Options for Delivery

Hi K.,

I am of mother of 3 daughters, and I never had an epidural. With my first, my husband & I decided prior to delivery that it was not a option for me. I, like you did not appreciate the idea of a needle in my spine. I know several women that had them, and it is true in the sense, you feel nothing. However, several women have told me it prolongs the labor, because you do not have the need to push, you push because you are told to. Now, alot of women will respond and say they have had epidurals, and it's no big deal. My opinion is, to each is own. But, I do recommend you do some research online, as I did. When you get an epidural, if they miss the correct spot the first time, (which is very common) because you must not move AT ALL when they are inserting the needle. If they miss, you have two choices, one is take blood from your vein and insert it in the first needle insert, or leave it go and you take a chance on severe migraines for the rest of your life. The first option with the blood replacement, you are at risk for spinal meningitis, these facts can be found online, you don't have to take my word for it. Bottom line is, many, many young women today have them, it is very common. These days there is not even a question, women make the decision within the first few months of pregnancy. I personally do not think it is the way to go. I am 36 years old, I have a 16, 12, & 4 year old. My first baby was the worst, & the longest, but I survived, and so will you. I am not going to lie and say it's a "walk in the park", but it's a beautiful, natural thing, and having an epidural is not. Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best. May God bless you and your beautiful "soon to be" new baby!

I have two children. If God is good and I ever give birth to a third child, I want the epidural in the parking lot before I even get into the hospital room. All joking aside, you're never completely numb, because they want you to push. The object of labor and delivery is to get the baby safely out of the mother; motherhood is a marathon, not a sprint! You will be that child's mother until you're dead, with all the anxiety that goes with it, so do not bring any unnecessary suffering on to yourself!

*Don't get me wrong, motherhood is a joy, but you're going to be up late into the night feeding your baby, then your baby will get older and get sick and you'll be thrown up on, and so it goes. Take the good (including pain relief!) when you can get it, because the grueling is going to be handed to you whether you want it or not!

Hi K.!
My first two I had natural and last two I had an epidural. I definately say...epidural, if possible. The needle thing is just to insert the "tube" (lack of exact term!). It's just slightly uncomfortable for about a minute and that is it. You are NOT completely numb. It only affects you from your waist to your knees. You can still feel the muscles when you have contractions and you can certainly feel the urges of pushing when it is time.
Childbirth was so much more meaningful with the epidural. Not having the full-blown pain made giving birth such an awesome and unforgettable experience!
Oh, and if you think you may be interested, have a mirror placed in front of you so you can watch your baby be born! I did and it was just amazing. I wish I had done this with my first two.
Good luck! Wouldn't mind hearing what you decide to do and how things go for you!

I am the mom of 4 wonderful children, all born with no pain medication. I loved the entire prcocess of pregnancy, labor and delivery. I am so glad that I never opted for the epidural. I feel that I would have missed out on the 4 most empowering, most terrific experiences of my life.
I am also a lobor doula and training to be a child birth educator. There are so many other ways of dealing with pain during childbirth that are drug free and a more natural option. First of consider using a doula. They can recommed so many different comfort measures to try before you get your epidural and be a tremendous benefit after you get it too. Labor in water (tub or shower)is almost as wonderful as the epi, it has the same effect.

My recommendation to moms who ask...
1. bottom line, know the benefits and risks of all procedures!!!
2. Know what can happen- not only the risks (usually a very small percentage of moms have any complications) but that it does not always work as well as you hope. (worst case- I was with a mom who the epi did not take at all, and she felt everything and had to labor as though she had the medication)
3. Always have a back up plan. Regardless of what you decide beforehand to do, realize that birth is unpredictable- your plan must be flexible. You may want the epi, but get there too late, you may not want it and have a long complicated labor and end up with it.
4. I also recommend don't make any final decisions regarding pain medication until you are in the situation. A plan is good, but don't be so convinced that you need it that you don't notice that you could be one of the women who have terrific experiences without it.

5. MOST IMPORTANTLY THIS IS YOUR BIRTH!!! You are the only one who should make the decisions!!! Do not let ANYONE talk you into or out of something that you want, unless it is medically necessary!!! You are the only one having your baby, You are the one who has to endure the decision you make. You are the one responsible for your body and your baby. You have the final say about almost everything that happens to you during labor. (to a point, there is hospital protocol that they are unwilling to give on, and unless there is a medical issue.)
Good Luck!

No matter what you say now about wanting to feel the birth and contraction and what not that's all going to go down the tubes when the time comes. Trust me. As far as the epidural, it doesnt hurt at all. I know that there's a needle in ur spine and your probably thinking "Yeah right" but I SWEAR. It does feel kinda weird because it's a needle where u've probably never had a needle before but it doesnt feel any different than getting a needle in ur arm or something. The only difference is that it kinda pops thru which will make ur nerves go crazy. Another part that freaked me out was when then actually put the medicine in because you feel it. It's a warm sensation but it will scare u a little because it's in ur spine. The only thing is, i guess the epidural effects different people in different ways because i felt NOTHING from the waist down. No muscles contracting. NOTHING. But trust me, after 10 hours of no medicine I wasn't complaining.

