Natural or medication. Which one was best for you?

Question

I have heard horror stories from women who had an epidural. Majority of the women I spoke with said they had a terrible headache after the given birth and felt as if their heads were going to explode or they were dying. These women feels that the epidural had something to do with the severe headache pain. I have also spoke with women who had natural child birth and they said it is very painful but really didn't have any pain after the birth. I plan on having a baby and I would like to go natural (actually water birth) and want to get information from you all who has experienced natural birth, epidural and water birth. Also, are they any other type of medication other than the epidural that can help with pain?

Answer 1

i had my daughter all natural and I won't lie it hurt really bad but it's a pain that is worth it when you finally hold your baby. The bad thing with an epidural is that you have to lie flat on your back until it wears off or else you will get a serious migraine. As far as other medications you need to discuss that with your doctor but remember women have been doing this for years and believe me you can do it too.

Answer 2

I have 3 kids 22, 16, 11. I had always heard about the awful pain so I knew I wanted drugs. With my first the only real thing available was Demoral. It did not help at all. I was really high but it didn't touch the pain. With my middle child I had the epidural and I loved it. I slept until it was time to deliver. I don't remember if I had a headache, but if I did that is nothing compared to labor pain. They will give you tylenol. No big deal. With my third, he came so fast there was no time for drugs. My cousin just had a baby Wednesday and she had the epidural also and said she loved it. She wishes it was available with her first child. It is better to have natural child birth if you can handle it. Talk to your doctor and leave your options open. You may find it hurts too much and want some help. That is ok. The epidural has very little effect on the baby which is really good. I would highly recommend it.

Answer 3

I liked having an epidural because I wasn't out of my mind with pain, so I was able to enjoy the whole process and be mentally present. I had ZERO complications from the epidural. I know several people who had babies around the time I did, all of whom had epidurals, none of them with any complications. I recommend it because there is no reason to be in that much pain. It doesn't make you a better mom, a bigger person, or somehow make you have a "real" experience of child birth. TRust me, my experience was still intense! The pushing is unbeleivably exhausting. i don't know how I would have dealt with pain on top of that. And liek I said, I enjoyed the process and remember every last second (in a good way!). Pain is useless. What point is there to have pain just to have it???

Answer 4

I had a natural birth at the end they gave me some Demerol. I did have pain but it was bearable. My husband did not want me to have an epidural because his Mother had a spinal when he was born and her back was messed up forever after and she did not well recover.

If you can do natural then try. If they have to do a C-Section ask them to do another form of anesthesia for you. I have heard almost every that had an epidural say they had terrible headaches after.

Answer 5

I never had a headache after i had my epidural, these women must be sensitive to medications or something. The only thing the epidural does is make it more comfortable for you intill you start pushing. They turn the drip with the meds in it once its time to start pushing, so you still feel that baby coming out.

Answer 6

i just had a baby Feb. 5th. and i didnt have any pain meds at all. but i talked to my midwife and Pain meds can cause headaches but labor over all can sometime cause them too. but i had my daughter natural with no pain meds and i;d do it the same way all over again. i loved natural labor. and if my hospital would have supported water birth i would have done that too. but either way it was great the contractions are the only thing that hurt me, it didnt hurt pushing her out and i pushed for 33 minutes. also this was my first and im only 16 and very short and skinny so what ever you feel is more comfortable doing [meds or no meds] then do it, but their are disadvantages to meds thats why i changed my mind and decided to go all natural. but as far as other type of meds, you can still get sick [or just headaches] from them. there are spinals [where you feel the erge to push but no pain], epideral [you feel NOTHING] and then there are other meds they can give you thru your IV that will take the pain away for a little or may not even do that but they can make you sleepy so your calmer. also talk to your doctor about medication birthing methods. they can give you a heads up on what to expect and what they suggest

good luck to ya.

Answer 7

I've had two epidurals, and did not experience those side effects. Everyone is different though. The epidurals were a god send for me.

You can also get narcotics or other pain/anxiety relieving drugs if you don't want an epidural. You can also get a low dose epidural (walking epidural).

Answer 8

i had a wonderful natural birth and highly recommend it to others.. yes its painful, but your body is meant to handle it. You will be pushed until you think you can't and then you'll get a rest.

I labored in water but didn't deliver in it. The tub helped so much for easing the contractions. Be careful of other meds used, alot of them are sedatitives not painkillers. the only pain i had after my birth was from tearing because i was on my back :(

Hope this helps you.. check out the Birthing naturally board on pregnancy.org its got great resources and a heard of women who have given and are planning natural births.
oh and one of the bonuses of having natural birth is that you can move around and won't need an IV.

Answer 9

water births are great. natural births are better than medicated ones, i have had both and my natural birth was a better experience hands down. I was more aware what was going on around me and i recovered faster. stadol which is a narcotic they give you during labor takes the edge off but leaves you groggy. you have less awareness of whats happening to you. sometimes epidurals are not placed correctly, which was why they gave me stadol #1 birth, but during the second i was med free and gave birth much easier in the birthing tub. I had much less back labor pains too

Answer 10

I went natural with my first and had medication (spinal) for my second two. I never had headaches, not bad enough that I remember. It took a while, when I had one with my second, to get it in so my back was kind of sore but that was it. I would never go through natural childbirth again ( but I am not having any more children) My first labor was not that bad, I remember saying why do people yell at their husbands and tell them that they are never going to touch them again. For me having meds I could get some rest when in labor and it made all the difference during the delivery. Good Luck. You never know you might not want one.