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Natural or epidural

post #1 of 106
9/23/08 at 10:45am
Thread Starter 
I'm curious how many of you are planning for a natural birth and how many are planning for epidural? If your planning for natural why? If your planning for epidural why?

We are planning for a natural homebirth. My reasons why are because for us it's the right thing and because we had ds 2 at home and it was an amazing birth. I'm looking forward to trying some new things this time around. I'm thinking of having an acupuncturist on hand and think I might like to have a water birth this time.

I look forward to hearing from you ladies.
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post #2 of 106
9/23/08 at 10:55am
I am planning a natural homebirth, my 4th baby first homebirth.... I had a natural with my first daughter 14 years ago, and ended up with an epidural and c-section with my son 9 years ago, my last birth my dd was natural and it was wonderful. I remember when they gave me the epidural with my son and how I hated that feeling having no control. When they took me in for the c-section and I think gave me more or maybe it just was affecting me more but I could not breath and felt so disconnected from my body..I felt so lost. So, natural it is for me.. I felt so good after my daughters birth, so strong, helped heal me emotoinally from my sons c-section. I think it helped me feel more confident as a woman and mother...I am so strong, stronger than I knew... I also love being able to move during labor, dance around, sway my hips, I'm very active with labor..I love being able to do that....
post #3 of 106
9/23/08 at 2:03pm
I planed (and achieved) a totally natural home birth. Next one will be the same. I didn't want DS to be born with any drugs in his system at all and I figured I just needed to tough it out. Being at home really helped though. If I had been in the hospital strapped to a bed, I would have had the drugs...no way I could have done it. I needed to walk around, eat and ultimately not be messed with.
post #4 of 106
9/23/08 at 2:24pm
I am planning to go with the epidural. My main reason is fear of the cascade of interventions & ending with a c-section. Plus, I am sure my body can do this!
post #5 of 106
9/23/08 at 3:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifeguard View Post
I am planning to go with the epidural. My main reason is fear of the cascade of interventions & ending with a c-section. Plus, I am sure my body can do this!
forgive me if i missunderstood this, but you are GETTING an epidural to AVOID the cascade of interventions? An epidural isn't even at the begining of the cascade, you are well into it at that point - iv, coninuous monitoring and confinement to bed at the least. Please explain.
post #6 of 106
9/23/08 at 3:40pm
This will be #3, having an epidural has never been a consideration for me. Course it's also not possible at home. I'm a huge fan of water birth and will be planning another one.
post #7 of 106
9/23/08 at 3:59pm
I would highly recommend the water birth, I just had a water birth at home and it was great.
post #8 of 106
9/23/08 at 6:46pm
I went with an epidural last time and it was the wrong decision. It just wasn't necessary and nothing felt right about it. I didn't get it until I was already 6 cm. I didn't think I could handle the pain even though I knew I could have and the nurse was trying to make me not say anything when pain came. She told me to just relax and to not be loud because it won't do you any good or something along those lines. I would have liked to punch her.

I will be having a home birth this time if all goes well. So no epidural this time.
post #9 of 106
9/23/08 at 6:59pm
I will be going with the epidural. I have never had the desire to go natural. I know all the risks, but I feel that it is the right decision for the birth that I want. Last time, I got it after 16 hours of labor and ds was born 4 hours later. I never had any side effects and felt to push when I needed to. Aside from having to be induced(pre-eclampsia), the birth went great. I hope that the next one goes as well.
post #10 of 106
9/23/08 at 7:09pm
natural is definately the best way to go. i like to be in charge of my own body. i like knowing that i am able to to do this the way it is meant to be. i can understand getting an epidural for the first birth when it is really long and dragged out. i do pity those who purposely choose an unnatural birth before they even go into labor. interventions are not always the best choice and should be used for real emergancies. feeling your birth is not nessessarely a terrible thing.
post #11 of 106
9/23/08 at 7:36pm
I planned a natural hospital birth with my first and ended up requesting an epidural at 5cm - after 72 hours of prodromal labor and very little sleep. It was a great relief. Yet, I'm planning a homebirth for the next one, no chance of an epidural there.