Alrhough everyone is different, my personal experience with pitocin induced contractions made the "needle in the spine" seem like nothing. You will know when and if you need it. With my epidural, I felt no pain, but then to my horror, when push time came, they turned it off so I could have the urge to push. From what I hear, that's a common practice. I wish you the best whatever your decision.

hi K.!
Congrats on your pregnancy. My advice is to keep an open mind about your options. My experience with birth is knowing that I allowed myself to use whatever pain meds necessary really took the pressure off of me to have a natural childbirth. I hated the idea of a needle in my back too! the film that I was required by the hospital to watch really helped my disgusted feelings towards the epidural. We were required to wtch it if we even thought that we might want a epidural, so that everything was explained about the proceedure while not stressed about the pain of contractions. Anyway do what you can to keep yourself healthy & hydrated (always drink plenty of water) Perineal massage & stretching in the last months are supposed to help. I found that squats during end of early labor helped move things along, & walking as much as possible during labor. I don't know what you mean by high risk, but during pregnancy, eating 2-3 strands of black licorice a day helped immensly with the labor contractions & childbirth. A friend of mine clued me into that info from a midwife......something about it eases thight muscles or something.......so depending on your high risk factor, I would definitely recommend that! :-) My one & only labor so far was was 5hrs at home then at the hospital 2hrs & the baby was born! On the other hand the ease of this delivery may be in my genes, who really know! :-) Blessings to you & your growing family!

Dear K.:
Hey there! I saw your resquest for help on here and thought I'd add my experience to help you with your decision. Before I had my daughter (a month early this past February), my boyfriend and I went to Childbirth classes. They told us everything you need to know about everything you will experience during childbirth (even the choices you'd think you'd like to make...like the epiosotomy and epidural). I was the type of mother who would of loved to have my labor and delivery in the water...all natural. But, there were no facilities in my area for that so I already had to settle on the hospital. The main thing they stress in the childbirth class is BE READY FOR A CHANGE IN YOUR BIRTH PLAN! YOU may want it to go one way but you unfortunately have to go another route. Since I had to do the hospital thing, I had decided that I would like to do everything natural and no drugs whatsoever. As you will see...this will change. I was due on March 17th but my water broke on February 19th at 10:45pm. That in itself had scared me because by that time I was saying I'd wish it would come sooner than later (never really meant it though). My birth plan that I told my boyfriend was that I wanted everything natural and no epiosotomy. Well, since I was a month early and one of my test results hadn't even come back yet, they IMMEDIATELY hooked me up to an IV and fed me antibiotics. Then, my contractions were not as strong as they needed to be so then they had to induce my contractions by giving me Pitocin. There goes my birth plan out the window anyways! Then, once the contractions started kicking in about 12 hours later, I was doing my breathing but they were getting a bit much for me to handle without any pain medicine. So, I asked for my epidural. (My plan was already screwed up anyways.) Let me tell you, deep into contractions, them having you sit up and bend over the side of the bed with a huge belly and trying to do your breathing at the same time is a chore in itself. It was a bit painful but, in the end...it was worth it. I actually got to sleep! I'll never forget my boyfriend telling me there was a contraction coming (he was watching the monitor even before I got the epidural) and I said...I don't feel them now. I told him next time I will automatically get an epidural to help me relax. In the end, 20 hours later, I had not dialated and I had to go c-section. I felt kind of upset that I didn't get to experience it naturally and without drugs but my beautiful daughter (we didn't know until she was born) was born healthy and that's all that mattered to me.

I would recommend getting an epidural eventually (maybe experience labor a bit as I did to say that you DID feel it and experience it). Don't wait until it's too late to get one though because a few people I've talked to said they asked for it too long into labor and they can't because it won't have time to kick in. You will be completely numb from the waist down but you will be more relaxed and can concentrating more on the delivery once it occurs.

I hope this helps you make your decidsion a bit easier. LIke I said, I just went through this 8 months ago and so if you have any other questions or what not, please feel free to get ahold of me. :-) Good Luck with everything!

E.

Hi K.

I was in the same boat as you (except for the high risk) - the best advice I took was to get 1/2 the epidural - once I was in active labor and started to feel pain the nurse checked me and said "oh your 10 cm we need to get the dr in here" - I didn't want the doctor I wanted the other 1/2 of my epi LOL - Needless to say my son would not wait so I delivered on 1/2 the meds... It was an amazing experience and I would not have changed it for the world. You can always add medicine, you can't take it away... So try doing 1/2 doses and see how you make out! Good luck you will be just fine, just listen to your body and don't be a martar for anyone!

