epidural discussion

[aliss]

i agree pester... in fact if i hadnt had my miscarriage, i dont honestly know if i could have gone through natural labor/birth. i was terrified of the pain because i didnt know when it would stop or how much worse it was going to get. i used cytotec and labored for 4 hours. my doctor told me the labor (not the pushing mind you!) was much more intense than at fullterm (i was 4 months along) because everything was so much smaller and it took a lot more force to break my water. the contractions were also constant rather in waves... it was truly an awful experience.... but.... now i know i can do it! and when everything did come out and i saw my baby... i can say that (oddly enough) it was one of the happiest times of my life. i was on the most INCREDIBLE high of my life from all the birth hormones. i wanted to hold my baby forever.... even though he was lifeless... i loved him. i cant even imagine what its going to be like at fullterm and having a lovely warm crying baby to hold. amazing. i think the key to natural childbirth is not to fear it but to give yourself over to it entirely. my goal with this next labor/delivery is to be an observer of the pain, but not to participate in it. i want to be singing and laughing (when possible). youtube some videos of people singing during transition.. its incredible!

Sorry to hear you lost your baby boy. From what I have read, yes, it's harder to birth a very small/premature baby than a very large baby. Mine was 9lb 3oz and gravity does a lot of work. He sustained injuries in part due to an epidural that completely numbed my feeling to push. It was turned off and I pushed 2 hours without pain relief, my only saving grace, as I could feel my body. My labour was riddled with drugs and interventions (induction, false water breaking, pitocin, morphine, epidural) and was a horrible experience. While many women in natural labour admit it's pretty darn painful, not many of them wish afterwards that they got drugs.

Good luck with your natural birth!

As for scaremongering, nobody wants to hear the truth about interventions and it's relation to complications. Statistics are meaningless, they have no names or face. At least that was my naive impression before my boy became a statistic!

 

[Celesse]

I had an epidural with DD but not for pain. I was coping well when I transfered to hospital, only needing a bit of gas and air at the peak of contractions. But LO had a very high heart rate with decelerations. I decided to go with the epidural in case they needed to rush me to theatre for a C-Section, or needed to get her out quickly with an instrumental. I didn't want to have a general anesthetic if a C-Section was needed or a intrumental delivery with only a local anesthetic, especially if it was rushed to save LO's life.

If my baby had been ok during labour then I wouldn't have gone for an epidural just for pain relief.

 

[fides]

i recently had a long phone conversation with a dear friend of mine who happens to be an MD, and she could not understand why i want to avoid an epidural if possible.

so, thank you for starting this thread! i'm glad to read everyone's input on this...

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I think for a lot of people not having an epidural is unthinkable because they don't realise just what relief it is possible to get from deep breathing and being active, different positions, moving around. If you are flat on your back then I can TOTALLY see why people would opt for an epidural. Lying on my back during a contraction was absolute sheer hell for me., but walking around and standing, I was in control and dealing with it. If you assume a woman is going to be bed bound on a drip or constant monitor I think that is when people assume you will want an epi. There's no way I'd choose an epi if there was no other reason for me to be flat on my back.

 

[we can't wait]

I'm going to be completely honest-- Everyone scared me so badly with horror stories of labor. Everyone said "make sure you get the epidural-- it'll save your life." For my labor, I went from no pains at all, to holding my baby in my arms within 4 hours. When I reached 7cm my contractions were intense, but honestly they weren't that bad... I was so terrified of pushing her out unmedicated that I did order an epidural. By the time the anesthesiologist arrived I was already feeling the need to bear down... & when I laid down after he finished they immediately told me I was 10cm and ready to push. I had the catheter in my back, but the medicine from the epi was completely ineffective, because I was already ready. Honestly, I have never been so grateful in my entire life. I got to feel everything as my LO was being born. I will never forget feeling her crowning, qnd then feeling her come out. It was a priceless moment for me. Everyone scared me so much about natural labor, and I look at my birth as the greatest thing I've ever done. So, while I'm not anti-epidurals for other people, I will definitely be having any other children I have naturally.

