Is natural childbirth as horrible as people make it out to be?
ByI’m not pregnant and don’t plan to be for a few years. Just wondering. I mean I’ve been told by tons of people how hard it is and that it’s better to get an epidural, but a handful have said it’s not that bad without the epidural. And, I’m absolutely terrified of having to have a c- section. I’d rather not have kids if I have to end up having a c- section.
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13 Comments
April 7th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Every woman is different. For some natural childbirth is HORRIBLE for some its not THAT BAD.
April 7th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Its really not – if you can focus that pain on the end result you’ll do just fine
April 7th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
well, back then when my grandmother was in labor, they did not have that. I think it’s pretty bad but with the medical science these days it’s probably easier. most though, thought it was worth it. otherwise she wouldn’t have had 8 kids. and came from 7 herself. and my mom had two. misscarried two as well.
April 7th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
I tried it without an epidural. It was very painful, but not unbearable. The only reason I got an epidural eventually (14 hours in) was that I was 5.5 cm when I went into the hospital, 5.5 cm when they broke my water bag for me and 5.5 cm an hour later. I hadn’t slept well in a few days from pre-labor contractions and not at all for at least 36 hours at that point, so I was afraid of not having the energy to push if I didn’t dilate quickly. They did the epidural too strong, so I had trouble pushing (three hours, and still needed a vacuum), but I did dilate to 10 cm within one hour of epidural. It was the only thing that relaxed me enough to allow the dilation. So, in the end, it was worth it, but I will try natural again with my next one and see how it goes.
April 7th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
For me, it wasn’t too bad. I gave birth without an epidural. However, I’m sure everyone’s threshold for pain and actual pain is different. Believe me, when the time comes… Your instincts take over and all you want is for the baby to be out!
April 7th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
its not painful at all with the epidural.
so get an epidural thats all you need lol
April 7th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I was in back labour which is incredibly painful. Ive ever experienced ‘normal’ labour contractions. I did get the epidural which took most of the pain away, but because of it being in back they couldn’t numb all the pain.
However, actually pushing baby out was Nooothing compared to my back contractions! Yes it was hard, and it burned, but I wouldn’t at all call it painful.
And you might get lucky, she was my first baby and I didn’t even tear so, no stitches!
It’s hard, but its really not that bad. Once that baby is out you forget about it all. I had 18 hours of labour, the worst pain in my back that i ever experienced, and I’d do it again for my daughter in a heartbeat!
April 7th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
for your first child you will probably get the epidural, my contractions were off the screen! lol…but by the 2nd baby my mom told me you know what your getting into, so you wont get one….im gonna try and go all natural with my 2nd full term baby….we will see when the time comes!!!
April 7th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Well a c-section is not optional. You can elect to have it but most doctors won’t do that anymore. You’d only need it if there was a medical reason for it.
I think the pain depends on a lot of things. How high is your pain tolerance? How long does the labour last? How long is the woman pushing for? etc etc etc. You could always do what a lot of women do: try natural and if it gets too hard then go for the epidural. There are other things you can try first as well: morphine is one thing they’ll offer you. I plan to use this as my first option if pain gets too hard for me. If that doesn’t work then I’ll go for the epidural.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
everyone has a different level of tolerance for pain.
i chose to have a natural labor and delivery with my son.
personally, i didnt think it was that bad. i mean, it hurt… it fuckin hurt like hell. i’ve never screamed so loud in my life!! but fortunately, my labor only lasted 6 hours 29min total. lol
the worst part was that last hour of contractions, before i started pushing. omg.. unimaginable pain, PLUS extreme pressure in my abdomen, AND the worst backache in the world [i had back labor as well]. but it was totally worth it =)
i will have a natural labor and delivery with my future babies, if possible, as well.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
I have done it without any pain meds or an epidural 4 times. And it is not that horrible. I am not going to lie, it does hurt. But I mean think about it, if it were that horrible, would women choose to have more than one child naturally? Back before there was any such thing, women had many children and they did it completely natural. Child birth is a different kind of pain. You wouldn’t go out and break your own leg knowing how bad it was going to hurt and yet we get pregnant, knowing how bad the pain will be. It is just that now, women have the option of taking the epidural. So they think they can’t do it without one. For me the risks outweigh the benefits so I never got one. The most common side effect that most women complain of is long term back pain. Especially where the epidural was inserted. No thanks! I would rather take the few hours of pain than have to deal with having back pain for the rest of my life.
Here is a great website that talks about the pros and cons of epidurals
http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/birth/epidural/index.php
April 7th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Well it does hurt and it is an excruciating pain that cant really be compared with anything else BUT it is manageable and with concentration and determination you can get through it. I just pretended that there was no such thing as an epidural. I went through a 28 hour induced labor with no pain meds and It hurt but it was worth it! I could walk get up when I wanted, i could stand in the shower ect. You cant do those things when you have an epidural.
April 7th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Childbirth does not have to be excruciating pain for most people. I have had four natural births using the Bradley method. Labor was a dull, moderate ache. It was not agony. Look for the book, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. Childbirth can actually be an enjoyable experience.