Med-free labor trend

[Anonymous]

Eh, I did natural labor, and it was 30 hours of hellish pain. Totally worth it. I think a lot of people don't have what it takes to endure and overcome trial and pain anymore. I'm as proud of overcoming 30 hours of pain as I am of other accomplishments. Just feels good to not have given up because I couldn't take it.

P.S. I completely, 100% support c-sections and other interventions when necessary. I just think it's sad so many women give up because they can't take the pain, and get epidurals. I know I'm weird, but that's my view, OP. I don't think you're a failure, I just think you should have stuck it out, much as I would think someone who trained for a marathon should cross the finish line.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, I did natural labor, and it was 30 hours of hellish pain. Totally worth it. I think a lot of people don't have what it takes to endure and overcome trial and pain anymore. I'm as proud of overcoming 30 hours of pain as I am of other accomplishments. Just feels good to not have given up because I couldn't take it.

P.S. I completely, 100% support c-sections and other interventions when necessary. I just think it's sad so many women give up because they can't take the pain, and get epidurals. I know I'm weird, but that's my view, OP. I don't think you're a failure, I just think you should have stuck it out, much as I would think someone who trained for a marathon should cross the finish line.

I sorta feel the same way.

[Anonymous]

What a weird thing to feel superior about. It isn't a competition. I can't believe some people place their birth "experience" over others. Bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Shrug -- I've had both. I don't view my natural birth as a badge of honor. I'm just proud to be a mom to my DCs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, assuming this is an honest question, I suggest you educate yourself about the history of obstetrical anesthesia in America. A superb book is "Deliver Me From Pain," a fascinating and accessible medical-social history. There are plenty of other excellent books, such as "Gentle Birth," "Immaculate Deception," "Orgasmic Birth," and "Pushed."

As someone who has had one late epidural and seven unmedicated births, who is looking forward to her third blissful homebirth, I urge every mother-to-be to learn as much as possible about the physiology and psychology of birth. When women experience birth in privacy, with loving support and respect, they often experience the greatest moments of pleasure in their entire lives. There are benefits to the baby and the mother when birth is allowed to unfold unmedicated, as the body's custom-made hormone cocktail works to ease the baby out with just the right mixture of work ("labor") and rest.

In many countries, throughout history, birth was not feared or experienced as torturously painful. A lot of work, yes, but also blissful, gorgeous, celebrated. It is a shame many women miss out on that experience. Every woman deserves to birth surrounded by love, deference, and respect.

Oh wow- what a load of horseshit this is. It's idiots like this that set up an unrealistic expectation for lots of women and cause hours of needless suffering.

[Anonymous]

Also - maternal mortality in many countries is also very high - blissful celebrated experience? Not likely.

[Anonymous]

I was that mother down the hall screaming without the meds. I chose to go that way since I had a difficult first labor with meds and they had to use a vacuum suction to get the baby out. I read up during my second pregnancy that getting meds during labor can slow down and complicate labor. The second was the worst pain of my life, but I was walking around in hours. I didn't comfortably walk around with my first for 6 weeks. To me, no meds the second time was the better option.

[Anonymous]

this is about as productive as the sahm vs wohm tired, old debate. no one side is right. get off your high horses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is about as productive as the sahm vs wohm tired, old debate. no one side is right. get off your high horses.

THe difference is in this debate only one side is judging the other. In the SAHM vs WOHM the judging contest is mutual.

I don't think moms who take the epidural give a shit or feel guilty about it. It's the ones who think they deserve recognition or validation for having gone without that set the tone.

I even know moms who opted for a vanity C... Personally I do judge that as it just seems lazy. But, not the moms who are realistic to know they may want pain medication.

[Anonymous]

DC#1 was 40 minute labor start to finish, when I got to the hospital I was 9cm and there was no chance for the epidural I had planned on. I pushed 3 times and had a baby. #2 I was induced to reduce the risk of having a baby in the back of my Tahoe. Had and epidural, pushed once and out came a baby. All in all there was no difference really in my birth experience with our without the meds. I also don't feel like I deserve a medal because a child came out of my vagina without medication...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are risks and benefits to both. I personally had an epidural and I'm glad i did because it probably saved my son's life. I had to have an emergency c-section because the umbilical cord was wrapped two times. It probably saved some time in the OR. However, the majority of the women probably don't NEED it as much as they want pain free birth (I was one of those). The meds certainly do pass to the baby through the placenta and I experienced a high number of side effects from it (problems with baby's heart rate, prolonged labor, itchiness, nausea, etc.). I can certainly see how some healthy women chose not to take the drugs.

Having the cord wrapped around the baby is not an emergency, though doctors refer to it in a scary fashion. Most babies are wrapped in their cords. You simply unwrap them. True cord compression is rare.