J.
Mohrsville, PA

I completly understand where you are coming from right now. I had a similar situation, b/c I was also high risk.
I really think you should just see how it goes. THis is not a decision you need to make ahead of time. I also HATED the idea of having a needle in my spine(to be honest that is what scared me most about labor), however when that time came, I was in so much pain from labor that I didn't think twice and to be honest, I didn't even feel that needle. I was in labor 10 hours before I received my epideral, so it's not like I didn't experience 'real' labor. Also, it didn't completely numb me. Especially when it was time to push. The extreme pain came back and I definately felt contractions again. I was in labor a total of 17 hours and could not have done it without the epe.
However, every labor is different. Some women are very lucky and the whole experience is over much quicker. This might happen to you and it may not be a big deal to go without the epi. I would just see how it goes.
Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

Both of mine were done without the epi. I did however opt for a drug called (spelling) Stadul. It a drug that you can get every hour that just takes the "edge off" the pain. It will also help you sleep a bit between the contractions. Believe me I held them to that every hour!

I was in labor with Kara for 3 days. She was a normal delievery. Jon was an induction. He wanted to stay where it was warm! LOL When they first started they used this gel stuff to soften my curvex which caused me to have contactions that were 8 minutes long and 2 minutes apart!!! So with the Stadul, I was able to deal with them and get a bit of sleep.

If I had to do it all over again, I would go without the epidurals.

I had every intention of having my second son naturally but thank god for the epidural. During my first birth I had an epi tha wore off and they couldn't make it go again. I felt the whole birth and episiotomy. not fun! However with #2 I wanted a natural birth until I started to have contractions. On the way to the hospital I told my husband I wanted drugs and he was all "Are you sure?" and I'm all "I can't do this and I don't want to feel this anymore". As soon as I got to the hospital they got me started, I had bloodwork earlier that day, And then started joking with me about my birth plan.

So I guess the bottom line is do what is going to be right for you. If the pain is not bad try to not do it. If the pain is anything like what I went through you will want the epidural. Just make your decision based on how YOU feel not what anyone tells you.

Cia
p.s. walking after being in labor for 12 -15 hours is totally overrated. All I wanted was to go to sleep;)

I had both my kids naturally. It was AWSOME! I was able to move around the whole time right up until I wanted to push and I was moving around fine right after. Sure it hurt but like you I had NO desire to get a needle in my spine. I took a Bradley Childbirth class before my frist son and then kinda mentally reviewed everything on my own before my second one. I would do it with no drugs again!

K.,
Labor can be a very painful experience yet very rewarding. I am a mother of 3 (ages 4,2,and 3mnths). I opted for the epidurel w/ all 3 of them. I was just like you though w/ my first. I wanted to do it naturally w/ no drugs, however things didn't go as I had planned. I wasn't feeling my contractions, even w/ the potocin that they were giving me. I went to 6 cnt and stopped dialating. I was doing fine up until that point, and that's when they decided to break my water. The pain that I got after my water was broke will be a pain that I will never forget, and I had no choice but to get the epiduaral at that point. It made things alot easier for me to enjoy labor. Everyone is different though. I had an epiduaral w/ my 3mnth old also, it worked for a while, but when it came down to the end, I was feeling everything anyways. I could feel everything that was going on. Everyone is different when it comes to an epiduaral. Some experience no feeling at all, and other will still feel everything. Explore all of your options. Having a duala my also help. They have a lot of unique ways to help w/ labor pains. I never had one, but my best friend had one w/ all 4 of her children, and she swears by them. There are other options for pain medicine also. As far as having the needle in your back, if you are in that much pain, that you need to have one, the five minutes of being uncomfortable while its being put in, is a lot better than the pain you are probable going to experience w/ labor. Just remeber its your decision. Talk to you doctor about all the options that you have. Be prepared for labor. It will help in the end if you know about all of your options. Childbirth will be an expierence you will never forget. It will be even better if you are prepared for what your options are too.. Good luck on you decision. If you need anyone to talk to, I'm always here.
C.

Get an epidural...I am a 27 yr old mother of 4 I had my 11yo all natural it was painful i had to be cut and get 13 stitches. my daughter is 9 yo i had her all natural the contractions were painful at the end just like i had alot of pressure on my back and plus i was tired from laboring but you forget the pain as soon as its over. then i have 7 mo twins and i was like i want drugs so i labored for awhile without and it hurt really bad so i decided i wanted the epidural i didn't feel the needle go in and within 2 minutes the pain was gone and i could rest then when it was time to push i pushed like i was having a bowel movement and they were both born vaginally oh yeah i forgot i decided i wanted an epidural with my 11yo but it was too late so you can try the labor thing and then get an epidural just don't wait to long there is no reason to suffer like that it doesn't make you a better or worse mother if you get an epidural you still pushed a baby out of you and that is amazing. the sideeffects of the epidural for me where i had to have a cathedar which i didn't feel go in or come out and then it took a few hours for me to be able to go pee on my own cause i was numb. if you want more info let me know

Hi K.-
My advice, go in saying you want to do it natural but you are open to the option of an epidural if you decide later you want it. You have no way of even imagining what labor will be like until you go through it. So try it, if you get to a point where it seems like you can't do it any more, as for the epidural. Everyone has different pain tolerances. But when you hit that wall and can't do any more, the needle will feel like nothing compared to what you have already done. No matter what you decide, you will have your little one in the end! Good luck and take care!

