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2nd Trimester
Jynnabrianne
member
All natural or epidural ?
Jynnabrianne
member
I have been thinking about which one should i choose . It has been driving me crazy because i would love to go all natural but i don't know how painful it is , if you have already have had a baby and went all natural my question would be is it really painful? Which one would you choose and what are the effects of having either one and i know everyone is different but i would love to know. Also i do have anxiety i don't know if this will make a difference.
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Re: All natural or epidural ?
I haven't had my kid yet, but from all the birth stories I've read, it seems like you have to be dedicated to going w/o pain meds if that's your plan. You can't just go in there and wing it. Luckily, there are a lot of med-free childbirthing methods out there - Bradley, Hypnobabies, etc.
As far as the benefits of going w/o pain meds, there are a ton. The natural birth board my be able to give you some good resources.
Lurking, but I had both a Pain med free, and an epi delivery. For me the Pain med free was the best way to go, but my labor only lasted 5 hours from start to finish. With the Epi labor, it stalled my labor almost completely, and DD was very out of it when she was born.
If I where you, I would definately do my research on both topics, and maybe visit the Natural Birth board.
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"><a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"><img border="0" src="http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/825/1820/8251820.png" /></a><p style="text-align:center;width:420px;"><small>Created by MyFitnessPal - Free <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Calorie Counter</a></small></p>I'm choosing to go without an epi this time around. It's something, like PP said, you have to be mentally prepared for though. Do your research, and lots of it.
I'm choosing to not get an epidural this time because of back issues I now have that I didn't have before I got the epidural with DD. It could be coincidental, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Also, I felt drunk with the epidural. I hated not feeling in control in such an important time of my life. My mindset is also that my body was made to do this! Women didn't have pain medication for years, and years so it's doable! You just have to trust in yourself, your body, and have a good support system!
GL!
I chose med-free for the benefits, not bc I thought the pain wouldn't be a big deal. Honestly, until transition hit, I don't think it was very bad at all. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't horrible. I didn't think once about getting any meds. Even when transition hit I was okay for a while bc I knew it was close to pushing time. But then I was in transition for a couple hours....OB broke my water....still in transition. DD was coming down crooked so only half my cervix was dilating. Transition is hell and was very painful so what was supposed to only last around an hour lasted 4hrs for me. And bc she was coming down crooked, pushing was very painful as well.
But I got through it and am attempting med-free again with this LO. Just do a lot of reading and educate yourself. I didn't want interventions bc I really didn't want a c/s and interventions can lead to that. I also didn't want anything intravenous since it would cause me and baby to be loopy, and I didn't want to be numb bc that freaks me out. So all those things together let me to a med-free decision.
This. You have to train yourself to handle the pain. I had an induction at 42 weeks because I never went into labor, and I was DETERMINED to go epi-free. I went 7 hours on pit with no epi before other complications arose and I definitely could not have gotten through it had DH and I not practiced for it like we were training for a marathon. I really don't recall anything so horrible I couldn't handle it. My favorite method was Bradley there's a great book with some good exercises by Susan McCutcheon. GL!
Its very painful, but you can take classes to help you learn to manage the pain. How much pain it will be for you is impossible to know. You can always try to get as far as you can without pain meds and see how far you can go.
My labor was very very short (four hours). So, I did not have to deal with a long, unmedicated birth experience. My feelings are if you want to go unmedicated give it a shot. You can always get an epidural if it doesn't work out for you. There is no shame in getting an epidural if you want one.
There is not some badge of honor for going unmedicated. Its simply about preference.
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No you don't. I took zero classes. All I did was watch BBB and read Ina May's book. And lurked on the Natural Birth board a lot.
I wanted and planned for med-free, but ended up with an epi and then a c-section.
I didn't really like the epi, except that it took the pain away. I hated being stuck in the bed, unable to move. I hated that the nurses didn't believe me that something was poking my back (a teeny tiny piece of tape on the tubing), and I couldn't move to do anything about it myself.
