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Hi, Ladies.
I'd love to hear from women who delivered without an epidural. Whether you opted against the epidural by choice or by necessity isn't important.
Also, from the same women, what would you recommend for women who plan to deliver without an epidural? Any special physical or emotional preparations?
Many thanks.
I didn't get to deliver w/o an epidural my first go round b/c I had to have a c-section... boo for hospital births =(
I will be going the completely natural this time with a midwife!!
In prep for the natural way last time though I got a great book called Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
It was fantastic is helping you learn how to relax and let your body do the work it needs to. If you're wanting to go the natural way for labor & delivery I would highly recommend looking into the stats on your hospital & cities c-section rate... by law your dr. has to have this info, so don't let them tell you they don't know. I would also get a birthing plan done sooner than later and MAKE COPIES, as hospitals tend to loose these.
Educate yourself HIGHLY on pitocin, it's effects, and the things hospitals push on laboring women.... b/c these things OFTEN lead to unneccesay "emergency" c-sections.
Another option is also to look into a midwife.... their cost is WAY less and they tend to know alot more about natural childbirth than doctors, as most doctors have never seen a natural birth.
OH... and here's a GREAT tip I just learned from my (soon to be) midwife... eat! And when you get to the hospital tell them you are SOOOOO full! <-- this will buy you about 4 hrs before the push for surgery, as they cannot take you back to surgery with a full stomach unless it really is necessary and not just to keep them on their schedule.
I'm also interested in hearing about the experiences of those who delivered without an epidural.
From a medical perspective, it may be helpful to keep in mind that it is great to make birth plans, but sometimes emergencies happen, and unfortunately following the intended plan can not safely happen (ex. the baby is not getting oxygen). Please keep in mind that you should pick a medical professional (whether an OB/GYN or a registered midwife etc) that you feel comfortable with and trust. You want to be able to trust that person if things do not go as planned.
my bff was drug free for her daughters birth - it was always in her birth plan but she also knew sometimes these decisions are taken out of your hand and she was prepared for that as well, thankfully she didnt need any drugs and was amazing
she was very quite during the labor (bradley??) and very focussed - she had 2 birth partners and we both knew our jobs was to support her and her birth plan. natural water breaking, no drugs, wanted to stand up during the labor, wanted to breast feed etc - she did have some stitches after the labour but everything else she was delighted with
i love this post and i cant wait to see more answers!!! i am not currently ttc right now.... but ive decided i would like a drug free, natural birth when the time comes :)
I'm really curious about this too! I was always dead-set on getting an epidural, but then I watched The Business of Being Born, and now I don't really know what I want, although I'm leaning towards natural (with the understanding that if medical intervention is needed, I will fully accept it).
@FutureMrsMcK I saw that too, of course 6 years after having my son....which given what I know now I probably would've gone with a midwife the first time round.... midwives can see when medical intervention is needed but it's not like with the hospital where the affects of things like medication they give you end up being the cause for the intervention needed.
@amnystik: I had to register to post this, but please, PLEASE do not intentionally eat before coming to the hospital, or suggest to others that this is a good idea. As an anesthesiologist, I really do not care if you want an epidural or not for your routine birth, but I REALLY, REALLY do care that your risk of aspiration (which is already elevated simply given your pregnant status) just skyrocketed because you intentionally ate before arriving to the hospital, and now you or your baby needs an emergent C-section. Aspiration leading to prolonged intubation and ICU stays and, most seriously, death, is a very remote, but very real possibility during an emergent C-section, and I would think every woman would want to do everything possible to avoid this. I would also closely scrutinize the motives of any health care provider you gives you the advice to eat a meal to prevent a C-section. I definitely agree that there are more birth interventions than are medically necessary, but there are many better ways to avoid them then by putting you/your baby at increased risk.
I had an epidural with my first son and also with my second son 13 yrs later however that one did NOT work.