Hi K.,
I am 25 and have 2 children. My son Brian was full term and I had an epidural with him. I knew exactly when it was time to push because you feel "different". With my daughter I ended up with Toxemia and had to have an emergency c-section at 30 weeks so I had a spinal with her. Basically the decision comes down to whats going to work best for you and your husband. The needle isn't bad at all and I think it just depends on the person and how it will effect you. Good luck and congratulations on you baby girl!

Unfortunately, every delivery is different. Ask 10 different women to relay the stories of their children's births and you will get 10 completely different answers.
I went into the hospital wanting to have "natural" childbirth, and at first the contractions weren't too bad. Then they gave me Pitocin because I wasn't dilating, and the contractions got very painful very quickly.
I lasted as long as I could but I did end up getting an epidural; the next time I have a baby I will get the epidural sooner. I still felt everything, and I could definitely tell when it was time to push, but I could handle the contractions again. I barely felt the needle, and the relief it gave me was well worth any discomfort.
Hope this helps you...

Hi K.

I have two children. I couldn't have an epidural with either of them due to a bleeding deficiency. I asked for the possibility each time and was denied. My first labor was 56 hrs. it was hell and I would have done anything for an epidural the stadol or demerol they give really has no effect on the pain of the contraction! My second labor was 12 hours long but the worst of it being after my water was broken and that only lasted like maybe two hours but my exact memory is me clinging to to bed railing and saying to myself what in the world made me think I could do this again. If you can get an epidural DO IT!! If not something that made me feel better is that my mother told me.... "Many women before us have done this and survived, Many women after us will too!" And even though this little saying won't help when you are actually in labor, it definitely made me feel better going into it because it is very true many did it before us and many will do it after us!
Good luck!!! And let me kno what you choose.

Hello... I delivered my son 4 months ago with no epidural and no other pain medication at all. And I do not regret my decision. I will be honest with you and say that it hurt more than I could ever have imagined. I wanted to truely experience the birth and not be "out of it" like the drugs make you. I took my physio ball and sat on it and rocked back and forth, and also stood and leaned on my husband. Being out of the bed as much as possible helped. Aother tip for you is to do your perineum stretches, I tore and that was the worst part of it. Another thing... I just kept in mind that I was doing this for my son and I wanted him to have the most healthy entrance into the world. Any other questions feel free to write me back.

K.,
I was never one of those women who said that they didn't want an epidural because I am a baby when it comes to pain! I had a high risk pregnancy (twins) and I had a horrible labor ordeal, mainly because it was twins, my water was leaking, I was in labor for 35 hours and hard labor for like 6. I knew I wanted an epidural, even though I didn't want a needle in my spine either. I ended up having the labor shakes so bad when they did the epidural that I was more focused on that and I had a nurse in there talking to me about stuff and the guy doing the epidural was great. I had no problems at all with it, I didn't have any pain associated with it while they did it (except for a little pinch), and epidural is now my favorite word :o) I did not enjoy the contractions at all and thankfully I did have one because my twins were born almost 3 hours part (I went vaginally with both, and had to have a refill halfway through). Before I had that epidural I had so much pain when they would check to see how far dilated I was and when the contractions came on, after I had it, I didn't feel anything really. I mean I did feel the babies come out, but I didn't have to feel the contractions, which was really nice. After I was home from the hospital, my back was a little tender where I had it done and I could feel the hole from where the needle went in, but it wasn't that bad. I had a spinal tap in August and that was way worse than the epidural was!
I think it's a personal decision, some love that they didn't have it, some have problems, and some risk it and love it! It might be best if you want to wait and see how contractions are and if you can handle them or not. With how slow my labor was, I never would have been able to handle the pain without one, if you have a fast labor, you probably won't need one. Good luck and congratulations! Motherhood is the most amazing thing you will ever go through in your entire life!

On 12-10-2 I delivered my first son naturally and on 9-23-06 (yes just 4 weeks ago) I delivered our second son naturally also. The births were totally different and both wonderful. The main reason I do not do the epidural is for the same reason, I can't imagine putting a needle in my spine cord. For me if was the most empowering experience. Yes it hurt but it was also amazing! When I delivered my second son 4 weeks ago I was thinking maybe drugs might be a good idea, try it another way. Contractions hurt but the labor was amazing, it truly was a God experience that changed my life (yet again). Physically feeling giving birth to my son was so amazing there are no words to explain. I highly recommend it. And in the end, when the baby is born, you can walk immediately and the pain is gone. Good luck!