Then again, I was screaming so loudly that my nurse didn't want to come into the rooom. I asked her if I was scaring the other moms in labor, too.
The reason I ended up with the epi is that I had back labor - like a million knives stabbing my lower back with every contraction. I'm used to back pain, but it was TERRIBLE. The back labor had kept me from sleeping well for two days, and I was so.stinking.exhausted. Labor was progressing slowly, and when they said it would be around 6 more hours, I knew I couldn't handle it. I believe I labored about 12 more hours before the c-section. I was miserable, and DS just didn't want to come out. Bad combination.
On the other hand, I know a number of people who were, "Oh, I think I'm in labor," then the baby came out in a few pushes a few hours later, no meds, easy recovery.
If I try a VBAC, I'll try med-free again. If I have back labor again, I'll probably skip the misery and go straight for the epi this time. I have no wish to relive that.
My experience with the epi was pretty meh, as well. Had they told me I was at 8cm when they administered it I probably would have tried without. It really only dulled the pain, at most, and most definitely slowed things down. Pushing took hours, even though I was in pain I couldn't feel enough to really be efficient. I don't know what I'm going to do this time around. DD was sunny side up and the back labor was unreal. After experiencing that (even with the epi) I don't know that I want to spend the time and money to try going natural.
In my super scientific experience based on my girlfriends and their experiences... just about every one of them said they were going natural and would list off a laundry list of reasons on why meds during birth are the devil. But the only ones who were ever successful in going natural were ones who took classes (hypno, Bradley, ect) in addition to hiring a doula.
DD2 8.22.13
MMC 1.4.17 at 16w
Expecting #3, EDD 1.29.18
With my second, I planned an epidural again but didn't have time to get one. Although the birth can be considered great, I feel so ripped off I didn't get my epidural!! LOL. Because I just wasn't prepared for the pain, yes, I found it extremely painful. My body started pushing on its own and the pain was on a scale that I hadn't been prepared for, making me feel very scared. I think it all happened so quickly, that I felt very out of control. My husband also almost passed out because he was so upset at seeing me in so much pain, even though he was totally fine the first time around. That being said, I think if you were certain natural was what you wanted and knew to expect a lot of pain and were prepared for it, it wouldn't be so bad. I was just very naive and expected it to go the same as the first.
Personally, if I can get the epidural this time, that's what I'll be doing. It was so much more enjoyable, DH and I got to focus on how excited we were to meet the baby and I even slept through hard labor! I didn't have any complications from the epi though, besides a drop in blood pressure which is very common. So maybe if I did, I'd think harder about it. Anyways, I just felt the whole thing was much more relaxed and enjoyable and that's what I hope for again. But I really think it depends in what you want out of your experience.
I love this! My feelings exactly!
That is so interesting. I had the opposite experience. I had an epi with my first and he was very alert and lag her on to me instantly. With my second, I didn't have one and it happened so fast, he was very unresponsive and didn't cry until he was taken and rubbed/prodded a bit. He also had the cord around his neck. I know that has nothing to do with an epi or not but its just so interesting to hear the different experiences.
I had a med free birth and plan to do the same this time. It was extremely painful but nothing I couldn't handle. By that I mean that the sensation/pain was the most insanely strong thing I've ever felt but it wasn't scary, it felt right. Kind of like how a massage feels good when you have a horrible knot in a muscle; it hurts like hell but somehow it feels right and good because the pain is achieving a goal.
This isn't something you just walk into blind but asking others there opinion is the right way to start learning. My advice is to read all about both sides of things, read lots of birth stories from med-free and epi births, even read c-sections; you don't know what might happens despite your plans. Prepare yourself for everything and then take the last couple months to let yourself settle into what feels like the right choice for who you are.