Not sure why I have to explain this to you, but his heart rate was decreasing, he passed his miconium inuttero so I think it was an emergency. I could certainly live with the fact that I had a c-section and got him out as safely as I could. I could not live with trying to go against what the doctor was saying and have a child be born with problems.

[Anonymous]

First of all, PP, did the epi save your life, or the C-section? two different issues.

Secondly, I had an epidural managed induction, and I am only having one child, so no future plans for me or real stake in this issue.

However, I ma noticing a disturbing posting pattern here.

It seems like OP comes in here with a defensive question belittling other women's choices, the natural birthers explain their choices when ASKED, and the responses from the mediated side trend toward " so the natural birth moms can feel superior.

What is with you ladies? Defensive wackos a lot of you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this is about as productive as the sahm vs wohm tired, old debate. no one side is right. get off your high horses.

THe difference is in this debate only one side is judging the other. In the SAHM vs WOHM the judging contest is mutual.

I don't think moms who take the epidural give a shit or feel guilty about it. It's the ones who think they deserve recognition or validation for having gone without that set the tone.

I even know moms who opted for a vanity C... Personally I do judge that as it just seems lazy. But, not the moms who are realistic to know they may want pain medication.

Oh brother! Seriously? I had a drug-free childbirth. I have never once bragged about it or, for that matter, brought it up unless somebody directly asked. The instances where I've mentioned it have been either if someone asked me directly about my childbirth, in a conversation like this one, where someone else brings up natural childbirth specifically, or in cases where someone assumes I've had an epidural, or where someone attacks natural childbirth or presumes that folks who choose natural childbirth are weird, or just want to prove something, or are strange for not taking the pain meds (like the OP here has done). For instance, I was once in a conversation, before a meeting at work, believe it or not, where a woman made a joke like "well, you know, have a kid and you get used to needles. I never thought I'd love a needle in my spine but I learned to love it! People who want to do things the hard way drive me crazy. ___ can probably back me up on that one!" (I had just had a child). So, I just mildly said "actually, I'm one of those "do it the hard way" people, I guess, I went med free." The woman was like "oh. Well, you are welcome to tolerate that torture if you want, we have pain medication now, so I guess I just don't get why." I kind of wanted to explain myself, to discuss the multiple reasons why *I* chose what I chose but I decided not to say anything more, mainly because of the venue. But you're really wrong, PP, to think that only one side judges the other. I think there are some people who have med-free childbirths who do judge, or who think they earned a badge of honor, just like there are some people who think that folks are CRAZY for even considering it, or just assume out of ignorance that it's some "I want to be a hero" mentality when it's simply someone choosing what they feel is right for their situation. Just look at the OP of this thread for evidence of that ignorance and judgment. She assumes that because her birth was painful, that everyone suffers this same "torture." And that anyone not taking advantage of pain meds is some strange throwback to medieval times or something. That is just incorrect - it's very incorrect. And those of us who have HAD the full natural childbirth experience, which involves pain relief, just not drug-related pain relief, naturally want to speak up and say "hey, just saying, it does not have to be that way. My experience was different."

I have learned that when talking about childbirth, it is best to simply keep silent about the details. If somebody asks, though, I'm not going to pretend I had an epidural or a medicalized childbirth because I did not. I am happy with and confident about the choice I made, and if someone is interested enough to ask or assume, I'll discuss my choice and the reasoning behind it.

That is way different from judging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, PP, did the epi save your life, or the C-section? two different issues.

Secondly, I had an epidural managed induction, and I am only having one child, so no future plans for me or real stake in this issue.

However, I ma noticing a disturbing posting pattern here.

It seems like OP comes in here with a defensive question belittling other women's choices, the natural birthers explain their choices when ASKED, and the responses from the mediated side trend toward " so the natural birth moms can feel superior.

What is with you ladies? Defensive wackos a lot of you.

Well said, PP. Thanks for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, PP, did the epi save your life, or the C-section? two different issues.

Secondly, I had an epidural managed induction, and I am only having one child, so no future plans for me or real stake in this issue.

However, I ma noticing a disturbing posting pattern here.

It seems like OP comes in here with a defensive question belittling other women's choices, the natural birthers explain their choices when ASKED, and the responses from the mediated side trend toward " so the natural birth moms can feel superior.

What is with you ladies? Defensive wackos a lot of you.

Not the PP, but she did say that having the epi made the c-section happen more quickly, correct? So yes, the epi did help save the baby's life, by making the surgery happen faster.

And go back and read some of the replies. There are ABSOLUTELY natural birthers who admit to feeling superior, or "sad" that those of us who chose epidurals didn't get to experience what they did. I had 2 epidurals, and I'm not sad at all. I don't subscribe to the whole "birth experience" thing anyway, my main concern was getting my babies out safely and with me able to care for them effectively right away, and the epidurals allowed both of those things to happen (plus, I wasn't in intense pain, which I consider a huge bonus).