I agree with PP I went in knowing i wanted an epi just because i know my own pain tolerance and i knew i would need it. Boy did i..........i had contrax 3 min apart for 18 hours and once i hit 5 cm...i thought it was unbearable.
Now i will say that this time i will do it a little different. They give you a button to push in your labor bed that will increase the epi dose. i was so scared of the time i kept pushing it. But i could not feel when it was a good time to push and ended up pushing for 4+ hours.
I went in being open to what the situation required and I didn't need an epi. I did go in with a goal of no epi but I was not going to feel bad if I got one if I found it necessary. If you go in saying no epi, try and stay home as long as possible.
I gonna give you the bogus answer of a book to look through (I'm not sure I actually read a book but I perused a ton of them) "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin et.al. It is pretty straight forward about how and epi is given and things to consider about timing the getting of an epi, pushing, coping even after receiving an epi. Simkin is pretty pro natural birth but the information is good.
My SIL who had two births with epis and a natural birth with her third said, "I'm not gonna lie, it hurt, but I was able to stand up a walk around after having S and that was great."
ETA: I also recommend going to the natural birth board and asking about natural birth there. There are folks there who have experience with both epis and nb. The info will be weighted in the nb direction but in general they are very supportive of your choices.
I never once considered a med free birth. I know my pain tolerance which is nothing at all and I knew I would not make it without epi. I had a great experience with it. I got it and things just were better. At one point I felt a little woosy and they injected something into one of my IV lines and I immediatley felt better. Once the C-section was decided they up'd my dose and after that I could nto even move my legs. Still ok with me as long as I was not feeling anything.
I was still able to hold and BF LO. The only thing I didn't get to do was change the first diaper. However it was a great moment for DH to do it so I am happy with that.
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I never once considered a med free birth. I know my pain tolerance which is nothing at all and I knew I would not make it without epi. I had a great experience with it. I got it and things just were better. At one point I felt a little woosy and they injected something into one of my IV lines and I immediatley felt better. Once the C-section was decided they up'd my dose and after that I could nto even move my legs. Still ok with me as long as I was not feeling anything.
I was still able to hold and BF LO. The only thing I didn't
get to do was change the first diaper. However it was a great moment for DH to do it so I am happy with that.
This is me too. I knew that I wanted an epidural from the beginning. I don't like pain very much and don't handle it well. It worked pretty well. It wore off twice but they redosed me and I was good to go. I ended up with a c section but I don't think it was the epi. My dd weighed 9lbs 1.5 oz and I'm not that big!
I agree with PP I went in knowing i wanted an epi just because i know my own pain tolerance and i knew i would need it. Boy did i..........i had contrax 3 min apart for 18 hours and once i hit 5 cm...i thought it was unbearable.
Now i will say that this time i will do it a little different. They give you a button to push in your labor bed that will increase the epi dose. i was so scared of the time i kept pushing it. But i could not feel when it was a good time to push and ended up pushing for 4+ hours.
this time...i will take as little as possible.
Next time you go in, ask to see the contraction monitor. I would use that as a guide of when to push at times. Just one more tool/option for you.
It is totally your choice. There are some pros and cons to an epidural. I personally believe the cons outweigh the pros, but only you know the level of pain that you can handle and you have to use your own best judgement to decide what is right for you and the baby.
Pros:
Unlike other pain medications, this one doesn't cause nausea and you are fully conscious and of course it numbs the lower part of the body. It's one of the most effective forms of pain relief.
Cons:
I can cause a drop in blood pressure which puts the mom and baby at risk.
1/5 women develop a fever.
Epidurals aren't 100% effective for all women.
It's rare, but there is a chance of lumbar puncture which could cause a severe headache that lasts for days or weeks.
It sometimes causes itching all over the body.
It's not unusual for labor to slow.
Epidural labors are more likely to result in a C section, the use of forceps, and vacuums.
An infection can develop at the injection site.
Babies sometimes have breathing difficulties as a result of the medicine.
Also, in extremely rare situations, an epidural can result in maternal death or permanent paralysis.
i took it after 19 hours doing it naturally with back labour, wish i didnt, i had pain for 6 months or more after they poked me twice and i just did not enjoy it. I wont be getting the epi this time around..id rather deal with the back labour
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Having had an epi with my first two deliveries and having to go natural for my third I say...epi all the way. Had my last delivery without an epidural been my first, we probably would have only had one child. I don't think that I would ever have made the choice to go through that much pain willingly. At one point, I asked the dr. to just give me a c-section because I couldn't do it anymore. FWIW the only part of the natural birth experience that I liked was being mobile an hour after I delivered. Not that I would do it again...it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. I don't remember anything but the pain. My first two deliveries were much more enjoyable and I remember every detail. It really is just your own preference though.
It is totally your choice. There are some pros and cons to an epidural. I personally believe the cons outweigh the pros, but only you know the level of pain that you can handle and you have to use your own best judgement to decide what is right for you and the baby.
