Community› The Bump Message Boards› Natural Birth
Natural Birth
New Discussion

Alternatives to epidural?

kelseyduperrekelseyduperre member
in Natural Birth

Hello, This question is not solely about natural birth, but I thought I would ask it here! I am not sure about what I want to do when it comes to labor. I am just going to see how I feel during labor and if I feel that I need an epidural, I will get one.

But what I wanted to know was the alternative pain relief that is available, besides epidurals. And what side effects each one has, etc. 

 

Let me know!

Thanks! 

Report Reply to Post

Re: Alternatives to epidural?

  • alimariedalimaried

    Congrats on your pregnancy! There are natural options for pain management besides the epidural, however I don't think any of them are similar to being numb from the waist down. The way I look at it, I'd rather feel how hard I'm pushing so that I can ease off if I'm risking a tear, rather than be numb and pushing with all my might. There's a lot of research out there connecting fear of child birth to the pain that goes along with it. Also pitocin and epidurals increasing the risk of an emergency c-section and lower a newborns heart/breathing rates.

    So for whatever reason you personally are considering going natural, I'd highly recommend checking out some info on the Bradley method and to take the class from a local educator in your area. I chose Bradley because it teaches healthy nutrition and exercises along with labor techniques, and can be used in a hospital, birthing center or at home. It does an incredible job of informing the mother on what labor and delivery will be like. The idea is that if you know what to expect and have ways within your and your supporting partner's control to manage it, it takes out fear and the unknown. Most women who've used this method in birth say they wouldn't even describe their labor as 'painful', but rather its 'intense' or 'muscles working hard to do their job'. 

    2 great movies to watch that inform of all the different birthing options are 'The Business of Being Born' and its sequel 'More Business of Being Born' . It showcases the experiences of several women who had all different birthing scenarios.  Hope this helps!

     https://www.bradleybirth.com/

    https://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

     

    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • BakerMommyBakerMommy member
    I highly suggest getting a copy of The Thinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth.  It describes many many interventions and procedures used in childbirth, along with their pros and cons. 
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Natural miscarriage @ 5w2d 5/25/11 Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • mom2be0912mom2be0912 member
    Definitely read "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin. Very empowering.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • phq2011phq2011

    I highly encourage being cautious when watching The Business of Being Born for many reasons.

    1. It is biased and have heard it described as "demonizing" to non-natural births. Even the c-section at the end, which is medically necessary, is glossed over as "just another procedure".

     2. It does not explain risks and benefits of pain relief. Even The Bradley Method, which I am using and love to pieces highly discourages pain intervention outside of natural coaching (though he is an OB and uses many valid sources to back his reasons). Yet he does acknowledge, as a medical professional, the need for intervention and he explains informed consent well.

    3. The approach to explaining medical intervention in the movie is very scare-tactic. Yes, you have a right to be informed about the risk of any intervention, but the interviews are emotional and subjective, rather than objective and based on fact.

    If you do watch it, please go afterwards and continue researching, especially concerning everything from the use of elective c-sections in your area to the use of cytotec to soften the cervix. I asked many questions during my hospital tour which gave me a lot of information specific to where I was giving birth.  

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • lkm2006lkm2006 member

    I don't know if you were wanting to only know about natural pain relief, so ignore me if that is the case. 

    There are types of medicine the nurses can give you for pain relief though.

    *Demerol is given through an IV and fast acting (5 minutes).  It can cause low blood pressure in the mother and it shouldn't be given close to delivery (can cause breathing problems in baby). 

    *Stadol is usually given in the first part of labor (I have personally had this during my labor. I was literally asleep in less than a minute.  I was exhausted so I actually loved being able to rest). Stadol can cause respiratory depression in the baby.

    Also, ANY time of medicine comes with some risk.  Ask you OB/midwife if she can provide you with some real numbers, then you can decide what you are comfortable with or not.

    I got my information from here so take a look if you are interested in any type of medical pain relief:  https://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/narcotics.html

     

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"