POLL: epidural or natural?

carcirrotti

Im only starting my second trimester, but would like to hear your pros and cons to going natural or having drugs. Thanks! (BTW: It's my first pregnancy)

ridesbuttons

I got an epidural and immediately found out I was 10cm.  Instantly had to start pushing.  Oops.

 

Pros with epidural: immediate pain relief from the contractions, was able to rest and concentrate on pushing (could still feel the contraction but there was no pain).  The pain relief the epidural provides is tremendous.

 

Cons with epidural: got severe shakes (whole body trembling) that I could not control, didn't hurt but felt very weird to be out of control like that; also: hard to know how to push, I couldn't get my pushing muscles to work properly and therefore pushed for 2 hours (water breaking to full dilation time was 7 hours).  Oh, and the pain of the baby emerging is not dulled with the epidural.  The so-called 'ring of fire' that I've read about here is very descriptive.  Not a con of the epidural but it was a surprise for me.  I truly had no idea that you could still fully move your legs and feel external sensations once the needle was in place.  So while the epidural eliminated the pain of the contractions, it did not eliminate all the pain of the delivery.

 

If I am lucky enough to have another, I will try to avoid the epidural and shorten the pushing phase.  I think if I had known I was fully dialated and only had to work through maybe 10 more contractions I could have handled it.  But I didn't know.

 

My birth story is posted below.

Kristin&Frank

In my opinion, not getting the epidural doesn't necessarily mean natural (med free).  There are so many other meds out there that are routinely given. 
I'm preparing for med-free.  It's interesting, most women I've heard from who DID get meds are the ones who complain about the pain the most.  (Usually the pain before they were able to receive the meds.)  The ones who went med-free are so much more prepared for the sensations, that the pain doesn't bother them nearly as much.
Good luck with whatever decision you make, however I suggest that you're ready for anything!

saralicious

See my birth story below/in bio. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

~Sara

HeatherB721

Ok so I'm the biggest wuss in the world, once I found out that I was having a baby I was panicking about labor...I took classes and was absolutely terrified, I had a predetermination I wanted to do it natural and...I DID!  It wasn't that bad...and now I feel so proud of myself.  This might sound gross but I remember feeling my baby coming out the head the shoulders her little figure.  Something I wouldn't have felt if I was numb.

Not many people can say they had a natural birth anymore.  There are so many meds out there you don't need to have an epidural, but will ease the pain.  I was considering them whent the contractions became intense but just kept telling myself, just get through one more and then it was time to push, and when you can push it doesn't hurt anymore.

sillyhilly

Well you can always take a "wait and see" approach like I did.  There's nothing saying you HAVE to decide before you get there.  I was definitely interested in a natural birth but thought realistically I have no idea what the pain will be like.  I did my research though and was willing to try as long as I could.  One thing I was very interested in trying was labouring in water... but my water broke at home so that was out.  After 12 hours with no meds and VERY little progress I decided to take some Demerol- it was too soon for the epi as my hospital requires you to be at least 3.5 cm dilated.  I did eight more hours of labour with just the Demerol (two shots) then once I had progressed opted for the epi as I'd already been in labour for 20 hours and was still only 4 cm and the doctor wanted to add Oxytocin to speed things up.  10 hours later my little Rose was born- delivery for me was actually a breeze.  Even the doctors and nurses were amazed considering I was a first time mom, with an epidural and a BIG (9lbs 7oz) baby.  Clearly the epi didn't interfere with my ability to push!  I'm hoping that next time the labour will be quicker and I can go without the Demerol though I'll likely do the epi again.

iris427

Pros of epidural--you will be in less pain or pain free.  Keep in mind, epidurals can be spotty and your nurse needs to make sure anesthesia keeps up with your dosing, so you should still be prepared to cope with labor pain.  Epidurals also don't block pressure, so you can still get really uncomfortable as the baby descends into the pelvis and as you are pushing.  For some women who really are not prepared for the pain of labor, an epidural is a fairly safe way of delivering anesthesia.  I think everyone CAN do it without an epidural, but not everyone wants to.

Cons--epidurals complicate labor.  You and your baby will be at increased risk of certain complications and needing more medical interventions, which carry their own risks in turn.  I am a doula and it's so common for labor to slow down or virtually stop after an epidural--even though doctors and nurses don't always admit that this is the case.  Epidurals increase the necessity for other things like Pitocin, instrumental delivery (forceps or vacuum) and cesarean.  They can cause maternal fever, which means that when the baby is born it will need a full medical work-up instead of going into your arms.  They can cause a drop in blood pressure, which can be dangerous.  They can possibly cause infection or spinal headache in the mother as well.  They usually require a urinary catheter which can also cause infection.

In my experience, women who say they will just see how it goes, usually get the epidural.  In order to get through labor without drugs when they are constantly being offered to you, you have to be committed to the idea of going drug-free and truly believe it's what's best for you and your baby.  You have to be prepared to cope with the pain of labor.  And you need a supportive person--friends, family, doula, whatever.

I also recommend avoiding stadol or other IV narcotics.  They work great for about 2 hours.  What happens then is they usually cannot redose you because narcotics affect the baby much more than an epidural.  So then you find yourself suddenly back in pain and it's harder to cope because it does not feel like a gradual progression of labor.

I can recommend some good books about natural childbirth if you are interested.

toddandleah

Iris,  I would love to know your book suggestions.  I want a med-free birth if possible, and know that preparation is the only way to get there...so any suggestions you have would be great!

iris427

Hey sorry it's taken me a while to reply.  Some great books on childbirth:

First, Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkin is a great overview and offers an objective look at all your options.

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin.  If you want to go drug-free, this book has lots of great pain management techniques for you and your birth partner (e.g. the dad, a doula, a friend, etc.) to learn.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin.  This book has lots of beautiful, inspiring natural birth stories and the wisdom of Ina May Gaskin, the country's most famous midwife.  Her book really makes you feel empowered to give birth!

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer--this book goes through all of the common medical interventions in L&D, including epidurals.  I think if you consent to interventions, it's best to know what the possible side effects and risks are, as well as the benefits, so that you can make an informed decision.

I hope that helps!