Pros:
Unlike other pain medications, this one doesn't cause nausea and you are fully conscious and of course it numbs the lower part of the body. It's one of the most effective forms of pain relief.
Cons:
I can cause a drop in blood pressure which puts the mom and baby at risk.
1/5 women develop a fever.
Epidurals aren't 100% effective for all women.
It's rare, but there is a chance of lumbar puncture which could cause a severe headache that lasts for days or weeks.
It sometimes causes itching all over the body.
It's not unusual for labor to slow.
Epidural labors are more likely to result in a C section, the use of forceps, and vacuums.
An infection can develop at the injection site.
Babies sometimes have breathing difficulties as a result of the medicine.
Also, in extremely rare situations, an epidural can result in maternal death or permanent paralysis.
These may be statistics but I had two births with an epi and never experienced any of this. I know some people are pro NB but these statistics just seem like a good way of scaring someone into going natural and really regretting it. FWIW I tore more with my third...which was a NB than I did with my other two deliveries and ended up with a fever. The OB suspected that the fever was a result of the trauma the delivery had on my body. The only regret I had was not getting an epi with my third....the vomiting throughout the actual delivery would make me say yes to an epi next time without question. Epidurals are also used for other surgical procedures and though the outcomes are the same no one would refuse one, so why refuse one for birth. I had a more positive birthing experience and less depression afterwards when I had the epi.
I went natural for both of my girls. The first time I stuck it out, despite having back labor- at one point i actually though my spine would shatter, but i was 24 and still pretty militant about doing it without medication. With the second I decided I would be open to pain relief. Unfortunately things happened too fast - the doctor went to assist with a rather dramatic woman next door and by the time my husband found a nurse to find him ( I was actually in a heap on the floor and could not stand) it was too late- I went from 2cm to 9cm in 45 minutes and they thought I was too far into it to have an epidural. I have informed my doctor I want to have medication for this last one and let him know that it needs to come sooner rather than later. Like when I roll through the door.
With my first DD I got the epidural. I was able to nap for a few hours before it was time to push. My epidural didn't really numb me, and I could still feel when to push.
With my second DD there was no time for epidural. I only pushed for two contractions before she was out. Personally the second time around, I was up and about 45 minutes after I delivered her. I liked that I didn't really have any pain meds this time around.
I was in labor for 19 hours with nothing but a little bit of Stadol after they broke my water. The Stadol made me feel dizzy and even more out of control, and still in pain. It was too late to get an epi by the time I was able to get it together enough to ask for one. The whole experience was completely traumatic and I had some depression afterwards. Definitely NOT the natural childbirth experience the Bradley instructor sold me on! Next time around, I'm going for the drugs as soon as I can.
With my first child, my nurse encouraged me to get the pitocin and epidural early on during labor if I knew at some point I would eventually want it. It was amazing as I did not feel any of my contractions nor did I feel ANY pain. I received the pitocin at 8:00am, epidural by noon, and delivered my daughter by 2:00pm with only 30 minutes of Active Labor(pushing).
The downside to this story, based on the placement of the epidural, the months following delivery were a nightmare. I breastfed and oftentimes my arms and legs would go painfully numb/tingling. I suffered severe mid/low backpain for a whole year. When I addressed the issue with multiple doctors they attributed the symptoms to the epidural, and said they would subside, which they have.
This time around I am opting for nb to see if there really is a difference!
I had eclampsia with my first son, and was put on a magnesium drip, and induced. I was in labor for 2 days! At first I thought to myself that it wasn't so bad, I could do this! After they came in and broke my water on day 2.. I felt like I was dying! I got the epidural. Didn't hurt at all, I guess because I was already in so much pain. I started itching all over the lower half of my body to the point of being miserable, but in no pain! I finally got comfortable enough to sleep for maybe an hour or so until the nurse came in and woke me up to check me finally at 10cm along with mine and the babies vitals on the monitor. My blood pressure was still very high and they were concerned about me having another seizure had 2 already and they said they wanted the baby out ASAP and due to my medical conditions it was actually safer not to go under the knife. When the doctor came in, she explained that it was vital for me to birth my son as quickly as possible and that I was to be unhooked from my epidural so that I could feel EVERY urge to push. Apparently when you are hurting so bad, you push harder to get the baby faster to get out of pain. And boy, did I! I thought I was going to DIE! I kept begging and begging for her to let me have my epidural back. I had never in all my life felt as much pain as I did that day having my son all natural. i experienced 2 1/2 hours of pushing due to water retention/ swelling of all body parts including birth canal due to eclampsia that I didn't think I was going to survive from. I was screaming and begging for a c section.. Even bribing her for one. She wouldn't do it. The moment he arrived was an instant relief. I couldn't believe I had survived that.. I remember laying there thinking I would rather have been hit by a Mac truck than ever go through that pain again. I also received a 3rd degree tear from it all... HORRIBLE! Now I'm 8 month pregnant and I know in my heart that I will end up begging for that epidural again. Part of me thinks that if I could do it all natural then, I could do it all natural now, but the other part of me thinks.. "Why? Why put myself through that torture if I don't have to?"
