I had an epi with DS but went pain med free with DD. I was all for epidurals pre-kids, but then I had a bad experience with mine. I had a reaction to the lidocaine they use before they put the big needle in and was very out of it for the rest of my labor and delivery. I HATE that feeling.
I decided to try and go pain med free with my second. I still ended up asking for an epi but there was no time. If I was going to have a third I would try to go med free again.
I did have a much easier recovery with my second but she was also a half pound smaller so I don't know if foregoing the epi had anything to do with it.
O.k. - so, I was basically always of the mindset that I was going to get an epidural. But I will say that when we came down to the line, I started thinking "Maybe I'll try it w/o. Hmmm....".
But then I was induced and the contractions started. Oh, for the life of me. They were 2 minutes apart and PAINFUL. PAINFUL. Immediately, I was like "if this is what it's like for the next 6, 12, 36 hours, I'll never make it. I'll be so exhausted". There was just NO relaxing.
So, yeah, I got the epi. And I'm glad I did. While I actually had a pretty short labor, I was able to relax and while not truly nap - I was able to veg out and conserve my energy.
And even pushing didn't last that long (although longer than it should because my epi worked TOO good and I couldn't feel the right stuff in order to push correctly. Then I started to push like I had to poop - and ta-da!!! I had a baby! ), but all in all - I was still glad I got the epi. The contractions just took so much out of me.
Well, for statistical purposes, I had a failed epidural, got it redone and it worked (kind of) for a little while before it wore off completely, and I had a difficult recovery. Next time I will try for an epidural again, but I had no interest in going med free the first time.
A big thing is that I was so tired- my water broke at 4am, my labor wasn't progressing so I had to keep getting Pitocin upped, and I couldn't ever relax or nap because I was in too much pain. I pushed for two hours and had him at 8:30pm and was exhausted.
My water broke at 2:30 am. I labored naturally but got stuck at 7 cm from noon-4 pm. At 4 the doc recommended an epidural and pitocin and I was exhausted. It hurt worse than anything. When the epidural kicked in...I laid on a bed and rested and it was bliss. The rest of labor was a piece of cake. He was 9 lbs 2 oz and I only had a 2nd degree tear. My SIL went natural and her baby was a little smaller but she wasn't able to stop pushing when they told her so he flew out and she tore pretty badly. When they told me to stop pushing I didn't feel anything so it wasn't hard to just hang out until they told me to start again ...I'm glad I had the epidural.
Recovery wasn't bad. I had motrin and dermaplast and never had any pain while healing.
Post by thinkofthesoldiers on Sept 17, 2014 9:40:33 GMT -5
Why can't you prepare for med-free and go with the flow. Labor and delivery are not something anyone can predict. Recovery is the same way. I went into both with a "go with the flow" mentality. I was disappointed in any part of my L&D, even though I ended in a c/s for both.
Post by underwaterrhymes on Sept 17, 2014 9:41:03 GMT -5
I would suggest to you planning for med-free if that's what you want, but preparing yourself that it may not happen that way.
I wanted to go med-free. I had a HypnoBabies CD and read Ina May books and practiced bouncing on my labor ball.
But my contractions started out 4 minutes apart. And when I was just 4 centimeters dilated they were 2 minutes apart, lasting a minute and a half. I was in the tub at the hospital and my water broke and that was that. I asked for the epi.
It was magical, that epidural, and we wound up naming our kid after the anesthesiologist. (Totally not joking. We really did.)
I wound up being in labor for a total of 24 hours (and a full 12 hours after I got the epi). It was such a beautiful experience and I don't think I would have been able to enjoy it as much if I hadn't gotten it.
I had an epi with both my girls and it was a completely different experience both times.
My first DD, I pushed for an hour and eleven minutes (started pushing at 10 & she was born 11:11am). Total time in labor was 12 hours. I needed stiches with her and had to sit on a donut for almost two weeks.
My second DD, I pushed for 9 minutes and felt amazing. I had her on a Saturday, discharged on Sunday, & was at the museum on Monday walking around for hours lol. Total time in labor was 5 hours.
Post by NothingWrongwithOhio on Sept 17, 2014 9:42:09 GMT -5
I took the "let's see how it goes" route and ended up getting an epidural. It didn't work. It did, however, send a shot of cold up my back every time they pushed more, and that was absolutely heavenly.
To your other point, I had a really shitty labor and delivery, but was up and about in no time. I did have a pretty terrible tear, but I don't recall it bothering me that much.
Post by speckledfrog on Sept 17, 2014 9:43:19 GMT -5
You never know what kind of labor/recovery you are going to have. It's really all a crap shoot. Having said that...my recovery with C (unintentionally unmedicated birth) was easier than my recovery with W. I think it's 70% because my labor was super fast, 10% because I didn't have a catheter, and 20% because, with a newborn and a toddler, I didn't have time to sit around and think about if my cooch hurt. Both were easy pregnancies and easy recoveries, though.