I'd love to offer advice on how to prepare but unfortunately I was completely unprepared for going natural. I guess the biggest advice I can give is to be as physically healthy as possible. I was not and I became exhausted very quickly. Exhaustion and pain just made me want to give up.
The end result is the most precious thing you will ever lay your eyes on and you WILL forget all about the pain.
I had a natural birth with my daughter and had no problems, I don't know if I really have any advice though... I just went with the flow!!
@paperumbrella: Hmm... I'm just curious about this. While I understand your reasonings behind not eating- my birth center actually has a full kitchen for women to bake/ eat while in labor. It was something I was considering doing while laboring because baking relaxes me/ keeps me occupied. Would you recommend against that?
@firsttimemom: Well, let me give you a non-answer. :) Is the risk of aspiration during an emergent C-section low? Relatively, yes. Is the risk of requiring an emergent C-section low? Depends on your medical history (have you have previous C-sections, do you have lots of kids, have you had abdominal surgery before, have you had a healthy pregnancy, etc.). Is the risk of aspiration elevated when a patient has a full stomach? Yes.
So really, it depends on how much risk you are willing to assume. If your pregnancy has been otherwise healthy, and your provider has no reason to think you will need a C-section, and baking is relaxing for you, maybe that is a risk you are willing to take. For me, I would avoid eating before labor if possible (of course, sometimes labor naturally starts right after a big meal). My main point in my previous post, was that it is not a good idea to intentionally eat in order to avoid an unnecessary C-section- there are many better, less dangerous ways of doing so.
ETA- I forgot to say good luck and happy babymoon!! :)
I haven't had a child yet, but I know that my mother had 3 of her 4 children naturally. My brother (the oldest) is the only one who wasn't... this was back in 1976 (he's 11 years older than me) and back then they did something called a "Saddle Block" that paralyzed you from the waist down for a few days.
Very easy, painless child birth, but not so fun after the baby was born.
After that experience, my mom refused any medication they offered her. She and I have talked about this recently with my younger sister having children, and while she didn't stop my sister form inducing or having an epidural, she agreed with me that my sister should have waited to induce.
(Long story short on the induction: Dr. told her she had low iron, and if the baby was too big from waiting an extra week, then they *might* have to give her a transfusion... Her due date was July 5th. Coincidence? I think not.)
I personally plan to try for a natural birth when I have children. I know it will be hard (I'm a wuss) but I'm going to try.
I had two kids naturaly. My first I was all for drugs, but when I went to talk to doctors two said because of my small size, and reactions to pain killers (I get LOOPY and have to take very small doses) I had a very high chance of C-section. I talked to a naturalpath midwife who delivered in a birth center. She said she was very sure I would be fine. She is trained in turning babies, and her husband is a MD, so he consulted when I had low iron and fought with me to raise it high enough to stay at the birth center.
I would say PREPARE!! The biggest issue I think is getting too overwelmed. I told my mom during labor that it hurt all right, but it was just floods of anxiety and emotion that was really the issue. I learned how to count meditate, (in one, out two, ect all the way to ten. then start over. FI kept me on track even if I threw pillows at him)
Another is you HAVE to move to be comfortable. Laying on your back is one of the most painful positions for me and many I talked to in birth class reunion. Most of us even though we didnt plan it, had water births. I LOVED being able to be in any postion with out pressure points anywhere on me. Only issue is we didnt plan it the first time and I pulled FI in so quickly he only got his pants off, and had to hang out in his boxers and shirt.. lol... he gets people who ask why he let me. "WOuld you tell a crazy hormonal women who was shoveing out a 6 pound baby no? I would been killed in my sleep!!" He helped keep me floating and massaging me when I would let someone touch me.
I took a natural class (even though I missed all but the first, going into labor 3 weeks early... opps) and I learned how to instruct FI on how to push on my hips, when to help me move, and get around. I would say it helps your peace of mind, and better prepares you on things, but most of the time I was just wingging it and did fine.
Back labor is HORRIBLE and my kids were stubborn. The more I relaxed and let FI do a position hip thingy we learned and it was alot better.
