How many of you had natural childbirth (or with Demerol) with your first child?
ByAs far as pain medication, I don’t want to use anything more than Demerol. My mom had her first two without any pain medication (my sister, the second born, was born at home on my granny’s couch, long story) With my brother and I she had demerol. Then I have one sister who had an epidural with all of her kids and my other sister had no pain medication with her 4!
Sooo..how many of you went as far as having an epidural for pain relief?? How much relief does demerol offer?? Was it easy to focuse on your breathing as opposed to the pain?? I’m 27 weeks and plan to go to the classes but would like insight from others as to what to expect (or what your experience was like, I know all births are different)..Soo any advice you have is greatly appreciated.
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19 Comments
March 4th, 2010 at 2:30 am
I am so not having a natural childbirth, I would be so scared ! Plus im so small its going to hurt period!
March 4th, 2010 at 3:13 am
I had demorol with my first and it was great! Slept 6 hrs of my 8 hr 45 min labor! Never had an epidural.
March 4th, 2010 at 3:23 am
I had all of my kids naturally at home. It actually wasnt as painful as people make it out to be, but I was able to use other positions. Kneeling greatly reduces the pressure as well as opens up 30% more room for the baby to come out. As far as pain, being on your back is the worst, they only do this so that doctors can have easy access. Anyhow, breathing does help alot too.
March 4th, 2010 at 3:52 am
I would go natural, and I did. When you think you have had to much pain , give it your all and it will be over before you know it,and then you can be proud that you were able to take labor full on. Demerol is a good alternative to an epidural.
March 4th, 2010 at 4:27 am
Well in my case I made it to only 4 centimeters with no pain medication, but they had me on pitocin so my contractions were coming hard and strong!! I didn’t ask for anything but an epidural, and it only worked for a couple of hours and then I had to get it again a second time, then a shot of morphine, long story gosh! Anyway I would say try to go as long as you can with out pain medication, but why suffer if you don’t have to..?? Good luck!
March 4th, 2010 at 4:54 am
I went natural for both of my births….daughter was 9lbs 10oz and my son was 10lbs. Both were born at a freestanding birth center with midwives. Don’t take Lamaze classes…useless if you want to learn how to labor and birth drug-free. Take Bradley Birth classes. You learn true breathing and relaxation techniques and if you have to be at a hospital, hire a doula to be there to support you through the labor and delivery.
March 4th, 2010 at 5:27 am
I haven’t had my baby yet (hopefully soon!) but I just thought I would share with you my reasons for not wanting to use Demerol.
I’m going to try a natural childbirth but I’m definately not opposed to taking pain relief if needed, however I definately do not want to take demerol as my best friend and another friend’s mom both have told me stories about how when they got demerol for pain relief they felt in such a drugged state that they dont remember the majority of what went on, and dont even remember holding their babies for the first time.
I realize that with the intesity of the situation it could be easy to have cloudy memories of the exact event, but I just dont want to take anything that would further cloud me being able to recall my baby in my arms for the first time, especially as I know I have a very low drug tolerance.
Good luck in whatever you choose
March 4th, 2010 at 5:30 am
Read the book “Special Delivery” by Rahima Baldwin Dancy. It will tell you what to expect with both natural or hospitalized birth.
The epidural could give you a migrane which would lessen your joy at seeing your child for the first time. All pain relief increases risk of complication because if your body gets too relaxed, then they stimulate labor, and continue to intervene. Best option is emotional relaxation. Hot bath helps with the pain tremendously.
The biggest pain however is the epesiotomy. A totally unnecessary slicing of the vaginal opening with scissors. Midwives usually deliver without episiotomy but doctors usually cut you to get the baby out faster. This leads to pain sitting or walking for three weeks after the birth. If you have natural childbirth it may hurt more in the moment but afterwards, within a couple hours, you’ll be sitting and walking normally. If you get an episiotomy you’ll be in pain for a while, and it may be more difficult to enjoy sex afterwards. So really more than painkillers that is what you need to ask your doctor or nurse or midwife about before you deliver.
March 4th, 2010 at 6:29 am
My first and second were all natural births. I only chose that because I was scared to death to have an epidural. My 3d who is 6 months old today is a different story. I was induced do to emergency purposes. With the pitocin the contractions were stronger and came on fast nothing like i felt with the first 2. At 3cm dialated I couldnt handle it anymore and I asked for pain med. They gave me Demerol. Nope did NOTHING at all, i guess it was suppose to take the edge off not take the pain away. Well after about 3 different kinds of meds i needed the epi so I got one.
