A Pregnancy Question

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Hello again. I had such great responses to my last pregnancy question, I had to ask one more that's on my mind. I was wandering what my fellow countryfolk thought of having an epidoral while delivering. I heard that it can't harm my baby and almost surely won't harm me but I'm not sure if I want to take the risk. A lot of mothers seem to be trying it and seem to like it.

Also, I know this might sound goofy but I don't know if I want to "miss out" on anything. I believe God made it painful and lengthy for a reason. Maybe I think it would make it all the more special to do it without it. I'm not sure how to put it into words.

If anyone has any comments and/or opinions I'd sure like to hear them.

Thanks a lot, Suz in Pa

-- Suz in PA (smfine@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

I had one with 2 of my c-sections and would of had it any other way .The baby I was able to deliver I did natural {ha no such thing}.I did not like a needle in my back but wanted to be awake.Babies where fine .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Ok the Jesus thing is nice, but childbirth still hurts. Period. I tried an epidural, but the baby's blood pressure shot down and mine shot way up. We both almost died. I didn't like the way it felt, not to feel my legs. It was almost impossible to push. They took me off the epidural and I was at 7 centimeters, that is the go point. After 7 there is so much pressure on the vaginal opening that the nerves numb and it doesn't hurt as much, it is just scarey. Nubane is a "safe" drug, used it both times, it did not dope me up, but took the edge of f the contractions. God also gave man/woman the ultimate wisdom to create pain meds. Use them.

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), February 08, 2002.

Speaking as a doula (labor coach), there is no such thing as safe medication during childbirth. They all have side effects, and cause some problems. Some are just more acceptable than others. The risk that I see most often with an epidural is that the women are sometimes unable to push when it is time. Then they have to interfere and use forceps or vaccume extractor requiring a huge episiotomy and painful recovery. Next on the list is after birth, many women cannot urinate and have to be catheritized and sometimes that leads to infection. If you have an epidural, you canot change positions and for the most part are on your back or somewhat sittng up or reclining. Both of those positions are not the best for encouraging labor and lying down limits the blood flow to your uterus and the baby..... encouraging fetal distress. Active labors are less painful, quicker and mom and baby recover much faster and are generally happier with themselves afterwards. You cannot be active if you can't use your legs. Some women have an epidural and don't have a bit of problem. You just have to make the best decision you can for yourself. I would encourage you to find a doula to help you and your husband during labor. Good luck!! Tana Mc

-- Tana Mc (mcfarm@totelcsi.net), February 08, 2002.

I had 3 very easy births - no drugs., quick labor ect. ect. but still it hurts A LOT. I didn't really have an option of using drugs or not. I am sure if the doctors asked me during the hard parts of labor if I wanted to be drugged or not I probably would have said yes.

A side note to js: I can only assume you are a man - have a baby, and then lets talk about it.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.


I had an epidural with all three kids. Two out of the three were still painful and hurt and one was wonderful, but they were different kinds of epidurals. If you have an obstetric anesthgiologist, (pardon the spelling), it is even better. There are many kinds of epidurals so do your homework. If you want a walking one, you can feel pain and the recovery time is much better. You can decide how much medicine you want so you certainly don't have to have too much! Good luck.

-- Lauro in AZ (happylaur@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.


hi suz go with the natural child birth with a coach, if you learn the breathing technics(sp)things will go just fine. i have 4 children, 3 were born natural, the last one had to be c-section due to breach position. i was put to sleep during the procedure.after i was back in my room i heard a woman in the next room in the last stages of labor and i busted out crying because i had to miss the labor part, yes it is painful but it is also something very special. this spring i will be seeing my first grandchild be born, i will be teaching my daughter the breathing excersises,she is going with no drugs.to top it off this fall i'll se my second grandchild be born, my daughter inlaw is also going with no drugs, this is a very special time, so i would go with no drugs IMO. happy pregnancy! p.s when are you due? cindy

-- cindy young (youngsponderosa@coslink.net), February 08, 2002.

Pros and cons...Let's see. I had my first one wiht a little pain medication, becuae by the time it started to really hurt, The delivery was too far to give me much. She war born in and hour and 26 minutes. My second child came 10 minutes faster, no time for meds. I was a surroagte, and gave birth last January. It's different when it's not your own baby, so the emotions weren't all there for me. I had the epidurol. I was awake, alert and in no pain for the delivery. He was absolutely fine, especially at 10.1 pounds. No ill affects. It did slow my delivery time a little. He was born in 3 hours 36 minutes. I wasn't exhausted after the delivery, eithr. That's the con. Everyone wanted to go see the baby, and I was left all alone. I wasn't tired enough to sleep, so I watched TV.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), February 08, 2002.

