Non-medicated delivery by choice-why?

[salado]

I have had two babies and two epidurals. Why should I entertain the possibility of going natural with #3?

[jerawo]

It's really up to you. If you've had two epidurals and been pleased with your birth experiences, then you probably don't have a good reason to try for a drug-free birth. However, I found that the more educated about birth I become the more I learn towards the midwifery care and drug-free models of birthing.

My main reason for wanting a drug free birth is that interventions often slow down labor, causing more interventions to be employed, which slow down labor even more and putting you at risk for a c-section. I want my body to be able to labor on it's own, at it's own speed. Women's bodies are meant to bear children, and I'm trusting that my body will know what is best (not a doctor or nurse). There are many many other reasons not to choose drugs, which I also agree with but that is my main reason.

A good resource that presents the pros and cons of epidurals as well as a myriad of other birthing choices is Henci Goer's The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. It might help answer your question.

[2+twins]

Let me count the ways (and I'll be specific to epidurals since that's where you're coming from)...

The drugs injected into the epidural space do indeed reach the baby, and in a matter of 3 minutes. I think it's a common misconception that an epidural is safe for the baby because the drugs aren't injected into the blood stream, however they are quickly absorbed by the blood vessels surrounding the epidural space. An epidural isn't even supposed to be given too close to the actual birth because it is known that the drugs will then be trapped in the baby's system and his/her immature liver will have to attempt to metabolize them (vs. passing them back out the cord and letting mom do the work). The peak concentration of drugs in the baby's system is supposed to be at approx. 2 hours post administration. You can't know how quickly your baby will be born after receiving an epidural. Here's a list of risks & side effects of the epidural (taken from Kim James' site ):

1. Hypotension (Drop in blood pressure)
2. Urinary Retention and Postpartum Bladder Dysfunction
3. Uncontrollable Shivering
4. Itching of the face, neck and throat
5. Nausea and Vomiting
6. Postpartum Backache
7. Maternal Fever
8. Spinal Headache
9. Uneven, incomplete or nonexistent pain relief
10. Feelings of Emotional detachment
11. Postpartum feelings of regret or loss of autonomy
12. Inability to move about freely on your own
13. Loss of perineal sensation and sexual function

Very Serious and rare risks:

14. Convulsions
15. Respitory paralysis
16. Cardiac arrest
17. Allergic shock
18. Nerve injury
19. Epidural abscess
20. Maternal death

Labor Side Effects:

21. Prolonged First Stage of Labor
22. Increase of malpresentation of baby's head
23. Increased need for Pitocin augmentation
24. Prolonged Second Stage of Labor
25. Decrease in the ability to push effectively
26. Increased liklihood of forceps or vacuum extraction delivery
27. Increased likelihood of needing an episiotomy
28. Increase in cesarean section

Baby Side Effects

29. Fetal distress; abnormal fetal heart rate
30. Drowsiness at birth; poor sucking reflex
31. Poor muscle strength and tone in the first hours.

And I'll add to that list:

32. Increased risk of teenage suicide for the baby
33. Healthiest choice for both me & my baby

So that's where I'm coming from. I'm also happy to have gone through what childbirth is really like, unhindered, for my body. It hurt though - I'll give you that. But still it was amazing and I decided to go forward that way again (and that hurt even worse, and if there's a next time I'll go natural again). I think for me it really comes down to safety for my baby though. When all is said and done that's just where I have to draw the line. Hope this makes sense and didn't sound snotty or anything - it wasn't meant to be.

[littleteapot]

love_homebirthing,

[pamamidwife]

I agree with love_homebirthing.

I guess my take on it is: Epidural by choice: Why??

[CaliMommie]

Same here.

AmiBeth

[littlest birds]

I really did enjoy feeling birth. There is pain, yes. It overwhelms you and something about it is amazing. How can you stay in tune with your body if parts of it are numb? I want to be in tune with my body when it is doing something amazing.

I don't think we need to convince you unless you believe it something that makes it worth it. I know I do. Four children including twins w/o meds or episiotomy later

[darsmama]

The reason for me was I wanted birth to be sacred, not to be put in a hospital bed and strapped on down the line for the assembly of dr's and nurses to 'fix' me with.
Yes, I demanded an epidural quite a few times at my homebirth, but I thank GOD that people distracted me or didn't run me to the hospital for one. My birth was perfect with out one! I wouldn't do it any different!


Katie
(Darlene was 9 pounds 6 ounces too..Sorry, had to brag!)

[kama'aina mama]

All great answers. Sacred, oh yes! Never felt more alive in my life. Didn't want my baby born on drugs, didn't want to be on drugs myself. Wanted to give birth as I concieved, in the comfort and privacy of my own home.