My Dr actually all but did force me to drink juice and water. She said the more dehydrated and low on sugar you are the more pain you feel. Also holding your breath restricts oxygyn and make it all more painful.
Sorry so long, but I was a converted naturalpath...lol
OH!! Bonus, I saw my medical bills after and it was about 1/5 my friends in a hospital... didnt realize how expensive hospitals are!!
oh!! Also, I got to go home within 5 hours after, and a mid wife was on call to come over for anything (she said even if it was just to let me cry or sleep) and even though I never called, she checked on me in person 2X a day, and called 2X a day to make sure BFing and all baby stuff was going good. I dont know if all midwives are like that, but it made me feel so much more capable and comfortable at home.
@paperumbrella: I agree with your post.
To the OP, it sounds like you are wanting to go the all natural way when you have your baby and that is awesome but keep in mind that you want to make sure you are smart about what decisions you make regarding medical care/medicines etc JUST IN CASE you were to need a c-section, meds or anything like that. Lying to your doctors about eating etc will get you nowhere and would be really silly to do so just to have a "natrual" birth. If an emergency were to occur you want to be ready for whats next without worrying about something you did/did not do because you were not expecting anything but a natural birth.
Oh an almost forgot, the eating before you get to the hospital sounds like not-so-good advice coming from a mid-wife and you might want to double check on that and make sure because I work in a hospital on the ob/gyn floor and every doctor has always told their patients to NOT eat just in case.
I've never had a baby, but I'm taking a Developmental Psychology class, and in the book it says epidurals increase the risk of postpartum depression? Any thoughts?
I'm not sure if they cause it or if they're just correllated with another risk factor or if it's completely bogus. I just thought I'd ask since it's on this topic:)
@Leahhh: There have been studies that show a link between a negative birth experience and PPD. So if an epidural is considered by a woman to be a negative experience, I suppose that could be associated with PPD. Obviously, there are complications that can arise from having an epidural, as with any medical procedure. However, other studies show that patients who get epidural have a shorter duration of labor, leading to lower incidence of PPD when compared to the natural birth group at 1 week post-partum, but no difference at 4 months. So, I think there is no definitive answer.
@paperumbrella: Awesome, thank you! I find myself questioning some of the correlations they have in this book. But I figured if it was a true cause of PPD then it was worth tossing into this discussion :)
I do not have any children, but I fully plan on going the natural way when the time comes. A midwife and a birthing center (possibly homebirth) preferably, but I'd settle for a very progressive, understanding hospital. I am a firm believer that all the medical interventions are completely unnecessary in most cases (I totally understand using intervention in emergency and high-risk births) and can make things worse.
I also saw The Business of Being Born and thought it was a great documentary. I have known for a long time that if/when I got around to having kids, I'd go natural but it really solidified my decision. If you search on google for birthstories, you can find a lot of first-hand accounts of women who have done natural childbirth.
Thanks to everyone for responding. I should clarify a few things:
I realize that this is a sensitive and personal issue, and each woman has to make her own choice regarding her birth plan. I'd certainly never mean to suggest that one way is better over any other. My own personal birth plan involves getting this baby out of my body in a way that is healthy for both of us, in a hospital, with doctors, nurses, and my husband.
As far as the epidural is concerned, I have no choice. I have a bleeding disorder that makes placement of an epidural potentially very dangerous, and my team of medical professionals (including my family physician, who is also a yoga and meditation instructor, as well as other medical professionals within my own family) have all advised against it.
I place my trust (not blindly) in the medical system but I'm also someone who meditates regularly, and I hope that both traditional medical and non-medical interventions can play a role in my delivery.
Specifically, I was hoping to hear from women who did deliver without an epidural -- whether or not other medications were delivered, whether they delivered at home or in a hospital -- and whether they had any recommendations on, say, physical exercises or emotional preparations in order to make a non-epidural birth easier. For example, I understand that squats and kegels are helpful.
