Idk how you feel but i feel like many women who decide to have a painful labor look down on me cuz i got an epidural. Not even directly just the women talking about how bad it is to get an epi (not dangerous they just think is wrong) and how they really want to EXPERIENCE the birth and do what their body was meant to. Well im sorry i didnt want to be in terrible pain and before the epidural the pain was so bad i threw up so yea i got an epidural and my son wasnt drugged up and he is a healthy happy boy

I just had to vent i cant tell you how many birthing story shows ive seen where they act like they are better people

And water birth is not natural we are land mammals we give birth on land so if you do something unatural like that i can have some darn drugs

Lol at the waterbirth part. I did plan for one though! I really did want to experience natural child birth, more than anything. It didn't work out that way with the induction, though. I was crying for an epidural- labor was 100000000000x more intense than I could have imagined. Nobody should ever judge a woman for taking an epidural! The pain is indescribable and overwhelming! I never judged mamas who opted for them, wanting a natural birth was a personal choice. But I don't beat myself up over taking the epidural. Sweet, sweet relief. Contractions were less than 30 seconds apart and lasting about 2 mins so I had no time to breathe! And before the epidural, I had only dilated 3 cm. Two hours after the epidural, I was pushing. So it really helped my body relax and progress... The opposite of what I had imagined. I am going to try for a natural birth again next time, hopefully I can do it. If not- Thank goodness for epidurals.

I've never had an epidural but i wouldnt look down on someone who has. My reasons for not wanting one are because years ago when i was pregnant with my 1st i had to have one for an operation on my lower back and being pregnant they couldnt put me to sleep..but i got really bad side affects from the epidural which are really severe headaches and thats always put me off. luckily i managed through labours with just gas and air but the thought of an epidural and being pain free does sound appealing!

I planned to have a "natural" waterbirth with just gas and air, but my labour didn't progress and I was in so much pain I went for an epidural. It was great!! After the epidural I felt like I really enjoyed my labour. I tell people painkillers all the way for the next one! Like you my boy is happy and healthy and is hitting all his milestones early. I thought the only bad thing about epidural was a risk to the mother and also that it could slow down labour? I got something to speed up labour anyway so it didn't seem like a bad choice for me.

Nothing wrong with an epi if that's the route you wanna go. I got one and trust me I still "experienced" birth lol its hard not to! Birth SHOULD be all about choice, If u wanna water birth, great, home birth? Awesome squat in a field? Go for it! It's a personal choice and no one should judge other women's choices. I loved my birth and wouldn't have had it any other way and NO complications or problems. Don't feel guilty if u want an epi doesn't make u any less of a mother. It disturbs me when WOMEN tell other women what to do with their bodies.

Don't ever feel like you have to justifly for getting an epidural. I have one and loved it, and wouldn't of had it any other way. I don't regret it one bit, and honestly could care less if someone tries to rub it in my face that they went natural....it doesnt hurt my feelings one bit. Everyones labor is different and pain is different. I was induced and in hard labor for 18 hours. My contractions were so strong starting at 1 min apart and lasting 1 minute long for 18 hours, I couldn't breath through the contractions no matter how hard I tried, it was starting to go all in my back also and I couldn't help but cry during every contraction. Never hated my husband so much in my life before
i was stuck to a bed, couldnt walk through it to help things along, couldnt take hot baths to ease the pain, and certainly didnt have the option of gas and air. I loved my birth, and so glad I got the epidural and was able to enjoy it and get some sleep before he arrived. I don't feel anyone is better than me at all for having natural. I do give them credit though for handling the pain, or maybe they didnt have intense pain like other women who knows.
Would like to also add that my epidural wore off 15 mintues before pushing, and I was able to move my legs, walk to the restroom after getting a few stitches and then walk to my recovery room. Had no side effects and baby showed no stress over induction or the epidural. I think everyone in that room was more than happy I got the damn thing ( I had 12 family memebers in the room the whole 18 hours, so I needed something to be able to handle those wild people! lol) I was a monster!

I had the epidural becoz I was told it was likely to end in csec so it was best to get it so I'd b ready for a spinal.the epidural didn't actually work for me so didn't change my labour experience but I couldn't care less what some stuck up prat thinks of me for doing what was best for me and baby at the time.the only time I look down on others is when they are judgmental and VERY far from being perfect.id have an Eli next time if I thought it would work lol xx

Well i had diamophine and pretty much slept my intire labour so i would say thats a lot more un natural. I didnt want an epi but mainly because of the big neddle and the horrir stories. Next time i do want to experience labour not brcause i want pain just because last time i was taking a nap

Everyones reasons for the way they labour and deliver is their choice and no one should frown upon that. I was in labour for about 8 hours before going into hospital, once there I was seen properly for about 2 hours due to the unit being busy. I was being sick constantly I was already exhausted, I hadnt eaten in over 24 hours because I was sick before my labour.

When I was checked I was 6cm, my babies heart was monitored and found to be very high (he had a heart rate during my pregnancy and I was monitored several times because of it). my waters were broken, and the dr advised me to have an epi for several reasons... they wanted to be prepared incase I had to have a section... They felt it could bring babies hr down...

I wanted an active labour, so personalli I thought sod it.... I have experienced the pain of contractions for a lot of hours now, the docs are advising it, and I have to sit on this damn bed anyhow so might aswell!

I had an excellent epidural (I was very lucky)... I experienced each contraction although not the pain, I felt the pressure to push.. it was brilliant.

I do not regret having my epi, although next time I will see how things go before deciding whether I have one again.

I dont give 2 hoots if anyone thinks I didnt do it properly, I do not feel a failure for having one. At the end of the day I got through labour safely and so did my son (thank god!!), is that not what we all want at the end of the day no matter how we get there?!?!

I always said I wouldn't have an epidural unless absolutely necessary and with my labour that is exactly what happened but I would never judge anyone on their decision on whether or not to have one. I had originally planned a natural water birth but that didn't happen. I had my epidural done after 8 hours of being on the syntocin drip being induced. I wish I had it as soon as the drip was started! The pain was unbearable and the dose of the drip was as high before th epidural as after. I also had to wait an extra hour once asking for it as both anaesthetists were in theatre! I was threatened with csection multiple times due to lack of progression and position of the baby. I ended up with an episiotomy, forceps, 3rd/4th degree tear, muscle damage in my bum, trauma to my bladder and over an hour in theatre having my lady region being put back together for all of this I had my epidural topped up 3 times and ended up with a spinal block. I loved the anaethetist. My epidural failed to begin with as it only worked on my left side so could still feel pain in my right. I was told to lie on my right to have the epidural flow across however baby's heart rate dropped when I was in any other position than on my left so had to grin and bear it. Big up to the ladies that can go epi free but it got me and my daughter here safely and I will no doubt be having another with my second x