Ok, I know this is long. I'll wind it up here. I have had two children. The two births were very different. The first, I was flat on my back in a birthing room in a hospital, feet up in stirrups, labor was long and very tiring. Pitosin "helped" things to move faster. Afterwards, I was informed that if I wanted to be cleaned up, I had to clean myself. I was given a basin of water, and told to get busy. I was almost passing out, doing it. No one cared.

Second birth was at home, with a friend who had studied Midwifery. Things seemed to come to a stand-still when it was about time to begin hoppin. Just like the first time. The midwife got me up on my feet, and SUDDENLY, the child was born. It was a positional thing. Would I choose homebirth again? YOU BET!!! Of course, I would have the phone handy to call 911 in case things go a little awry. But that isnt very common at all. The first birth, they were scrubbing up to do a C-section, because things werent moving, and the baby's heartbeat was slowing too much. I am convinced that if I had been gotten into a more upright position, the problem would have corrected itself.

In both births, I had no pain-killers. I do have a low pain threshold, but I had learned enough through Lamaze classes to be able to handle it. I am glad I refused pain-killer.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.


OK folks. Either leave the religious connotations out of this thread or move it to one of the off-shoot forums. I have already deleted two posts and edited a third. Everyone should know the forum's policy by now.

Ken

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 08, 2002.


Ken, I'm sure you can see that the "religious" part of this is a SMALL part of it, especially the original question. People are just commenting/correcting each other on a certain portion of the post. It could also be viewed as "history" instead of "religion". Even though I think it would be ridiculous considering the meat of the post, I appreciate you not editing/deleting this one.

-- Mike in PA (smfine@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.


No I realize now that you deleted from this thread. This is ridiculous. You're a real piece of work!

-- Mike in PA (smfine@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

Mike:

You certainly have the options to either go elsewhere or raise the issue with my boss, Dave Belanger, at dbelanger@tds.net. In my opinion what I deleted/edited clearly stepped over the line as to what is allowed on the forum. Read the policy under the Religious category and also see the criteria for posting a new question/thread.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 08, 2002.


Ken, perhaps if the rules would not continue to change at your every whim we could follow them. Since when is religous content of the posts to a thread not allowed??? I continue to become more and more confused by all this..................I personally think you have stepped over the edge here and am beginnig to believe the power has gone to your head. To bad, this was a pretty fun forum before you took over. I supported you for a very long time, just because I figured we could follow the rules or move on.............but obviously that is impossible because the rules keep changing.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

First baby was a 10 lb. 2 oz. c-section, so I obviously had a spinal for him - no problems and he's 12 now and quite bright and normal. Number 2 I had an epidural - normal apgars, normal kid. Number 3 I had two shots of Staidol which I wouldn't recommend because it makes you dopey (and if you get enough of it the baby's born doped up) and doesn't alleviate the pain. I dilated quickly with this one so I didn't have an epidural. He's now 8, bright, and normal. Number 4 I also had an epidural and she's now 5, and very normal. All my babies had normal apgars, and have shown no side effects. No learning problems or delays, all with very different personalities.

I had my babies with a certified nurse midwife (in the hospital) and used OB anesthesiologists who did epidurals all the time, so they knew what they were doing. I didn't get headaches or temporary paralysis or anything like that. If I knew I was going to have a quick delivery, I would opt not to have one (it's a pride thing I guess) but to be going through a long painful process is both terrifying and exhausting and for many women epidurals are a godsend. Birth purists don't like any intervention, and sometimes there is human error involved. But I had good experiences with them. To say that birth is natural and you shouldn't have drugs because it's supposed to stay natural isn't realistic. Technology can be used to ease an otherwise stressful and painful situation, and when done correctly it's fantastic. I wonder how many of those who eschew all pain relieving drugs for birth would have their cavities filled without novocaine.

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), February 08, 2002.


Thanks. I just did raise the issue with Dave. I hope he has more concern with keeping patrons than you do. Not that you didn't respond, you did, but you don't seem to mind that you might lose people.

-- Mike in Pa (smfine@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.


You're finding out that everybody's story is different, of course....

We had taken Bradley (natural childbirth) classes & wanted to go that route if at all possible. We did it for 13 hrs. & then I finally took an epidural for the last 2. It took the edge off the pain, but I was still able to feel the contractions & the baby. It was wonderful. My doctor said that the epidural worked exactly like it should (it doesn't always - sometimes people get numb legs, etc.)

Since we wanted to go naturally, I was very disappointed at first that I had taken the epidural. It made me feel like I hadn't done a good job....BUT, my husband convinced me that I had done a marvelous job & since everyone was happy & healthy when it was over, we could not be TOO disappointed!

My suggestion would be to go with your gut feeling at the time - don't let them tell you they can't wait until the end to give you the epidural - they can - they did with me. Don't let anyone pressure you into something you don't want, whether it be natural or with an epidural. Try it naturally to start with, if that is what you think you'll prefer....then see how you feel....