I feel strongly that the degree of pain/discomfort shouldn't be the #1 reason for choosing a birth path. It's definitely a reason, but I think the mothers feelings about all the options is more important than her fears. We are all able to embrace and move past fear if we have enough time and guidance, don't let fear sway you from something you would like to do.
Yes, it is extremely painful, but the most important thing to remember is that the pain is manageable. I never at any point felt like "OMG I'M DYING"...I just clenched my teeth, breathed, and got through it. That's because the pain comes in waves, and the breaks you get make it doable.
I didn't have back labor though, and I didn't feel any pain until about 5 cm, then the baby was out 7 hours later. It truly feels different for different women, so you'll just have no way of knowing if you need an epi until you're there.
This. My epi was just fine, it doesn't take the pain away completley but takes it from about 100% to about 60%. My contractions were TERRIBLE and one on top of the other. I just know there was no way I would have made it through without meds. I was fine (not loopy) nor was DS. Infact the nurses commented on how alert he was after labor.
I haven't read all of the replies, but one thing you could do is plan to go natural and get the epi if you feel you need it. But either way you go I recommend you get some birthing classes in, specifically for pain management. Most epis will take just fine, but for a few women they have experiences where it will only take on one side of the body or wear off quickly leaving them feeling everything. It's best to know how to manage the pain even if you plan to get the shot, just in case! And learning some of these techniques may help you feel more confident about going med-free if that's the route you choose to take.
For the record- we will be going med-free. Where I'm delivering won't even give me the option of an epi so I'm going to have to learn to either deal or be transferred in the middle of labor!
B born 7/15/13, C born 3/2/15, #3 on the way May '17
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I think that if you're considering it you should invest in a doula or some natural childbirth classes. No, you don't need them to go natural, but they can be very helpful for pain management. If you decide to get an epi during labor that's fine but you'll probably be less likely if you're prepared.
I planned a med free home birth and ended up having to transfer to the hospital. Once I was there I was told that I had to either get an epi or a csection because of 27 hours of back labor and projectile vomiting which led to exhaustion. The epi was really nice but I'm going to be attempting a med free birth again this time.
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Um yeah... it's painful. I was determined to go natural but was open to whatever happened.
The one thing I kept telling myself that wasn't going to last forever. It was a short term thing; it had a definite end. That helped.
I've done it both ways. My first labor was 13 hours start to finish (went into labor naturally 10 days past EDD with my water breaking). I got the epi about 4 hours into it. I had been assuming I'd get one the whole time but wanted to see what the contractions were actually like. They hurt. A lot.
My second came so fast I didn't have time for an epi. I was 3 weeks early and from first contraction to baby out was less than 2 hours. I thought I was gonna die. The pain was EXCRUTIATING. However, once baby was out. I was instantly fine. The pain passes COMPLETELY with the baby. So for about and hour I thought I might pass out / die from the pain. But then it was over. And it was actually such an empowering experience that I chose to pain-med free on my 3rd even with a pitocin induction! And again - thought I was gonna die for 30-45 min..but then it was over.
But I don't want to down play the pain level. It is TERRIBLE and I have a high pain tolerance. But it passes. I'm not sure I even would have tried it without meds had I not been forced to go without that 2nd delivery. But I'm glad I did.
I like being able to get up and shower so quick after the birth. And not needing a catheter. And being able to feel exactly how/where to push...
Just my 2 cents. Apologies if typos. Typing quickly. Whining 2 year old at feet.
I've done both - epi with my pit enhanced labor, and unmedicated with my VBAC. I went into my VBAC with the mindset of holding off as long as possible with the epi, so I could stay upright and have gravity help me labor for as long as possible. I hadn't ruled out the epi, but by the time I was asking for it, I was already in transition and ready to push.
I understand that every labor situation is different, and I plan on going the same route this time - holding off on the epi for as long as possible, or not getting it at all, but if my labor is long and/or rough, and I need a break, I'm OK with asking for the epi. But know I've done it once without will hopefully be a great motivator.