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2nd Trimester
Tcarrol12
member
2+ moms Im wondering about epi vs. natural
Tcarrol12
member
I don't really remember the time frame windows of DD's birth but I know the nurses and doctors told me that after the epi. I started to dilate a lot faster because my body was able to relax. I want to have a natural birth so bad this time but im worried about the time differences between natural and having an epi. Im wondering if natural labors tend to be longer then those where and epi was given. So did you have a natural or an epi. and how long was your labor?
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Re: 2+ moms Im wondering about epi vs. natural
Natural = Pain
Epi = No pain.
Pretty obvious choice for me.
I had labor with no induction on my first and he was about 7 hours with epi.
My second was with induction and he was about 6.5 hours with epi.
I'm a wimp. I take the pain relief as soon as the anesthesiologist can get to me.
I got my epi at like 3 cm, but I also was super ill with pre-e and a severe headache and they said I needed to get a handle on my labor pain so the headache could work itself out.
anyway, epi and my labor was 36 hrs
I was also induced at 35 weeks, and was not dilated or ready at.all. So I was on a pit +foley bulb plus everything else in the world which probably contributed to the 36 hour marathon.
lol if I have another induction like I did with DD i have a feeling all ambitions of a natural labor will be out the window and ill be looking for the anesthesiologist myself! But im praying this baby gets to come on its own and my Blood pressure behaves.
I was induced at 39 weeks but was the same. Completely closed and not ready in any way, I had pit, cervidel(sp?) and everything else in my 26 hour labor so I really have no idea how a more "normal" l&d goes.
My experience was similar except that my labor was 25 hours (at 39 weeks) with added HELLP syndrome and my epi had worn off so I felt everything...I will be going for the epi for sure. I never want to feel that again.
I had an epi with #1 and did it med-free with #2. I would choose med-free over and over again after my last experience. Even with the pain it was a piece of cake and the recovery was ridiculously easy (I didn't tear with either so that might be why).
My labor lasted about 18 hours total with #1 and I had to push for 2 hours. I got the epi at 7 cm and my labor slowed down significantly. I couldn't feel anything when I was pushing. I'm not sure if pushing lasted so long because of the epi or because he was posterior.
With #2 labor lasted a total of 6 hours and I pushed for less than ten minutes. I'm not sure if labor was faster because it was my second child or because I was up and on my feet throughout the entire labor - gravity does wonders for helping speed things along.
They say labors get faster with each one. And all the research I have read has said that the average natural labor tends to be shorter than the epi because they are notorious for slowing things down.
Good luck with your decision. Both of my births were amazing in their own ways, but after experiencing both I would never have an epi again!
I had a pretty short labor for a 1st timer and no epi - only about 6 hours of painful contractions and maybe 45 minutes of pushing.
Most of the research I've read indicate there's a greater chance of labor stalling with an epi since you can't work with your body in the same way. Although, if you are having lots of stress and fear about pain, that can stall your labor as well.
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The epi actually slowed my progress down.
My labor was kind of fast, but I don't think it was related to getting an epi.
My water broke at 2:00 a.m., got to the hospital around 3:30, Got the Epi around 6, began pushing around 7:30, delivered at 8:30. Total time 6.5 hours.
I'm going to try going natural this time, but we will see.
ETA: I was falling asleep between pushes, which may have made the pushing part longer.
I didn't get an epi but was given certain pain meds at certain times to help me focus.
My water broke on it's own at my mom's house at about 5pm the Friday night, went to the hospital but was sent home because contractions were very mild and pretty far apart.
Went back to the hospital just after midnight (7-8 hours later) because they were more intense, but still pretty far apart (10 minutes or so). Was given morphine (shot to the thigh) at around 2-2:30 when I was only about 1-2cm. Sat in the shower on a birthing ball for a few hours at some point. Didn't head for the delivery room until about 9 or 10am I think? Maybe a bit earlier.
