No epidural

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Due in 10 weeks and I'm anxious but nervous as all hell and scared to the point I wanna cry cause birthing does not look easy and I am gonna be a first time mom. I'm trying to go for a natural birth instead of screwing myself up in the long run wth epidural... So I guess I'm asking for opinions and would I be smart for doing it the natural way ? I just need some yes' or no's and an explanation....

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I love all the comments ladies you are all very supportive! Thankyou

[chanieb]

I had an epidural with my first and it helped with the labor but I had a weird pain in my back for months afterwards. The pain did finally go away on it's own but it was kinda scary having that pain in my spin for months. And I'm scared it will happen again but I'm also scared going natural will hurt more!! I'm praying that all water I'm drinking and walking I'm doing at work will help me have a easy delivery!!

[10Angels]

Previous poster is correct in saying you feel like a million bucks....it's extremely empowering when you look at your baby knowing you made that precious bundle and that you did it natural...well that's how I felt...and there's nothing like a woman's strength..you never know how tough you really are until you've had a successful natural birth and the pain is all a small memory as soon as you sight that beautiful creation you personally achieved. You can do it as long as you believe and tell yourself that you can cause we women were born to do this and have survived doing it for centuries.

[ameenicholle]

You can do it!  It is painful, yes.  Just take each contraction one at a time.  I was in active labor for 18 hours.  I did finally get something similar to advil.  That helped me rest between contractions.  If you have the means I would also recommend a doula. They are great and will help you stay calm.  Just remember each contraction brings you closer to your baby.  Just think about them one at a time, not as omg these have been going on for hours.  And most of all the best pick me up I got was a friend who told me you will feel like a million bucks after.  Which was true.  Midnight after being up since 3am I felt awesome.  I was on cloud 9.  It was a natural high knowing I was strong enough to get through it with no epi.  I felt amazing... not like I'd just been hit by a mac truck.  So yes... the healing is faster.  I've heard that from anyone who has had both.

[ashley_july123]

I did both... I going natural again.. I labored at home until I couldn't take it anymore.. That's what plan on doing this time,, i dont wanna be confind to a bed and the hospital doesn't offer water birth oh how I would have loved that,, good luck ladies!

[Bethabby]

where i am from we dont have the option to have an epidural. we have to go naturally.. its not that bad, its really the contractions that may hurt but actual delivery dont pain... im on my second baby rite now..

[10Angels]

Yep I agree on recovery times...I've done 3 natural deliveries and I won't lie and say it doesn't hurt coz it really hurts like no other pain youve felt before...but...in my opinion the delivery is faster and its easier to push without having to have stirrups or interventions like forceps and suction and you can get up and "walk" to have a shower as soon as you feel up to it rather than being "paralyzed" for a while afterwards. I'm on my fourth and plan on natural again if I can...also my babies were kinda big smallest was 7lb 13oz, 2nd was 9lb 04oz and my biggest was 10lbs 01oz. Determination to meet my baby is what kept me going and hopefully it goes to plan again this time...good luck in your decision and delivery.

[Parentaladvisoryexplicitcontent]

Yeah i must admit i am eagered but not ready for the pain at all.. it looks like dying literally .. i try so hard not to think about it anf you are definately right i might wimp out and be like put that epidural in me NOW !!! But if i can hold out... then yeah ill just do it naturally. And as you described your recovery time being more faster without epidural sounds better to me ..

[Littlecookie3]

I have done both.  My natural delivery was much easier than my epidural birth- however, my labour with my first was very, very long and I needed the epidural so I could get some sleep so I would have energy to push.  My second came quickly so I did not need it.  Don't kid yourselves though, pushing a baby out is a whole different kind of pain.  That being said, I am planning to have another natural birth.  No catheter, no IV, get up and walk to the bathroom after baby comes.  I recovered much faster without the epidural and the pain became a memory very fast.  No matter what you plan, be prepared for it to change unexpectedly and no matter how baby gets here, it's all worth it.  Right now I am breech, so may end up with a c-section lol.

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It's not so much about the recovery time but the long term affects like side affects pretty much what you may have to deal with as you age.. I posted up a site in one of my recent comments up there it tells you the effects

[BonitaMichelle]

Epidural for me.  Im not going to kid myself about handling the pain.  Never heard epidural makes for a longer recovery time than natural.

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Thanks ladies ! Preciate the comments ! I'm def a lot more confident about natural birth now

[206babymama]

Lots of my friends have done it. My friend explained there is a numbness from the pressure of the baby and it doesn't last long. The pain is mainly from the contractions. I myself will go the epidural route because i want to be comfortable.

[Aaliyah_G]

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@tprado21 I plan on doing natural / water birth & I've heard that it is worth it & the water helps some people with contractions, which is the worst part of it all. Think about it this way if women years ago could do it then you can too :) our bodies were made to give birth, so no worries. I can't lie, I'm scared too because I can't deal with pain but it just will feel like you have to poop really bad :) best of luck ladies!

[tprado21]

This is my second pregnancy and im not planning to get an epidural. With my first I did get it and yes it helped alot but it gave me an allergic reaction and i couldn't concentrate on pushing because my face wash horribly itchy and my mouth was super dry. I ended up getting a c section. This time im going natural I dont care how much it hurts. When I got the epidural i was about 7cm open and it was probably 2 hours till then when I opened all 10cm . A couple more hours of pain will be worth having an easy labour and recovery.