Natural Birth or Medication????

[redrosesrsweet]

So I tooked this 4 week class for soon to be parents. We talked about the choices of medication and how it works etc. I also have a few books that I got given to me and I read in them. I am worried about using any kind of medication just because of the cautions and everything that comes alone with it.
So I live in Toronto Ontario and only a few hospitals here have the option of the "laughing gas" I guess you can call it. And the hospital I am giving birth at does not have it there so that is no option for me. But as for the Epidural, Fentanyl and Pudendal Block, I have those options.
Okay so I heard that if you are breat feeding that they will want to keep you in the hospital until the baby is breast feeding well. With all those medications they seem to have side effect of making the baby have a hard time breat feeding. How common is that? I dont want anything to hold us back from being home right after birth because let me tell you I am such a light sleeper I doubt I will be able to sleep in a hospital so I want to leave as soon as I am able to.
I have been told as well, how long your mother was in labour with her first child depends how long you will be in labour. Which I believe, I have a good feeling about that, she was in labour for only 4 hours thats a bonus :) But I was considering a Epidural but now I dont even want one because of these reasons.
--> you will not be able to get up and walk around or anything like that it can take 2 up to 6 hours I think it was until it could wear off.
--> You have to be hooked up with the thing in your spine and a tube for you to pee in, I rather just be able to get up, I dont want to be cramped on the bed and feel more tired then what I am because I wouldnt be able to get up
--> and okay they say there is a possibility that having that medication can give you a hard time pushing because it numbs you out and they have to use these tools to pull out the baby if thats the case. And so with saying that with my moms first she had a epidural and the doctors had to end up using the tools to pull my brother out!! That sound horrible I dont want my baby to be pulled out with those things.

People say that labour and birth is so painful that most women rather have a c-section if they can, I am not one to get that because of the pain and heeling time and other complications of that other words, I rather have a natural birth, but could I handle it without the pain medication, I am so into the methods that can help you coping with the pain like the water therapy (sounds nice), but I just dont know if I can handle it without medication, but I want to avoid using medication because of the possible side effect. I have seen stories in movies and read a few things that women go through the killer pain of labour anf birth. How can I cope with it and try and stay away from taking medications. What do you think? Lots of advice would be great!!

[Kim1989]

i chose to have and epidural. i wound up with a very painful emergncy c section. i wish i had asked for something in addition to an epidural! in that case, you will be all for medication.

i breastfed and my son had no problem with breastfeeding and we didnt stay in the hospital longer because i was breastfeeding.

[waiting4mybabyboy]

with my son I did it drug free, completely natural, I didn't even have an IV, I hope to do the same this time around, but every labor is different

[Jenny100]

I had 5 of my children with no drugs of any kind. It hurts like you wouldn't believe. I did it because I believed the drugs were bad for the babies.
But when I was having my sixth, I was TERRIFIED of doing it again. I caved and had an epidural. I LOVED IT!!!!! I chose to keep it low--it wasn't strong enough to numb me completely, just to take the worst of it away.
I breastfed immediately.There were no effects that were bad or that I regret.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have an epidural every time. The reason why is, for all of my childrens births, I was in HORRIBLE pain.And I have very long labors---(20 hours is my shortest) I was TERRIFIED. I was out of control, screaming, (i am NOT a screamer) and felt that the birth wasn't special, spiritual and sweet, which is what a birth should be. All because of the severe pain.
So anyway, this is my two cents. My opinion.I know there are people who believe drugs affect the baby, but I have seen absolutely NO difference in the intelligence or progress of the two born with epidurals. They even did some things EARLIER than my "natural" babies.

[spade22]

I had the exact same concerns as you about being bed-ridden and catheterized with the epidural - I like the option of being able to get up and about so that really concerned me.   When I went into labor, I had no intention of using medication however, I dilated from a 3-8cm in 1.5h and the pain was so intense that at that point I did not care about being bed ridden etc (the pain was so bad I couldnt get out of bed anyway) - at that point I just wanted pain relief.  The epidural worked well for me and once labor was finished, the epidural is stopped and wears off within about an hour (not fully).  You cant feel the catheter at all.  I did have issues pushing and forceps needed to be used (doesnt happen with everyone of course) but again, it didnt cause any problems.  Breast feeding was not a probleml and baby was wide awake after delivery - epidural's do not effect them to any great extent.  I have to say, once I got the epidural I wondered why I didnt get something for the pain much earlier!

My suggestion to you is to go into labor armed w/ various breathing/relaxation techniques and make sure you have tools available to you like a birthing ball.  But keep an open mind and if the pain gets bad enough know what pain relief options are available.  I will say, I had a  bad experience w/ stadol - it is supposed to take the edge off but did nothing for the pain (in my case)  and made me so woozy that I was essentially paralyzed on the bed (couldnt open eyes etc.).