 

[kdea547]

This is my first, so I can't say for sure that I won't opt for some kind of pain relief, but I am very determined to this naturally - except for a possible induction. I have asked my husband and anyone who might be there during my labor not to mention drugs/epi and I will tell the nurses that I absolutely do not want to be offered pain relief, that I will ask for it if I'm ready. I'm afraid that my resolve will crumble if I constantly hear "are you sure you don't want drugs/epi"? I have no desire to be out of control of my labor and birth, which is what narcotics do. I'm also a lot more afraid of having a large needle shoved in my spine than childbirth!

When I was in my childbirth class (everyone was on their first baby), the instructor asked who planned to try natural childbirth...3 out of about 12 people raised their hands. I was amazed that so few people were willing to even try childbirth before opting for drugs.

 

[moomin_troll]

I think for a lot of people not having an epidural is unthinkable because they don't realise just what relief it is possible to get from deep breathing and being active, different positions, moving around. If you are flat on your back then I can TOTALLY see why people would opt for an epidural. Lying on my back during a contraction was absolute sheer hell for me., but walking around and standing, I was in control and dealing with it. If you assume a woman is going to be bed bound on a drip or constant monitor I think that is when people assume you will want an epi. There's no way I'd choose an epi if there was no other reason for me to be flat on my back.

with zanes birth i was flat on my back for 7 hours the mw was horrible and strapped me on a monitor. im glad i didnt give into a epi but it deffinatly is a horrible way to give birth

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

I wanted a drug free labour and for 3 days I had NOTHING not even paracetemol I just let my body do it's job and I walked through the pain, baths anything. But on the 4th day I was exhausted and I could no longer physically cope with the pain. Nothing I did soothed it so I had the epidural. I slept for the first time in 4 days and when it cam eto pushing it had worn off and I could push effectivly. Epidurals shouldn't be the first option but they do have their place. x

 

[pester]

I wanted a drug free labour and for 3 days I had NOTHING not even paracetemol I just let my body do it's job and I walked through the pain, baths anything. But on the 4th day I was exhausted and I could no longer physically cope with the pain. Nothing I did soothed it so I had the epidural. I slept for the first time in 4 days and when it cam eto pushing it had worn off and I could push effectievly. Epidurals shouldn't be the first option but they do have their place. x

I totaly agree they have a wounderful place for just situations like yours and other mentioned. Like many things in life it not an black/white situation. You made an informed choice based on the situation you were in.

What I hate is the delibrate scaring of first time mom's. You have to get on epi its the only way to cope..... Particularly here in the US it practically EXPECTED of me. Thats what I hate. Epidurals have place in birth I don't think they should be forbidden. I just want to be able to labor with a choice.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

I wanted a drug free labour and for 3 days I had NOTHING not even paracetemol I just let my body do it's job and I walked through the pain, baths anything. But on the 4th day I was exhausted and I could no longer physically cope with the pain. Nothing I did soothed it so I had the epidural. I slept for the first time in 4 days and when it cam eto pushing it had worn off and I could push effectievly. Epidurals shouldn't be the first option but they do have their place. x

I totaly agree they have a wounderful place for just situations like yours and other mentioned. Like many things in life it not an black/white situation. You made an informed choice based on the situation you were in.

What I hate is the delibrate scaring of first time mom's. You have to get on epi its the only way to cope..... Particularly here in the US it practically EXPECTED of me. Thats what I hate. Epidurals have place in birth I don't think they should be forbidden. I just want to be able to labor with a choice.

Yeah the USA seem very keen on giving Epi's. My mw encouraged me to go naturally and taught me to relax my body in a contraction and not tense. Through breathing and a quite enviroment. I had wave music on in the background which was also very relaxing x

 

[Kess]

I wanted a drug free labour and for 3 days I had NOTHING not even paracetemol I just let my body do it's job and I walked through the pain, baths anything. But on the 4th day I was exhausted and I could no longer physically cope with the pain. Nothing I did soothed it so I had the epidural. I slept for the first time in 4 days and when it cam eto pushing it had worn off and I could push effectievly. Epidurals shouldn't be the first option but they do have their place. x

I totaly agree they have a wounderful place for just situations like yours and other mentioned. Like many things in life it not an black/white situation. You made an informed choice based on the situation you were in.