I believe that natural is the way to go - however, I'm not in the position to insist on a natural birth for anyone else. And certainly, would not judge any woman for requesting an epidural.
post #12 of 106
9/23/08 at 7:57pm
4th baby, 4th homebirth.
My first was really difficult, but I got through it, and after that I felt like I could do anything.
It's gotten quicker and easier each time.
post #13 of 106
9/23/08 at 8:23pm
We're planning a home waterbirth. This is my fourth baby and will be my third unmedicated delivery. There was nothing horrible about my epidural birth with my first baby, but the euphoria and recovery from a natural birth is unreal and I want to experience it again and again. Waterbirth definitely made a huge difference in tolerating labor. My last delivery was as close to pain-free as I could have hoped for and I am sure it had to do with the shower and birth tub.
post #14 of 106
9/23/08 at 8:26pm
This will be my third birth and third planned homebirth. I've never had any pharmocological pain relief....the water was relief enough for me.

Even if I was at the hospital I could never let them stick me with an epidural needle.
post #15 of 106
9/23/08 at 8:33pm
I hate the term "natural birth" I am planning on zero to minimal intervention birth. (so no epi ) It seems (here comes that word) natural. I am more afraid of the needles and the beeping and the prodding then I am of the pain of labour.
post #16 of 106
9/23/08 at 11:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahlynne View Post
forgive me if i missunderstood this, but you are GETTING an epidural to AVOID the cascade of interventions? An epidural isn't even at the begining of the cascade, you are well into it at that point - iv, coninuous monitoring and confinement to bed at the least. Please explain.
Wow - did I ever miswrite! I totally meant without!!!
post #17 of 106
9/24/08 at 12:26am
In the right circumstances, an epi can avoid more interventions--but that would be a very individual thing.

I'm not sure, honestly--my ideal would be to play it by ear. If I knew I could have an epidural or spinal without trouble, I'd be inclined to stick with that, but I've had 2 consultant anesthetists wince at my spine. They couldn't do a CSE for my section last time and had to do an epidural and wait (it wasn't such an emergency that they needed GA but they wanted to be able to operate quickly as she was showing signs of distress). So I have to factor in being at increased risk for anesthesia problems or a general, neither of which I want--or I could have the epidural in labor and make sure someone good does it.
post #18 of 106
9/24/08 at 12:52am
I am not pregnant but I have had a nearly intervention free homebirth (had AROM at about 7cm) and a c/s for breech. I will never stop regretting consenting to surgery for my 2nd birth, I laboured without pharamcological assistance to pushing stage and had to resist pushing to give them time to operate. stupid. My ncb was fantastic and I would never willingly opt for that horrible sensation of absent legs, nor miss out on experiencing the power of what my body can do.
post #19 of 106
9/24/08 at 7:52am
Quote:
miss out on experiencing the power of what my body can do.
I did experience the power of what my body can do. I just didn't experience the pain. Birth is not about the pain. I will never understand why people feel it is ok to think someone missed out on birth or that their birth was more special or amazing than someone who had an epidural. I would never dismiss someone who had an unmedicated birth, but for some reason it is ok to do it if you had the epidural.

Quote:
i do pity those who purposely choose an unnatural birth before they even go into labor. interventions are not always the best choice and should be used for real emergancies. feeling your birth is not nessessarely a terrible thing.
Save your pity for people who really need it. I am now 9 weeks pregnant with my second child. I will be opting for the epi. I did the same with my first. I did feel my birth. I felt the joy. I felt the love. I felt the awesome power of knowing my baby was coming into the world. I do not feel that pain would have enhanced any of that and I think it is insulting to insinuate that a medicated birth is an unfeeling one. You feel many many things.

I think everyone should get the birth they want. If someone wants an unmedicated birth, I think that that is what they should get. If someone wants a medicated birth, they should get it. They should also be able to get them without the judgement and without someone telling them that they are not having the right birth. Birth is such an intimate, personal experience and no one should be put down or pitied because they go a different way than someone else.
post #20 of 106
9/24/08 at 9:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kriket View Post
I hate the term "natural birth" I am planning on zero to minimal intervention birth. (so no epi ) It seems (here comes that word) natural. I am more afraid of the needles and the beeping and the prodding then I am of the pain of labour.
Me too! The thought of a needle makes me want to run and hide in my closet.
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