[Hope2OneDay]

My epidural wore off after an hour of pushing, but I still wouldn't want to go all day without it. It helped me get some MUCH needed rest during the day. The pushing was sooooo exhausting that I know I couldn't have made it had I not been well rested.
Forceps were needed to help my ds come out, but it wasn't b/c the epidural made it hard to push (like I said, it had worn off anyway). Sometimes those things just happen, and believe me, after a few hours of pushing, you'll take any help you can get!

If I had spent the whole day feeling even HALF the pain I felt while giving birth, I would have passed out and they would have had to just TAKE him from me! LOL

As for your situation...I agree with spade, just go in with the knowledge of a natural birth, see how it goes (some people have REALLY quick labors and say it really isn't that bad), but if you decide midway that you want to try the meds, go for it. No guilt in that.
If anything, I'd be wary of the whole "laughing gas" thing before I would an epidural. I wouldn't want to be all loopy while trying to push a baby out. And believe me, that stuff makes me loopy! They used it when I had a root canal done a few years ago. I was giggling and "talking to God" while using that stuff!  They had to turn down the amount and give me a few minutes to "come down" before they finished me up! It was great for a root canal since all I had to do was lay there, but concentrating on pushing while using it? I couldn't do that! I'd end up flirting with the dr or something! LOL

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[tiredbuthappy]

2 thoughts I wanted to share-
1- plan and research, but be aware that it's very possible that things won't go as you plan anyways. Among my friends, 8 of had babies in the past 2 years. Only 2 had vaginal births- the rest needed c-sections for various reasons. Not one of us chose the c-section- it was medically necessary in all cases (most were emergency).

2- don't fear the catheter. i loved my catheter. I was disappointed when they took it out. And i'm not kidding. I had no choice since I had a c-sec, but with everything going on, it was nice to not have to worry about getting up to pee.

[Crritter]

I don't know about the short labors thing.  I had over 38 hrs with baby #1 and only 11 hrs with baby #2.  Of course I was contracting strongly and irregularly when I went in to be induced both times.  I took the epidural, the IV drugs wil goto baby and they make you sleepy, so they do the same for baby.  They usually do not offer this after a certain point as they don't want a groggy baby at birth.  It's safe, but I was given it when my water broke begining day 2 of labor with my first baby and I hated the drunk feeling.  I got the epidural the last few hours and it was great.  I pushed out a 10 lb baby in under an hour no problem and baby was fine.  Got it with #2 as well, the last few hours and I was glad to not have to get out of bed to pee anymore.  My pelvis hurt so bad it was sharp pains like someone shattered my pubic bone.  Didn't have that pain the first time around though.  I was not too exhausted to bond with baby from the pain, and I was able to enjoy the birth.  It really is up to you though, but you will know what you want when you get there, keep an open mind.  Good luck, and maybe be glad laughing gas isn't an option- I may be a little out of it too with that stuff!

[chantal21]

I just had my baby boy 2 1/2 months ago. I wanted to do everything natural and of course was terrified since he is my first and everyone was telling me how horrible it was going to be. But I stuck with it and I am so glad I did! It was an amazing experience and I plan on having a natural birth next time around. I wanted to have a waterbirth, but his head was coming down crooked and the midwife wanted to be able to keep an eye on things. But the water does feel VERY nice and it really relaxes you. I was in labor for almost 13 hours, it would have been so much shorter if it wasn't for his head. I actually didn't even feel like I was in labor until I hit 9cm! The hardest part was pushing (i pushed for an hour and 20 min.), and yes, it's hard, it is tiring, and the most pain I felt only lasted 30 seconds while his head was coming out. Once his head came out, all of my pain was completely gone! That has to be the hardest part of all...but well worth it in my opinion. He was 8lbs 4oz at birth.
It's completely up to you what you choose to do and it just depends what you are comfortable with.  Like another poster said, try to do it naturally, and if you absolutely cna't handle it, you can always get pain relief. I was at a birthing center, so I didn't have an option...but it was right at the end when the pain picked up and it would have been too late for me anyway to get pain relief.  Good luck with everything!

[becca_3456]

Yeah I thought before I had DD I could do without an epidural well.... I was DEAD wrong it hurt like HELL I thought someone was trying to rip my top half from my bottom half. Trust me just get the epidural:) I was only 3cm when I "requested" the epidural and I dont think I could have lasted any longer. Before I got the epidural the nurse asked me if I wanted something for pain. In my stupidity I asked for tylenol, ha ha how DUMB of me lol she said I was thinking more like morphine. I told her I wanted wait a little longer and after 1 hour of walking around the hospital having horrible contractions I went to the desk to ask for the morphine:) at that point I would have asked for ANYTHING:) but they gave me my epidural before the morphine shot showed up. I was in labor for 33 hours. It really all depends on how you handle pain. I thought I could take it but no. I tried to go without it for as long as possible but like I said at 3 cm I could not take anymore. I pushed for 45 minutes and I had a beautiful baby girl. I would not change a thing about my labor and my epidural.  Good luck with what ever you decide do.

