Hey ladies,
(Sorry guys but this subject is really targeted to all the ladies out there!)
I am in need of some major advice. As my labour day fast approaches I am stuck with the debate whether to have a natural birth or opt for an epidural if it is needed.
My main concerns about an epidural is that I hear it slows down labour and I have heard (not sure if it is true or not) that if you get an epidural it increases your risk of having a c-section. I want to minimize the chances of having a c-section for faster recovery time but am unsure if I can bare the pain that a natural labour would entail.
HELP!! I need advice and stories from what you all encountered during labour. Did you opt for an epidural? Did you have a natural birth? Did you have a c-section with or without an epidural?
Hearing your stories and experiences may help calm my nerves and help me out with a decision once the time comes. If you’re willing to share, I would love to hear!
Until next time,
One Overwhelmed Momma
You really need to see how things go on the big day. Yes, an epidural can increase the chances of c-section, there is lots of research on this online. Women can bear labour with the right support, and believe it or not, with the right attitude. If you fight the contractions and focus on the pain it will be harder. You should look into hypnobirthing as a tool for staying calm. The calmer and more relaxed you are the better your body will be able to do its thing. And just to confuse things a bit, you should just do whatever works on the day! But there are ways to prepare. Good luck.
Hi! I am 27 weeks with my second baby girl and I delivered my first baby girl without any drugs or the epidural. Not having any drugs is the best thing for you and your baby. To do it naturally you MUST be prepared and you MUST have a support system, but it can be done! Who will be with you at your birth? Have you considered hiring a doula as a lobor support person? I think you would be very interested in my blog, I just posted a ton of info about this including a “What I Wish I Knew Before Labor” post. Please take a look, I have so much info and recommendations for pregnant women because I am training to be a doula myself! Good luck!
With Becky I had an epidural and with Eric it was au naturel. I wouldn’t change either labour experience. With Becky my body was just not progressing. After I had the epidural, my body relaxed and my labour kicked into high gear. It made me a bit sick, but the nurses commented that getting sick had pushed Becky into place. My body did everything opposite to what they taught us in prenatal class. With Eric it was au naturel. My labour for him was very fast and he was not waiting for no one. Not even the doctor. The nurses grabbed an intern from the hall just in time to catch him. My advise would be to do whatever makes sense at the time. Keep an open mind.
Why, natural of course!
I think it’s best to not stress about it too much
Everyone’s labor and pain tolerance is different. I think most go into it thinking “I’m gonna try my best and do it with nothing” and some can do it and some can’t. I had to be semi-induced because my labor wasn’t progressing fast enough, so I opted to get it because the pain came on too hard & fast for me, but I know some who have been able to cope. I don’t think you’ll be able to truly decide until your actually in the position to have to! But you can take some comfort in knowing the epi is there if you need it, and it is wonderful! lol It really does make the experience much more pleasent, and if your worried about it making labor longer, just let them know you don’t want to be topped up when you are nearing being able to push. It can be very tempting to keep getting it topped up when it starts to wear off and the pain comes back, but it is only for a short time and helps you be able to physically push a lot easier when you arent completely numb! ha 
Hope this helped a bit!
Thank you everyone for the advice! It has calmed my nervous so much. I loved reading all your experiences.
I labored without an epidural, and it is so do-able, but you need to have some strategies for managing labor if you’re going that route. Read stories of drug-free births and learn everything you can about the way your body is designed to birth. I’d recommend any book by Ina May Gaskin as well as Active Birth and Birthing From Within. I also did all my laboring at home (planned home birth, but transferred to hospital due to complications), and I’m positive that being in that environment made a huge difference for me, as did the use of the birth pool. Labor isn’t horrible!