Possibly interested in a more natural birth for baby #2

RooBear · June 2011

I have a healthy 13 month old and gave birth in a hospital with my OB and an epi, have no regrets about how I did it and would have no problem doing it the same way with baby #2 this winter. But I am interested in going more natural for this baby just because I think I can (or anyone can, in most cases) but am most worried about what happens after the baby is born. Pushing the baby out (assuming normal circumstances) isn't too scary but the doc spent 30 minutes stitching me up after baby #1 was born and that is terrifying to me without pain meds. With baby #1, I couldn't feel it and just got to enjoy nursing him and cuddling him and I don't want to be distracted by crazy pain AFTER the baby has been born. Does anyone have experience they would share on this specific aspect of natural child birth? Thanks.

BrideNamedMeg · June 2011

They can give you a shot to numb you if you require stitches. I never really tore with either of my births, but with my first my midwife said I had two "cuts" that she wanted to put a couple of stitches in to make sure they didn't get any worse. She didn't give me anything for it (I didn't ask, I don't remember if she offered) but it wasn't bad at all. I was on an adrenaline rush and could barely feel a thing.

FyshWyfe · June 2011

I had a few stitches after DD was born and it wasn't a big deal. I got a local anesthetic before she did the stitching, and if she hadn't been so generally heavy-handed and insensitive, it wouldn't have bothered me at all. She was just kind of rough.

AshasaurusRex · June 2011

I tore a little bit with both of my births. My midwife just gave me a few shots to numb the area up and I couldn't feel a thing.

Jessie*J · July 2011

BrideNamedMeg:
She didn't give me anything for it (I didn't ask, I don't remember if she offered) but it wasn't bad at all. I was on an adrenaline rush and could barely feel a thing.

I was similar with this ... though I only had to have 1 stitch my doc said. So between the adrenaline and still being a bit numb from pushing her out (everything was kind of achy and I couldn't tell what was what at that point) I didn't even know he did the stitch until after he told me he was done lol.

Irisheyes1247 · July 2011

I tore with DD and the numbing stuff they used did not work. It wasn't super pleasant (and potentially made worse by the trainee she was teaching) but that was also when they were cleaning off DD and taking all her stats so I was able to watch her. I don't think it really took a half hour, but I have a pretty warped concept of time at that point.

Temp76535187505890 · July 2011

I had an epi with my first and ended up with a 2nd degree tear. I had no pain meds with my second and barely even required one stitch. I fully believe that it was the epi that led me to tear worse than without because I pushed with all my might to get DS out. Had I had the biophysical feedback telling me to slow down and ease him as I did with DD I don't think I would have torn as much. Also, they turned off my epi while I was pushing so by the time they got to the stitching it had partly worn off and I felt every prick and suture. Can't say I felt the full pain but it was enough to say it hurt! When I got the single stitch with my second I didn't get any anesthetic because I would have gotten the same number of sticks with the numbing stuff (plus a burning sensation) as I got with the stitching so I opted for no anesthetic. Uncomfortable, yes. Excruciating, no.

cros8380 · July 2011

Yay for you for considering a med-free birth! I had a local anesthetic (sp?) given right after delivery and right before I got stitched. I had a 1st degree tear and a small abrasion (like a skinned knee). The midwife stitched for less than 10 minutes and I only felt the initial needle prick.

From what I've read here over the last year and what I've heard from my friends who went med-free, most of them chose to have a shot of pain med for the repair. Some mw's/ob's may offer this to you before the baby is delivered, but to me that defeats the purpose of being med-free.

pepomntpat · July 2011

cros8380:
Yay for you for considering a med-free birth! I had a local anesthetic (sp?) given right after delivery and right before I got stitched. I had a 1st degree tear and a small abrasion (like a skinned knee). The midwife stitched for less than 10 minutes and I only felt the initial needle prick.

From what I've read here over the last year and what I've heard from my friends who went med-free, most of them chose to have a shot of pain med for the repair. Some mw's/ob's may offer this to you before the baby is delivered, but to me that defeats the purpose of being med-free.

Really? To me, the purpose of going med free was to avoid exposing LO to drugs. Once LO is out, it's all good. What is your reasoning here?

sschwege · July 2011

pepomntpat:
cros8380:
Yay for you for considering a med-free birth! I had a local anesthetic (sp?) given right after delivery and right before I got stitched. I had a 1st degree tear and a small abrasion (like a skinned knee). The midwife stitched for less than 10 minutes and I only felt the initial needle prick.

