Aa
No epidural
I am almost 37 weeks now. And I really don't want to get an epidural. But every time I tell anyone this, they act like it's just literally impossible to give birth without one. It is very frustrating. My mom had me without one, and she of course doesn't think I should get one. I have also talked to a few people who gave birth without one, and most of them said that the pain was unbearable and that they will never go without one again. I won't lie, this scares me. I'm expecting it be painful, probably not like anything else that I've ever felt, but I just have a hard time believing that it could be THAT BAD. When women have been doing it medication free since, umm...forever?? And the same women give birth multiple times. My moms friend had 2 babies. The first one without an epi, the second with one, (bc the baby was huge) and she said that if she did it again, she would choose to go without. And she's a weenie with pain. I am also concerned about feeling EVERYTHING in my vag when he comes out. lol. I mean, I don't want to feel myself tear or get cut, that really concerns me. What is everyone's take on this?? Are you planning on having an epidural? Why or why not. And please share any previous experiences.
mature_enough : lol. well good for you. What do you think was the worst part of your labor, other than the needle ha, but I mean, pushing?? did you have the burning ring of fire, or whatever? or was it more of a relief to push? Bc I have been having early labor pains, and they are def. painful. I'm starting to get worried about active labor and transition =/
I have to agree w/ Chantel... I am much more scared of having a needle in my back than something my body was designed to do. EEEeeeeK to needles! (I was upset w/ my first birth that they made me have a butterfly IV incase of emergency due to hospital policy even though I gave birth fully natural w/out meds/epidural) I tell everyone the needle was my least fav part. I am giving birth at a much more natural-childbirth-friendly hospital now. Doing it under water too! :) Nobody will stick or cut me now. I will be protected by an H2O barrier. haha
I commend you for your commitment to having this baby naturally. I hope you have a better delivery than mine so you are able to stick to that plan. I really wanted to go as long as I could without the epidural but being induced did not allow me to work into heavy contractions. They started immediately and were very intense. I was a week overdue and the baby was pushing the 9 lb mark so the doctor advised the induction to ensure I could deliver vaginally. I am glad you are going in with an open mind. All labors are different and come with different complications. I put a lot of trust into my doctor and let him make the right decisions for me...After laboring for over 32 hours, I was in no condition to make them for myself. I wish you a speedy, minimally painful delivery with a happy healthy baby in the end. As far as I am concerned the journey doesn't matter as long as the outcome is a healthy baby!
no they're required by law to give you one regardless of when you ask, I think most dr.'s just rec. that you don't get one after 7cm or something. Well, that's in this state anyways. lol
I had a c-section with the first & have another one planned for this time too.....
However, when I had my 1st c-section I felt cheated in some way. Like I missed out on an experience of being a woman that I will now never know. Everyone I told this to said I was crazy! why would I want to feel childbirth???? Well.... curious I guess???? I also thought somehow it would give me a stronger bond with my child.
I understand where you are comming from, but I'm not sure if I could do it or not.
good luck! Keep in mind... I think there is a point to where it is too late to ask for an epidural.
However, when I had my 1st c-section I felt cheated in some way. Like I missed out on an experience of being a woman that I will now never know. Everyone I told this to said I was crazy! why would I want to feel childbirth???? Well.... curious I guess???? I also thought somehow it would give me a stronger bond with my child.
I understand where you are comming from, but I'm not sure if I could do it or not.
good luck! Keep in mind... I think there is a point to where it is too late to ask for an epidural.
Rhi315 u dnt offend me but ur right u cant compare the pain of birth to dental it hurts more...u asked for opinions and plans of other women and i gave you mine.
thank you chantal! that is very helpful! I'm really hoping to do this, but I'm also worried that if I get exhausted I'll just be like, screw it, give it to me. lol. Just because I'm tired. It's funny to me, all of the people I know that have had babies naturally, are all the wimpy ones! and the ones who claim that they are so pain tolerant have the epidurals. odd.
Oh, and maybe you should consider having a doula or someone there to encourage you in your decision. It's easy to lose focus and then beg for pain meds...believe me, if I were at a hospital, I would have begged for something to take the pain away, but my hubby was my strength and kept telling me how close I was to holding my baby and that I was doing a great job and that it wouldn't last forever! Laying in the bed, will make the pain worse, moving and swaying your hips, sitting on a birthing stool are all good options while in labor.
I had my 2 boys all natural and planning on it again with this baby and I am a wimp when it comes to pain!!! I had 2 very different labor experiences. My first, was over 8lbs and was coming down crooked so it stalled labor a bit and was painful. I was in active labor for 13 hours and about 5 of those hours were pretty painful. I pushed for an hour and 20 min but was so glad I had him naturally! (I didn't have choice for an epidural since I was at a birthing center)
My second, I knew what to expect and was in active labor for 4 hours and he was out in 4 pushes. Only the last hour and a half was pretty painful. But once you start pushing, the pain goes down tremendously!! It actually feels good to push. You of course will feel that ring of fire for no more than 30 seconds to a minute as the head is coming out, but then once that baby is in your arms, all the pain stops.