Re: Epidural or no?
I agree with PP
I went in knowing i wanted an epi just because i know my own pain tolerance and i knew i would need it. Boy did i..........i had contrax 3 min apart for 18 hours and once i hit 5 cm...i thought it was unbearable.
Now i will say that this time i will do it a little different. They give you a button to push in your labor bed that will increase the epi dose. i was so scared of the time i kept pushing it. But i could not feel when it was a good time to push and ended up pushing for 4+ hours.
this time...i will take as little as possible.
I went in being open to what the situation required and I didn't need an epi. I did go in with a goal of no epi but I was not going to feel bad if I got one if I found it necessary. If you go in saying no epi, try and stay home as long as possible.
I gonna give you the bogus answer of a book to look through (I'm not sure I actually read a book but I perused a ton of them) "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" by Penny Simkin et.al. It is pretty straight forward about how and epi is given and things to consider about timing the getting of an epi, pushing, coping even after receiving an epi. Simkin is pretty pro natural birth but the information is good.
My SIL who had two births with epis and a natural birth with her third said, "I'm not gonna lie, it hurt, but I was able to stand up a walk around after having S and that was great."
ETA: I also recommend going to the natural birth board and asking about natural birth there. There are folks there who have experience with both epis and nb. The info will be weighted in the nb direction but in general they are very supportive of your choices.
I never once considered a med free birth. I know my pain tolerance which is nothing at all and I knew I would not make it without epi. I had a great experience with it. I got it and things just were better. At one point I felt a little woosy and they injected something into one of my IV lines and I immediatley felt better. Once the C-section was decided they up'd my dose and after that I could nto even move my legs. Still ok with me as long as I was not feeling anything.
I was still able to hold and BF LO. The only thing I didn't get to do was change the first diaper. However it was a great moment for DH to do it so I am happy with that.
This is me too. I knew that I wanted an epidural from the beginning. I don't like pain very much and don't handle it well. It worked pretty well. It wore off twice but they redosed me and I was good to go. I ended up with a c section but I don't think it was the epi. My dd weighed 9lbs 1.5 oz and I'm not that big!
Next time you go in, ask to see the contraction monitor. I would use that as a guide of when to push at times. Just one more tool/option for you.
It is totally your choice. There are some pros and cons to an epidural. I personally believe the cons outweigh the pros, but only you know the level of pain that you can handle and you have to use your own best judgement to decide what is right for you and the baby.
Pros:
Unlike other pain medications, this one doesn't cause nausea and you are fully conscious and of course it numbs the lower part of the body. It's one of the most effective forms of pain relief.
Cons:
I can cause a drop in blood pressure which puts the mom and baby at risk.
1/5 women develop a fever.
Epidurals aren't 100% effective for all women.
It's rare, but there is a chance of lumbar puncture which could cause a severe headache that lasts for days or weeks.
It sometimes causes itching all over the body.
It's not unusual for labor to slow.
Epidural labors are more likely to result in a C section, the use of forceps, and vacuums.
An infection can develop at the injection site.
Babies sometimes have breathing difficulties as a result of the medicine.
Also, in extremely rare situations, an epidural can result in maternal death or permanent paralysis.
...baby #3 is here...
These may be statistics but I had two births with an epi and never experienced any of this. I know some people are pro NB but these statistics just seem like a good way of scaring someone into going natural and really regretting it. FWIW I tore more with my third...which was a NB than I did with my other two deliveries and ended up with a fever. The OB suspected that the fever was a result of the trauma the delivery had on my body. The only regret I had was not getting an epi with my third....the vomiting throughout the actual delivery would make me say yes to an epi next time without question. Epidurals are also used for other surgical procedures and though the outcomes are the same no one would refuse one, so why refuse one for birth. I had a more positive birthing experience and less depression afterwards when I had the epi.
With my first DD I got the epidural. I was able to nap for a few hours before it was time to push. My epidural didn't really numb me, and I could still feel when to push.
With my second DD there was no time for epidural. I only pushed for two contractions before she was out. Personally the second time around, I was up and about 45 minutes after I delivered her. I liked that I didn't really have any pain meds this time around.
With my first child, my nurse encouraged me to get the pitocin and epidural early on during labor if I knew at some point I would eventually want it. It was amazing as I did not feel any of my contractions nor did I feel ANY pain. I received the pitocin at 8:00am, epidural by noon, and delivered my daughter by 2:00pm with only 30 minutes of Active Labor(pushing).
The downside to this story, based on the placement of the epidural, the months following delivery were a nightmare. I breastfed and oftentimes my arms and legs would go painfully numb/tingling. I suffered severe mid/low backpain for a whole year. When I addressed the issue with multiple doctors they attributed the symptoms to the epidural, and said they would subside, which they have.
This time around I am opting for nb to see if there really is a difference!
Good Luck to you!