Everyone experiences labor and birth differently. I have had two unmedicated births and one induction/epidural. I hated the medicated birth and had great experiences with the other two. Labor honestly was not all that painful for me, until transition and pushing (which were incredibly painful) -- and by then it's too late to do anything about it, you have to just push through it and get the baby out. Contractions felt like strong menstrual cramps for me. I know from hearing other women talk about their experiences that plenty of women experience labor as very very painful. Personally I cannot imagine electing to have an epidural with a non-induced labor unless it went on for a very long time and I needed to sleep. The pain just is not severe enough. Whereas pitocin plus amniotomy made it feel like my uterus was exploding -- totally different sensations. (Of course I also went from 3cm to 10 in about 2 hours after my water was broken, so that may have had something to do with it). But the epidural ... yuck. I hated the numbness in my legs, hated not being able to feel to push efficiently, and had back pain at the site for almost a year after that birth. I didn't notice a big difference in the recovery time, but my milk came in a day or two later than it had after my second unmedicated birth and I do attribute that to the interventions. Personally an epidural would be a last resort for me, but like I said, every woman's experience is different. My advice to women going into labor is to be flexible -- there is no need to make a decision about the epidural until you are in the moment because you don't know how you will feel in advance.

Anonymous wrote:Don't compare the woman who wanted an epi and didn't get one to the woman who didn't want an epi and prepared for a non-epi birth. I can't imagine having the pain of labor and wanting an epi but being denied one. That would be horrible. Of course those women prefered their epi births.

But if you decide not to have one and prepare for it, the physical pain is all you have; you don't have the mental strain of being denied what you want and having no control.

Natural labor hurts like a bitch, don't get me wrong. But I prefer it to the alternative. I love the high and the easy easy recovery.

Except that I do have a friend who was determined to have a "natural" birth. And she didn't do it a second time. It wasn't worth it.

Anonymous wrote:I had a 30-hour unmedicated birth (planned on no epidural) and I will do it again.

I know from the research it's less risky for the baby, and the side effects of getting an epidural (and possible complications, including death like that poor woman at Sibley) were just not worth it.

Was it painful? Oh hell yes. But like PPs have commented, it's a day or so of pain total. I don't understand people who can't handle any pain at all -- how do they deal with life in general?

And yeah, the high you get after natural labor is amazing.

People feel and experience pain differently. There's been a lot of research on this.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/06/030624090043.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-164684/Wimps-really-feel-pain.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303302504577328271568159692.html

Personally I don't understand people who don't understand their experience in life is not universal.

Anonymous wrote:So you don't get the "high" afterwards if you have an epidural?

I'm the PP who didn't get the "high" after my first delivery (with epidural) but did after the second (without epidural).

I'd love to know if there's evidence of this, or whether it was more related to birth order (second experience) or my suggestion of the baby placed on the stomach immediately.

I don't think it's just about having a high after coming out of pain since I still had plenty of pain with the epidural during actual birth - the epidural had worn off for the birth but helped during the laboring. I experienced a lot of pain both times, but one main difference is I experienced the "ring of fire" when I didn't have the epidural (not when I did).

I had a 30-hour unmedicated birth (planned on no epidural) and I will do it again.

I know from the research it's less risky for the baby, and the side effects of getting an epidural (and possible complications, including death like that poor woman at Sibley) were just not worth it.

Was it painful? Oh hell yes. But like PPs have commented, it's a day or so of pain total. I don't understand people who can't handle any pain at all -- how do they deal with life in general?

And yeah, the high you get after natural labor is amazing.

Anonymous wrote:Don't compare the woman who wanted an epi and didn't get one to the woman who didn't want an epi and prepared for a non-epi birth. I can't imagine having the pain of labor and wanting an epi but being denied one. That would be horrible. Of course those women prefered their epi births.

But if you decide not to have one and prepare for it, the physical pain is all you have; you don't have the mental strain of being denied what you want and having no control.

Natural labor hurts like a bitch, don't get me wrong. But I prefer it to the alternative. I love the high and the easy easy recovery.

I'm the person you are talking about - who wanted an epi but didn't get one. I never said I preferred one birth over the other, actually. They were different.

Un-medicated with the first but it was long, was exhausted to the point of collapse, had a really bad tear and the recovery was horrible.

Had the epidural with the second - so much better. Could actually enjoy the birth of my child and the time after instead of being utterly exhausted and no tearing!

I think either way you go you can have good or bad experiences - so many factors have to come together.

So you don't get the "high" afterwards if you have an epidural?

Don't compare the woman who wanted an epi and didn't get one to the woman who didn't want an epi and prepared for a non-epi birth. I can't imagine having the pain of labor and wanting an epi but being denied one. That would be horrible. Of course those women prefered their epi births.

But if you decide not to have one and prepare for it, the physical pain is all you have; you don't have the mental strain of being denied what you want and having no control.

Natural labor hurts like a bitch, don't get me wrong. But I prefer it to the alternative. I love the high and the easy easy recovery.

With my first I was induced(didn't like that) and they gave me an epidural(way too much) and I could not move at all(hated it). The next two I had a natural birth for both and for me it was so much better. I could move around and my recovery was easier. I know everyone is different, but for me the less intervention the better. I am a worrier and risk adverse so I felt I had more control having the baby naturally. I was in the hospital so if something went wrong the doctors were there. But the first one felt like a huge procedure and the next two were just so much easier despite the pain. I new I could get through it because there was an end in sight. I was more afraid of having another bad epidural than the pain of a natural birth. Good luck!

I had epidurals with 2 deliveries, and went natural with one. Am expecting my 4th and will DEFINITELY get the epidural. I have no desire to feel it all 100% ever again. EVER. That sh-- hurts.

My moms fourth baby came too fast and she didn't have a chance for an epidural. Said it was hell. And they had to numb her up afterwards to stitch her up, so you might not be able to avoid all numbness.

Anonymous wrote:Or..specifically looking to hear from women who had one natural delivery and one epidural delivery. I had an epidural with my first years ago and didn't like the total numbness during and after. Looking to go unmedicated this one but my husband thinks that's crazy given the "ease" of delivery with the epi first time around. So ladies that had both...which did you prefer?

I had one of each type. The second labor is usually shorter than the first, and the pushing phase takes less time too. Non-medicated for the second child would be easier than non-medicated for the first child.

Anonymous wrote:I didn't have an epidural and don't really regret it, but HOLY SH****T it hurts like you can't even imagine. Highly recommend you have access to a tub, that is the only thing that helped me. Breathing exercises HA HAHAHHAHA no.

Exactly this. I had two unmedicated births and DURING the births I absolutely regretted it because it hurts like a m-er-f-er, but even a day after I didn't regret it. It's 24 hours of pain (give or take) out of a lifetime, and even with an epidural there is pain before you get the epidural, there's pain sometimes during (depends) and after (hey we all feel like our vagina's went through a meat grinder OR our stomachs were split open, right?)

Personal decision. Do what feels right to you, not to anyone else.

3 good friends, two children each. First birth for each no medication, two because the babies came too quickly, the third because she wanted no epidural.

Let's just say they didn't make that mistake again! Each described it as horrible without an epidural.


Based on their stories, I didn't even try not having an epidural. In fact, my epidural likely saved me from a c-section, as my labor had been stalled for 18 hours after my water broke -- as soon as I got the epidural, I was ready to start pushing.