Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 13:52     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I had an epidural for my first and not for my second (despite asking for one ... I was in another country where it's not always available).

The recovery difference is more because of 1st and 2nd birth, I think, not due to the epidural or not.

Also, I felt in shock with my first and more relaxed after my second, but that may have nothing to do with the epidural as well.

To me, the biggest difference between my 2 births was what happened to the baby immediately after. With the first, it was taken away for checking, then brought to me wrapped up. With my second, it was placed immediately on my belly, cord still attached to me. Somehow, that experience gave me a huge hormonal boost/high or something! I felt great! I think it's the skin on skin thing. And I think it was much more than whether I had an epidural or not.

If I had a third, I'd probably end up asking for an epidural at some stage. But I wouldn't worry if it wasn't available. But I'd insist that they place the baby on my stomach immediately, no matter what.


The research says your natural high was from the hormones your body releases to deal with pain in labor, so it was the no epidural that gave you that.


I believe it. I had unmediated births both times and, while the pain was unbelievable, the high afterward was like nothing I've ever felt before or after. The nurses (at Georgetown, where 99 percent of births include an epi) kept commenting on it. It really felt like I was on the best drug ever. And then I wouldn't put my babies down for the next two days. Like, at all.


+1

Yes, the abdominal/ back pressure is strong & you need to have support / coping skills to deal with each contraction as it comes. I have a medical condition that precludes me from getting an epidural - it's never an option for me. Since I have no choice, I gather up my resources & make the best of the situation (yes, l & d is tough, but do-able).
I have to agree with the PP regarding the 'high' you get right after the baby is born. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT, EVER! You feel like you could get up and dance. The recovery (compared to what I've heard re: epidural recovery) is pretty simple. Soon after my kids were born, I was able to get up & walk to the bathroom to urinate without a problem. When labor/deliver without an epidural, once l&d is over, it's OVER. You get stitched up & move on to nursing the baby/ eating/ resting. No risk of spinal headaches, no catheters, no waiting period to get up from the bed.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 12:55     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you don't get the "high" afterwards if you have an epidural?


I'm surprised people don't know this. One of the main points of laboring without an epidural is to let your body, and the baby's, flood with the hormones that come from labor.


For what it's worth, I had an unmedicated birth and experienced no high at all. I was pretty annoyed about that actually. False advertising!


The baby got the hormones and your brain got the labor rush of hormones even if you didn't feel the high. You still benefited!
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 11:56     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
all:

I'd like to complement the non-medi birth ladies on their profanity use. Even when advocating for un-medi birth. I found it very funny and think OP will as well.

I finally wanted to add that even with an epi I felt that ring of fire but in a weird way it was good b/c I felt my child coming out and think that helped me only push for 15 minutes. So there is (IMHO) upside to epis not working all the way.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 11:47     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
I'd like to add this to the conversation: Epis don't work for everybody and don't work completely for many. Therefore, I would urge you to learn about natural childbirth. I planned on an un-medicated birth, got to 20 hours before asking for epi, and then proceeded to feel a lot of pain. It (i'm sure) did not compare to unmedicated but I still felt pain and still used a lot of the techniques I learned about when prepping for unmedi birth.

I'm waiting for my second right now and reading up on natural birth b/c I plan to labor at home as long as possible and then epi. Granted, last time's plan didn't go as planned so I have little hope that this time will.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 11:46     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?

I got an epi each time but both babies came so fast that I was almost fully dilated.

There was a clicker that allowed you to choose the dosage, so it is not all or nothing.

With one click, I could walk and pee immediately afterwards and certainly feel the pain but it took some of the edge off which allowed me to actually focus on the pushing rather than on the pain.

Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 11:00     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:I had a long labor (45 hours with 4 hours of pushing) without an epidural and I don't regret it for a second. I was really committed to doing it without drugs, so never asked for them - but I honestly don't remember it hurting *that* badly except for the crowning. That pain I can't even describe, but even that was manageable because it felt so productive and I knew my baby would be out soon. My labor was exhausting and I distinctly remember silently wishing for a c-section, but it never occurred to me to ask for an epi. Moral of the story: everyone handles labor differently. But if you want to go med-free you need, in my opinion, to be 100% committed and you need to be prepared (doula, educated partner, coping mechanisms, etc.).