Personally, I'm more scared of a needle going in my back than pushing my baby out. =/
My second, I knew what to expect and was in active labor for 4 hours and he was out in 4 pushes. Only the last hour and a half was pretty painful. But once you start pushing, the pain goes down tremendously!! It actually feels good to push. You of course will feel that ring of fire for no more than 30 seconds to a minute as the head is coming out, but then once that baby is in your arms, all the pain stops.
Personally, I'm more scared of a needle going in my back than pushing my baby out. =/
I have no birth plan, because I have friends who are nurses that say that everyone pretty much ignores them, because anything could happen, and they're usually unrealistic. So I'm definitely cool with going with the flow of things. I do not want to be induced though. I know someone who's baby recently died from too much pitocin. SCARY. I recently read an article where the woman was talking about her natural birth in a hospital, and she said that the ONLY time that she even considered asking for an epidural was the 20 min that they made her labor in the bed so that they could monitor the baby. So, perhaps motion is key? I am at least going to go as far as I can without an epidural. I want to feel some sort of real pain, that way during the afterbirth or the healing I can have something real to compare it to, and I won't think it hurts so bad. If that makes sense to anyone else. lol. I'm also scared of the side effects of having the epidural. With my luck, I will be the 1% that gets that terrible headache, or they will hit a nerve or something. lol. idk, we shall see.
In Australia the.mid wifes now promote to not use an epidural and say most of the births are without. They say have the epidural option if you need it later but this results in more intervention including tearing and forces with a decreased ability to push. I am opting for gas and a tens machine in early labour and then an epidural if I decide the pain is too much. You don't have to decide now since can change your birth plan once you are in labour. It's your body so do what feels right at the time. X
I am not brave enough to think that I won't get an epidural this time - I got one with my first - but I was also induced, so the contractions come on a lot quicker and stronger than they would have naturally.
I think you should definitely try it without, because, as you said, that's how it's been done since the dawn of time. It's there if you need it, but our bodies are built to push out babies, so it's perfectly reasonable that you want to try to go without - and more power to you! :-)
Have you taken any childbirth classes like lamaze or hypnobirthing or anything? Do you have your "game plan" so to speak of how to go about it naturally? I took lamaze - it was a great class - but then I was induced and got the epidural anyways so it didn't matter in the end for me. But, I was perfectly content with the drugs - LOL I do hope you succeed in the type of birth that you want!
I think you should definitely try it without, because, as you said, that's how it's been done since the dawn of time. It's there if you need it, but our bodies are built to push out babies, so it's perfectly reasonable that you want to try to go without - and more power to you! :-)
Have you taken any childbirth classes like lamaze or hypnobirthing or anything? Do you have your "game plan" so to speak of how to go about it naturally? I took lamaze - it was a great class - but then I was induced and got the epidural anyways so it didn't matter in the end for me. But, I was perfectly content with the drugs - LOL I do hope you succeed in the type of birth that you want!
No offense, but that makes no sense at all. Child birth is a natural process, you can't even compare having a dental procedure to this. They're just completely different categories.
LET ME JUST ADD I ONCE READ THIS AND IT MADE TOTAL SENSE TO ME, WOULD YOU GO TO THE DENTIST AND HAVE A PROCEDURE DONE WITHOUT MEDS? HUMMMM DNT THINK SO :) GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
This will be my second c-section so I have do not know what it will be like without meds. My advice is if you want try without meds go for it, just remember the meds are there if you change your mind. It is your decision. Just know you have options and no way is the wrong way.
I honestly think it depends on the labor not necessarily your tolerance for pain. I was prepared for labor to be very painful but to be completely honest you are never truly prepared for the pain factor involved in labor...you cannot even compare it to something else painful. I went into labor on a Wednesday morning and gave birth Thursday afternoon. I think if my labor would have been faster I could have been more tolerant but the pain does start to wear on you and the doctors were worried that I was going to be too exhausted to push when the time came. Well truth be told. I pushed for over 2 hours and my little guy just would not come out. They had to use forceps to pull him out. I took the advice of the doctor through my labor and I am glad I did. I would listen to the labor RN when you get to the hospital she will give you the best advice. I couldnt have made it without the epidural. I would say don't rule it out until you start going into labor. If you cannot deal with the pain then get one.
I had my 9.1 daughter w/out an epidural and since I could actually FEEL what my body was telling me, I knew when to push, and did it in about 5 minutes. (also made BF easier) I wouldn't have missed the beautiful experience for the entire world, and am planning a water birth w/ my son w/out any medications/epidural. I wouldn't have it any other way. Just do lots of kegel and pelvic strengthening exercises to make the big push easier, more enjoyable, and recovery much faster.
If you do not want an epidural sister, then good for you.
If you do not want an epidural sister, then good for you.
Hi. Well its gonna HURT like ALOT!!! haha i am planning to get an epidural just bc u dnt know how ur going to end. In case of emergency and a csection is needed or the riping part i dnt know so many things that cam happen. Im not very tolerable with pain so i dmt wamt the baby to be stressed out for it either.
Also, I feel like, maybe if I go in there with the mind set, that this is going to hurt like hell, it MIGHT hurt a little less than what I'm expecting?????
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