I really think we're all stronger than we give ourselves credit for...Our bodies are made to do it & they do a beautiful job....

In short, I'd encourage you to go natural as much as you can!

Best wishes - It will be the best day of your life!

-- heather in pa (h.m.metheny@att.net), February 08, 2002.


Hi Suz....pregnancy sure can make ya think huh? My brother told me one time to "listen to what everyone says and make up your own mind." All 3 of our kids were born at home...no drugs, nothing but the support of 2 professionally trained midwives and a wonderful husband. He actually delivered them, the midwives were here as backup.

P.S. KEN....LIGHTEN UP, WILL YA?

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.


I always think it is strange that many women decide to have an epi well in advance of going into labor, many of whom are having their first baby and don't even really know what to expect.

Why not wait and see how things go, you may decide you don't need an epi or any other kind of drugs.

My first child was delivered via C-section after 28 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing. I had an epi. In hindsight I think I could have had him vaginally if I was able to get up and walk around so he could work his way down and I could actually feel to push him out. I hated the amount of time it took to recover from a C-section and swore that next time things would be much different.

With baby #2 I labored at home as long as possible, had a doula to help me at the hospital. I was only at the hospital a couple of hours before I had my son. I had him without any meds at all and he weighed 9 lb 14 oz, so he was a big boy. Within an hour of the birth I was up and around. Recovering from the delivery was a breeze.

I hope to have an unmedicated birth with my next child but I'll keep an open mind and see how things progress.

Good luck.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), February 08, 2002.


Suz, the best advice I can tell you is to trust your doctor. If you have discussed in advance your want to go natural, than surely he isn't going to let them bombard you with "want a pain killer?". Finding the right doctor is the most important thing! Let him/her know that you would like to opt for an epidural if the labor progresses longer than you are comfortable with. This is not a contest. I had my oldest daughter natural mostly because she came so fast I really didn't have time to opt for drugs. My last two were C sections both times the epidural failed, so it was the old saddle block, I still nursed and still had rooming in. My daughter due in July already knows that she will have an epidural, I don't see it as that she has caved, I feel like she is informed. She is going to breast feed, yet is going to pump and feed the baby from bottles, much different than I choose but once again what works for her. Get as much information on everything you can, and honestly if I was going to have another child :) I would look into hypnosis. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Get an OB/GYN or professional that you trust. I switched to mine in the 9th month, and I still love him. He allowed for almost anything I wanted to do. You might want to decide when the time comes if you want an epidural. Mine were both "c" sections and both were epidurals. (It's a spinal that'll give you a headache.) Recovery went okay, but for a bit of infection at the site. The only things that were a concern for my kids were the vaccines. Some people are claiming that they cause autism. I can believe that! (You can cruise the web on that one.) Also, you may want to stay out of the hospital where Daffodyllady went! Good heavens!

-- Nina (Ingardenwithcat@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

Wow, can of worms here. Pain? It's not like you break a leg. I wish someone would come up with a different word. It isn't "pain" as we imagine it. No broken bones, no gunshot wounds, no tree falling on your head, no other physical trauma is anything like it. I wouldn't trade my natural childbirthing for drugs. Drugs are just that...drugs (I've experienced both ways). The menfolk here need to watch/read and not comment, your powers are ELSEWHERE and very much appreciated. They (men) will never know what or even how to go about it, and the men that "helped" me through the 1st two births should be - - - -. I would never trust a modern highly educated person again to touch me or my babies. The "pain" is controllable. Use breathing techniques (self-hypnosis) IT WORKS if you practice absolutley every day before labor. Go with your body, trust your body, you're a woman--you can do it, most of us were made for it. I wouldn't hesitate to use modern tech if needed, but who decides what is needed when? You do, and don't forget that. Do not give away your power to the established medical profession.

-- Susan in Northern Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

KEN, Keep up the good work, I appreciate you!

-- Susan in Northern Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

My first were twins born at 24 weeks. I was not given a choice & had an epidural. NEVER again! I hated it & the way it made me feel. Next 3 were drug free. A 10 lb. boy, 9 lb. girl, & almost an 8 lb. boy. #6 is due in June & I am looking forward to the experience again. For me it is all in the mind. If you go in thinking about how awful it will be, it will be awful. If you go in with a good frame of mind & stay focused, you can do it! The pain is there, but bearable & you need to let your body do the job it was designed to do. That's why it's called labor. From people I know & family members, epidurals seem to make the pushing stage take longer. Has anyone else seen this?? Maybe because you can not feel that real urge to bear down as you do when you don't have the epidural. I know it made a big difference with me. A couple of pushes & my babies are born. Hope this one goes as well. :-)

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), February 08, 2002.

Dear Suz:

I would highly recommend an epidural. While delivering my first child the first few pains hit and they were "very painful". I decided that they don't give heroism medals for the experience and asked for an epidural.

