Epidural?

[HaYnSweetie]

So initially i wanted to get an epidural because i didnt want to feel too much pain lol, BUT after talking to my sister, a couple family members and a few of my co-workers im having second thoughts. I heard from every one of them that after they had their babies they felt no pain! Thats without the epidural. So now im debating on getting it. It'd be nice to push him out and then not feel any pain!

Any advice ladies?

[brigadiva]

I agree mom2ariana. Each case is different, and every doctor/midwife is different. My December baby was delivered by a midwife and I found that she was the worst experience of all my births. In fact I would deliberately ask to be scheduled for my Ob appointments with others just to avoid being seen by her. She had the worst attitude and bedside manner of anyone I have seen during my pregnancies combined. My DH didn't even like her at all. She did not seem to listen or care during the appointments. She was the only person we hoped would NOT be on call the day of my delivery... well, sure enough... :o(

During my labor she came in and said to the nurse "Do you think we can get this one done quickly?" She was not very helpful during the delivery, she was very agitating and seemed to be in a hurry. I feel like if she hadn't been so in a rush to get the baby "done" quickly I may not have torn so badly. Never once did she check on me after delivery (I have always been checked in on by the doctors in the post partum room in the past). So, everyone is different, and every birth is different. I'm sure the other midwives in the practice may be great, but this one was not. Some of the doctors in the practice were not top of my list, but in this case I would have prefered any of them to her.

[Lisa2812]

Thanks for posting this question.  I have been thinking alot about this lately too.  I am only 24 weeks along,  but starting to think about the labour already.  I am not the best with pain, and dont know how i will handle it on the day.  It is great to hear other people experiences.
Good luck with your birth whatever you chose to do.
Take Care.

[mom2ariana]

im sorry to hear about your daughters collarbone!! i think i might have known that but forgot.. anyways im not trying to start an argument, but i really dont think that its really fair to pin that on having a birth with a doctor and/ epidural. any doctor or midwife can make a mistake.

i think doctors are for FAR more than just emergencies. i think doctors are there to PREVENT emergencies/problems. i had my daughter delivered by an OBGYN and i wouldn't have had it any other way. when her cord was being compressed by my contractions, my doctor was quick to respond and very careful to do the right thing. she, in my case, PREVENTED an emergency and prevented a c-section. i was told later that her and my primary OBGYN (who was not on call) were concerned i would need to have a c-section if ariana's heartrate didn't stop dipping and taking awhile to come back up. but by taking the necessary actions that she did, that scenario was prevented, and i cannot even tell you how grateful i am that she was the one who delivered me. if it had been a midwife periodically checking her heartrate with a doppler, those dips might not have been picked up until an emergency was already underway.

i think midwives are fine if you are in a hospital. and natural births are perfectly fine as well. as are epidurals and doctors.

[JoyRenee]

Chantal- they did not know it happened until the next day when the pediatrician came to check out baby. He frowned and said, "Did you know her collarbone is broken?" I could tell he was very angry because I think doctors get in a hurry and just start pulling on babies to speed things along. My MIL had a front row seat to the show and said she (the doctor) was pulling really hard on Abby's head for seemingly no reason. I know I said shoulder dystocia in an above comment but when the midwives went over my birth history, written by the doctor, they saw no indication of shoulder dystocia and don't understand why her collarbone broke. And not all shoulder dystocias lead to broken bones or injury to baby; just takes gentle coaxing sometimes which my doctor obviously didn't have the patience for.

Healing- it does heal fast. They don't cast it or do anything for it. Just hold baby gingerly. Takes about 2 weeks to heal up. This is definitely NOT the norm and I feel had I had the natural birth I wanted and was free to push in a different position it never would have happened. It hurts me every time I think of her birth and how I didn't even know why she was crying so so so hard that first night (harder than newborns typically cry; my MIL said the same thing and said she sounded like she was in pain but everyone brushed her off).

Anyway that's kind of a scary story and I do NOT want to scare anyone. It's one of the reasons I had my natural birth and why I'm a huge advocate for it for other women so they can avoid something avoidable. This is also NOT a common thing at all which is why you don't ever hear about it.

[chantal21]

Joy, you give such great info and advice! :)

Question: When your daughter's collar bone broke, did they know immediately that it happened and what do you do in a situation like that for the baby? Does it heal quickly?

[brigadiva]

Well I had epidurals after the contractions started getting painful with all three of my births. Worked great with my son (2001), I felt nothing after it was in and we laughted and had a great time during the whole pushing process :o). With my first daughter (2006) I only felt it when she was crowning, but still nothing too bad. The last one (December) I felt EVERYTHING when she started down the birth canal. Guess those endorphins didn't kick in for me lol. The anesthesiologist was a mess, though. He hit a blood vessel the first time, then tried to insert the epi cath for a second time and hit a blood vessel again. The third attempt worked... but only on the left side of my body. So he came in again and did a FOURTH attempt. Worked great until she started decending, by then it had mostly worn off. The pelvic pressure was pretty painful and the pushing phase as well. When they pulled her out my exact words were "Thank the Lord!" lol But it isn't so terrible. You strike me as a strong woman, so by all means go natural if that is what you want! You go girl! When it is all over and the epi wears off you will still feel it anyway if it is going to hurt at all (I guess some people don't, but I have never been amongst the fortunate :o) I never wanted to try without the epidural just for my personal complications during pregnancy (hydronephrosis causing severely swollen and majorly painful kidneys. I couldn't bear the thought of having that pain in addition to labor.) But if you are having a problem-free pregnancy then go for it!