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April 2013 Moms
Drugs or no drugs?
I know it's early, but as a first time mom; I'm wondering about whether or not I will have an epidural. I have so many friends who have had very successful labor and delivery without drugs and I really would like to do that too. I'm just not sure...It's such a big decision. I'm glad I have a few months to decide! Have any of you decided on this?
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Re: Drugs or no drugs?
Can't wait to meet baby Liam Paul!
My photo blog Baby Makes Three
I walked in to the hospital stating I wanted one; I'm no one's hero. But then I didn't get it until 7.5 cm because the anesthesiologist was on call (did I butcher the spelling of that?) and we had massive storms and flooding that night and it took her that long to get there. Got 10 minutes of relief, then it was turned off so I could push. So much for that!
I'm sure I'll ask for it again this time, depending on circumstance. I had a pretty easy labor, even without the epi, with DS so maybe it'll be the same
Married: 6/27/2008
DS: 3/14/2010 Planned, PG first try
M/C 6/2012
DD: 4/22/2013 Planned, UnDx Infertility, PG on our own
BFP: 10/28/2016 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE!
M/C 12/12/2016
BFP: 10/27/2017 Unplanned, HUGE SURPRISE
EDD: 7/2/2018
I'll be having a RCS. If there are no drugs, heads will roll!
ETA: fixed a word
I had a C-Section with the first after 2 days of labor and I refused drugs and I was terrified they would wear off by the time I had to push. I never made it to the pushing stage as I never dilated. So I don't have any experience with the whole epi or no epi decision.
But here is my advice: I have seen so many girls get their sights set on something when it comes to labor and when it doesn't happen they feel like they failed. So whether it be epi, no epi, csection or not, go into labor with an open mind because there are so many factors you cannot control that it's not worth beating yourself up over.
Zipped lips upon accessing, please :: the blog
DS1 4.26.2009 :: M/C @ 9w 2010 :: DS2 6.26.2011 :: #3 EDD 4.17.2013
My BFP Chart
I'm really leaning toward a drug-free delivery. I have researched it, and the benefits are definitely pulling me in that direction. Plus, I think I'd be more worried about the epi needle anyway! lol
This x1000. Educate yourself about the pros and cons, prepare yourself and make a decision one way or the other. But DON'T feel like a failure if it doesn't work out the way you planned
* blog * first baby blog * baby 2.0 blog * twitter *
Amen to all of the above!
I chose to have an epidural, but the first time they put it in, it didn't take. So they had to put it in again. Even after that there was still one "hot spot" on my lower left side for almost the rest of my labor. By the time I had to push it was fully working, thank God... I'm a wuss when it comes to pain!
(Side note: my non-medical guess as to why I had issues with the epidural is because I have lower back problems that may have interfered (sp) with the placement of the needle)
That's awesome! I wasn't sure if you were at a starting point based on your friends' experiences or further in.
Zipped lips upon accessing, please :: the blog
DS1 4.26.2009 :: M/C @ 9w 2010 :: DS2 6.26.2011 :: #3 EDD 4.17.2013
I asked for the epi as soon as ingot to the hospital. I can't imagine doing it med-free
Fwiw, it didn't hurt at all...and I'm a big baby about needles.
Ditto.
I had an epi with DS and I wouldn't have changed a thing! I labored from 9pm-7am drug free (due to a hospital mix-up - not by my choice!) and it was the most painful experience of my life. I literally didn't think I would be able to continue living - ha. I got my epi at 7am and my son was born at 1:30pm and it was pure bliss.
All this said, I never had any intention of going drug free - I always wanted an epi but my experience fully cemented that that was the right choice for me.
Thats good to hear. I have horrible needles issues and am more scared of all the needles my body is going to experience in the next nine months than of actually pushing baby out.
With DS I was adamant that I was NOT going to have the epidural. I made it to what they told me was 8cm on just the iv thing to take a bit of the edge off, which didn't help a whole lot. Well then they broke my water, and found out I was only 6cm!! So they had to put me on pitocin (sp?). So between the water breaking and the pitocin, I was contracting BAD like every minute/2min.. needless to say, I opted for the epidural at that point.
I'm going no drugs and, fwiw, here's why:
The hospital I'm birthing at (I have tricare, which covers everything but gives me few choices on providers) has a 39% cesarean rate. I do not want to contribute to that for a number of reasons. They already force fetal monitoring on everyone, even low risk pregnancies, and I refuse to submit to any other non essential interventions. Hospitals have a way of bullying you into pitocin to speed things along. Pitocin means almost always needing an epidural. The epi often slows labor which means they give you more pitocin. The pitocin makes contractions so intense the baby's heart rate jumps all over the place. They then often scare women into believing they are harming their baby if the don't consent to a cesarean.