From what I've read here over the last year and what I've heard from my friends who went med-free, most of them chose to have a shot of pain med for the repair. Some mw's/ob's may offer this to you before the baby is delivered, but to me that defeats the purpose of being med-free.
Really? To me, the purpose of going med free was to avoid exposing LO to drugs. Once LO is out, it's all good. What is your reasoning here?

I think she is trying to say that some MWs/OBs will offer to numb you before the baby is delivered which in her opinion defeats the purpose. I don't think she's suggesting someone decline numbing medication before receiving stitches.

BrideNamedMeg · July 2011

sschwege:
pepomntpat:
cros8380:
Yay for you for considering a med-free birth! I had a local anesthetic (sp?) given right after delivery and right before I got stitched. I had a 1st degree tear and a small abrasion (like a skinned knee). The midwife stitched for less than 10 minutes and I only felt the initial needle prick.

From what I've read here over the last year and what I've heard from my friends who went med-free, most of them chose to have a shot of pain med for the repair. Some mw's/ob's may offer this to you before the baby is delivered, but to me that defeats the purpose of being med-free.
Really? To me, the purpose of going med free was to avoid exposing LO to drugs. Once LO is out, it's all good. What is your reasoning here?
I think she is trying to say that some MWs/OBs will offer to numb you before the baby is delivered which in her opinion defeats the purpose. I don't think she's suggesting someone decline numbing medication before receiving stitches.

Yeah, I'm not sure if would defeat the purpose of going med-free but I don't see how it would make any impact on your pain level during the birth if they give you a shot before the baby crowns, say. At that point, it'll hurt but only for a few seconds and then you're done. If you need a lot of stitches, then go for the shot, no need to suffer through that!

stahlop · July 2011

pepomntpat:
cros8380:
Yay for you for considering a med-free birth! I had a local anesthetic (sp?) given right after delivery and right before I got stitched. I had a 1st degree tear and a small abrasion (like a skinned knee). The midwife stitched for less than 10 minutes and I only felt the initial needle prick.

From what I've read here over the last year and what I've heard from my friends who went med-free, most of them chose to have a shot of pain med for the repair. Some mw's/ob's may offer this to you before the baby is delivered, but to me that defeats the purpose of being med-free.
Really? To me, the purpose of going med free was to avoid exposing LO to drugs. Once LO is out, it's all good. What is your reasoning here?

If you notice, she said before the baby is delivered, so they are getting the pain med's before the baby is born. Or maybe I'm reading that wrong.

RooBear · July 2011

Thanks so much for your responses. It didn't occur to me that the local med was an option and that makes a lot of sense.

lildancerbabe02 · July 2011

I had a med free hospital birth with an OB with my DD. I had a 3rd degree tear as well as "skid marks" inside. (That's how the OB described them) Before he started stitching he gave me a shot of a local to numb the area. I didn't even feel the shot. I didn't feel anything while he stitched me up, I just remember my legs shaking from the birth.

They also gave me some pain relievers in pill form, so that when the local wore off I wasn't in pain.

Sharon21 · July 2011

I tore pretty badly with DD#1 I think it was second degree but it might have been third. I was given a local anesthetic which burned enough that when it started to wear off before she was done stitching me I told her I would prefer her to just finish (she was almost done) than to get another shot of anesthetic. That said the whole ordeal, tear and getting stitches, hurt less than the "ring of fire" that I experienced with DD#2. I didn't experience the ring of fire with DD#1 and I think that is because I tore so it numbed the area naturally whereas with DD#2 I didn't tear and felt everything.

savvyash · July 2011

A friend of mine said she tore pretty badly with her first (had an epi), but this last one she didn't tear at all. She went natural and said that she could feel more and have more control of what was going on down there.

Jinsy80 · July 2011

Ugh, the stitching. I tore with both girls. It hurt both time getting stitched up. I had narcotics with DD1, so I was a little out of it. DD2 was natural, it was bad. That numbing shot didn't do much for me both times. :-(

kg_08 · July 2011

I just got a shot to numb the area. Didn't feel a thing!

Possibly interested in a more natural birth for baby #2

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