Hi, I was 25 when I had my daughter and I did it all natural. It was tough but really the last hour was when I felt like I was going to die but then it was over. I would do it all over again the same way!

you can do it,
K.

K. -

For many women, once you start to experience labor pains, the corresponding pain of a needle is immaterial to the thought of relief. Unfortunately, epis don't always work correctly, or if they do, they you definitely don't feel anything (when to push, etc). Once you get an epi, you won't be able to move around, so if your baby has positioning issues (a common problem), you won't be able to change positions to help resolve them.

Also and especially since you are high risk, you should be aware that the more interventions there are during birth (including an epidural), the more likely you are to end up with a c-section. The c-section rate where I live is 1 in every 3 births. C-sections are major surgery and have lots of corresponding complications that you may want to avoid (especially if there are other medical issues going on).

If you really want to go natural, than please do consider exploring getting a doula, or hypnobirthing/hypnobabies, Lamaze/Bradley/Birthing from Within, or at least check out Childbirth Without Pain (1960) - its old, but a lot of women have gained necessary insights from it. Your library may even have some of these books available. One caution - if you do consider hypnobirthing, start sooner rather than later.

Lastly, if you do end up with an epi, remember you can ask them to turn it off when its time to push! Then you may be able to feel something.

A.

I had the same view when I was having my first child. I was really scared of the needle and really thought that I could do it without drugs. When the contractions start they are very painful. My water never broke, I went to the hospital when my contractions were getting really close together. When I got to the hospital I was still set on having a natural child birth, but then they told me that once they broke my water that my pain would double. I don't think I could have handled it without. A lot of women do have a natural child birth and are fine. But, I'm just telling you from my point of view, I think it's worth it. The needle really isn't painful at all. It's more of a pressure feeling in your back when they're putting it in, it could also maybe not feel too bad beacuse you're already in pain from the contractions. Now, with my first birth I was able to still feel the contractions, they still hurt a bit. With my second child, I was not able to feel the contractions and they had to tell me when to push. You can wait and see how you feel at the hospital and make your decision then. Good luck!!!

I didn't have an epidural. It wasn't an option for me because of problems with my back. I had demerol and staydol given through my i.v., which did a good job of controlling the pain (I actually slept between contractions). I wasn't too numb to push at all. What I didn't like about that drug combination is that they affect your central nervous system and your memory. Whereas my friends who had epidurals remember the whole birth, my memory is more like a photograph here, a small video clip there.

I was terrified about the potential for me to end up with a c-section, because it would have meant general anesthesia for me and that DH couldn't have been there. Thankfully, the overall birth went okay. I will probably go the same route next time because I don't think I can handle the pain.
-H.

K.,

I didnt know if i wanted one or not until i was in soo much pain from contractions that i couldn't wait for it ....it really helps to relax and by time you are ready to push they shut it off soo you can feel when your having a contraction to push....they say you have to feel the contractions to know when to push...Now if i didnt get the epidural i dont know how long i would have lasted thru labor and i can take pain pretty good...but not that pain, i couldnt walk, stand, sit, lay down nothing at all...it feels like someone is stabbing you and pushing on your back and pelvis.

i think it is your decision but i would consider getting one...i didnt even feel the needle go in...i just felt a little warm sensation and then i was fine. Well Good luck to you.

Hi K.

I'm a mom of 2 boy's. My first pregnancy was high risk(high blood pressure). But I did opt for an epidural although you may not feel the contractions that much. But I know I felt the pressure of my son comming out. Not to scare you but it was an ok expierence. My nurse was out of this world when I got my epidural. She distracted me so much by talking about her kids and their births. I didn't feel anything but a small prick and a tingling sensation like you hit your funny bone. But other than that it was ok. But they do have other options to help you manage your pain. But I would discuss this with you Dr. Or reasearch online about the different pain medications and how it will effect you and your baby..

Let me know what you find out..

S.

