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Washington Babies
GeorgiaGC
member
Epidural or No Epidural?
GeorgiaGC
member
I'm a stay at home wife, so I have a lot of time to think, research and drive myself crazy. So I was just curious what are you choosing to do? Epidural or No Epidural? I myself thought about going natural but after having a challenging pregnancy so far, I've decided to do the epidural. I'm just curious and understand both sides, just interested in others views.
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Re: Epidural or No Epidural?
My baby is a year old on Friday (Tear
) but with him I was all
about the drugs. He had other plans...By the time I made it to the
hospital it was too late for anything (CTX started at 10:00, my water
broke at 11:00, my husband got home at 12:00, got to the hospital at
12:30, they checked me at 1:15 and I was 8cm, had the baby at 2:30).
They said I could technically still have an epidural but by the time the anesthesiologist came in I was already 9 cm so I declined and had the baby 20 minutes later. I'm sooooo happy it went that way! I felt AMAZING right after the birth...a total high.
Next time I plan on delivering at a birthing center as long as everything stays low-risk with the pregnancy so drugs won't even be an option. I'm cool with that because chances are I will have another fast labor. If I had long labors I would probably get an epidural!
It's good to make plans for what you want but do yourself a favor and think about all scenarios... I had never planned on having a natural birth so I didn't really research any pain coping techniques. I was just along for the ride! Next time I will be sure I know what I'm doing!
I have no views. I think you need to do what's best for you. If you want an unmedicated birth...kudos! If you want every drug they offer...great! Every woman deserves to have the birth they want.
No matter what your preferences, you should learn about the risks of an epidural and the other medications offered at your birth place. Ask on your tour what percentage of moms choose medication to get a sense of how experienced the nurses are at supporting normal birth. Set yourself up to be successful. If you are planning to go unmedicated, don't choose a hospital with 8090 epidural rate. Ask for a nurse who can support you. And always keep your options open. No woman should suffer during labor and we each draw that line in a different place.
Do your research, state your preferences in your birth plan and make sure everyone on your team knows what they are.
Kathzoo- thank you for posting that, i'll make sure to ask questions like that during our tour.
I am pregnant with twins, and while I've always dreamt of laboring mostly at home (I live 5 minutes from the hospital) and trying to go meds free, i'm concerned I won't have this option.. I need to take more classes and talk to my OB and see how many women deliver without meds with multiples that she delivers. I'd love to be one of them.
I've gone pain-med free twice now...and would do it again in a heartbeat.
My reasons...the pain had a purpose and was totally manageable for me, I'm not a fan of needles (they can cause residual damage and headaches, infection, etc...so epidurals are not totally risk free), I could move around more during labor to help get baby into position, more effective pushing since I could feel what was happening, I was up and on my feet immediately after both deliveries, natural endorphins are powerful, synthetic painkillers can cause uncool side-effects like nausea/vomiting/etc, and I felt the babies were more alert and could get started learning to latch more quickly. Finally, like others have said, there is no guarantee an epidural will work out for you...so it's good to know your pain management techniques so you can use them in early labor (when they can't give you an epi yet) and you can always attempt a med-free labor and change your mind if needed
There is a natural board on here if you want to read the birth stories. A lot of it has to do with not fighting your body and the contractions and not going into fear-mode...which can increase feelings of pain.
I went into my labor wanting minimal intervention and prepped for it, however also knew in the back of my head that if I needed pain meds I could ask for them. When I was checked in I was asked what my preference was, I stated that I didn't want to be hounded about medication or feel pushed into the medication and I felt like the Dr's and nurses really respected that decision. My nurse actually worked with me on really working through the contractions and, using heat pads, helping me stay mobile, encouraging me to walk and use the tub. It was great, I went 20 hours with nothing, but started having BP issues so asked for something to try and help with the pain. I ended up with an epidural at 24 hours because it was looking like I was going to need a C-section due to baby's size. I was not rushed into a C-section at this point, I was still given the opportunity to labor and I really tried, really I did. My body was just not doing what it was supposed to and when my Dr held my hand at 1:00 am the next day and told me my son's heart rate was dropping, I authorized the C-section.
I went in with a plan, and prepared for it, but I also knew there was a chance that wasn't going to happen and I feel like I waited until I couldn't wait anymore.
My godparents daughter had twins and she was going to try to deliver them vaginally. She was in labor for more than 24 hours so the opted for a c-section. It is possible, just have to be aware of the possibilities. Good luck. I hope everything goes the way you plan
.
Try to go into it with an open mind, like most things in life a birth doesn't always go according to plan and being too dead set on a certain thing can lead to feelings of disappointment after. If you aren't for some silly reason morally opposed to an epidural don't be afraid to ask for it if you need it. The important thing is that you get your baby out of it.
Personally I was pushed into an epidural far before I wanted one by the nurse, and it would have been a million times easier to get up and move around instead of laying on the bed in tears with back labor panicking because I couldn't move my legs and having to have two nurses flip me from side to side every 15 minutes for the whole 30 hours. It worked out because I ended up having to have an E c/s and I was shaking horribly by that point and wouldn't have been able to have one put in. Bottom line is everyone has a different experience, you need to do what works for you and not let ANYONE pressure you. Not the nurses, doctors, or serious natural childbirth fans.