Epidural or natural 3rd baby. Opinions please! :)

[Mommysaur]

My first to labors and births were 100% natural, no painkillers of any kind, no morphine, no gas, not epidural etc. I'm not going to say it wasn't difficult or painful because it was, it was awful to say the least, but as soon as it was over I was so happy with the choice I had made. We are having our third baby, and at the very beginning I had said there was no way I would do it any different. I love the empowering feeling of being able to do it and getting through it and feeling great following delivery, but not i'm really starting to second guess myself. I'm not so sure I want to feel it. We are for sure finished after this one, and half of me just want to enjoy my labor and not feel anything, like the ladies you see on a baby story! I kind of just want to be relaxed and happy and let it happen. But, i'm very scared of needles, and I don't know what to expect from it at all. I am very 50/50 on this and having a really hard time making my choice.

So I know ultimately this is a decision only daddy and I can make, but I would love opinions and stories of what you chose and so on. I am open to hear anything to help make my choice.

 

[NaturalMomma]

I had an epidural with my first, and a unmedicated birth with my second. In my opinion, you don't get to enjoy your birth being medicated. Just laying in bed like that, not feeling anything, having to have a nurse tell you you're contracting and getting close? It's so unreal. I was so disconnected to the whole experience, I didn't even feel like I was in labor. Just laying there was boring. When it was time to push I couldn't even feel anything. The nurse had to hold my legs up and tell me when I was contracting to push. The pushing was awful because they make you strain if you can't feel and that is really damaging to your perineum. And then after my baby was born he was in distress from the medications (many Doctors will say the epidural does not pass to the baby, but it actually does) and the straining from pushing they made me do. I couldnt' even hold him. Then the medications made me drowsy at the end instead of the alertness you get with unmedicated birth. So I could hardly hold my baby and I couldn't breastfeed because both of us were tired and my baby would not wake up for it. Once the epidural wore off I had horrible pains because my body did not recieve the natural hormone responses to fight the pain. They also wouldn't let me get up from bed because you can't walk well for hours after the epidural. It was a really horrible experience to be honest. I loved my unmedicated birth. I was not in bed, I felt everything, it was a really positive experience. I found it to be peaceful and enjoyable. I had all these great hormones afterwords and we were both alert instead of sleepy. I'm planning another unmedicated birth and I'm really looking forward to it.

Do what you feel is best for you, but those epidural sitting in bed births aren't all that.

 

[NoodleSnack]

My first to labors and births were 100% natural, no painkillers of any kind, no morphine, no gas, not epidural etc. I'm not going to say it wasn't difficult or painful because it was, it was awful to say the least, but as soon as it was over I was so happy with the choice I had made. We are having our third baby, and at the very beginning I had said there was no way I would do it any different. I love the empowering feeling of being able to do it and getting through it and feeling great following delivery, but not i'm really starting to second guess myself. I'm not so sure I want to feel it. We are for sure finished after this one, and half of me just want to enjoy my labor and not feel anything, like the ladies you see on a baby story! I kind of just want to be relaxed and happy and let it happen. But, i'm very scared of needles, and I don't know what to expect from it at all. I am very 50/50 on this and having a really hard time making my choice.

So I know ultimately this is a decision only daddy and I can make, but I would love opinions and stories of what you chose and so on. I am open to hear anything to help make my choice.

When I see the ladies on One Born Every Minute have epidural and they just laugh and chat with their partner/friends/family, have a rest and then wake up to push, I want that as well, but on the other hand, there are those who struggled with pushing and had to have interventions. Epidural does increase that risk, so you need to consider: what if you end up needing help, and it ends up being a "bad" labour instead of the peaceful one you were hoping for?

Not that labouring without epidural will guarantee no intervention, it's just a lower probability according to statistics.

 

[youngwife20]

Id say No to the epidural if can be avoided. i had one with my daughter. and though you can rest etc. i really want to feel everything and go with it this time . the epidural was a slippery slope for me and ended up with an emc. now i cant say yes or no was epi that did it but id love to do it without

 

[shinona]

I am of the same opinion as NaturalMomma due to my first being very medicated, by necessity, and my second being natural with only some gas and air for an hour. I loved the natural way and how I felt afterwards. It was fantastic being able to get straight into the shower afterwards and go to the loo as normal. With the epidural, I had a catheter for about 18 hours and I hated it.

If I was ever to do it again I would definitely be aiming for no epidural but always open to it if needs be.

xx

 

[Samiam03]

I HATED the epidural compared to my natural labor. I couldn't feel a thing, I couldn't move and just laid there for half a day, it delayed my progress...made me so numb I couldn't push right...then after 4 hours of pushing my son needed a vacuum extraction and came out with a huge nasty bruise on his head and developmental delays.

With my natural birth...it was so hard and painful...but I was done in 3 hours! The pushing stage hurt so bad that I didn't mess around and got her out in 5 minutes. I was up and walking around an hour after giving birth (could have been sooner but I wasn't allowed) whereas with my epidural the nurses had to pick me up, help me to go bathroom, ect...talk about embarrassing!

I personally would never have a medicated birth again but I know some people that had pleasant experiences with it...so it is up to you.

 

[alicecooper]

I've only ever had epidurals for all three of my labours and to be honest I'd have another one again in a heartbeart. The only thing that scares me is the risk of spinal tap, but I don't cope well with pain so I'm perfectly happy being as numb as they come.

Would never have pethidine or diamorphine again though. Horrible horrible drugs made me soooo sick.

 

[bubbles123]

I've had one of each. I'm a bit different in that I had no desire to push with either of my labours and my conntractions die out so I needed assistance (ventouse with first forceps with second) so I don't feel the spinal with my second delayed my labour as I was fully dilated and trying to push for 1 hour by the time I had it as they thought they were going to have to do a section as pushing was getting no where. Anyway, I much preferred my spinal birth. With my son I just remember the pain and just being so thoroughly exhausted when they handed him to me I was just in a daze. I tried to get up to shower but promptly fainted so I got none of these lovely hormones some ladies get. My spinal birth though I have much better memories of. It was great to feel no pain and to be laughing and joking with the staff. I have fond memories of it and much preferred it. Just my opinion.

 

[MomPepperdine]

With my first I had an epi and keep in mind it doesn't effect everyone the same just like pain meds with me it calmed the pain enought to rest but I could still feel ever thing when it came to pushing it just kept it from hurting so much. Its not like just being shot with a needle the only thing you feel is a lot of presher. It was weird it hurt more when they numbed your back b4 the epi. Also I was fully there mind wise and my daughter got a 10 score. With my second I didn't have one. I didn't have the time. I do have to say it wasn't as painful as I thought but it was a really fast delivery 2hrs of labor less then a min of pushing.

 

[xx~Lor~xx]

Like you, Im also expecting my third, and had both my previous kids with just gas and air and a birthing pool. I am also afraid of needles, so for me its a no brainer, unless absolutely necessary (ie something going wrong) then I am hoping for a natural delivery again.

Id go with an open mind and decide when you are in labour ratger than trying to force yourself in a decision now.