My suggestion is that, if you are going to go med free, get really prepared. Take classes, get your H involved, get some coping techniques, etc. One suggestion you will hear if you are going to go med free is to labor as much as you can at home. I can attest that it does, indeed, work. I had decided too late in my first pregnancy (like 35 weeks) that I wanted to go med free and didn't have any time to prepare, but I read Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel and really liked it.
I had wanted to try without the epi but decided that if I needed it, I'd get it. I was induced and begged for it. My epi failed. It was really hard but my labor was super quick. I think next time I will try to go without just because I've done it before and my labor was super quick so I assume my second will be too.
I was hell bent on going without the epi, but things didn't happen the way I planned and I was cool with that. I think if you plan on going med free, but are open to the idea of getting an epi, cool. It's not a contest - it's about listening to your body and knowing what your breaking point is.
I would go with the flow. My plan was always to labor as long as I could on my own. By the time I had dilated enough to be admitted, I had been in labor for 21 hours. I wanted all the drugs by then, mostly so I could sleep. I was in labor for another 16 hours after that before she was born.
ETA: I didn't have my epi topped off, so by the time I was pushing I could feel a lot and was walking around after we got to the post partum room. I was glad I could feel something by go time, but thankful I had the epi for the in-between part.
Post by noodleskooze on Sept 17, 2014 9:45:43 GMT -5
I'd say try med-free but be open to meds if you end up needing them.
I wanted to go med-free and made it to 9 cm. Baby's heart rate started dropping when I was on my back, but when I labored on my side, I started involuntarily pushing. I couldn't stop from pushing, but I wasn't fully dilated yet, so I got an epi. I don't have any regrets, and I will try med-free next time.
Post by dragonfly08 on Sept 17, 2014 9:46:34 GMT -5
Heck, I was all for having the epidural as I was checking in...I never had any desire at all to go med free. So I can't help much there.
What I can say is that the best thing you can do is be prepared for anything. If you want to try and go med free, do it. As long as you're open to the fact that things can change. That you might find the experience to be different than you expected and/or decide you do want an epidural.
Even with a pretty good epidural, my second delivery was definitely NOT pain free. But part of that was the fact that DD had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck so my OB maxed out my Pitocin to get the baby out FAST. She warned me when she started that even with the drugs I was going to feel it, with DD moving so fast, and she wasn't kidding. It was bad enough that I'm not sure I, personally, could have dealt with that med-free. But I'm a wimp. :-)
There is a lot of research about epidurals leading to more negative outcomes... just a few of the studies:
A review of multiple studies concluded epidurals increase chance of interventions and subsequent complications and decrease chance of vaginal birth, and weaken the newborn's immune system www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12011872/
There are plenty of other studies that show evidence that epidurals affect natural fluctuations in the neurotransmitters and hormone levels that are responsible for many of the above processes, so building a case that this is actually a cause and effect thing, not just correlational.
For me, it was worth it to go pain-med free with both labors.
I'm not going to go point by point about these articles that you posted, but saying that these articles show that epidurals lead to negative outcomes is misleading.
Did anyone else have a twinge of pain at the epidural site for like a year or two? I think it's gone but when I would move certain ways it felt like a pinch.
I went drug-free and had a great experience. My recovery was really easy because I only had a small tear and I loved not needing to be hooked up to an IV and basically being able to get up and walk and use the bathroom on my own as soon as I pushed her out.
BUT a lot of it was sheer dumb luck. My labor was textbook and fast, nine hours from the first contraction to last push (and I only pushed for less than 10 minutes.) I also had an amazing support system (very pro-natural OB, a doula and my DH, who is also a doctor.)
Also, while I know what people mean when they say "just go with the flow," it's really hard to have a successful natural labor unless 1) you prepare in advance (Bradley, Hypnobirthing, doula, midwife, etc.) And/or 2) you have a super-fast labor and basically run out of time to get an epidural. A lot of hospital policies (like restrictions on food, mandatory IVs, routine use of Pitocin, required pushing on your back) make it harder to work through the pain and let your body do its thing.
So I do think it's good to have a plan. Good luck!
I went epi free both times, and I loved it. I'm planning a home birth this time. I knew that I didn't want meds from the beginning of my pregnancy with Sofia. I made sure to read natural childbirth books, and I interviewed a few midwives until I found one who fit exactly what I wanted. It hurt, it was torture at times, but (for me) there is nothing more empowering than feeling your body work like that. I felt amazing, strong, powerful, beautiful. It was amazing.
I had an epi before I ever had a painful contraction. My water broke and nothing really happened on it's own, so I got an epi before they started pitocin. That being said, I knew I wanted an epi long before I was in labor. I don't have great pain tolerance and reading how people described the pain of labor, I knew I couldn't do it. Thankfully I got one, because things with my labor went pretty wrong, but it was nothing related to having an epi and everything to do with the fact that my baby was huge and my pelvis couldn't accommodate him.
Post by wonderfezz on Sept 17, 2014 9:59:11 GMT -5
Just go with the flow and don't be afraid to ask for meds if you want them. Don't try to be a hero, ya know? Just be open minded. There's a lot of variables.
