Labor, Natural vs.Having Drugs. What are the pros and cons and realities of both?

Question

Hello, my husband and I are planning on starting a family this summer and I can't help but start thinking about the whole pregnancy and delivery process right now. I am tremendously terrified of the thought of child labor and I would like some information on natural vs. drug assisted labor. I am afraid of pain but I am also afraid of drugs and needles that can cause permanent damage on your spine. I was wondering if people who have first hand experience on either could tell me the pros and cons and realities of what they went through. Thank you :)

Answer 1

The drugs and needles are alot less scary when you are in so much pain you cant take it!! An epidural isn't that bad I had it 3 times didn't hurt having it done much and doesn't harm the baby at all...First baby's are always so long and painful..If I could have withstood the pain I would not have had anything but hell 24 hours of hard labor the first time,..I could not take it!!

Answer 2

I enjoy your question. But of course there are women in America that have natural births. I'm planning to have one, but now that I'm over due, my doctor has scheduled me to be induced (which I'm against unless for medical necessity) on the 16th, if I go that far. I really don't want to be induced purely because I don't want the drugs they'd give to start labor. Birth is a natural event and women have had children without medication for centuries. I think it is more common in America that women use drugs during labor, as well as elective c-sections and scheduled inductions. I don't exactly agree with any of those, but I'm keeping my options open for drugs. I don't know how my body will tolerate labor, so I'd like the option, but fortunately my doctor isn't one to strongly suggest drugs. So long as I'm able, I will have a natural birth. From what I've read, it is becoming more popular to have natural births in America. I hope the trend continues. I hate the thought of exposing my son to drugs when he's only an infant.

Answer 3

I went into my first delivery determined not to have any pain meds and found out that you don't really know until you have experienced at least some part of it. My water broke at 8:30 and Midnight they started pitosin because my contractions weren't diong anything. By 2:00 I was in so much pain and I wasn't dilating very much so I gave in and got an epidural. I had waited too long to get it so the first one didn't totally relieve the pain so they gave me a bolus dose and I was in heaven. By 3:30 I was fully dialted and had no doctor around so I had to rollon my side and keep my legs crossed until the doctor came at 4:30. I pushed for a few minutes and had a healthy baby girl. After that experience I decided to have the epidural as soon as humanly possible with any other deliveries and with my second child I recieved the epidural 1 hour after they started to induce me and didn't feel a single true labor pain. I sat in bed and visited with family for a few hours and 1 hour after they broke my water I pushed once and had a healthy baby boy. I am on number three and if I am able I will again have the epidural as soon as I get to the hospital.

Answer 4

You can plan all you want and try to prepare yourself, but in the end your body is yours and yours alone, you will make the decision when the time comes. Every woman handles the pain of childbirth differently. I wanted a natural birth, but I had to give in and take the epidural, I was in too much pain. Don't let anyone discourage you if that's the course you prefer. Someone once said to me, "I want to enjoy my birth experience not be drugged" Well that person is very uninformed, because an epidural is numbing, it's not a narcotic. I wanted to enjoy my birth experience too which is why I opted for the epidural. I had 2 wonderful labors with my children and feel that I made the right choice for me.

Answer 5

Well it is being said that she epidural might make the baby sleepy and also it can slow down labor a bit (but because of that it wont be given until you are at least 4 cm dilated)

Personally my oppinion is: If there is a way that the pain can be taken away or significantly reduced, then take it. Epidurals have been done for a long time, are routine and havent harmed a baby. So why not use it?
I always think.. we use cars because its convenient and easier even though years ago people were able to do it all by horse...


so why not use epidurals even though years ago woman managed to give birth without it.

I had an epidural and it was the best thing ever!!

Oh also... ones you went through a few real contractions, the quick pick of the epidural being done is NOTHING!

Answer 6

Honey, when your so far along you feel like your stomache is going to "Pop" alls you want is relief, so its not as scary as you think!!! I have had both, the pain killer's and one all Natural live birth, with my oldest daughter.... I honestly thought they were going to send me home, and just tell me it was false labor, (I was hoping anyway), well 6 hours later she "Popped" out, without a single grunt or ouch that hurts!!! She came into this world so easy, I couldn't even call it labor!!! My mom was blown-away at how good I did with her, having her!! She was an easy birth!!! Now, my other three, both boys epidurals and both labored 10 hours, and my youngest daughter epidural 12 hours!!! But, my youngest and my oldest are 14 years apart, (age wise) so I walked everywhere with my Oldest daughter, and I'm a firm believer that excercise is a "Crucial Part" to having an easy labor!! I was determined to not gain anymore weight than the baby weight with her, and believe it or not, when I got home from the hospitol ....the first thing I did was put on my size 6 levi's!!! A tad tight, but so exciting to be wearing them again!!! With my other 3 kids I didn't excercise as much and I honestly feel that's also why I labored so hard, with them!!! But, those epidurals (as scary as they are to have that shot in your lower spine) really helped Tremendously!!! Good luck to you & yours!!! It'll all be okay, and believe me we can all tell you our stories, but your's may be a whole nother' story than our's , when the time comes for you and your husband, you know.....Smile!!!!

Answer 7

I had planned on having my daughter natural with no drugs, but it didnt turn out that way. I was induced at 6am and about 10am I started feeling the contractions really bad so they gave me stadol, well that didnt last very long and I couldnt get anymore, it was too early, they were hurting sooo bad, and everytime I would have a contraction her heart rate would go way down, they put fluid back up in me and put an oxygen mask on me,(my husband was outside smoking when all of this happened, imagine how scared he was when he came back in!!), but come to find out I had to have a c-section b/c my bones were too small for her to fit through, and I didnt want an epidural, but I had to have it, and to my surprise it didnt hurt at all, and it was great I couldnt feel a thing I loved it. Good luck

Answer 8

I went natural because there was no way they were sticking a needle in my back. The labor pains themselves hurt, especially as I got closer to pushing. They way I got through them was counting them through. Pushing is what hurt the most. You feel pain and burning and terrible pressure. However when you don't have drugs, your labor is quicker (mine only lasted six hours from first contraction to birth). As soon as you give birth, all that pain goes away.

Answer 9

I had all three of mine the natural way. Look just plan on natural but remember that it is always a womans perogative to change her mind. If it gets too intense or lasts for too long you may want an epidural. There are a lot fewer problems with the epidural than you might think. I always thought to myself "if it gets too bad then ill have one" but in my case I made it throught without, but my longest labor was only 8 hours, too.

Answer 10

I had all my children natually. I would never allow anyone to stick a needle anywhere near my spine. I would rather put up with pain for awhile then have permanent damage for the rest of my life.
If you relax durring child birth the pain is not near as bad then if you tense up. So just remember to relax.