What is natural childbirth like?
ByI am pregnant and considering an epideural, but wonder if I need one. Other women have babies naturaly right? Anyone had an epiderual and a baby naturally? What is the best way?
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12 Comments
February 11th, 2010 at 6:25 am
i had an epi with my daughter…thank god for that thing too…i dont see how women have birth w/o it..i certainly couldnt do it!
February 11th, 2010 at 7:02 am
I’ve had both……..Trust me, you’ll want an epidural
February 11th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Ask yourself if you can deal with very very severe pain. If you cants then you will want an epidural because once you start dilation and having contractions you will be in very severe pain. So my advice to you is if you know you cant take severe pain then get the epidural and also to let you know there not suppose to give you a epidural after you hit 6 centimeters so you would want to think about that also.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:25 am
I had my both my kids naturaly, no drugs, just a lot of breathing
You can have the baby natural even if you get an epidural. I think the best way is all natural. I didn’t see the pleasure of being drugged and having a baby.
You don’t need it, unless you want it.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:52 am
i had epidural with my first and i couldnt feel the pushing and he got stuck and vaccum extract it was horrible i have since had 5 more babies and 4 were inductions and only used a little gas with one i felt my contractions and i felt in control im due our last baby in aug and again i will not take anything it is a pain you can get through if you keep yourself focused !!
February 11th, 2010 at 9:02 am
This is my first child and I am considering an epidural all the way!
I dont know how woman could do it naturally either.
I dont think it has anything with tolerance to pain, just most mothers would like to feel their baby literally come out naturally without any medication. I dont care, I am a big baby when it comes to pain, so I know that I will try and get the pain medication… good luck
February 11th, 2010 at 9:15 am
IM I6 AND I HAD IT NATURAL AND IT WAS GREAT I LOVED IT IF I COULD REDO IT I WOULD U SHOULD REALLY TRY IT !!!
February 11th, 2010 at 10:13 am
i had an epidural but i regret getting it- i went in at 6 cm and got the epi and it stalled my labor i sat there for another 19 hours until he was born. i let it wear off at the end. my next one i will not be getting it. i personally did not like having to stay in bed and not even get up to pee. i hated not feeling in control.
February 11th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I had the epidural with my first. It was terrifying as my body reacted…it took 3 tries to administer it, my blood pressure dropped, baby’s heartrate dropped…THEN I was so numb from my arms down, I couldn’t hold my baby for a while after.
With #2 I labored wonderfully w/o anything, at home, on my own. Yes it is painful, but managable (although, many women just can’t and that is PERFECTLY OK!) Got to the hospital during the transition phase, I thought I would die, but it was almost over. Pushing felt the same with both (it is almost a relief).
I am expecting #3 and WILL without a doubt, go natural! I had no real support with the first 2 but new DH is an amazing coach and I feel it will be a extraordinary experience.
They say labor is easier on you and the baby w/o interventions. And recovery is quicker! I think everyone should try! You will know if you can handle it or not…if you change your mind mid-labor you can still get drugs. If you change your mind and it is too late…YOU DID IT!!!!!
February 11th, 2010 at 11:04 am
There really is no “best way” to give birth, there are simply ways that are right for different women. That being said, I strongly urge that you look into natural childbirth for many reasons.
There is a common misconception that the pain of labor is literally unbearable – that all women need an epidural. WRONG. Ask every woman who has had an extremely painful labor this – were you on Pitocin? I bet you they will say yes.
See, Pitocin makes contractions come faster, harder, and closer together. That’s right, it makes labor a million times worse, so if you are wanting to do a natural birth, forego and induction and look into a COMPLETELY natural birth.
Okay, so how do you know if you can do it naturally? First of all you’d need to not be a high risk pregnancy, and secondly (the big one) you need to KNOW why you are doing it naturally. Most likely it’s for your baby, so the more research you can get your hands on about the many benefits of natural delivery the better.
Remember that your body knows how to birth – the pain is natural, and I believe it is not something that needs to be numbed, it needs to be experienced.
Good luck, and do what’s right for you.
February 11th, 2010 at 11:13 am
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/epidural.html
Studies reveal that some babies may initially have trouble “latching on” among other difficulties with breastfeeding. While in-utero, they may become lethargic and have trouble getting into position for delivery. These medications have been known to cause respiratory depression, and decreased fetal heart rate in newborns. Though the medication may not harm the baby, the baby may experience subtle effects like those mentioned above.
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sideeppi.html
(Effects on) Baby
Direct drug toxicity
Fetal distress, abnormal FHR (can lead to emergency cesarean)
Drownsiness at birth, poor sucking reflex
Maternal fever (impeded thermoregulation from numb skin) leads to fetal hyperthermia and neonatal
NICU workup (spinal tap, etc.)
Poor muscle strength and tone in the first hours
Neonatal jaundice
Decreased maternal-infant bonding, behavioral problems
Hyperactivity up to seven years (suspected)
http://pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com/article.cfm/do_epidurals_affect_babies_
Direct effects to the Baby from Epidurals
Made significantly less hand to mouth movements
Touched the nipple and areola much less
Did not remained attached to the breast
Cried more
Had significantly higher skin temperatures
Lots of info above… taking all this into consideration, it seems best for the baby that you have an unmedicated child birth. There are many natural birthing techniques that enable you to have anywhere from a much less painful birth to a pain free birth – with no drugs. I think it’s best for drug-free births for both mother and baby. I had my baby au natural at home. No pain meds at all. It’s intense, but you have to keep focused on what’s going on. Relaxation is key. However, if you’re not able to cope with the pain and it’s causing labor to prolong or stressing you or the baby out, it may be better in that case to get the pain meds so you can relax more during the delivery which will be better for you and baby in that situation. You have to weigh all the pros and cons when considering. You can always try to go natural, and in the event if you can’t take it anymore, you can always request an epidural. I’d say give it a shot though.
February 11th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Yes, lots of women have natural childbirth.
Check out Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. It’s such an awesome book to read when you are considering natural childbirth. The whole first half is real birth stories from women who had at least one natural birth, they sometimes detail other kinds of births they’ve had as well. The second half is Ina’s advice on birthing, LOTS of info on birthing in general and the risks and effects of the drugs most commonly used during a hospital birth.
You may also want to watch The Business of Being Born. It actually shows women going through a natural childbirth, both at home and in hospitals. There’s also good starter info and statistics on the drugs commonly used in hospital births.
Good Luck!