I had an epidural and had an easy, standard vaginal birth and an easy, standard recovery. No need to start crawling on that mommy cross just yet. Figure it out as you go.
Post by circa1978 on Sept 17, 2014 10:01:23 GMT -5
This is so individual but I went med free and had a great birth. It really is one of my favorite memories. I felt so strong and connected to my baby. Plus, I was able to get up, pace, get into different positions. I pushed super effectively - once I was at 10, I pushed two or three times and he was out - and was able to pretty much get out of bed right away.
I think one of the reasons it worked out for me is that I knew other women who had given birth naturally - my mother among them, twice - so I went into it pretty empowered and with a good idea of what to expect, plus I had a "fast" labor. If you feel like it's something you even might want to do, explore it. You can always ask for pain relief if things get too hard.
I went epi free both times, and I loved it. I'm planning a home birth this time. I knew that I didn't want meds from the beginning of my pregnancy with Sofia. I made sure to read natural childbirth books, and I interviewed a few midwives until I found one who fit exactly what I wanted. It hurt, it was torture at times, but (for me) there is nothing more empowering than feeling your body work like that. I felt amazing, strong, powerful, beautiful. It was amazing.
I didn't know this. I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU! Wes's was so amazing, even when things went wonky in the house (no hot water b/c the water heater broke, power went out, lol). Makes me want to have a third, just for another HB.
Are you getting a doula?
ETA: i will never have a third, but that's just how awesome my experience was. haha.
Yeah, I'm really excited! I wanted to try a home birth with my other kids, but I lived too far from a hospital if anything went wrong. I'm in town now, so I'm a lot more comfortable. I'm not going to have a doula. I don't know, I kind of prefer to be left on my own and to do my own thing, so I'm not sure a doula would be worth it for me.
Why can't you prepare for med-free and go with the flow. Labor and delivery are not something anyone can predict. Recovery is the same way. I went into both with a "go with the flow" mentality. I was disappointed in any part of my L&D, even though I ended in a c/s for both.
ETA: I WASN'T disappointed. Whoops.
I can, and I am. I'm reading all the Bradley and Ina Gaskin and whatever I can get my hands on. I just ... I don't know, actually. I just want to hear as many perspectives as I can so I'm prepared for as many scenarios as there are.
I always knew I'd want an epidural. I had one each time with no negative effects with regard to either labor or recovery. No regrets whatsoever.
With that said, if going med free is something you truly want to attempt, I think you're on the right track with your reading and your willingness to maintain an open mind in case you change your plan.
I also went in with a go with the flow attitude. I had techniques to use to try to labor as long as possible without medication. I barely used those lol. I got the epidural, which was amazing.
I had an epidural and had an easy, standard vaginal birth and an easy, standard recovery. No need to start crawling on that mommy cross just yet. Figure it out as you go.
Who is doing that? She's weighing her options. Just because a person goes without drugs doesn't mean they're being a mommy martyr. Nobody said anything negative about medicated births. Why be negative towards non medicated?
No one is doing that. I'm just saying it's unnecessary to feel like you have to commit today, either way. No need to feel bad about your birth plan, deviating from it, and just figure it out as she goes.
Did anyone else have a twinge of pain at the epidural site for like a year or two? I think it's gone but when I would move certain ways it felt like a pinch.
I wanted a med free birth so badly. I talked to H about it and asked him to help me get through it. I made it clear to him that I wanted to avoid meds and id need his support. He helped me breath through contractions and kept reminding me that I could do it without meds. The nurse that was also on when I was laboring the hardest was incredibly helpful too. She asked at the beginning of her shift what I wanted and she helped me do that. Honestly, without the nurse and my H I would've gotten the epi much sooner.
I labored for about 12-15 hours without meds but was so tired I couldn't take it anymore. And I let the pain get to my head and freaked out. I got staydol first and that caused E's HR to dip really low so at that point I was exhausted and scared so I opted for the epi
I don't know if my outcome would've been different had I avoided all meds (I ended up having a c-section) but I don't regret my epi one but.
Post by CajunShrimp on Sept 17, 2014 10:08:00 GMT -5
I went into DS's labor with a wait and see attitude. I made it 11 hours and 6cm drug free. But then they had to give me Pitocin and it went from "Holy shit this hurts" to "OMFG this is fucking awful. Give me drugs NOW!". So I did the epidural. I am hoping to make it farther along with this one, because I was able to progress faster when I was able to stand up. If I make it drug free, great, but I won't hate myself if I don't. By time he was born, I had been awake 38+ hours and in labor for 19. pushing for 3. I needed the drugs because there was no way in hell I would have the energy to push without some rest.
If you can, stay mobile as long as you can. Once you are tied down to the bed with epidural, IVs, etc. your labor will probably slow down. Let gravity help you along. Walking, bouncing on the ball, and squatting will all help. And if you need the drugs, take them.
I think it's best not to go in there with a strict agenda. I was open to whatever needed to happen at the time. I tried drug-free, then did demerol and about 10 hours in opted for an epidural. The good thing is that it wore off in delivery, so I could feel where he was positioned and effective pushing.