Why Natural Childbirth?

[Turquesa]

This is a poll for women who have chosen or will choose natural chidlbirth, i.e. childbirth without epidural anesthesia or other pharmacological pain interventions.  No epidural v. NCB debates, please, and bearing in mind the uniqueness of our experiences, let's keep it judgment-free.  

Because women often have multiple reasons for making this choice, you may select multiple poll answers.   

I'm readying for my third NCB, and I wonder if other women make this choice for the same reasons that I do.  Among my top reasons:

1. Medical concerns.  I understand that epidurals can lower blood pressure.  Unlike a lot of pregnant women, I lean toward low blood pressure and really don't want it getting any lower during labor.

2. Freedom-of-movement concerns.  OK....freedom in general!  It seems like I would have to give up so much freedom in order to get an epidural.......freedom to stand or squat, freedom to have my baby out-of-hospital, freedom to decline interventions that suddenly become necessary during the epidural.... 

Anyway, I'm curious to hear from other like-minded moms: Why did you/will you opt against the epidural?

[thegoodearth]

Originally Posted by Turquesa 

1. Medical concerns.  I understand that epidurals can lower blood pressure.  Unlike a lot of pregnant women, I lean toward low blood pressure and really don't want it getting any lower during labor.

2. Freedom-of-movement concerns.  OK....freedom in general!  It seems like I would have to give up so much freedom in order to get an epidural.......freedom to stand or squat, freedom to have my baby out-of-hospital, freedom to decline interventions that suddenly become necessary during the epidural.... 

The 2 above reasons pretty much sum my main concerns with the epidurals - and that they can (but don't always) lead to a lot of other interventions. OH and that needles in general make me feel wonky / queasy . 

[erigeron]

For me, free movement but mostly just the desire to avoid complicating factors. You don't know for sure how a drug will affect you and what side effects you might get, so I'd just as soon avoid it if I can. I prefer to use medication only when necessary--to the point of being a little weird about it sometimes (and I'm a pharmacist, so I understand the risks and benefits of medications). I'd rather try other methods to deal with pain/discomfort--drink water, change positions, distract myself, try relaxation exercises, etc. I don't even like taking ibuprofen when I have a headache. So I didn't want an epidural if I could avoid it. Same with Pitocin--I preferred to avoid it if possible. I would have considered medication if necessary, but it didn't become necessary. Now that I know what the pain is like, I feel confident I can handle it with my next birth too if it's similarly uncomplicated. Yeah, it hurt like a [fill in the blank], but at a certain point it was over, and then I had a baby to snuggle. I was able to deal with it.

I suppose you could lump this under "concerned about medical risk" in the poll but it wasn't so much about risk. I wasn't concerned that something horrible would happen or was even likely to happen to me or to the baby. Lots of women have epidurals every day and things work out fine for them, and if I'd had an epidural then I'm sure things would have worked out just fine for me. But I didn't want to introduce another variable into my personal situation if I could help it. And I didn't need to.

[katelove]

I selected lots of options, most of which can be summed up as a desire to avoid negative side effects for both me and the baby.

I also selected "other" because one of my secondary reasons for wanting to avoid pharmacological pain relief is that I view the labour experience as a personal challenge a bit like doing a marathon or climbing a mountain or something and I want to see if I can do it.

And before anyone jumps on me from a great height, that is a very personal view and not a commentary on anyone else's choices. I know not everyone views labour like that and that is entirely up to them.

[Angelorum]

I picked lots of options, I didn't want to be stuck on my back, or a cascade of interventions, but it when it really came down to it, I just really wanted to know what it was like!  The natural birth stories that I read were so interesting, and the epi births usually weren't.  I didn't want to miss out on the experience.
 

[purplerose]

bragging rights and that medal we always hear about!

[slmommy]

ok i'm crazy, but i have major control issues. for me, ncb in home setting would allow me to have as much control as is actually controllable.... (yeah i know birth can throw a lot of curveballs, but no policies to fight, no birth plans to worry about, no ppl i have to hire to advocate for me, can eat, drink, move, do what i want, puke as many times as i want, don't have to worry about anyone ignoring my wishes, can catch my own baby, etc) 

i guess my answer is more towards setting than ncb... but the setting kinda dictates the birth sometimes.

[slmommy]

Originally Posted by purplerose 

bragging rights and that medal we always hear about!

hahaha where can I write to have my medal sent??? I never got one? Maybe I should start bragging?

[littlest birds]

I never considered having an epidural. I don't perceived it as having benefits.  That's for me, personally, as I don't really care if other people want one or not.

[mambera]

I don't feel strongly about this issue but figured I'd rather skip the big needle and not be stuck on my back than otherwise.  If a situation were to arise in which an epi would be useful (eg exhaustion) I would take it.  As it worked out I have never gotten to the hospital in time to have one.

[Cyllya]

I picked the vast majority of the list. I think my main concern is the epidural might not work combined with the restricted movement, since that will prevent other pain relief methods. Also I hear some people get bad headaches from withdrawal, and I am pretty sensitive to drug withdrawal in general. Anyway, I also want a homebirth for other reasons.

I'll probably set my reasons-to-transfer bar pretty low. I know some people make it work with breach, twins, etc., but I think in those cases the epidural pros might start outweighing the cons for me personally....