After getting the epidural (which did not hurt at all), I had no pains whatsoever. In fact, I couldn't feel the contractions even. The doctors told me when to push, etc., and I did what I was told. I was completed aware of what was going on, got to hold my baby (which did not suffer as a result of the epidural).

The whole experience was great. Do not let some of these people scare you. When the epidural is given properly there is no pain and you are completely aware and can enjoy the whole experience and it doesn't have to cost your child either!!!!

Best of luck! She

-- Sheila Lutz (glutz43@alltell.net), February 09, 2002.


You guys sure are brave! I have zero tolerance to pain. Altho I didn't have pain, when the doc said, "You look uncomfortable. Ready for the shot?" I said yep! I was asleep before the needle was out of my hand and woke up later. I slept thru 3 healthy births and if I were to do it again, I'd sleep thru those!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), February 09, 2002.

Hello I am a mother of two beautiful daughters. One Vaginaly and the other C-section. I am also self-traning to be a midwife. I am expecting to hear back any day about my apprenticeship. My oldest was vaginaly with epidural. So I've had two epidurals and with them both I have numb spots that occur on my back because of them. I had no real problems though. My sister however, her second one only numbed her right side just enough to prevent her from pushing. Which then made the nurse climb on and push her son out. Or she would have to get a C-section. I regret not being able to birth and labor at home.My second daughter was suspose to be a homebirth but I had plecenta previa. I wish I know what it was like to experence it all the good and the bad. If you do go to a hospital you do have rights. You can stand up or squat during delivery it will make it eaiser. An epidural is for the most part safe. But Like I said I wish I had not had one just because I feel I missed something. I almost feel cheated out of something. Think long and hard about it you dont have to make up your mind until you are there. Good luck email me if you have any questions.

-- Jennifer (Jenniferthf@aol.com), February 09, 2002.

I think people are right to say that you shouldn't make the decision until you are there. I have very, very long labors - 32 and 36 hours with my boys, and while the pain is doable for a while, eventually exhaustion sets in. With the first baby, I had an epidural after 30 hours, the second, my midwife encouraged me to be not so fried at the end that I couldn't enjoy my baby. In both cases, the epidural didn't interfere with my pushing (12 minutes and 8 minutes of pushing, respectively), and it didn't take away all the pain, just made it bearable. The bottom line is that we all have different experiences of pain in labor, and giving other people crap about their choices is inappropriate. Epidurals can slow down labor (in my case, who could tell!), and you shouldn't take one too early. On the other hand, I studied Bradley and hypnobirthing, and neither one worked for me - breathing did squat, relaxation techniques were finally overwhelmed by the astounding pain and exhaustion. See how you manage, and how your labor goes, and then worry about an epidural. But deliver somewhere with good anesthesiologists and do research about what kind of pain relief you might consider in advance.

-- Sharon in NY (astyk@brandeis.edu), February 13, 2002.

suz, listen to your own body. you know it better than anyone. 4 babies, 4 long painful labors, both boys were pitocin-the army one because i didn't "Progress fast enough and they wanted to finish what "they" started before shift change" the other because i have large babies and the dr was going on vacation 2 days before my due date-yes, i could have let nature take it's course, but the stress of a second unexpected, unplanned pregnancy really did me in and i just wanted it over with. he was delivered 4 days early at 10 pounds, 9 and 10 apgars, home the second day (i begged to be allowed to stay 2 nights so i could sleep). i had a narcotic epidural, lost all feeling and could still (according to the dr) push, when the time came. i started puking as a side effect and that's how he was born. best baby i had-slept nights from the beginning-the others still don't. didn't want to go with the drugs, but the pain was too much. do what feels right and ignore anyone who tells you it's wrong.

-- laura (okgoatgal@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

One of my birth books said that "estev" means "toil" or "hard work" and that Biblical translators (who were invariably male) translated it to "pain" for women. Big difference, isn't it?

Makes you also wonder about the accurate translation of the rest of the Bible.

Any time you have an intervention there can be complications. I think part of what is wrong with birth today is that people go to the hospital too early, panic and then let the hospital manage the birth from there. If you're scared of needles, you probably don't want an IV unless there's an emergency. Not to mention that if you're stressed out because of the needle, it won't help with keeping the baby calm, and that could lead to other interventions....Some hospitals will set you up with one as soon as you walk in.

Read some good books and draw up a birth plan, running it by your OB/ GYN, and take some copies to the hospital with you. Plan to get there as late as possible, your health permitting.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), March 27, 2002.


Also remember that any intervention means big money for the hospital-- and higher medical bills/insurance for you. Be sure to check your bills afterward--and call your insurance company if you were charged for things that didn't happen (IV, epidural, etc.).

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), March 27, 2002.

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