Was given laughing gas (and lots of water because it makes you thirsty) and they set me up with a hep-lock in my arm at around 11:30-12 where they gave me something else that I was told was "the stuff that goes into an epidural except it's not in your spine"? (Maybe that's what's known as a walking epidural, but I'm really not sure).
I had him at 1:53pm the Saturday afternoon. 21 hours after my water broke, but only about 10 hours of what I would consider actually painful contractions. I'll likely go a lot longer at home this time around and probably rate the pain differently.
ETA: I should also mention that I was 41 weeks on the Friday and at my doctor's appointment at 1 they checked me and the doctor couldn't even reach my cervix it was so far back. I hated that *** too though... most painfully uncomfortable check ever and she tried to make me feel bad for my cervix being out of her reach as if it were my fault. I believe this was the same woman that accused me of starving myself through pregnancy to stay thin even though I ate like a horse. Stupid ***.
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DD was natural, 12 hours of labor from start to finish, including 2.5 hours of pushing. No drugs.
DS i had an epi after 12 hours of labor (6 hours of which was rather mild, 4 hours of hell) at 3 cm. He was not born for 7 more hours.
I had a much better LABOR experience without the Epi, with DD, but a way way better DELIVERY experience with the epi, with DS.
i went natural. but just so know. everyones labor is different so this isnt really gonna help you much.
i started having contractions at 3am. i was in "active" labor around 8am. i went to the hospital at 11am i was 4cm when i was checked at 12p. i was at 5 cm at 2pm then my water broke and 30 minutes later i was 10 cm and pushing. my son was born at 3:12pm.
so i had 12 hrs of labor. 7 of "active".
DS went natural with 18 hours of hard active labor (entire labor over 28 hrs)8 hours stuck at 5cm. Dr. broke my water at 5cm and I was complete and pushing in 1 hr. Pushed 15 min.
DD was natural with 6.5 hours of active labor only maybe 2 of them hard. She was nearly born in the car with the bag of water intact. Made it just in time to have MW break my water and push her head out. Pushed maybe 10 min with her.
Plan another natural birth at the birthcenter again with this one. If you are looking for support check out the natural birth board.
The amount of time I was without the epi... waiting... wasn't really that bad with the induction. I'm just an impatient brat when it comes to my pain tolerance.
I had an epi and was in labor for 18 hrs, 3 hrs of "practice pushing" (as they called it) and 3 hrs of real pushing.
I was closed, barely 1 cm, not ready at all.
The epi definitely sped up my labor because I did relax. I got quickly to 8 cm. However, once I got going, I stalled when DD got stuck. She was stuck on my pubic bone for hours. By the time it came time to really push, my epi had worn off and I couldn't have any more. I definitely think that if the epi had still been working at pushing time (and I hadn't been so loopy...have no idea what they gave me the last time) that I would have delivered more quickly. I was scared of every push for at least 2 hrs.
My first child was pain med free, but wasn't completely natural. My water broke, but I wasn't contracting hard enough or regularly enough (I couldn't even feel the contractions, so they were really weak), so they put me on Pitocin. From the time I was admitted until DD was born was 10 hours. I was probably feeling the contractions for about 8 hours, total.
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The key to a good natural labor is learning and practicing some kind of relaxation technique, and keeping the environment around you calm and supportive. Your body pumps out endorphins to help you deal with the pain, so it's not the same kind of pain you would feel if you had an epi that wore off. But if you can keep yourself calm and focused, it's much better. Whenever your body tenses up, contractions hurt much worse.
I had practiced hypnobirthing with my doula before the birth - it's just relaxation techniques, not being "hypnotized." My natural labor was super fast, and I was able to talk through contractions even when they were a minute apart, until I hit transition where I kind of zoned out.
I'd recommend reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth - it has some really good information on how to help your body progress easily through labor, and what kind of things make it more difficult (stress, tensing up, people talking to you during contractions, etc).