[jenstam]

I've had five children. I had my first and fourth with an epidural and my second, third and fifth without. I MUCH more prefer natural than medicated. It is very painful yes, but I was able to mentally find a place that I could focus and almost (I know this sounds weird!) leave my body when the pain got really bad. It was just a very, very mentally focused thing for me and it worked. Granted, I do have shorter labors-they were each about 4 hours and only about 3 pushes. Everyone is different and you do what works. If you plan to go natural, make sure you really, really mentally prepare yourself and those who will coach you. Practicing on your breathing and have something you can squeeze or even bite!

[cantwait4baby]

I had an epi.  LOVED IT!  During labor dd heart rate dropped and I had to have a C-Section LOVED IT!  I think labor and deliery and recovery was much much easier then what I was lead to believe and I am a big baby.  I think paps hurt.

I would recommend the epi and then if you need a c-section I recommend that and once you leave the hospital if you follow directions you will heal quickly.  I did not need pain meds once I left the hospital but you do have to take it easy.

As for the cath - yes that is a pain.  I had dd at 10pm so at 6 am they woke me up and took that out.  I was out of bed walking with help after having a c-section 8 hours earlier - then by later that day I was up on my own.  I had a hard time peeing after they took the cath out.  The sensation to a while to come back but other then that - Great Experience.

Good Luck - take the epi

[have 2 kids]

I had my first with no meds.  18 hours of hard labor.  It was hard but I could certainly handle the pain.   My second I labored for 18 hours with no meds but then required an emergency csection.    Labors don't usually go the way you expect.  Make a plan but be open to anything that may come up.

[JOLOR]

Every labour is different.  If you really want a natural birth, than plan for it, but also be prepared for your plan to change.

I too am planning on a natural birth.  I havn't received a hole lot of support from women who have given birth with an epi.  They want to tell me how horrible their labour was and tell me I won;t make it through a natural birth, but I am trying my best to keep their stories from scarying me.

I have done a lot of reserch and I was also told about a documenary to watch.  "Business of Being Born"  It's a great movie and it's really helped with my decision.
Back in the day 95% of births were done naturally and at home.  C-sections were extremely rare...

My main reason for really wanting a drug free delivery is because I too want the freedom of being able to walk around and try different birthing positions and the recovery time of no drugs.
I hope this is how it will work out for me, but like I said....I have prepared myself for other alternatives if I have to.
Good Luck to you !!!

[jenstam]

Don't listen to the horror stories. Do what feels right for you. I had a terrible experience with both of the epidurals I had. They hit a nerve during my first one and I felt like I had electric shocks in my legs, then I tried again with my fourth child and they hit a blood vessel. Blood was everywhere. I felt so much more comfortable not being hooked up to tubes, an IV and wires. It was very nice to walk, bounce on the ball, move around and use that mental strength to get through it. It is a personal decision though, and everyone's labor is different. Just try to prepare yourself for what you see happening in the delivery room and keep yourself open to other options if it doesn't go as planned. My natural births were the most wonderful experiences.

[mami1323]

I agree with jenshim...do what feels right to you.  An epidural is a personal choice and every one's labor is different.  I had a very quick labor but at the time you really don't know how fast it's going to go.  I was in pain but it got bad so I asked for the epidural...frankly I could've done without it because I only got numb on one side.  They had trouble getting it in at first and had to take it out and put it in lower and so I had to endure two shots in my back.  Then I felt everything on my right side so they asked if I wanted to take it out and reposition it and hold off on pushing or do I want to just push since I was fully dilated.  I chose to push.  So really it wasn't even worth it to me.  You have to see how you feel.  If your labor is long then you may want it just to get some rest because you will need all of your strength for pushing.  Play it by ear....whatever you feel comfortable with is the way you should go.  Don't let anything scare you, labor is a wonderful experience.  I enjoyed it and can't wait to go through it again...hopefully drug free.

[redrosesrsweet]

Thanks for all the input. Some made me laugh :) Thats great, but I still feel like I dont want a epidural.....I am going to leave the option for other medications though just in case. I will be taking a birth preperation class in septemeber (Im due in November). I still have confident about going natural yes I hear how alot of women say your crazy just take the meds LOL. I think the class will help.....I dont know how much pain this is (what I am going to say) compared to labour and birth but I will tell you about it.... years ago I had surgery and got my tonsils taken out. There was not pain right after but the healing process was so damn Painful and it took over a week to heal. I even had med to help with the pain but NONe of it worked for me, but the sugery was well worth it for me and I am so proud of getting it done and getting through it. Like I said I dont know how this is compared to labour and birth but that is another thing that keeps me confident because that was the most pain I felt in my life and it hurt bad. So I thought I would tell you all that and thanks for all the input.

[redrosesrsweet]

*4 years ago I had sugery