Tell me about labor.

[meogan]

Once I had the epidural it was no big deal. I never felt what regular contractions felt like, because my water broke and labor never started so I had to have pitocin, those contractions were very painful, but luckily I only had a few of them before the anesthesiologist got there.

Once I had the epidural I pretty much napped and visited with family members until it was time to push.

For me, labor was the easy part.

[lyricmom]

I liken labor to being eviscerated with a dull and rusty knife. Of course, I've never been eviscerated with a dull and rusty knife, but I imagine it would feel something like labor. Take your worst menstrual cramps and multiple them by 100. That's labor without an epidural. Another analogy: imagine a tsunami, like the one that devastated Japan last year. Now imagine being hit by that tsunami over and over again, without reprieve, until you're shaking, gasping for breath, and perhaps vomiting, until you're basically a flattened and washed up piece of flotsam on the beach. That's what the final stages of labor contractions are like.

[encore]

So everyone is saying the epidural helps...that's the part I'm afraid of. I don't plan on having children for a long time but that's the part I'm afraid of. I have a high tolerance of pain with everything except needles. They freak me out. The rest I can handle.

[mind_the_gap]

I've had two kids without epidurals. I had a doula both times, which did help because she offered suggestions on different positions to labor in (though I don't think a doula is necessary if the hospital has good nurses who will offer help during labor). I also took the hospital birth class before my first, which covered some breathing techniques (that I didn't use, but it still made me feel more confident about what I was going in to). My first labor was 14 hours and second was 8 from the time my water broke but only 4 hours of actual contractions. My pain tolerance is middle of the road, so I think epi-free is totally doable by most people if that's what they really want. I'm more afraid of an epi than of labor pain. My third is due in November and I won't be using a doula this time, but I still plan on going without meds.

[meogan]

I was terrified of the epidural, because I hate needles, but honestly it was no big deal. They numb you first, before they put it in. I was also worried because I have substantial scoliosis and feared it wouldn't work, but it did, and I'm glad, because my son was coming out crooked and became stuck and had to be manually turned into the proper position, this required about 4 hands according to my husband. I ended up needing about 55 stitches, and then had a PPH (which required several needles to be jammed into my legs emergency style). I'm not trying to scare you into getting the epidural. I'm just saying that a fear of needles isn't a reason not to get one.

That being said I think natural childbirth is wonderful, and even though I did end up with an epi and a different than expected birth experience the Bradley books I read still came in handy, especially for my husband.

[milasmama]

Epidurals can make your baby sleepy which makes breastfeeding harder to establish. Having an epidural also increases your chances of ongoing back pain, tearing, episiotomy, forceps, ventouse and caesarean delivery. You also have an increased risk of infection if you have a catheter put in. I'm not saying if you have an epidural these are the automatic results, just that the risks increase. It is worth doing research to consider the pros and cons of different pain relief methods. I highly recommend the book "gentle birth, gentle mothering" by Dr Sarah Buckley - explains how all the meds and stuff work.

[lyricmom]

So everyone is saying the epidural helps...that's the part I'm afraid of. I don't plan on having children for a long time but that's the part I'm afraid of. I have a high tolerance of pain with everything except needles. They freak me out. The rest I can handle.

Trust me, there's nothing to worry about with an epidural. You can't see the needle. If you're experiencing contractions, you won't feel it go in either.

Don't let anyone scare you into NOT getting one. Just do your research and make your own decision.