If you decide you want to go natural and you have a low risk pregnancy, consider working with a midwife. Their cesarean rates are always much lower and, in almost all cases, so are their infant/maternal mortality rates.
Edit to add: I agree, however, with everyone that says deciding to use drugs does not make you a failure. I just hate seeing anyone bullied into medical interventions they don't want. Doctors like to make women, first time moms especially, believe they don't know how to birth a child. We've been doing it for millenia, we'll all get through it.
Im all for the drugs! But it's a personal decision, I ended up having a c-section so I also had local anesthetic....next time I will be getting another c-section, since im not a ccandidate for a VBAC....one way or another it's there for you if you try and you can't handle the pain....a healthy baby and momma is all that matters in the end. And I learned the hard way that even when you have a birth plan in your head, mother nature may have another plan for you......
I am going to try very hard to avoid an epidural this time around. (Absolutely no judgement towards those who do want an epi; I had one with my son). As a general rule, I really don't like taking medication, and I had some funky side effects from the epi the first time around. If you are thinking of going drug-free, I would suggest taking these steps:
1. Visit the Natural Birth board. Those ladies are very supportive and knowledgeable.
2. Considering interviewing/hiring a doula. They are great to have if you have a long labor and your H needs a break, or if you feel like you need someone to help advocate for you at the hospital.
3. Look into a Bradley/hypnobirthing/natural childbirth class. I took a hypno class when I was pregnant with my son (if you're interested in hearing the details, PM me and I will be happy to share my experience) and I am going to be doing the Bradley class this time around.
4. Read pretty much anything by Ina May Gaskin (I think that's how you spell her last name). Also check out the Business of Being Born if you have Netflix.
I had said since the very beginning of my 1st pregnancy I would go drug free. I was able to do it. I never took any classes, I just bought a book called Natural Birth the Bradley way...I didn't even read it all lol.
I personally feel like you have to stand by your convictions and be knowledgeable of all the possibilities. I stood very firm with a particular nurse who wanted to push pitocin on me when it wasn't needed. The only thing I allowed was for my membranes to be stripped (didn't do a dang thing) and they broke the rest of my water since there was still some around the head. My birth story is in my blog and it was exactly how I wanted it to be.
As soon as my son came out all the pain went away and it was the most incredible feeling. I will never forget it and plan on doing the same with #2.
The care was so much more personal the 2nd time, although I was put off that she offered to break my water to speed things up and I'd only been there for tops of an hour.
You can do it.
Zipped lips upon accessing, please :: the blog
DS1 4.26.2009 :: M/C @ 9w 2010 :: DS2 6.26.2011 :: #3 EDD 4.17.2013
Saaaaaame here. Amen. I don't need to be a hero.
BFP 10/25/10 Brynn Helen born 7/7/11
Saaaaaame here. Amen. I don't need to be a hero.
BFP 10/25/10 Brynn Helen born 7/7/11
Zipped lips upon accessing, please :: the blog
DS1 4.26.2009 :: M/C @ 9w 2010 :: DS2 6.26.2011 :: #3 EDD 4.17.2013
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
epidural = amazing
I don't understand why women don't want them.
I think I will most likely be opting for an epidural.
Doesn't help that 2 of my best friends were both "dead set" on natural w/o epi and both ended up getting epi's. They both seemed to feel they needed to defend why they needed it and seemed rueful about not sticking to their birth plan.
THIS exactly!! My first birth was such a wonderful stress and pain free experience. I was able to enjoy every minute of it and, I was never exhausted. I will definitely be getting the drugs!
I didn't want one because I have a history of having unfortunate side effects with medication. I also have a very high pain tolerance. With DS, I had to be induced (I was 10 days past my due date, blood pressure was rapidly rising, I was so swollen and puffy I could barely get my shoes on), and after being awake for 36 hours, being in labor for 19, and having hardcore, unbelievably fast contractions after the OB gave me Cervadil, I opted for the epi. Do I regret it? No, because I truly believe it saved me from having to get a c-section. I was able to get some much-needed sleep (I had another 8 hours to go before I could push), and I was at the point where I couldn't handle the contractions anymore. All that being said, I had a HORRIBLE epidural headache that lasted for days. I also felt extremely itchy afterward, and the fact that I was completely numb from the waist down really freaked me out.
I totally get that many women don't want to go through the pain of childbirth, because let's face it, it IS pretty damn painful. And difficult. And I certainly don't judge women who immediately opt for an epi, even though it isn't my first choice. But I really get kind of irked when people make snide remarks such as "you don't have to be a martyr, you know" or "do you think you'll get a gold medal if you go through childbirth without pain medication?" (Not saying that was your line of thinking, those are just remarks I've gotten from other people). Women who choose to go med-free during childbirth do so for a variety of reasons, but I've never heard of anyone doing it simply for the bragging rights.
Thank you! I'm doing it because it's what's best for my recovery and my baby.