What I hate is the delibrate scaring of first time mom's. You have to get on epi its the only way to cope..... Particularly here in the US it practically EXPECTED of me. Thats what I hate. Epidurals have place in birth I don't think they should be forbidden. I just want to be able to labor with a choice.

I totally agree with Pester. An epi is a great tool under exceptional circumstances, like yours, what I think most people on this thread are objecting to is the 'normalising' of them, if you will, the attitude that everyone should get one and should decide to have one before they even have a go at labour with lesser painkillers (or none at all).

 

[sma1588]

when i was only about 12 weeks preg they asked me at the docs if i wanted an epi and i said yes of course...this was only because every1 was telling me how bad it all hurts and good luck with it and blah blah blah....im actually planning on going natural now that ive thought about it and looked up lots of different pain relief methods and would never want my baby to be druged up. to me its like giving them pills when there first born and thats not right. this is my first so i was very worried about all the things people have said about pain, they still tell me there is no way i can do it natural. we will see how it goes and then i think i will decide what is going to happen from there

 

[violetsky]

Yes labour hurt (back to back labour, no pain relief of any kind), it was so hard, I cried, at points I didn't think I could do it - but it was also amazing, magical, the most incredible thing I've ever done in my life. I was awake and aware of every single moment. I felt every contraction, I rode the waves alongside my baby and welcomed her into the world the way God intended. No WAY would I ever ever ever want it any other way.

 

[leelee]

I wanted a drug free labour and for 3 days I had NOTHING not even paracetemol I just let my body do it's job and I walked through the pain, baths anything. But on the 4th day I was exhausted and I could no longer physically cope with the pain. Nothing I did soothed it so I had the epidural. I slept for the first time in 4 days and when it cam eto pushing it had worn off and I could push effectievly. Epidurals shouldn't be the first option but they do have their place. x

I totaly agree they have a wounderful place for just situations like yours and other mentioned. Like many things in life it not an black/white situation. You made an informed choice based on the situation you were in.

What I hate is the delibrate scaring of first time mom's. You have to get on epi its the only way to cope..... Particularly here in the US it practically EXPECTED of me. Thats what I hate. Epidurals have place in birth I don't think they should be forbidden. I just want to be able to labor with a choice.

I totally agree with Pester. An epi is a great tool under exceptional circumstances, like yours, what I think most people on this thread are objecting to is the 'normalising' of them, if you will, the attitude that everyone should get one and should decide to have one before they even have a go at labour with lesser painkillers (or none at all).

I agree that epidurals shouldn't be normalised.

However, what I do object to is the inference here from some people that they were able to manage the pain and would have done so no matter how bad it got.

Every labour is different and until you have given birth in the exact same way as someone else (which would be impossible) I think it would be easy to say that you didn't need an epidural. If my baby hadn't gotten stuck I have no doubt that I would have had a way shorter labour and would have just used G&A. Unfortunately he did, and I utilised what was available through choice and necessity.

I find some of the posts on here a tad patronising to be honest. I am equally as proud of myself that I managed to get to 9cm for a number of hours with no pain relief and then made an informed choice to have an epi than if my labour had been shorter and I needed nothing.

Labour should not be a competition. As long as the baby and mother are healthy that is what matters in the end.

 

[MermaidMom]

you know what? i agree with you leelee. im currently miscarrying my second baby and honestly this is the worst thing ive ever experienced... losing a baby... again. i want to do natural birth and i want to breastfeed, but if i cant.... just having my baby here and alive is all that will matter to me. its so unfair. i dont know why this is happening to me.

 

[Bournefree]

Goodness Mermaid.. So very sad for you, all my love to you.
Xxx

 

[leelee]

you know what? i agree with you leelee. im currently miscarrying my second baby and honestly this is the worst thing ive ever experienced... losing a baby... again. i want to do natural birth and i want to breastfeed, but if i cant.... just having my baby here and alive is all that will matter to me. its so unfair. i dont know why this is happening to me.

I am so so sorry to hear this MermaidMom. I don't really know what to say to you. Please take care of yourself xxx

 

[Soos]

MermaidMom,
so sorry that you're experiencing this again((((

 

[Nikki_d72]

Oh Mermaidmom, I'm so very, very sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself and I send you my love. xxx

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Mermaid mum xx