balls, shower and other natural relaxation techniques. I would absolutely LOVE to try to do it naturally but have heard so many horror stories of women that tried to go natural only to find out they couldn't take it and then the epidural was a nightmare to administer because the contractions were too strong for her to stay still. I guess I'm just not sure if I'll be able to take the pain.
I had one with my son 6 weeks ago..I went in with wanting to go all natural but was still open to the idea of the epidural. Like you said, I'm one of those who couldn't take the pain and had to give in to the epidural, it was VERY hard to sit still through the pain of the contractions (I was at a 7-8) but I knew it was only a matter of time before I was painless so I kept that in mind lol
That said, I absolutely do not regret my decision to get one, it made my birthing experience so much more enjoyable and after getting the epidural I was able to relax and enjoy the company of my friends and family before pushing, also for me it didn't take much time at all to wear off. IMHO!
good luck with your decision and ability to stick to it
Also, I forgot to ask, did they have to use a vaccum or forceps? That is another fear of mine as I've heard that the epidural usually heightens the chance for the docs to have to use these methods. Don't know how true it is ...
Nope, sure didn't! I did feel (without pain) contractions coming on to know when to push. Also, I recommend using a mirror..It really helped me to stay focused and to see the progress i was making getting my son out! - I pushed for an hour and 7 minutes but that time FLEW by. I tore in 4 different places but it all happened so fast that I only remember being in pain for a second!0 -
I have had 3 epidurals now. 2 were good, 1 wasn't.
With my first, I labored at home for 12 hours before going to the hospital with contractions 2 min apart. I was about 4-5 cm when I got there and immediately got the epidural. The man who placed it was AMAZING. The only part that hurt was getting area numbed, and that's like a little sting, seriously nothing compared to the pain of labor. (I'm a MAJOR wus with needles, too!) It worked on the very next contraction. I still totally felt when to push. It took 20 minutes of pushing and a small episiotomy to get baby #1. I still felt an intense amount of pressure when he was born.
With the second, I labored at home just 2 hours then went to the hospital with contractions 2 min apart again and was at 4-5 cm. I was a 6 by the time they got me an epidural. The placement took a little longer and it was quite a while (30-60 min) before I felt total relief but after that, it felt even BETTER than my first epidural. I knew when to push, and baby was out in a push or two. I tore in the same spot as the episiotomy the previous time had been. I could not have asked for an easier delivery.
WIth baby #3, things did NOT go well. I was induced and the guy who put the epidural in was HORRIBLE. He took forever placing it and I ended up completely blacking out from being hunched over my stomach so long. The nurse and my husband held me in place til I came to about 10 seconds later so that he could keep working. Once it was finally in place and I could lay down, it numbed the right side of me significantly more than the left. Then I realized it was numbing up to my right shoulder and NOTHING below my pubic line was numb! They tried changing the specific epi med, placing me on my left side, just about anything before wanting to place it again. I wish I had been more demanding about them replacing it because by the time they realized they needed to, it was too late. The pain of contractions wasn't horrible but I could feel the catheter and EVERYTHING of the birth! It took me 6 minutes of pushing for that baby (compared to the 1 minute for the previous one) just because it was so painful that it was hard to make myself push with that kind of pain. I had minor tearing, same place as before.
With every epidural, my blood pressure drops immediately after it's placed so they give me something to bring it back up. It's not a big deal, just makes me nauseous for a little bit til the meds kick in.
EVEN WITH the horrible last experience, I will absolutely do an epidural again this time. I know what happened to me was rare and I would much rather never feel that pain again if at all possible! I loved that with the first two deliveries I was able to talk and be excited about what was happening. With #3 I was such an emotional mess and unable to handle the pain that even when they put my baby on my tummy I just didn't care of about her. (I'm sorry if that's horrible to admit!) I just kept thinking she had just caused me all this pain, take her away and clean her or something! (No worries! We bonded just fine! LOL) I really felt more relaxed during the whole experience with my first two and I would do those again in a heartbeat. I didn't feel pain but was still able to move my legs around and feel pressure to know when to push. I also was able to walk myself to the bathroom just fine within an hour. Oh, and none of my babies ever acted "drugged" of any sort. They were all alert and just fine and none had jaundice (since someone mentioned that being a concern.)
I admire people who want to have a natural birth, but I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting an epidural. I just know I have a low pain threshold and natural's not for me, at least not by my own choosing. Good luck in your personal decision!0 -
I've never had one because this is my first baby but I don't plan on having one. I want an all-natural drug free birth. I'm keeping an open mind but the way I view it our bodies were designed and meant to go through the birthing process. That being said, I don't look down on any woman who makes the choice to have pain medication, etc. because it's an individual decision and what works for me might not work for someone else.
Basically this. This will be my first birth and while it will be in a hospital, it will be with a midwife that respects the way I wish to labor and give birth. I am a little scared and know it will hurt, but every day I become a little more confident that I can do it and that it's what I want.0 -
I've never had one because this is my first baby but I don't plan on having one. I want an all-natural drug free birth. I'm keeping an open mind but the way I view it our bodies were designed and meant to go through the birthing process. That being said, I don't look down on any woman who makes the choice to have pain medication, etc. because it's an individual decision and what works for me might not work for someone else.
Basically this. This will be my first birth and while it will be in a hospital, it will be with a midwife that respects the way I wish to labor and give birth. I am a little scared and know it will hurt, but every day I become a little more confident that I can do it and that it's what I want.
The greatest coaching that I ever got was during my first birth from my labor and delivery nurse. I was in transition and starting to lose it, and she told me that my body is doing what it knows how to do, but that I control the pain. I don't let the pain control me. I never forgot that, and now, I think of that every time that I give birth. Also, in the "natural birth community" many women call contraction by another name, making them less ominous and subconsciously easier to deal with. They are often called rushes or waves. I like to think of them as waves. I like to rock through the waves.0 -
No vacuum or forceps with my epidural. Totally uneventful vaginal birth.0
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i had 3 epidurals it hurt like crazy but i had 3 c sections soon to have 4 and i have crazzzy back pain :90