HI K.!!! I HAD MY DAUGHTER A LITTLE OVER ONE YEAR AGO. I THOUGHT AT FIRST THAT I DIDN'T WANT AN EPIDURAL, THEN I WANTED ONE, BUT WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR ALISON'S ARRIVAL, IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY (I WAS VERY LUCKY MY WATER BROKE, CONRACTIONS STARTED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER AND SHE WAS BORN AFTER ONLY AN HOUR AND A HALF OF CONTRACTIONS AND 20 MINUTES OF PUSHING) THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO GET ONE (DUE ALSO IN PART TO A BLEEDING/CLOTTING DISORDER THAT I HAVE) I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT WAS NOWHERE NEAR AS BAD AS I HAD EXPECTED IT TO BE. WAS THERE PAIN? YES, OF COURSE, BUT HONESTLY (AND THIS IS ONLY MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I TOO HAVE HEARD HORRO STORIES) IT FELT LIKE REALLY BAD MENSTRUAL CRAMPS MIXED WITH STOMACH FLU CRAMPS (DOES THAT MAKE SENSE???) I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT WITH MY NEXT PREGNANCY I WILL GO INTO THE LABOR AND DELIVERY ROOM WITH NO INTENTIONS OF AN EPIDURAL BECAUSE MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WENT SO SMOOTHLY. THIS IS ONLY MY EXPERIENCE AND I CAN'T VOUCH FOR ANYBODY WHO HAD HELLISH LABORS, BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT I FELT EACH CONTACTION SO MUCH THAT I WAS ABLE TO PUSH STRONGER THAN I EVER IMAGINED!!! I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PAIN MEDS, NO EPIDURAL AND THINGS WENT VERY SMOOTHLY AND THE PAIN WAS , AGAIN, NOT AS BAD AS I HAD ENVISIONED. GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYTHING AND MAYBE YOU WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND A THOUSAND MORE TIMES BEFORE THE BIG DAY ARRIVES. BUT IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO GET THE EPIDURAL BEFOREHAND AND THEN WHEN IT IS TIME, YOU DECIDE TO GET IT, DON'T THINK OF IT AS BEING WEAK OR FAILING (AS SOME MOMS I KNOW HAD THIS HAPPENED AND FELT LIKE THEY SOMEHOW FAILED) THINK OF IT AS DOING WHATEVER IS BEST FOR YOU IN ORDER TO HAVE THE SAFEST AND EASIEST DELIVERY AND TO HAVE THAT LITTLE BUNDLE OF JOY IN YOUR ARMS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BEST WISHES.

Hi, congrats to you. I has my daughter 15 months ago, but it seemed like yesterday. I was nervous about getting an epidural, but I am glad I did. I know some women had natural births, but really I don't know how. I was only in labor for 6 hours and that is kinda quick for your first, but i definetly needed the drugs to help. I worked like a charm. I really didn't even feel it because i had contractions the whole time i was getting the epidural. Then it worked almost instantly. I only felt tiny cramps and that was when they said push. I am not saying it is for everyone it is eveyones personal choice, but it helped me out.

I, too, had a very high risk pregnancy in that I was diabetic and had high blood pressure. The doctor tried to do an epidural, but was unable to. So, I was put to sleep and had a caesarean section.

It will work out for the best. I was hoping to have the epidural, but the doctor knew what was best for me.

I had my daughter naturally and towards the end it was the most painful experience of my life (I almost gave up and opted for the drugs, but it would have taken longer to give me drugs than it took to push her out) but it was also one of the most rewarding. However it really can't be done alone, you must have someone there that can support you and distract you through the pain. My husband was wonderful and I could not have done it without him. In the end it's your choice, you do what is best for you and your baby. Good health and good luck. But if you are able to give birth naturally, I say go for it, you won't be sorry once it's over.

I had my first child with nothing and i loved it, but when i went into have my second which was a daughter I was induced. It hurt horribly i lasted six hours with nothing then i had to have something. I had the epidural. I still felt everything but the contractions. So it depends on how you react to them. I was up 30 minutes after having my daughter walking to and from the bathroom. But think it through. it is amazing to experience and had i not been induced i would have never had one. hope it was helpful

H. P

I was a high risk pregnancy also. I weighed 250, and gained 150 during my pregnancy. Believe me you will want the epidural. Times have change and it is not that painful. LABOR PAINS are PAINFUL. I later had gastric bypass surgey and lost 264 and currently weigh 150. I will keep you in my prayers. Everything is going to be ok, just keep the faith and believe that God is going to take care of you and your baby, you have nothing to fear. Again stay, strong and keep me posted.

Hi. I can't speak for all women, but the epidural I had for my pregnancy was the easiest part! My child was born two months premature and I had to have a c-section. I was very nervouse and scared to have the epidural but as I said, it was the easiest part. And the first one didn't work cause you have to lay in a certain position so they had to stick me again. But they gave me a shot of novacaine first.
Good Luck

I had an epidural with my daughter and it was pain free pushing and labor. I could not feel the contractions but they told me when to push and I only pushed for a little over 30 min. The needle is nothing the hard part is holding still during contractions for them to put it in. The pain of the epidural compared to contractions of labor is like a pin prick to one finger while someone is cutting off the other finger you don't really notice the pin prick. So don't be afraid of the epidural, With that said I would like to have my 2nd child naturally so I can feel and experience the birth completely so I do understand how you feel. From what I was told get a Dr who supports natural labor or a coach (or Doula) who specialize in natural labor or take a birthing class to prepare you for a drug free birth. If you understand really whats happening you can handle the pain better as well as finding ways to relieve some pain with out drugs. Remember, If you are giving birth in a hospital if the pain is too bad you always have the option of an epidural. Good luck and Congrads

