Question on epidural?

Question

Hello ladies! Im really wanting a natural birth (i.e. NO epidural) I will take some pain medication and i dont care about having an IV or not. My problem is my IN LAWS (sisters 3 of them) have all had babies and each had epidurals. They told me ill never make it and they said the same thing.......but that its not the ice age anymore they dont care what anyone says the epidural is better......Anyone have any words of encouragment or what i can say back to them?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Just tell them you aren't going to rule anything out but you want to give it a try. You could tell them you want to be able to tell when it's time to push. Often with an epidural you don't feel the urge to push. It IS possible to give birth without an epidural. I wanted an epidural when I had my first child but unfortunately the small town hospital I went to only offers spinals for c-sections. Don't listen to them. It's your baby, your labor and delivery, you control the way it goes. Not them.

Answer 2

Everyone would like to have a drug-free birth. It will be you on the drugs not the baby. That being said, you are the only one that can decide. Also there are things that are out of your control. With my first delivery, I wanted it to be natural. I went into labour at 9pm, was admitted and 7 am was only 2 cms and my water hadn't broken. They broke my water to help things along. At 8am I was given a drip with a drug to increase my contractions. By 10am I having contractions all the time and I am very uncomfortable. I take a whirlpool bath, I can't lie down, it hurts to sit, so I give in and have an epidural. I laboured until 4pm, then had a c-section. When having a c-section you NEED an epidural. With my second pregnancy, it was a planned c-section, I had an epidural as soon as I went into the OR.
My sister-in-law on the other hand, 2 natural births with her babies and they were both over 9 pounds.
You decide what you think is best for you.
Good luck!

Answer 3

Just keep an open mind, and don't rule out any options until you're actually in labor. The Medications (many are opiates or barbiturates) are actually more harmful than the epidural for the baby, since, while the epidural is injected directly into the spinal fluid, the other medications are in your whole bloodstream, and the baby gets whatever you get. But if you are really determined to go it alone, tell them that women have been giving birth for millenia with no medication at all, and that their lack of confidence in you hurts your feelings. Remember that the key to a successful delivery is that you have a baby, not HOW you have it. It doesn't matter how the baby is born--c-section, epidural, water birth, whatever-- just that it is.

Answer 4

Just say, you had babies the way yuo wanted and i'll have mine the way i want!"
It's not considered natural if you have medications unless you meant natural by vaginal birth.
I had an epidural with my 1st. My doctor ordered it sinc ei wa shaving alot of trouble and distress.
I absaloutly hated it and will never have it again.
My legs itched like mad, they were numb and elt like a billion bugs were crawling all over me and i couldn't get it to stop.
It made me highly drowsy especially during the birth at times i was seeing double. I couldn't walk for two days, which i hated with a passion because i just wanted to get up and walk about.
I got headaches after having it for about 2 weeks.
With my 2nd i had a natural birth, no medications, no IV's nothing. And given it was highly painful all came out really well. She was perfectly round whereas my first wa sbanged up. Because the epidural makes it go slower, the baby is in the canal longer leaving bruises and swelling. My 2nd had none of that.\
But because i had no IV to help relax me, i was eratic and scared and my legs wouldn't stay still lol. Labor went very very quickly and all i remember is the doctor unwrapping the cord, holding her upside down and then her peeing everywhere lol she got the doctor right in the face.
Don't let anyone tell you what to do with YOUR borth!
After two, one medicated and one not, i have figured out what would be best for me when i go into labor with this one due in May.
Hopefully we'll get to the hospital with time to spare and i want a low dosage of IV #2 or 3 to help calm me down enough to breath and cohere what's going on rather than screaming and being scared.
For some women the epidural is a dream come true. They fele no pain and can relax with ease and take their time.....sorry but i'm impatient and the quicker labor is over with the quicker i can hold my baby which is why i'll be requesting a low dosage of IV which is good enough in itself.
Good luck.

Answer 5

I wanted a natural birth also however when it came down to being in labor, i ended up with an emergency c-section so i had to get an epidural. It cause me to have back pains. It been two years since i had my son BUT i still have lots of back pain due to the epidural. Just remember that this is YOUR choice and YOUR pregnancy, even though your in-laws have had babies of their own, their choice was made by them self, not by others. with that in mind, good luck and just remember that you should prepare for just about anything.....

Answer 6

I don't know if you are a religious person, but I heard once that giving birth naturally is as close as we can come to feeling the pain that Christ went through for us. Besides that I have had three births, one with and two without epiderals. I can't say the epideral is completely horrible, since after 18 hours of natural labor and still being dialated to only a two, I feel like getting the epideral saved my life or at least prevented a C-Section. But I also very much enjoyed my two births without epiderals, it felt better to not be stuck laying in bed helpless. And the recoveries were better afterward. I think your choice should be based on circumstances. Preparation is key, lamaze really does help even though it seems pointless and silly before you go through birth for the first time. Good luck and be strong!

Answer 7

I'm with you! I'm planning on not having an epidural, but I've had people tell me how "terrible it is" and that I won't "make it" without pain killers. My response is always a very friendly comment about how women have been having babies for millions of years, most of them without painkillers. Our bodies are MADE to do this. We're fabulously designed to have a baby, pretty much on our own, even with all the pain.

Yes, it'll be painful, and there is always a chance you can change your mind when you're actually in labor, but the way I look at it - I'll be so proud of myself of being able to do it without pain killers, and I won't have the problem of not being able to walk (after having an epidural), so maybe you can think of how proud you'll be to tell them all you didn't have one? Good luck!

Answer 8

1 in 10 women go naturally and you can too!! Don't listen to them. I wanted to go naturally so badly but I couldn't stand the pain so I had an epidural, but if you are determined to go naturally, you can. Tell them all the reasons going naturally is better. You aren't numb from the epidural so you can actually feel yourself pushing and you'll be more effective when pushing. You'll actually push the baby out faster. THe baby will more alert when he/she comes out because the baby won't have any kind of drugs in him/her. You won't have to worry about your legs being numb after the baby is born. After my babies were born, my legs were completely numb and I couldn't walk for about 2 hours. Not to mention that you won't have any kind of medical bill from the anesthesiologist. It'll save money. When you're done, you'll be so proud of yourself. However, if you do get an epidural, don't feel bad. I was so determined to go naturally and I didn't have the tolerance. I do respect anyone who can go naturally though. My mom did with both me and my brother.

Answer 9

Everyone has different tollerance levels for pain. Just because your in-laws needed it doesn't mean you will. However, be preparred for the possibility that you may change your mind once labor begins. Many women go into it planning on a natural birth, but when those contractions begin to increase in frequency and intensity, many opt for the edipural.

Lamaze classes have had a positive effect on many women attempting a natural birth. The breathing techniques may seem silly at first, but it is meant as a way for the brain to preoccupy itself, pushing the pain back from the forefront of your thoughts.

Answer 10

It is your delivery and therefore your choice as to what pain killers, if any, you want to have. I always try to go as long as possible without meds, but chicken out in the end. You go girl! Cheering you on that you make it with no epidural. You may want to take some childbirth classes to learn natural methods of pain control. They work for some and not for others, so leave your mind open.