When u get an epidural, your body is still doing all the same work, just because your numb doesnt mean you quit working, its just working without the pain. And its not like the moment u feel labor pains u can get an epidural, you have to wait til u have progressed to a certain point! Many women are full educated on their birthing options and still choose the epidural, and some have the best laid plans for a natural birth and end up getting one too!
Yes women have been giving birth at home for millennia but the mortality rates for woman and child didn't start lowering till hospitals and doctors got their technology into the game. If you have a healthy pregnancy with a healthy baby and a home birth with all its risks and pluses is for you power to you I wish you the total best. for me I had a very healthy baby but not a healthy pregnancy and if I hadn't gotten the epi and the chance to slow my labor I would have spent even more time on surgery tables getting reconstructive surgery then I ended up having to endure. An epi was right for me with that labor. It might not be the same with this baby. Maybe my son mangled me enough that she will beable to come out on her own I really won't know till the time comes.
I'm extremely offended by your statement especially considering you've never been in labor before & actually gone through the experience before you stated your opinion.
@My_tiny_blessing My question lies in did u remember ur birth from ur mother? Do u remember ur recovery as a baby? And as a baby did u have to care for other children as well as a newborn? I know the answer to those questions and they are all NO. The reason pain medications is the take the edge off so that it is able to happen with some ease. Not pain free. Also so that recovery is tolorable and the woman is able to function. The baby that is born is not going to remember the birth, the recovery and doesn't have to adjust to the same life as a new mother. (Not saying they don't have to adjust). There are so many things we can say well back then people this or that. We don't live back then we live today. I'm not getting rid of my cell phone because at one point they didn't have them. It is a personal choice that both dr and mother need to agree on.
Personally I have had a natural birth and a c section. So I know both route one with meds and one without. With my c section I was not able to take. Even tylonal because it irritated my childs stomach and made him spit up blood. ( was breast feeding) so the only meds I had were at the hosptial.
Idk if I'm offended by it. Only the statement it shouldn't just be you lying there on your back while baby is trying to birth by themselves..lol I've had 3 births and I don't recall it that way. I see the context to what your saying tho
@creamyapple what part of England are you in?? Lol, the OBEM uk and other birthing programmes just proved to me how much re midwives push having an Epi. My friend was pushed to have an Epi. When my sister was in labour with her twins that kept telling her to have an Epi. They would rather you had one. I won't be though, I plan on having my natural water birth :X
I do not think that any woman who gives birth shouldn't have an Epi or the choice. When you have a migrain do you nit take painkillers?? I sure as hell do. Saying that you shouldn't have an Epi because you ain't playing part of a team is ridiculous tbh. It's like saying if your in pain you shouldn't have pain relief full stop. What about gas and air? That's pain relief is that bad too?? This post actually makes me kinda angry. Sorry but I'm offended.
The baby doesn't birth by themself when you get an epidural. You still have to push them out. Yes, an epidural can slow down the labor process, possibly ending in a c-section, but why be in pain when you don't have to be? I don't think baby minds that you're not in pain when you're in labor. As for me, I have plans to get IV pain meds and the intrathecal (walking epidural). Same pain relief, but you aren't restricted to staying in bed. Labor is exhausting, and I plan to take a BIG nap when I get the intrathecal.
Well I know I am offended by it coming from the mouth of someone who has never given birth. What part of your education [your words] told you that because you get an epi the baby is doing all the work? Umm news flash with or without an epi your body has to go through the same process in order to give birth. An epi is not some miracle drug its just a pain blocker. And compare these numbers.... in the US less than 3% of births are natural home births compared to the more than 70% hospital births using an epi so of course the numbers are skewed to make it seem like more births lead to csection after having an epi. I had 3 epis all vaginal. What are the odds???
You know what we shouldn't even have to justify having epidurals or even wanting them. This post genuinely has made me angry so now I hve said my piece I'm out of here.
@tlj2011 that's what pissed me off. How can you state an opinon on a subject you've never experienced? Then respond in another post that you just may end up getting an epidural?
One of my friends that just had a baby said, "It is not a pain contest!" I want to have a natural birth, but I am also not against getting an epidural. I am going to have a big baby and I am going to be induced, if the pain is too much, I will get an epidural, I want to be able to enjoy the process, but being in horrible pain won't let me do that. It is easy to sit here and say, "Oh I won't get an epi and women who get them are lazy", when you have never given birth. I am a first timer also, but I am not delusional, I know it is gonna hurt and I am prepared to get an epi if need be.
That's exactly what my midwife told me and my antenatals group, you get nothing extra for doing it without pain relief! She had looked after women who had awful births and then blamed it on the pain yet they had accepted no pain relief. I had 36 hours of labour, got an epidural 34 hours in! Wait till you are there before saying stuff like that! It's every woman's choice and not one you can truly make before you are in labour!
I had 3 vaginal births. 2 natural and 1 with epi. I plan on having epi again. For me it was a much more enjoyable labor. I feel that it was a lot easier on my baby also. My first two were delivered very fast I ripped and they were bruised. With the third he came slower I didn't rip, he didn't bruise and I felt a lot better after the birth. So in my case I feel like the epi actually made the birth easier on my baby.
I thought your original post was really offensive. I'm glad you put at the end that it wasn't or I would have thought otherwise. There is so little the medical world can do for a labouring mother. I have seen over 30 babies be born and also delivered two of my own one with and one without an epidural its a choice. Just because you get an epidural does not mean youre abandoning the baby to birth alone. Epidurals are not as pain free as it seems and you still feel movement and pressure you still feel the baby come out you just feel way less pain.
With my first I really wanted to do a natural child birth. I was induced and didn't react well to the patocin. My blood pressure was dropping drasticly and my sons heart rate was going too high, the dr and nurses highly suggested I get the epidural. I didn't want to but did and made things even out and go much better.
Now ladies she specifically said she's not saying you're lazy so calm down. Breath chill. I'm pro natural birth not saying ur all lazy but I know you all can do it. It is a personal choice its just sad women don't believe in themselves anymore. Plus when ur bebe is born naturally u get that natural high n u immediately bond. I think women shud only use them in high risk situations other than that get over it
You should know that not all births go as intended and sometimes epidurals are needed and some women just want them and will continue to get them so you should get over it @dra765
@dra765 That's an extremely harsh way to voice your opinion. Just because a woman gets an epidural doesn't mean she doesn't believe in herself. That's very rude to say that. I believe in myself and got the epidural with my second baby. You really shouldn't pass judgement like that.
@My_Tiny_Blessing You figured this would happen? Why would you knowingly post this if you knew it would happen? Your last statement has left me officially offended my your original post, since you knowingly wanted that drama.
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for me I had a very healthy baby but not a healthy pregnancy and if I hadn't gotten the epi and the chance to slow my labor I would have spent even more time on surgery tables getting reconstructive surgery then I ended up having to endure. An epi was right for me with that labor. It might not be the same with this baby. Maybe my son mangled me enough that she will beable to come out on her own I really won't know till the time comes.
Personally I have had a natural birth and a c section. So I know both route one with meds and one without. With my c section I was not able to take. Even tylonal because it irritated my childs stomach and made him spit up blood. ( was breast feeding) so the only meds I had were at the hosptial.