Does getting an epidural drug your baby?

Question

Does getting an epidural drug your baby? And what are the risks of getting one? What are the pos and cons. I'm 13 weeks pregnant. I plan on having a natural birth. I dont believe anyone should get an epidural unless it would be of benifit for an emergency to help you and your baby. but other than that I think its rediculous. did all our wonderful mothers get epidurals way back in the day? NO they were REAL women and had there babies! but im just wondering exactly what the risks are and if it does in fact drug your baby up? thanks ♥

and I dont mean to come off as a B*I*T*C*H, thats just my opinoin, more power to ya!

Answer 1

I can guarantee you that you'll rethink your strategy later on. My wife's epidural wore off due to the lengthy labor, and she was in a great GREAT deal of pain. For our 2nd child, the epidural worked perfectly, and she's all the more happy to not have that pain to look back on, but the rest of the beautiful experience of giving birth. The epidural does NOT drug your child, it goes directly into your spinal cavity and stays there. As for the high opinion you seem to have of yourself and your opinion, you obviously don't understand that the medicines of today, as oppose to "back in the day", are completely different, as well as medical knowledge and practices. People don't usually break out the bone saws because an arm is simply broken. Castor oil isn't the most commom treatment for stomach aches, and the "blood-letting" to relieve headaches has stopped for decades now. Yes, you do come off as a "B*I*T*C*H", but I'm attributing that to pure inexperience in life, and not knowing what you're up against. Good luck with that.

Answer 2

If you are so concern than don't have an epidural. Feel the pain and be a real woman as you say. Like others say, Technology has improved for years so why feel pain when you don't need to? I am an expecting mother and almost thought the same way you did. If you have not been through labor once and don't know what is like to give birth then I would suggest you think before you speak. Just my 2 cents.

Most doctors say it does not affect the baby. I am having an epidural if I give birth naturally- because it can always change as you know. Again if you do not feel confortable then do what you gotta do and don't have the epidural. Best of luck to ya.

Answer 3

I feel that the world and technology has advanced to better help us. Thank God I don't have to go through what my mother and other women had to go through back then. I had an epidural with my daughter and will most definitely get one with this baby (22 weeks pregnant). Epidural is my friend! Why suffer if you don't have to. My baby was not drugged and neither I or my baby had any side affects from the epidural. And I'm just as much REAL as any mom out there who doesn't have an epidural. My daughter is almost 3 years old and perfect!

Answer 4

No, an epidural doesn't get to the baby. It stays in your spinal column. The problem with the epidural is that it slows down the labor, and increases the possibility of you needing a c-section.

By all means, be a REAL woman, and have your baby naturally. That's up to you. But unless you've REALLY experienced terrible pain, unless you've realized someone was screaming a whole lot, and then realized that someone was you, better keep the epidural for emergencies. Maybe your pain threshhold is higher than most of us.

TX Mom

Answer 5

I've heard that it does drug the baby and that the doctors are finding some correlations between epidurals and a child developing autism. In addition, I have an elder sister that developed scarring and back problems from her epidural.

That said, I believe in pain relief. Perhaps you want to try hypnosis? Google Hypnobabies...

Answer 6

Have you ever given birth? I'm just wondering because how uneducated you are about the epidural and your opinion on it makes you very ignorant! Just because I had the epidural does not make me less of a women. I was in pain and I took it as far as I could but I don't think that my daughter is going to look at me differently because I got an epidural. Oh and to answer your uneducated self no an epidural does not hurt your baby!! Have fun giving birth because it's people like you who do not have an open mind about this situation who in the end will contradict yourself!!

Answer 7

I had to have one because I had preeclampsia with some other complications (seizures and other yucky stuff) and my baby was and is totally fine. I wanted to do it natural, and couldn't. But, I don't regret it and I will probably have one with my second child (due on Thursday). There are pro's and con's of course, but it doesn't make a woman less of a woman if she chooses to have one. I was in so much pain before I had it and I was unable to focus of concentrate and had no clue what was going on. After I had the epidural, I was able to be aware of what was happening and actually remember the birth of my child... otherwise I wouldn't remember - just like I don't really remember what happened up until the epidural.

Answer 8

At least epidural is not offered by coercion by choice. You can be a REAL woman and go for the pain as the REAL soldiers (in your perspective) do surgery on their broken legs without pain killers as they did in the older days. Also REAL people in the older days removed teeth without novacane.

As for me, I have two children and dont even know how contractions feel. I usually get epidural before contractions kick in and only end up seeing the contractions on the screen. I love it. Am pregnant, and the only part of pregnancy that I look forward to sooo much is labor and delivery! Last time, I heard a woman scream in next room and wondered if anaesthetic group had taken a vacation.

Am not worried about appearing as a REAL woman or unreal. Am very competent and have nothing to prove and appreciate some brains that consider the delicacy of a woman and came up with a way to keep then as delicate darlins!

Enjoy your REALITY!

Answer 9

Needing an epidural doesn't make you less of a woman. You have no idea what to expect until you're actually giving birth. I have known many women who planned on a natural birth, but due to complications and stress of pregnancy they weren't able to. So you have no idea if a natural birth is even right for you.

You also need to practice on voicing your opinion without putting down REAL woman who decide to have a child in the first place. We're all in this together - there's no place for negativity when it comes to giving birth to healthy children.

Answer 10

No, the epidural doesn't effect your child. I had two kids with the wise benefit of an epidural and both were born healthy and happy. The birth experience didn't mean sh*t to me. I just wanted my baby. I wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone by toughing it out with "natural" childbirth. Screw that! Back in the day, surgery was performed with out anesthetic, too, but would you still want that now? The same goes for childbirth. I'm sure, if given the options, our wonderful mothers and grandmothers would have taken a bit of pain relief if it had been available. So, make your own decision but don't judge others for theirs. Suffering pain while having your child doesn't make you a better mother, you know.