I've had 2natural births, 2 induced,2 epidurals. Your rite I dont like anyting messin around my spine either,but this time the pain won out & I asked for an epidural.It "really depends who gives the shot".My very 1st time an 1st year med student? gave me the shot (which i didnt find out untill after the fact,since my OB/GYN introduced him as Doctor jon doe. I agreed to lettin him do it. Well after about 10-20 secs i noticed i was still havin"pain"he told me its just pressure,I said to the young Doc,its not pressure,i know pain when i feel pain.They asked me to give it a min 0r 3,said yes and still pain,then I noticed as the contract were more intense(as the docs like to say, instead of pain)I was wandering why my right leg was feeling very numb,you could have cut it off at that time & I wouldnt felt anything, but my left side of my body was still in active painful labor ,feeling all the pain,he told me i could get another epi since time has passed,i said long as someone else does it. yes he was mad! but i didnt care, he was'nt in pain! and given the needle in his spine the wrong way.

With my last birth I asked for an epidural,& I requested for it to be somone very gentle whom the ladies love during labor,"the nurse knows whos the best,because they allways ask after the"Epidural Doc leaves the room" how was it did he/she do good? The last one i had an "Older Epi Doc" he did sooo goood,i didnt need another shot, I didnt even feel the shot and he was soooo sweeet and i was in la-la land in 1-6 sec after shot, when there that good i call them my husband (lol).He ask how i was feeling & he was smiling away as he "rolled away to another women" (laugh).I didnt feel a thing, Honestly I wouldnt lie about an Epidural if asked about it. I also learned after my 2nd child,about mid-wives. They are so much better than OB/GYN's,they really listen more,talk to you,call you at home to check on you,more available after hours,doesnt have an attitude using herbs,infact they know alot about Herbs. I wished I'd known about mid-wives back with my first! Hope this helped. P.SI know that is a very scary thing to even have to think about! Oh I forgot,there's usually an side affect after this shot which my doc was nice enough to tell me he's herd from many women & now including my-self. I do have daily back pain,yes it'll get worse as the years go by and you'll be able to tell it's gonna rain, yes! mine gets worse befor & during the rain.

I delivered both ways. But, the only reason I delivered without an epidural with #2 was because there was not enough time to get one. Boy, did I wish we had gotten to the hospital sooner! The needle for the epidural was no big deal, and I would choose it over no medication any day (and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.)

Hope that helps,
K.

I am someone who is deathly afraid of needles so the idea of an epidural scared the pants off of me, but by three centimeters into my potocin induced labor the idea of the needle didn't scare me anymore. I began to feel like I was running out of breath. Needless to say after my 17 hour labor it was all worth it. You need to remember though this is what I felt worked but you have to do what you feel is best for you. Labor, while it is tough is well worth it. Good luck.

Hi K.,

You won't know what the right decision will be until you're actually in that situation. Every woman handles labor and delivery differently. In my case I didn't have an epidural when I had my son, but I had one when I had my daughter. It's nice that you want to experience it without the use of an epidural but realistically it numbs and relaxes you. I had back labor with my daughter. It was extremely painful. Once I had that epidural I felt so relaxed and I was able to breathe and she did the rest of the work on her own. Everything just fell into place. But ultimately the "right" decision will come from you and how you are in your situation. I wish you the best of luck. There is no greater feeling in the world than to have a child of your own to love and nurture.

J.

Hello K.,

I have done both natural and epidural, and both methods are ok. From my personal experiece I did not feel most of the early contractions with the epidural, but towards the end of the labor I could feel them, and while pushing I could feel that as well... Another option when I did natural child birth was an IV drip that took the edge off the contractions which helped a little, but in the end when I was pushing I still felt everything... I hope that this helps

L.

Hi K.! I know how you feel about the needle in the back...I was not going to go through that if at all possible! I have to tell you though...labor REALLY hurts. BUT...you can prepare yourself to deal with it naturally. I read about a thousand books about it so I thought I was all ready to go but the first contractions really threw me for a loop. My partner was sure he knew everything and did not read the books, though we did go to lamaze class together, so he was not a great deal of help when it was time to go. That is a really important part of the whole experience. I would recomend having more than one person you can count on as a coach, maybe even cosider a doula. They are trained to deal with birth so they won't get freaked out! I made it all the way through an almost 24 hour labor with no epidural, though I did have stadol (sp?) twice (it was GREAT!) just so I could rest a little. While I was pushing the doctor gave me novicane becasue I was tearing but I could still feel her come out...just not the bad part! I cannot tell you haw proud I am that I did not get drugs...after doing that I feel like I can do anything...even raise a three year old! I should say I was not high risk so that does throw another variable in. Yes labor hurts...but you need to remeber that your body was made to push a baby out and women have been doing it for thousands of years, some just squatting in a field! Women are capable of alot more than we give ourselves credit for. If you search your local library you will find a wealth of information on exercises you can do to get ready, tactics to deal with the pain mentally and what your coaches can do to help you. Good luck and I hope everything works out great!
K.

