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June 2012 Moms
epidural or natural?
I've been talking to a lot of women and some swear by the epidural while others prefer natural. Some women absolutely hate losing the feeling in their legs and not being able to feel the pushing. Also, some women hate how they feel after labor with an epidural, they feel weak and tired. Others don't care. I'm a FTM and nervous so I'm too scared to go natural and I have nothing against taking the drugs that are available. What have you gotten? Has anyone experienced both and which did you prefer?
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Re: epidural or natural?
I had an epidural with #1 and I am undecided on #2. I had a very long induction with #1 and the epidural really helped me relax and get some rest. In general, I will say that my epidural experience was positive. I ended up with a c-section though and was very loopy/tired.
I would like to go as long as possible without it, because I don't want to risk stalling progress. I also don't think my pushing was very efficient because I was strapped to a bed.
claudia poirier
Little Dude: 16 Apr. 2009 | Little Doll: 10 Jun. 2012
I went natural and was very happy about it. Yes, it was extremely painful but it was really nice being able to know exactly what my body was up to. I knew what pushes worked and I progressed quickly all on my own. I think that if I had gotten an epi it could have delayed my labor and made it worse. It was also nice being able to stand up pretty much immediately afterwards, even though I was told I shouldn't be walking until much later.
Was I really weak and tired? Yes but I figured it's a given considering I just pushed out a baby, haha.
I do plan on going natural again.
Ditto this exactly. I had a long labor with #1-over 40 hours and there is no way I would have made it without it....
I'm a FTM so I have no experience either way. From the friends of mine that I have discussed it with that have babies, ALL had the Epi, and cannot say enough good about it. Most said that they felt they were able to really enjoy the whole experience more due to having less pain to deal with. Out of about 7 close friends, only one had a negative experience with the Epi (it completely numbed her to the point of not feeling ANYTHING, so she wasnt sure when she was contracting and when she should push & she felt higher then a kite, etc. She has 4 kids and only used epi for one).
I think odds are in our favor that the epi experience will be just fine, but there is always that nagging worry in the back of my mind that my body wont adjust to it properly. I'm just going to go with the flow and take the drugs when I want them...and hope for the best!
GL with whatever you decide.
Blessed with our beautiful girl May 30/2012 - BFP June 20th/2013 - Naturally MC June 30th/13.
BFP Aug 1/2013
Being a FTM, I'm obviously no expert. However, I've had complications from procedures in the past that are pretty similar to an epidural. At the time, I was assured that the complications "are very rare".. uh, yeah, don't care how rare it is, what I had to deal with sucked and I'm not doing anything that leads me anywhere near the possibility of it happening again. With an epi, it's so hard to predict who's going to have good vs bad experience (it's down to a lot of variables). Even if it is extremely rare, it does happen, and I don't want to again be that rare person who has to deal with the complications. So I'm doing everything I can to avoid an epi.
As strongly as I feel about it for myself, this is your decision, as it is for every mother to be. Educate yourself on the pros/cons, and decide what works best for you and your baby, and what risks you are willing to take.
I'm actually going in with no expectations. I'll try to let my body do what it's made to do naturally, but if the pain is more than I can take, then I will get an epidural. If I end up needing a c-section, then I will get one. I'm also preparing myself in the event the epidural doesn't take or wears off.
The way I see it is that the baby has his own birth plan too, and I'd be stupid to not think he doesn't have a say in what happens.
I have never had an epi so I can't compare/contrast for you, but I can say this: Going natural is not that bad. The trick is to stay calm and relaxed. Let the contraction do it's work (its making a way for your baby to exit) and don't fight it or tense up. This takes concentration and practice. It might sound silly to practice relaxing, but give it a go. I read the Bradley method book and really feel like it had some great advice. My mind set going into the whole thing was to go as long as possible without an epidural and it would be my last ditch effort. Well my contractions did not hurt or even get closer together until my water broke. By the time I got to the hospital, I was already completely dialated. Granted my labor was way faster than most, but even if it had been hours and hours of those pre-water breaking contractions, it really wasn't that bad.
That being said, I know many women who said that the epi was invaluable because it helped them relax. I also know many others who said it didn't take or only worked on one side. I would try and be as prepared as possible for any situation that might arise. GL.
I have had 2 natural births and plan to have a 3rd coming up. My labors were by no means a walk in the park (38 hours total, between the 2), but in the end I've absolutely loved my experiences. To me, the temporary pain is worth every other benefit of going 'natural'. It's a very personal decision, but I definitely recommend it (or at the very least encourage my friends to do lots of research and make an informed decision, and not just choose an epi out of fear or convenience).
Do what you feel is right for you. I personally plan to do a natural water birth. Baths have always helped me with period cramps and for some reason the idea of laying down while trying to push out a baby has always seemed silly to me. I feel I personally would do better with the ability to move and use natural methods to help him out. But again I'm a FTM too and every labor is different so I'm not totally throwing the idea of an epi out the window. My advice is to read up on your options, make a plan but keep an open mind. I know women who thought they would go one way and ended up differently on both sides of the spectrum.
Good luck!
I'm keeping an open mind on this, and i'm keeping my "birth plan" fairly simple because I've never done this before and I have NO idea where I'll be at emotionally or physically when I'm in labor. I would really love to have him naturally with no meds, but if i break and take the epi... then i'm not going to beat myself up over it.