Again, many thanks.
@eurekaanchovies: If you are into meditating, and looking for an alternative to an epidural, look into hypnobirthing. I haven't had kids yet, but my best friends mum is a hypnotherapist, and has told me so many wonderful stories of women having almost pain free births using hypnotherapy. Its definately something I'm going to look into in a few years when my time comes.
I am currently pregnant with my first child, so I haven't successfully delivered "naturally' yet. However, we are planning a natural, home birth. In preparation we are taking Brio Birth classes (similar to Bradley Method). I am also going to prenatal yoga and prenatal pilates to help keep strength and endurance...also to help with relaxation. Walking is also good. It is also important to try to maintain a healthy diet throughout pregnancy.
As far as the above eating during labor controversy...most midwifes I have spoken to, my birth class teacher, as well as my OB all seem to be okay with this. In fact, most encourage it. Labor can be a very long process and strength is needed. Can you imagine having a 24+ hour labor and not eating that whole time and then trying to push the baby out??? This just doesn't make sense to me! Especially "just in case" I have to have an emergency C-Section. Like @paperumbrell mentioned in second post...it is all about calculated risk. From the point of view of the anesthesiologist I can see why you would say avoid it. But, if you have had a normal, healthy pregnancy and you are not being induced and you will not have an epidural (two of the biggest contributors to our EXTREMELY high c-section rate), I personally think it is better to eat.
@Leahhh: Another issue is that the epidural can restrict the release of certain hormones that lead to immediate biological attachment to the baby. So I'm sure that could effect the rates of PPD. I read a big essay on all of the possible complications of epidurals, I will try to find it!
I gave birth naturally.
My best advice is to prepare yourself for the birth by learning to breathe correctly. I personally attended a pregnancy yoga class and I learned sooo much. Breathing right can ease the pain soooo much. Also important to remember is to stay loose in the jaw and have your hand palms open. These are linked to the pelvic area and if you stay loose the birth will be much easier.
So breath and relax. Also I would highly recommend to work WITH your body, not against it during labor. If you're relaxed and breathing properly your birthing experience will be so much better.
Best of luck to all of you. You really can do it, but you should really practice on breathing beforehand because it is a special technique that won't come naturally. But once you've learned it it will be smooth sailing.
Here are some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj5IgpM6NC8 - notice the different types of breathing. They really work well in different stages of the birth. Especially the quick breathing when it's really painful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5HJ83xXQvM - this one is really good on the general breathing.
@weeonebride: That's so interesting because I also felt this urge to be moving during labor. I kept moving around in the room all the time and it seemed to ease the pain quite a lot.
I had my DS natural. My labour was fast and intense and lasted 2hr 20mins from when my watersbroke and got my first contraction. DS got stuck and even with an episiotomy which got cut THREE times I still did not have any pain meds- but at that point I was wishing I had of had them haha
I think the best thing you can do if you want to go natural is to not have a birth plan. Because if you have one and something goes wrong or not according to your plan you stress out and are not able to deal with it because you didn't 'prepare' for it. Go into labour with an open mind, think and you want to do it naturally but at the end of the day if you NEED to have an epidural its ok.
For me, becuase my labour was sooooo intense (think an average labour crammed into 2hrs: ouchie!) nothing really helped, but I do think that the shower helped alot. The hot water kept me calm and relaxed and took the edge off the pain.
I ended up getting an epidural but I still have suggestions
. I was in active labor for about 37 hours, 32 of which were without an epidural. And for first time moms a long labor is relatively normal.
Dont let them break your water. I dont think this is true for everyone but mine broke naturally and my pain level skyrocketed afterwards.
I'd say read as much as you can, from professionals and real birth stories. Everyones labor is individual so you need to have a lot of tools at your disposal. I went in thinking showers are great they always relax me, once my water broke, didnt love the shower, birthing ball sucked, rebozo was like a torture device, breathing techniques made me angry, but a rocking chair was the best freaking thing in the entire world and I'd never have thought that before hand.