I've had 2 without an epidural - sort of. I think the pain is different for everyone. For me the pain was extremely intense for about 4 hours with my first and 1.5 with my second. I had iv meds with my first as I was not having any breaks in my contractions and wasn't progressing since my body was so tense. I went inot it thinking I didn't want that, but it was wonderful. I still felt everything, but just didn't care. My daughter was born very alert - actually after her head was out, they said she pulled her one arm out and actually pushed against my leg and aided in getting herself out the rest of the way! She scored 10's on the APGAR. My son was breech but I really didn't want a c-section. I had to be prepped for c-section in case of an emergency so I had to have an epidural before they externally turned him. This all worked out perfectly. For 2 reasons I let the epidural run out and did not have it for the delivery. The epidural was spotty and so they said if I had wanted more meds, they would have had to do a catheter. Also, things switched to being intense rather quickly and it felt a lot like the end with my daughter so I was confident it wouldn't be long before the baby was born. There seemed to be a lot of activity in that last time in the room and such so I was somewhat distracted.

The idea of a needle in my spine didn't excite me, but the actual process wasn't bad at all - though I was in absolutely no pain when the did mine since I wasn't in labor yet. I'm not sure that I would have been able to be still and such for the epidural to have been readministered once I was in serious pain. I think remaining still while in pain would have been the biggest problem with having to go through a second cath. Otherwise, it was simple.

I have a 6mo old son. I decided to have an epidural pretty early on, and I would definitely do it again even though there were some problems. You only feel a slight prick when you get it. I thought that would really freak me out, but it truly was nothing. I was very happy with the labor itself. I was alert, excited and I believe I was able to enjoy the process a lot more because I wasn't exhausted and praying for it to be over. I felt I knew when to push and never felt that the epidural prolonged my labor.(My doctor told me I was 10 cm and that we were going to get ready to push. 15 minutes after my first push, I had my son in my arms). I did have one issue, though. The anesthesiologist stuck the needle in an incorrect spot on the first try and They warned me I might get one of the dreaded spinal headaches. Sure enough, I did. If you do get an epidural, let me warn you now. The doctors didn't tell me at the time that the headaches take a day or 2 to start. Well, 2 days after having my son I went home. That morning in the hospital I started to get a bit of a headache, but thought it was just because I hadn't slept much. By that evening I was sick to my stomach. With those headaches, You really don't feel bad if you lie flat, but if you walk around you will be absolutely miserable (pain,nausea, etc.). A friend of mine had one of theses headaches before, but she got the blood patch(when they take some of your blood and use it to replace the lost fluid in your spine) in the hospital. She said she felt 100% better within hours. Unfortunately, since I'd left the hospital without mentioning the headache, my dr's office gave me the runaround about getting the blood patch. They said they wanted to do some bloodwork on me to rule out anything else first. Since even a short car ride is total hell with these, I wound up never going to her office. I made sure I drank lots of caffeine and water (both help immensely), and spent a lot of time laying in bed with my new baby, and after a week it was over. Moral of the story: if you get an epidural, report any headache to your doctor BEFORE leaving the hospital. I hadn't heard that this could cause recurring migraines. My son was born 6 mos ago and I haven't had any headache problems since. Hope that helps you out!

K.,
Epidurals are wonderful... or so I hear. I had one with each of my births. The first time I was a little numb from the hips down and the second time I was completely numb on the left side only. I couldn't even sit unassisted because I was numbed so far up my back. But I felt every little thing on the right side. It hurts but a few minutes after you see that baby you'll forget all about the pain. As far as the needle in the spine, I didn't feel anything but a pinch with either one. Apparantly they try to stick you in the middle of a contraction so it's not bad at all.

You can always say no for now and change you mind later. If you get halfway through and need some relief, they will let you do it even if you previously had opted not to.

Good luck!
T.

Hi K.

I delivered my daughter totally natural and would do it the same way next time. Yes, it hurts but if you breath trough it and relax you will be just fine. I was in labor for 24 hours, so it wasn't easy. But it was worth it. My daughter came out smiling and gooing and wasn't sleepy at all. I've seen babies that were groggy after delivery when mothers had drugs. I just felt more comfortable knowing everything was natural. It's just my opinion. Good luck with everything.

M.

I went natural, and I'm now glad. I wanted the epidural, I'm no super-hero, but I just didn't have time. It's better for baby if you go natural. When I have another one, I'll also do it natural. But, whatever you decide to do, remember that it's YOUR decision and don't let anyone tell you that you're making the wrong one. The decision you make is the right one for YOU, K.. I for one think you should do whatever you feel comfortable with. Good luck.