[Mamabeakley]

I didn't check the 'concerns about how an epi works' choices because I never really have considered having one.  I'd be worried about those things if I felt I HAD to have one (i.e., I was having surgery) but I've never gotten to them because the desire to be where I want to be doing it the way I want to trumps any fear or dislike of pain.

[LittleBirdy]

I checked off several items in the poll, but overall I'd say I chose NCB over an epi because for me - I'll take the devil you know vs. the devil you don't.  What I mean is that you pretty much know what you're getting with NCB: pain (at levels which vary from person to person and birth to birth).  But the pain isn't harmful to you - it just hurts.  With an epi you just don't know.  I know lots of people have had them work 100% and with no complications and where it didn't lead to a cascade of interventions, but without a crystal ball you really don't know if you'll be one of those people.  So I just don't mess with it.

But that's just me.  I'd never try to talk someone out of an epi.  Everybody has different priorities.
 

[JamieCatheryn]

Personally the idea of a needle injecting stuff into my spine or bloodstream that'll make everything stop going the normal way (movement and alertness and birth process) terrifies me so I never considered getting it. In labor I never wanted it but was afraid I'd need it due to an early urge to push I experienced.

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by purplerose 

bragging rights and that medal we always hear about!

  I almost made that a snarky option....along with another poll answer: "Because I have to be a martyr."  But my boring and more mature half got the better of me, so I restrained myself. 

Originally Posted by slmommy 

hahaha where can I write to have my medal sent??? I never got one? Maybe I should start bragging?

http://betterbirthdoula.org/?p=570 

[buko]

Most of mine were covered in the options.  If I were to give a free-form answer to this as an open-ended questions, my top personal reasons would be (not necessarily in this order)...

1) I am not a "good patient"-- believe it or not, probably BECAUSE my mom is an awesome doctor (who practiced evidence-based medicine, almost to a fault).  That means I question everything, want to discuss everything, and get really irritated when anyone takes a "because I told you so" attitude with me.  Or worse-- "because it's standard procedure."  Oh, H3LL NO.  At the same time, I loathe face-to-face confrontation unless necessary.  Thus-- as long as I'm low-risk, it's not an emergency blahbitty blah boilerplate disclaimer-- I NEED to be the decision-maker and be working in as much of an "unimpaired state" as possible.  Not to "control" things, exactly, but not to put myself in the position of passive object if it's not an emergency.  To put myself in the most respectful possible space, with professionals whose judgment I trust.  FTMP, that will be homebirth for me, with MWs who are highly-educated and experienced.

2) (This is for homebirth...)  Because it's the safest option for me and my baby, or, at the very least, the risk is minimally increased relative to the psychological and physiological benefits for me.  I actually believe that the best studies indicate mortality is equal and morbidity less for homebirth with a qualified attendant (than for hospital birth).  But I'm saying that even at WORST, studies show/will show only a tiny increase in risk, and that such a tiny increase is still palatable to me considering the rewards, the ease, the psychological comfort and physiological benefits.  Basically, I don't think that additional risk exists, but I do believe that if it does, it's tiny and worth the great marginal rewards.

3) Mobility and overall... again, not more "control" but "an increased range of options."  That's huge for me.  Baby seems "stuck," but "almost fits?"  I can much more easily move and adjust and squat, etc., vs. having to be subjected to a vacuum (and possible generous episiotomy).  Baby has shoulder dystocia?  Easy Gaskin vs. McRoberts, etc.  Want to pop in the shower?  Easy.  If I have an epidural, not so much.  When I was first really researching births (8 years ago?), I tried to do the "devil's advocate" thing with my mom, who had two hospital births without pain meds.  She said, "Here's the bottom line.  You prepare for a NCB, then at least you have options.  You can always get pain meds if it's not working for you.  You don't prepare?  You're getting the pain meds.  Would you rather have more options?  Or would you rather have the decision taken from you?"  Me?  I'd always rather have more options.   

[fruitfulmomma]

Lots of reasons, but with you on the epidural...have low blood pressure already and prone to panic attacks, especially if I get dizzy and it sounds like a big drop in bp causes dizziness. That scares me far more than the pain.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by mambera 

I don't feel strongly about this issue but figured I'd rather skip the big needle and not be stuck on my back than otherwise.  If a situation were to arise in which an epi would be useful (eg exhaustion) I would take it.  As it worked out I have never gotten to the hospital in time to have one.

Yep. I knew it was better for me and baby to go without AND the whole needle/spine thing wigs me out. What if they miss?

[Sharlla]

i had an epi with ds1 that went fine but with ds2 it didnt even kick in and there were long term negative side effects to me

when i got pg with dd i chose to have an unassisted birth which meant no epi.  i was fine with that as even if i were having a hospital birth i wouldnt anyway.  i researched other methods of paid relief and had a wonderful birth with DD in a birth tub at home. i plan on doing the same with this baby as well
 

[Viola]

I voted concerns about medical risks to baby, to me, cascade of interventions, wanting to feel the ability to push (because of the medicals risks for me and baby not feeling that) and other.  The other was that I just really wanted to know if I could do it.  I mean, yeah, it's difficult, of course.  So I wanted to be able to rise to that challenge.  Why do people climb mountains or do Ironman triathalons?  It sounds torturous.  But they want that medal too. :D