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?

[JoyRenee]

PS I'm totally not trying to argue with anyone at all! I totally see everyones' points and agree with many of them. ;-)  Very good discussion we're having here and I think a discussion women do need to have. Just sharing my own points and opinions and I hope it is coming off respectfully. If not I do apologize as that is NOT my intention.

[JoyRenee]

Ivy- do you mean that obese women need more cesareans than non-obese women? Hey you like to read, right? I recommend the book Pushed by Jennifer Block. She is a woman reporter/researcher who has never been pregnant herself. But she has used her amazing researching skills to delve deep into the issue of childbirth in America and all of these statistics from an unbiased point-of-view (though her point-of-view after research becomes very biased as I'm sure mine seems pretty biased, LOL!). I think you might find it quite interesting! I don't think obesity is making the rates that much higher but that is my opinion. It is hard for me to truly articulate everything into a short little comment here because birth is so complex and will be so different for each woman.

But many obstetricians that are pro-natural birth (not necessarily birth without epidurals but vaginal birth without unnecessary interventions like Pitocin) have stated that 9 out of 10 women would give birth without a problem if we left them alone to let their bodies do what they need to do. When the cesarean rate reaches HALF there is something very wrong- when did someone decide womens' bodies didn't know what to do anymore? I don't think that is the case.

Jennifer Block outlines the history of birth and how it has changed over the years. In the 70's there was a HUGE natural birth and midwifery movement and if you check that out you see the lowest cesarean rates ever. Not saying it's the ONLY way but definitely saying that we need to take a step back and see WHY women are lying down and letting their doctor (or even midwife) tell them how to birth and when and where.

I'm not anti-drugs or even anti-OBs. I know there's bad midwives and bad OBs just as there are good ones. It just makes me sick how many women are given cesareans when they don't NEED them. It is major abdominal surgery (and the number 1 surgery in American right now) that carries risk to the woman but more importantly to her newborn baby.

[Ashelen]

You mention some good points to think about as usual, Joy. Like I said...because my first 2 deliveries were essentially epidural- and pain med-free, I might as well avoid pain meds/epidural during my next one. However, I have and always will be a supporter of using OB's...just...the RIGHT OB. My worst experiences have always been with midwives, but there are GREAT OB's and GREAT midwives..and not-so-great of both.

I've also said before and will say it again...you have to take the obesity rate of American women into account when you're looking at the c-section statistics. I think you can meet halfway between the obesity rate and the rate of OBs pushing c-sections for selfish/inappropriate reasons and probably the average out of "unnecessary c-sections" to be closer to %30....which is still unacceptable.

[JoyRenee]

mom2ariana- nah, I don't think you're starting an argument. I think that there are just so many factors. I was making general statements because the vast majority of obstetricians aren't very good. But like another poster said her least favorite person she saw was a midwife. I was trying to get so much information on natural birth out that I made broad, sweeping generalizations but I do hear you.

I think it is also important to note that midwives can and do prevent many dangers as well. They're just not as recognized for those instances. A midwife rushes a home birth mama to the hospital in an emergency and yet the doctor who sections her gets the credit when in fact the midwife's quick and decisive judgment got that mother to the hospital where she needed to be for her specific situation. Midwives are HIGHLY trained professionals in one area and that is birth. They know what to do if a mother is hemorrhaging, if there is cord prolapse, if baby is breech, etc. Most midwives do not take high-risk patients; they leave them to OBGYNs. Midwives usually only take low-risk women, as it should be.

[JoyRenee]

ammanda- I don't think all OBs are all about cesareans but when our country has an average cesarean rate of 40-50% there is something wrong. WHO (World Health Organization) states that the cesarean rate should NOT exceed 15%. So anyway all that is to say that there are gems of obstetricians out there who are more genteel and into natural birth than others. That is why it is important to "shop around" for your health care provider. Just as there are great OBs there are not-so-great midwives who push interventions just as much as many obstetricians.

I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that I'm making enormous generalizations (which I did mistakenly do above) but I do get that there are good OBs; many of them backup midwives and are on-call for emergencies. The most important point is that women need to find someone they trust, who listen to their concerns and who also have a record to backup what they say because many OBs tout that they are great but then they cut your perineum and tie you to a bed when you're finally in labor.

My feeling is that if an OB wants 9-5 birth where s/he can control when women deliver then s/he needs to find a new profession. Because evidence shows births are happening during the week, during business hours and most of them are inductions and cesareans.

[Heatherm4]

I delivered my son without any type of drug whatsoever! I don't have a high pain tolerance and wanted to go natural but wasn't sure what the pain was like so I went in with an open mind too.
I read up as much as I could about how to cope with the pain during labour and watching "The Business Being Born" is what got me started in educating myself. I also read a book about The Bradley Method (amazing method, helped me a lot) and another book called The Birth Book by William and Martha Sears.
The biggest thing that got me through was that I would actually tense up when a contraction came and I relaxed right away and breathed through it. The more you tense, the more it hurts. And I agree with the others. Pushing doesn't hurt until the infamous burning ring of fire but it only lasts mere seconds and is gone. I tore a lot, not on the outside but on the inside so I can easily say that the worst part was after he was born and  I was being stitched up. It took her about 2 hours to do it and that's what HURT! Imagine! LOL and I don't think you'd still have the epidural for that! I had a 9lb baby so I was walking funny and was in pain for like 2 weeks!!
Good luck!!