Epidural to or not to
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I had back labor and was in a lot of pain with no reprieve from the contractions. I was begging for a c section to get it over with ( which they wouldn’t do). Then I got my epidural. GAME CHANGER!! I absolutely loved it!! My whole experience changed. I was able to rest mid labor and able to joke and laugh. It was hard to tell if I was pushing. But for pain it was amazing, I would do it again and love my entire experience. But you know what is right for you and you could always try natural and ask for an epidural if you feel like you need it. You may not!
Unless you are 42 weeks, there’s usually no good reason to induce early. Let your body do what it was designed to do. I had our 10lb son with no medication and I will do the same with our daughter due in August. Natural childbirth is not scary, it is empowering. Your body already knows what to do, you just have to relax and let it do it’s job. 😊 if you can avoid the induction, please do! It’ll be better for you and baby!! Remember, there are no real scientific studies on the effects of drugs on the baby during labor.
I already commented but I’ll tell you my experience I got to 8cm before I couldn’t take anymore. I was induced so some people may say the contractions are worse but they never got actually bad for me till 8cm. That’s when I could barely breath cause they were so bad. I used laughing gas at first which help but I think the fear itself set in and I was scared of giving birth and feeling everything so I got an epidural. Once I get that maybe 10-20min later they could find my baby’s heart beat a lot of the time they had to switch the bands and they had to put something up me to attach to my baby so they can get a better heart beat. But even then they always had to adjust it cause they would lose it. Was kinda worrying. But anyways fast forward I finally got to 10cm they told me to hold my legs and to push. I couldn’t feel anything down there to I barely knew If i was pushing hard or not. But then my daughter heart rate went down and they told me to stop pushing and they tried the forceps which didn’t work
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So I got rushed to the surgery room and they gave me another dose of the epidural didn’t work I could still feel the knife so they put me under. They gave me so much epidural that I could feel my legs I couldn’t even barley move them I thought I was paralyzed tbh😂 but anyways 15 month pp and my back hurts alll the time I hate it. People don’t believe me when I say the epidural made my delivery experience a nightmare but once I got that it all went down hill. Never again. Now I think to myself if I got to 8cm and just toughen it out I could’ve gone 2 more and hopefully would have a natural delivery. So next pregnancy I’m going all natural
I went in with a plan to not have one unless I changed my mind. My contractions (if any) were sensations to pee over night every 5 minutes (I had on cervical ripening vaginal suppository & an ambien to sleep for induction in the am. No break of sac) they check in am I was still 1.5 cm, 5 minutes later (without contractions) I was 6 cm. They said this is your last chance, I was scared and asked, anesthesiologists wasn’t there, in 5 min, checked again and he was not crowning but I was 10cm too late for epidural. you don’t get it. The benefits outweigh risk before during and after birth, but if anything’s wrote you’ll be whisked off to C-section and get one anyway. Natural birth hurts, but better for hormones and longer stay. 🤷♀️ #complicated. Some people just need them and you don’t know until you are giving birth.
I went in planning to avoid the epidural - I actually chose to give birth in a ward that didn't offer it. But after 36 hours of labor and no progression, plus I was losing energy since I hadn't eaten anything and had been sick, I requested a transfer and an epidural simply because I feared I wouldn't have the energy to push when the time came. After the epidural I was able to get a bit of rest and talk to the doctor about my options. Basically, if you go in wanting one that's fine. But if you plan not to have one and end up requesting it, that's also fine. It's your choice and you can always change your mind.
I am so sorry to hear this! I know so many people who have had good and bad experiences. I hate that yours was bad... I can’t imagine what you must’ve felt during that time. I am happy you and your daughter are both ok though, aside from your back pain of course. I will definitely keep this in mind when I go for delivery as well... I am so sorry