planning an epidural second time round?

[justkitty]

As it says really....

 

[Kat541]

I'm not pregnant again, but when that time comes, you betcha! I'm worried I won't get it as fast as I did last time. I thought I was dying.

 

[ShadyAmy]

Heck ya! Lol.. I'm also worried that i'll show up too late to get it or that the epidural guy will be too busy to get to me on time lol. I want that needle ASAP this time around.

 

[jensha]

You should have more faith in your body's ability to go through labour. If you're convinced that you can't do it without pain medication before it's even started, then for sure, you'll be miserable. Even if you had bad experiences in the past, it doesn't mean the same things will happen this time around. At the end of the day, you'll do what you want, but just know that there are other options to prepare yourself, like hypnobirthing.

 

[justkitty]

Jensha I did hypnobirthing. I just wondered that's all. No plans, no worries.

 

[darkstar]

Its important to consider that it may not happen and prepare mentally for that. I had an epidural with my second baby but with my third I would never have had the time for one, by the time I got to hospital I was 7cm and I didn't even get time to try the IV pain relief. I forgot to use the hypnotherapy I'd studied, I barely got a gap between contractions so I just sucked on gas and tried to breathe through the pain.

 

[ShadyAmy]

My first labor and delivery was horrendous... I will obviously try to go as long as i can without pain medication but if it turns out to be anything like my first then i feel no shame in asking for the epidural. I have nothing to prove and if I choose the epidural it doesnt make me any less of a warrior birthing mama.

 

[NoodleSnack]

You should have more faith in your body's ability to go through labour. If you're convinced that you can't do it without pain medication before it's even started, then for sure, you'll be miserable. Even if you had bad experiences in the past, it doesn't mean the same things will happen this time around. At the end of the day, you'll do what you want, but just know that there are other options to prepare yourself, like hypnobirthing.

Sometimes it's not a question of whether one can or can't endure the pain, some people just think: why endure the pain when they don't have to? I didn't ask for one because of fear of intervention, otherwise I would get it in a second even though I knew I could and did labour without pain relief. I didn't scream or cry, was aware the whole time, and knew I could deal with worse. To me, it's a question of risk-reward, not ability.

 

[MrsWhite]

Nope. Didn't want one the first time but agreed to one because they told me I had to be induced and the pitocin induced labor scared me. That experience just reaffirmed why I didn't want one. It took my baby longer than normal to take a breath and he seemed distressed. I also hated not feeling anything. I couldn't feel my contractions, my pushing, couldn't move my legs, I just felt like I was laying there and pushing when they told me to. I want to be an active participant in my labor and I honestly don't think I had that release of oxytocin they say you get. When my baby was born I didn't feel much of anything and honestly think it hindered bonding (I ended up having PND) and breastfeeding (I was only able to breastfeed, really unsuccessfully for a couple weeks). I think it was a combination of the pitocin and the epidural that messed us up. No drugs for this mama this time!!!

 

[justkitty]

Pitocin was awful. I had been in labour 36 hours then I got the drip and 8 hours later had only dilated 1cm so at 4cm I got the epidural and 7hours later ds was born. I let it wear off so I could feel a bit for pushing but the midwife advised against allowing full feeling back. It took 3hrs pushing which I blame on epidural but it allowed me to rest when I desperately needed to.

 

[ShadyAmy]

They induced me with that cervadil stuff and I can tell you I will never do that again!! I will refuse all induction as long as possible this time around. I think the induction was more harmful to my baby and body as I was 39 weeks * high BP which is why they induced * .. Maybe thats why my contractions were so severe and back to back ?? If I can go this labor without induction i'm willing to give the all natural route a shot because I almost made the whole labor last time without the epi.. minus an hour to an hr and a half of epidural .