I am glad that i went natural with my first 2.
March 4th, 2010 at 7:06 am
I was only permitted to have laughing gas which did nothing for the pain, but made me high and it was gross. Apparently demerol only helps as in you can rest between contractions. Makes you sleepy.
It hurts naturally, worse then anything you could imagine, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. Plus its been proven, women who don`t get the epi, dont push as long. I only pushed 10 times. And she was 9 lbs. If I ever have another child, I won`t take drugs. I begged at the time for them because it was in my birth plan, but next time I wont. Infact I will put in my birthplan that under no circumstances, will I be given drugs even if I beg.
Hope that helps. And I had a bad long back labor. So if I would do it again naturally, I have faith you can too.
March 4th, 2010 at 7:58 am
I will prefer natural births with my 1st child which was a daughter she came fairly quick. My water broke around 1 am and i had her at 8 in the morning. But with my son he was little more stubborn and I “had”" to have an epideral the pain was killing me.. but its quick working and you never fell anything.
March 4th, 2010 at 8:09 am
I had nothing at all with my little girl, and it isn’t that bad! when you get your baby that’s it all forgotten!
Just remember tho, leave your dignity at the door and pick it up on the way out! good luck and congratulations!
March 4th, 2010 at 8:27 am
I just had my baby 2 weeks ago and I went all natural. I can’t believe I did it all natural either but I did. The contractions are very painful and let me just put it this way, 25 minutes before I started pushing I actually wanted pain medication or even epidural but my midwife told me to do something else to try to relieve my pain. She told me to sit in the tub with warm water but that sure didnt help me either. Once the contractions hit it is hard for you to breathe but nothing harmful to where you just wont be able to breathe. It was difficult for me to focus on breathing while the contraction hit because I was so focus on the pain of the contraction. Hopefully your husband/boyfriend will be as supportive as my husband was to me and kept reminding me to breathe and relax. Just remember to RELAX and stay calm.
I did plan to take breathing classes a month before I was due but the darn hospital that was offering cancelled on me!
Anyway, good luck to ya!
March 4th, 2010 at 8:54 am
I wanted the epidural but by the time I asked for it I had labored up to 9 cm. I got really far by just managing with lamaze breathing. Anyway, they wouldn’t give it to me at that point but they gave me one shot of a narcotic. It made me pretty spacy but it did get me to the final pushing stage. All the pain killers had worn off by then.
So that’s my experience, but I’m just one person. I often don’t need pain killers (like I had surgery this year and didn’t need anything by the time I left the hospital).
March 4th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Hello! Well, I have two daughters & boy was it way different. With my first I had an epidural, but with my second she came out too fast… She started coming out in the car… Man, did that hurt.. I was screaming so loud, lol…. If I was to get preg again I would definetly want an epidural, 30 min after my water broke my daughter came out & I didn’t feel no pain. I still remember the day she was born… so painlessly….I wasn’t drugged up at all, it don’t affect the baby in any way…. It’s just numbing you, so you don’t feel nothing. I strongly suggest an epidural, it made that birth so much more pleasant.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:39 am
With my first I was only 18 and I was drugged. He came out pretty easy. We were going to attempt to go natural this second time but with the size of the baby we are considering maybe going the hospital route just in case.
I’m only 37weeks but he’s 8.6lbs. Though my first baby was big too. I would go with what you are comfortable with. That’s all that really matters when giving birth.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:10 am
I’m hoping to go natural, but I’m going to be facing adversity as I have to deliver with an OB in a hospital. I’ve been reading “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”, written by Ina May Gaskin – one of the leading midwives in the country, and it is giving me so much inspiration. The first part of the book is filled with wonderful birthing stories, told by women who successfully and happily delivered with no pain medication. You can find the book on Amazon or maybe at your local library – I highly recommend it to anyone who is pregnant!
March 4th, 2010 at 11:19 am
i had demerol and an epidural. i was induced though and he was facing the wrong way so i had really bad back labor. i asked for the epidural as soon as i walked in lol. im no hero! demerol made it easier for me to get some sleep. i didnt feel a thing with the epidural because i got it when i was at 7cms. i was in labor for 18 hours. i would do the demerol first again. it did give me some relief, but i think i got more relief when they turned the pitocin drip off. rocking in a rocking chair will help you work through the contractions too. congrats and good luck!
March 4th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
i went for the epidural only cause demirol is a narcotic and it can effect the baby and i didnt want to take any chances with that so i chose the epidural wich didnt hurt at all!!! good luck with what ever u choose