Drink gatorade or something. I was pukey pants once my water broke so I didnt want anything but I was starving by the end and probably should have had something.
Give birth in a supportive place. Where I gave birth they were only semi supportive - they would say we'll do this how you want but then talk about the benefits of pain medication and that first time moms push for sometimes 2 hour - those comments arent helpful in the moment so if you can find a birthing center where the whole staff is supportive, you're more likely to be successful.
Know you can do it. For me I had a point where I decided I'd get an epidural, if you don't have that point then the option is off the table. When I got mine, I was confident that I could do it, it was just that I didn't want to do it anymore and i had met the other random criteria in my head (bp was high enough and I was far enough dilated that I thought there would be less chance of a problem to cause a csection). But if you don't set those criteria you'll just deal even if there's a few minutes where you feel like you can't do it and maybe a few hours where you feel like you don't want to do it - but you can.
I delivered without an epidural. It wasn't until about 30 minutes before I started pushing that I even asked for medication because I'd trained for Bradley Birth. Honestly, it wasn't bad at all and, for Wombat's birth, I do not want an epidural at all and want to go completely natural. I'd honestly feared childbirth for years, but no realize that it's not that bad. It's made out to be a lot worse than it actually is. Plus, I truly believe that my husband guiding me through the labor and delivery helped us bond making Moose's death slightly easier.
I have a friend who recently gave birth and she had the 'cadillac' of procedures. She was induced, given an epidural, mechanically dilated, the baby was artificially fed...it was about the cost of a downpayment on a house! They kept her in the hospital for 4 days too. She decided it was all things she wanted but now she looks back on the photos and the whole experience and says it was like 'being a zombie for 4 days on drugs while everyone around me enjoyed my son'. It was heartbreaking to hear this from her and now she's really depressed because she feels like she missed out on something. That's my only bit'o'info, I always intended to have a natural home birth just based on my families excellent experiences with them! That's just me though =)
I had an unmedicated hospital birth. I took a lamaze childbirth class, had an awesome doula & read part of Ina May's book. My husband read the birthing partner.
If I do it again, I'd probably do Bradley classes & do a home birth with a nurse midwife. Or, wait ridiculously long before going in, but luckily I live RIGHT by the hospital.
I labored at home for about 7 or 8 hours. During that time I went for a walk and also paced in the pool. I ate some cereal before I knew it was the "real deal" then I only had clear liquids afterwards, but I do think it is very important to have some calories to keep your energy up. It was during office hours, so I headed to the OB even though I wasn't @ 5 minute intervals yet. I'm glad I did, bc I was already @ 5cm & I lost my plug & my water broke @ her office! I walked to the hospital & was 6 when I got there. Honestly, I didn't really like the hospital experience, but that was just me. It made me panic a bit (unnecessarily, but I'm type A). I'm more than happy to answer any other questions via PM or will try to check back in here.
I highly recommend watching some unmedicated births if possible, because it looks/feels very different than what you see on TV (whether real or dramatic, usually shown with epidural).
@amnystik: Have your husband read "Husband Coached Childbirth" so that he knows what he should be doing during your labor. I also highly recommend taking the 12 week classes given by a certified Bradley instructor. So of it is repeatative, but it's a good way to prepare for both you and your husband. I've read the book you mentioned and one I mentioned, but the classes added a lot that I would've missed. It's kind of like how a book is always a little different from the movie if that makes sense.
I posted this in a different thread awhile back, but yes I delivered my 6 lb 10 oz daughter without an epidural.
Before I gave birth, I wasn’t dead set on delivering naturally. I was a little hesitant about the epidural because of the experiences of 3 of my friends who had recently given birth. One friend ended up with Bells-Palsy (facial paralysis) after her epidural that lasted for 2 months and I had two other friends who went through that pitocin-epidural-pitocin-epidural cycle which led to the baby’s heartrate dropping then emergency c-section. So, I decided to labor at home for as long as possible and see if I could hold off on the epidural for as long as possible. But if I was in a lot of pain, I wasn’t going to rule that out as an option. (side note—my friends all ended up with totally healthy babies and their experiences with the epidural were definitely not the norm!)
