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who else has had an epidural - Page 3  

post #41 of 50
10/3/03 at 7:03pm
I had an epi with my first after about 18 hours of labor and a pitocin drip. I was just glad to get some sleep and some pain relief. The worst part was not being able to push and that feeling that I wasn't giving birth, I was just a spectator while the nurses and doctor did stuff to me. I hated the helpless feeling.

I had my second naturally in a free-standing birth center. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take it since I wimped out the first time but not being in the hospital setting and being able to move around made everything so much different. Yes, the pain was intense, but I did it. I gave birth. I won't ever go back to the hospital birth unless it's an emergency.

That said, I can completely understand why epi's are good in some cases.
post #42 of 50
10/6/03 at 11:40am
I had FOUR! Yes....FOUR lovely epidurals! The anesthician couldn't get the tube in right and had to re-do the epi FOUR frickin times. I was pretty brave until the fourth one and then teared up....man that HURT! It was worse than my C section.
post #43 of 50
10/6/03 at 1:00pm
I had one.

My water broke before I felt any signs of labor. I'm not even sure exactly when it broke - I simply woke up that morning soaking wet.

Went to the hospital, labored for some hours with ineffective contractions. Walked up and down the hall probably hundreds of times, tried every position I could think of, nothing helped. After 10 hours or so of this my OB hooked me up to a pitocin drip. AGONY. Very soon I was having extremely intense contractions, one on top of another. Breathed, moaned, yelled through the pain, kept moving as much as I could with the IV in tow, kept trying different positions. Ended up sitting on DP's lap facing him for most of it, was barely even aware of who else was in the room at that point. Two hours of this and I was still only 3cm dilated. Got a shot of Stadol in my IV and it did nothing whatsoever.

Finally I broke down and asked for the epidural I'd been hoping to avoid. It turned everything around. My contractions were still so intense that I didn't feel the anesthesiologist inserting it at all. Within seconds I felt 100% better; shortly after that I dropped off to sleep. I don't know how long I slept, but when I woke up I was at 7cm. :Puke several times and that took me to 10cm, pushed for 20 minutes (I was pretty numb, but could still feel VERY strongly when I needed to push, and felt the baby crowning as well) and then I had a beautiful, perfect, 9 Apgar, very alert and eager to nurse little girl

If I hadn't had the epidural I really think I would have ended up with a C-section. It allowed me to relax enough for my labor to progress. My own mother labored for two days and never progressed past 6 cm, and I was born by C-section, so perhaps it's something genetic?
post #44 of 50
10/6/03 at 1:00pm
Moving this to the Birth and Beyond forum!
post #45 of 50
10/6/03 at 2:52pm
Epidural w/ #1, homebirth with #2.

I think there is nothing natural about refusing analgesia when birthing in a hospital setting. I think it is bizarre and unnatural to birth in the physical and spiritual confines of a labor ward without some sort of medication to modify the experience.

I think it is wierd and unreal to describe an unmedicated hosptial vaginal birth as 'natural.' IVs and vaginal exams by 3 different people over the course of a day is not natural!

Good for you, mamas, who've done it med-free, but jeez louise, epidural mamas, what the heck else are you SUPPOSED to do under the unholy conditions of hosptial birthing?
post #46 of 50
10/6/03 at 6:48pm
I am scared to death of an epideral. I know that makes no sense at all but I just can't get it in my mind to get one. Plus my cousins have had so many bad effects from them, like the headaches and shakes, that I'm scared it might be geneitic and I will get some kind of bad side effect too. BUT... my last labor was so strong and painful that I decided at the last minute to sign the paperwork to get one(teh doc was really pushing it). well turns out DD wanted to be born way quicker than that and she came forth before I even finished signing the papers so I have to natural; drug free childbirths under my belt because my girls wanted to come so quickly. With my son I had demoral(big mistake!)
post #47 of 50
10/6/03 at 7:07pm
I had my first with no epi, my second with.

My blood pressure dropped and I blacked out. The Anestesiologist (spelling?) had to stay with me until it wore off, after giving me drugs to raise my blood pressure to normal.

I also ended up with a spinal headache, so the first 4-5 days at home with my baby were spent flat on my back, or else I was in terrible pain.

This one will be homebirthed.
post #48 of 50
10/6/03 at 9:49pm
Amen, tinyshoes! Your post was exactly what I was trying to say.
post #49 of 50
10/7/03 at 11:02pm
Tinytoes:

ITA!
post #50 of 50
10/8/03 at 7:32pm
Applejuice and 3 little birds, ! (I tried to copy & paste your handle, 3 birds, but it didn't work and I forgot your handle when I was typing my post--your post rang so true to me, too!)

Jeca, I too think it's scarier to have a catheter inserted into the spinal cord than to have a baby come out the way Mother Nature intended!
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