[sun-shine01]

" I want to be in tune with my body when it is doing something amazing."

Ditto.

[Jemper]

For all the reasons listed above, I have had two unmedicated births and plan a third (very soon)!

[Artisan]

You should have the birth experience that you want. That includes making a truly informed choice -- knowing all the options and possible risks and choosing the path you feel is best.

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...ogyinbirth.asp

[IdentityCrisisMama]

From what I remember about why I *personally* made the choice, it had to do with early, early bonding ~ eye contact from the child.

To be perfectly honest, it was probably a pride thing for me as well. Those and the fact that the women in my family and many women if my life feel strongly about non-medicated birth where possible.

In retrospect, I think it helped me be proud of my body and somehow enduring the pain of labor helped build my confidence in my strength and then in my confidence as a mother and woman.

Maybe this can happen with epidural ~ I wouldn't be surprised but I can't say.

It would be interesting for you to talk to mothers who have had both.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Oh, that and I knew that interventions tend to create more interventions and on down the road. I really, really wanted a vaginal birth and I was afraid of any interventions that would have hindered that.

[taz925]

I will speak from the perspective of having experienced both ways. My first son I had an epi shortly after arriving at the hospital (my before Mothering days!). My son was born many hours later via vacuum after much pushing and a double episiotomy (to get the vacuum on). Second son, totally natural, was at the hospital for two hours before baby was born (arrived in transition) and only pushed a few times. Would I go natural should there be a next time, yes! Why? Because it was better than the first birth, very powerful feeling having pushed him out on my own. I learned alot from the Goer book and Bradley and from Mothering of course.

Doreen

[3littlesweeties]

I'm going to be giving birth here any day to #3 and ya know, I will probably end up getting a spinal even tho I want a natural birth more!
I had a natural birth with my 1st and I only made it thru due to lots of prayer and a hot hot shower.
My second I had to be induced because my water broke 2 &1/2 weeks early and I had a spinal.
I have to say there was a big difference in the way I reacted to the baby each time.
With my 1st I was much more in tune and careful and willing to sacrifice anything.
It's hard to explain but, there is a difference and I'm sure it has to do with the natural hormone levels that occur during natural birth.
I really want a natural birth again, I'm really going to hang on, but for me, a spinal lasts 2 hours and that's all I needed both times to relax and I just open right up.
If I do get it though, I will get it earlier in the labor (like when I'm at a 4 ro 5) that way it'll wear of by the time I push her out. I like to be in tune and feel what position I need ext when delivering.
Good Luck with your decision, It's a toughie!
Nicole

[loving-my-babies]

I agree with Jenne. I think we don't look at the dangers of having an epidural, if we did, it wouldn't be so popular.

[Eman'smom]

I wanted a natural birth with number 1 because I didn't want to go down "intervention road" well I ended up with a dose of Fentanol, not only was it a joke for pain, but it made me really "out if it" in a bad not good way. I don't remember the early time with my son, but what I do remember isn't happy new mother thoughts. He was the worlds worse nurser, I believe because the drugs were given too close to delivery, in the hospitals defense they didn't realize I was going so fast. He also had some serious liver problems (not newborn jaundice) and Fentanyol is contra indicated if you have liver problems so I believe that made his liver worse.

Dd was drug free, she was alert and an amazing nurser. I also have way more positive memories of her birth.

[Mommay]

I did take an epidural for the first one. It turned out that I had reached 9 cm by then! But my medwife pushed them through the whole labor until I finally broke down. My labor was over 24 hours long. I didn't like the epidural. I didn't like the numbness. I'm going to try and go natural again, and hopefully, I will succeed this time. I'm considering homebirth, so I guess I'll have to succeed then!

DS was kind of out of it when he was born, and I think it was due to the epidural.

[captain optimism]

I had an epidural, after 24 hours on pitocin (which I started 40 hours after my water broke.) I decided to take it because I was exhausted from attempting to get labor started, hours and hours of contractions that did not dilate anything.

I didn't like it. I couldn't feel anything below the waist, at all. I couldn't push properly. Urge to push? hah. It was totally terrible. I gave birth on my back, with other people pushing my inert legs into a squat.

I now know that some anaesthesiologists don't give quite such a big dose. Maybe they did this because they knew that they were going to crank up the pit to twice what was normal in that hospital, and because if it didn't work I was going to have a surgical birth. Or because they wanted me to sleep until it was time to push.

My son was not born sleepy, he was alert, but he didn't nurse at birth and didn't latch on properly. It was a huge challenge to get his nursing going. One lactation consultant told me that she has seen that more in long labors with epidurals.

All of which is to say, I would try it without if I were you. Especially on a third birth, it's bound to be shorter and easier, the best time to do it.