During the end of pregnancy, I slowly dilated about 1 cm a week for almost a month before going into labor. I was still out and about during that last month so this part was more uncomfortable and exhausting than painful. So on the day I ended up giving birth, I didn’t know my body was going into labor since I had been slowly dilating and uncomfortable for so long and also my water hadn’t broken yet. By the time I got to the hospital and in the delivery room, I was already 7-8 cms dilated and very close to pushing. They always said that I could have the epidural, but my labor was progressing so quickly that it just didn’t make sense. The contractions at that stage were extremely uncomfortable but they not agonizing or unbearably painful. I say that the overall sensation was similar to lifting weights and pushing yourself thru an extra set at a very heavy setting. Also, the contractions only last for a minute or two and in between contractions, I felt totally fine.
As I was weighing my options, the doctor pointed out that because my labor was advancing so quickly, the birth would likely be very quick as well. And the added intervention would likely slow down the whole process and also slow down my recovery afterwards. So since I didn’t feel like I was in truly agonizing pain and made it so far without it, I decided to forego it all together and just start pushing. Sure enough, I pushed for about 20-30 mins and my baby was born. And because I didn’t have the epidural, I was able to get to the recovery room quicker and also able to leave the hospital 24 hours later. To this day, I am still shocked that it was so easy for me.
I am really happy I got to have a great natural birth experience and I would encourage everyone to try it out if you can. But I know all births are different and I feel like a lot of my experience was just luck. If for some reason my labor was different or had suddenly slowed down on its own, I can’t say for certain that I would’ve stuck with the all –natural route. The birth is really more of a means to an end, so go with whatever route will give you a healthy baby.
@TheFutureMcBride Thanks! We'll totally have to get that for DH. Unfortunately, Bradley classes aren't available in our area so it'll all be between me, hubby, and my midwife as to getting prepared. =/ Maybe I can find some videos or something =)
@amnystik: My Bradley instructor didn't have classes for her first 2, but prepared with books and what not. I'll ask her if there's anything else you can do. Oh, make sure to do the recommended exercises.
I did not have a med-free birth (I had an epidural), but I prepared for one. My biggest advice is to research the natural birthing methods available and pick one that works for you. Bradley is the most successful method (I think Bradley has like a 90% success rating), but if the classes are not available in your area, there are lots of homestudy type preparation courses available (hypnobirthing, lamaze, etc...). I also really recommend the book The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin; it's pretty comprehensive and has a great section on coping methods and chapters for your birthing partner on how to support you during a natural birth.
Good luck! I am always very impressed with women who succeed in med-free childbirth! :)
ETA: As far as eating before/during labor goes, am I the only person that was totally disgusted by food while in birth? I started puking within 30 minutes of my water breaking, and I puked a lot right up until I got the epidural. I always thought I'd want to eat during labor, but when the time came, I couldn't even keep down juice/gatorade, much less think about food, lol.
@TheFutureMcBride THANKS! and Yea I was just reading over the Bradley site again to double check about instructors in the area... still none.
@Mrs.Spring I felt like that after I got my epidural too. Before that though I was STARVING as I'd been there for 12 hrs in labor and unable to eat.
Most hospitals would NEVER support eating b/c of their rate of c-section and as the pp responded in that case it certainly wouldn't be recommended.
As far as midwives and freestanding bithing centers they'll tell you the opposite b/c your body NEEDS energy to do the hardest thing it'll ever do... and their rate of "emergency" intervention of any kind, including c-sections, is astronomically less than U.S. hospitals.
@amnystik: I was like that BEFORE my epidural. I was so sick before I got I the epidural, I didn't even allow my (starving) husband to eat in my room, lol. Once the epidural kicked in, my stomach finally settled down and I only puked once or twice after that. :)
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