I'm glad to hear someone else felt this way (silently wishing for a c-section)! My first unmedicated birth was much shorter than yours - about 6 hours of painful labor, with 45 minutes of pushing - but it was painful and intense. No breaks between contractions, and each lasted way longer than a minute. During transition I could barely catch my breath, and that's when I remember silently wishing that someone would just do a c-section and make it all stop. But - like they say - the moment you feel that way (that you can't handle it any more) is usually the moment when you are fully dilated and ready to push. Soon after I remember thinking that, they told me to start pushing, which was such a relief. I do not regret no epi at all. It was a short amount of time to be in pain relatively, and I recovered quickly, felt fully part of the process and mostly in control (until that wishing-for-c-section moment!). Second birth was epi-free as well, much quicker, and the contractions much more manageable. Fingers crossed for the third.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 10:58     Subject: Re:Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:
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.


Wait, are you me?

Seriously, if this thread has shown anything, it's that people's experiences in labor, medicated or un-, vary tremendously. I have a good friend who, six years later, is still traumatized by her unmedicated second birth, and how awful it was. And other friends who've gone without the epi and say they'd never do that again willingly. And folks who were glad for their epis. And glad they went unmedicated.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 10:51     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So you don't get the "high" afterwards if you have an epidural?


I'm surprised people don't know this. One of the main points of laboring without an epidural is to let your body, and the baby's, flood with the hormones that come from labor.


For what it's worth, I had an unmedicated birth and experienced no high at all. I was pretty annoyed about that actually. False advertising!
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 10:30     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
I had an epidural with my first and planned to have an epidural with my second, but by the time the epidural was ready it was too late -- it was time to push.

Yes, the contractions were worse without the epidural. I was lucky that they didn't last very long. I don't know that I could have done a long labor without an epidural but a short labor was okay.

Once I was able to start pushing, it was actually more comfortable than the contractions. Again I was lucky that it happened fast. Could I have managed a long period of pushing without meds? Probably not. But for a short period it was totally okay.

And... the best part... recovery. With my epidural I was in serious pain right up until my six week check up. Without the epidural I felt like my normal self by the time I left the hospital. For that reason alone I will try to go without the epidural if I have a third child.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 09:52     Subject: Re:Any not had an epidural and regretted it?


I have several friends who were adament about not getting an epidural. But they totally underestimated the pain and ended up getting one in the end.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 09:43     Subject: Re:Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:my first was with an epi and I would not describe it as numb, it was easy and peaceful... with a midwife in a hospital

the second came to fast, no epi, nothing.... it was not easy and peaceful.... I did make it to the hospital.

It was painful and awful like one big train wreck .... but ... mine was not planned. Mine was only 10-15 minutes long from the time I arrive to the hospital till the baby was born. I could not imagine going an hour or two.

I would not chose to do it without an epi.


This X100. If I have another I will go medicated 100%. I'm sure if I had prepared for unmedicated it would have been different, but I didn't and it was awful.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 09:41     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
I had a long labor (45 hours with 4 hours of pushing) without an epidural and I don't regret it for a second. I was really committed to doing it without drugs, so never asked for them - but I honestly don't remember it hurting *that* badly except for the crowning. That pain I can't even describe, but even that was manageable because it felt so productive and I knew my baby would be out soon. My labor was exhausting and I distinctly remember silently wishing for a c-section, but it never occurred to me to ask for an epi. Moral of the story: everyone handles labor differently. But if you want to go med-free you need, in my opinion, to be 100% committed and you need to be prepared (doula, educated partner, coping mechanisms, etc.).
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 09:40     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:So you don't get the "high" afterwards if you have an epidural?


I'm surprised people don't know this. One of the main points of laboring without an epidural is to let your body, and the baby's, flood with the hormones that come from labor.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 09:39     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:
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.
\\

That's not an "except." I didn't say no one wanted to go natural and then regretted it. I said you shouldn't take that you will regret from the experience of those who wanted one and didn't get it.
Anonymous
Post 08/27/2013 09:38     Subject: Any not had an epidural and regretted it?
Anonymous wrote:
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.


You're not the person I'm talking about. More than half of those who regretted it on this thread didn't plan for no epi.