Any Naturals after an epi?

msharpe2 · October 2012

Hi everyone!
I mainly read the stories on this board, but I was wondering if anyone went natural after having an epi for their first labour. My first pregnancy ended in pre-e, so I had an induction with an epidural...that being said, going natural is something I have always wanted in a birth. That being said, my fear is that I will panic because the feelings aren't the same as they were with my first. Though I had an epidural, it was positive, I could feel the urge to push, and pain free. I guess I am scared of the 'holy sh*t' feeling of baby coming out! Any advice?

annabelle.27 · October 2012

Sort of. I ended up with a csection with my first after pushing for three hours, and got the epidural on the operating table. I also wondered what the actual birth would be like when I was pregnant with my second and planning a vbac, since that was the only thing I didnt experience the first time around. The birth part wasnt what I expected. I didnt really feel him coming down like I thought I would, and I didnt feel the ring of fire. I do remember feeling his head being born, but I dont recall a lot of pain associated with that. The contractions hurt more, if that's any consolation. lol.It all ended up being very matter of fact. My midwife told me that she could see his head and I did have an OMG!!! moment then, but that was more because I dont think I really believed that my vbac would be successful, or something. I had pushed so long with my first with no progress it was weird to think that it was actually working. But after that moment, that was it. No holy hit this feels so wrong moment or anything.

jinnymb · October 2012

I had an epi with my first and went med-free with my second.

They were completely different labors too. My DS1, water broke, then contractions and labored for about 8 hours before I was exhausted and caved on the epi. Then I had to have a little pitocin to get things moving again. It didn't work on the right side and I did feel a lot of pain and the urge to push. I only pushed for 20 minutes. The experience wasn't really negative I would say. Although, with the epi not working on one side it was horrible to not be able to move while being in that much pain.

With DS2 I went into labor with contractions 3 minutes apart. It just came on like a storm, lol. They broke my water around 6cm and the whole thing lasted about 4.5 hours total!! I only pushed for 5 minutes.

The differences between the two -was that I obviously could feel the contractions completely and they were way more intense with the med-free experience. Transition was tougher again and more intense. However, it was great to be able to move around and stand up, which I think is another reason it went so much faster.

I think pushing either way feels great!! I couldn't wait to start pushing with DS2 cause it was relief and I was back in control and knew that baby was coming soon. I felt an overall better sense of control and trusted my body more not having any drugs, I knew everything was instinct if that makes sense?

I felt the ring of fire with both, but that for me only lasted like a couple of seconds and one good scream, lol. I don't consider that the worst of labor. I don't remember it feeling too much different.

The only major difference afterwards was that getting stitched hurt more with med-free plus I really didn't one anyone touching me anymore, lol. I was more sore immediately with med-free but then felt amazing a day later and beyond. My whole body healed much faster. With the epi I think I had a false sense of healing and pushed myself too hard, since I still couldn't feel everything.

Either way I was glad I did it and nursing was much better with DS2 and he was not jaundice at all.

wifeofadam · October 2012

Yes! I had an epi with #1. He was posterior - I made it to 7cm and a mean nurse kept telling me how long it was going to be before I was complete and how much worse it was going to get. I had also allowed them to give me pitocin without really knowing much about what it does. I thought I couldn't do it anymore. I didn't have the knowledge or support at the time.

I went natural in the hospital with #2 and ended up having a homebirth with #3 (she was also posterior and my longest labor yet, so I was capable of doing it with #1, I just wasn't prepared or supported in my choices).

You can do it!!

ridesbuttons · October 2012

Me. I got an epi at 10cm with my first (whoops!) and pushed for 2 hours to get him out. Epi experience was good: I could fully feel contractions starting, building and fading on my own, could move around just fine (squatted for the most productive pushing) walked to the bathroom shortly after babe was born -- no noticeable side effects. Oh, and I could fully feel babe emerging: that sensation was not dulled whatsoever. I know this because 18 months later DS2 was born completely med free and the emerging sensation (ring of fire in particular) was completely intact.

Some women do not experience the ring of fire. You might be one of those women.

pixieprincss · October 2012

Yep. I did 55 out of 63 hours med-free with DS1, but ultimately an epidural facilitated a vaginal birth in a getting-hostile setting with the OB on call. I was very nervous about getting through pushing with DS2 since I didn't benefit from fully experiencing that phase with DS1. But, with DS2 my body and mind did it beautifully. It was hard, emotional, taxing work but amazing! I also was afraid of having flasbacks/a panic attack, but my MWs were so supportive and I'd done a ton of emotional prep. My first birth was traumatizing. My second was liberating. My mind mind did touch back to my first birth during transition, but my team got me through it and back into the present.

Holly_1007 · October 2012

yep. I was young and uneducated when I had DS#1 and had the epi. my 2nd sons labor story is a few posts up, I went med free.

not sure if I would do it again, my 2nd sons labor was SO fast, I think that is at least part of the reason I was able to do it med-free. I traumatized my husband too, not sure if he will ever want to have kids again

Celyn · October 2012

I had an augmented labor and eventually an epi my first. Went au naturale the second time. I didn't have pain the second time, just a lot of pressure. The nurse kept asking me to put a pain number on it, and I kept saying "there's no pain, but if you want a pressure scale, it's a 9"

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