I dont know if I should have a natural birth or get an epidural. Ive heard so many bad things about the shot but Im still not sure what I should do...
2006-09-19 13:04:08 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
I just gave birth five days ago, and let me say that I will NEVER attempt a natural birth again. This was my third child, and he was 9 pounds, 7 ounces. I had natural labors with all of my children, but this one was the absolute worst. The pain is unimaginable. Next time I'm going to sign up for the epidural the moment I walk into the hospital. If you are worried about drugs affecting your baby, try to stay away from morphine, nubain, etc...these kinds of drugs that they will offer you provide minimal pain relief, but they do make the baby drowsy when they're born.
Good luck!
2006-09-19 13:08:07 · answer #1 · answered by Kayla 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your baby is much more alert and ready to nurse and bond if you dont have medications durring labor or birth. Also there is less risk for you, you can get horrible headaches from the epidurals, and there are others as well its been a year so I dont remember everything. Also you can get up and move around right away if you dont have the epidural, which helps you heal faster. You can always get other pain meds durring labor BEFORE or INSTEAD of getting the epidural. Also if your epi dosnt work, well then that just sucks! I personally cant get one as I have back problems and they are worried it will make them worse than they already are. I found the hardest part of labor was after they broke my water and that didnt last long. I would have had my son around an hour after they broke it but they wouldnt let me push so it took 2 hours instead he was out in 3 or 4 pushes. Pushing feels sooo good, it releives the pressure and pain. You also need to wait until around 5 cm to get your epi or it can stall out labor, so you will feel it before you have to make that final decision. I found that when it got to the point I wanted drugs I was in transition and ready to deliver.
2006-09-19 13:18:02 · answer #2 · answered by shannonlbuck 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Although it is VERY painful-- there ARE benefits to a natural labor.
1. The medicine in the epidural may make both you and your baby groggy, and therefore unable to immediatley bond as well as you would have been able to with a natural birth. If immediate bonding is VERY important to you, you may want to have your baby naturally.
2. Sometimes the epidural effects your ability to push (like you can't feel the sensations to push) therefore causing you to need a C-section. By no means does this happen ALL THE TIME, but it DOES happen.
3. Many women find labor an enlightening experience, although it is painful, many women feel that having a natural labor gives them more control over the whole situation.
I would advise you to try the natural route-- but if you are in too much pain the epidural (and sometimes less invasive/lighter pain medication) can still be available to you.
You should also read up on natural birth/labor if you are interested-- there are MANY ways to coupe with labor other than pain medication.
2006-09-19 13:14:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I was dead set on a natural birth, to the point where I wouldn't let them put an IV line in me...which pissed the OB off, but, anyway. By the time I was 9 cm, the contractions were so strong I was throwing up. I finally consented to an epidural. They tried three times to get it in, and finally got it in on the third try...b/c they'd screwed up the first two times, they ended up putting it in lower than usual. And then the usual medicine didn't numb me at all, so they went with lidocaine (sp?). It was FABULOUS. It didn't really help too much with the contractions (by the time they got everything in, I was 10 cm), as I could still feel my uterus, but I didn't feel from my cervix area down...in other words, I could push like a mo-fo, but didn't feel a thing "down there" as I was stretched (I actually tore a little bit), and I only had 18 minutes of pushing...
I didn't feel any after-effects from the epidural. other than minor soreness where they used me as a pincushion, and the nurses and doctors all said they'd never seen a more alert baby, epidural or natural. I guess it's different for everyone...In retrospect, I probably could have gone without the epidural (since I was past transition by the time they got it in), but, I don't regret it....
2006-09-19 14:02:02 · answer #4 · answered by katheek77 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I see no benefit of being in pain. I have known of no one who had a real problem after having the epidural. My epidural did not work with my first delivery so my delivery was natural enough. Natural child birth was not the worst pain in the world, but I am due anyday with my second and plan on having it done again. I would love to have a pain free delivery. My daughter was plenty alert when I finally met her and there were no side effects. Sure if you can deal with the pain then don't get it, but don't wait too long like I did and then have it fail when you want it the most. No need to be a martyr, if you are in pain get it.
2006-09-19 16:32:40 · answer #5 · answered by sooz 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
What the heck!! How can so many people say there are no benefits to a natural birth? Don't believe them -- apparently they have not researched this topic in depth. I am studying to be a birth instructor and have delivered naturally TWICE. Once with no IV, no nothin', and the second time with an IV for fluids - but not drugs (my babies were each 9 pounds)!
The list of advantages for you and your baby is way too long to post here. Read books by Doctor Bradley if you want more information...take a Bradley Birthing class, and by all means, talk to women who advocate natural birth.
THE PAIN ONLY LASTS A FEW MOMENTS! What is 1, 2, or 12 hours of pain...in order to make sure your baby did not receive a narcotic before coming into the world?
2006-09-20 01:53:45 · answer #6 · answered by jane 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I've had a c/s; a hospital VBAC with an epidural; and 4 unassisted homebirths (3 in water). The epidural really does eliminate the pain, but the down sides can be that you end up with migraines or the epidural not working at all so you endured the needle for nothing.
Epidurals can also slow down the progress of labor which then can lead to the use of pitocin which can cause hyper activity of your heart and or uterus and put you and your baby at risk. You baby's heart might not be able to take the stress of artificial and overly strong contractions so it will show as heart decelerations, and then you can end up with an emergency c/s due to fetal distress. You will also have to have a catheter as well. (Yuck)
Going natural you have the benefits of being in more control over your body. You will know when you really have to push and not push sooner just because someone tells you it is time. Hopefully you are able to move around and find comfortable positions for you to birth in because the laying down or lithotomy position is the worst position to give birth in. You are not only pushing uphill but it also cuts off the most vital vein which gives the baby the most oxygen flow.
But as a FTM (first time mom) you may not know exactly how you will be able to tolerate labor. It is one of the most painful things you will go through but it is also one of THE most rewarding experiences you will ever have too.
The sense of accomplishment you get when you finally give birth to that wonderful little bundle is indescribable. For me when I had the epidural I felt like I failed a little, but when I birthed without it 4 times over it was absolutely rewarding. I was able to move around without problems, showered myself and for me it was just way better without. But then I birth really fast too!
2006-09-19 13:34:35 · answer #7 · answered by slingnmom 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you have a low tolerance for pain, then by all means have an epidural. The downside of the having any pain medicine is that it makes the baby less alert after its born. I had a long labor and a natural childbirth with a mid wife. However because my labor was so long the doctor gave me a dose of demoral intravenously.
2006-09-19 13:19:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hi, I have had 3 boys, all natural child birth. My oldest is 20, then 19, and a gift from God, the baby who is 4 1/2 yr. ha ha. With the first two, I didn't even consider the inj. with the baby, I wanted it so bad but delivered so fast that I was unable to get it. After the delivery I had my tubes tied and the doc gave me an epi. Big mistake, I couldn't feel my legs at all, I could however feel every slice of the scalpel. Natural birth is very painful, I will not lie, but, once that bundle of joy is out, you feel like a million bucks...trust me...go natural...and, you can get up and walk around...hope this one helps and good luck on your decision
2006-09-19 13:11:39 · answer #9 · answered by marilynhenriksen@sbcglobal.net 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It will be up to your Dr if you need to have an epidural or not there will be other drugs they will try first this is only in the case that the labour is so bad that you will need it. As far as having a natural birth you will know at the time if you want any drugs
2006-09-19 13:08:08 · answer #10 · answered by Mrs Magoo 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