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  • [-]Should I get the epidural? My doctor told me only martyrs don't, but I really feel conflicted.

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    09.03.08, 03:49 PM [ Flag ]
    • Wow! Bad doctor!

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      09.03.08, 03:50 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ITA. A good OB is open to all options. I had a medicated birth the first time and an unmedicated birth the second. I vastly preferred my second. I don't know about risks to the baby, but I never felt like the pain of labor was overwhelming me. Most women all over the world labor and deliver without an epidural. It does NOTHING for either your health or the baby's. IMO, it is mostly for the benefit of the medical personnel because it keeps the laboring woman quiet and confined to bed. Get another OB who cares about you.

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        09.03.08, 04:41 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • I waited until the pain was intolerable. I wa sinduced and had back labor and contractions quickly were less than 2 minutes apart. I had issues with not pasing the placenta so I would have had a lot of problems if no epi since OB could not do everything she did to get the placenta out without the drugs - would have been much more painful than the birth.

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        09.04.08, 01:20 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • You shouldn't make any official decision about it. Leave it open. There's no reason to decide now because, in all honesty, you have no idea how you're going to feel when the time comes. It's like a blind person trying to guess what their favorite color would be based on other people's descriptions.

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        09.04.08, 03:30 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • On the one hand, your doctor is kind of an asshole and a lot of people really are happy NOT to have an epi. On the other hand, trying to predict whether you will be such a person is impossible. It's like a blind person trying to guess what their favorite color might be. For me (and I don't want to scare you - I just want to point out that people experience things differently), the pain was unbearable and made me feel as though I would die. Urgh. So, yeah, I didn't want an epidural going into it, but by the time the pain was bad, I didn't feel human or sane anymore.

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        09.04.08, 03:36 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • do you want to be immobilized during labor or do you want to be able to move around? do you mind if your baby is exposed to the medications that they are giving you and that can cause sedation that can interfere with early breathing and nursing sometimes?

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      09.03.08, 03:50 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • np: i'd really like to see a study (or more) that substantiates this claim. i've only heard it anecdotally.

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        09.03.08, 03:52 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • or: ancedotally, the impact on the baby did NOT happen to me. but i have read studies that substantiate this. no links, sorry. but you can do your own research online. it's not hard.

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          09.03.08, 03:53 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ^^btw, I had an epidural - eventually. there are times when they are necessary (i had labored for 24 hours when i consented to have one so that i could rest up for pushing because i was so exhausted) and they are a Godsend on those occasions. but it's really malpractice to make them standard, imho.

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        09.03.08, 03:52 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • np: I too went through 24 hours of bad labor at home before I got my epi because I wasnt dialated enough. when I finally got it it allowed my body to rest and relax. I was able to have some strength for pushing and had a wonderful birth experience. that said, if you dont think you need it when you are going thru l&d dont get it. it's YOUR body, YOUR birth and YOUR baby

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          09.03.08, 03:55 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • I want to move around!! But he's made me so afraid of the pain...

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        09.03.08, 03:52 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • or: how is your pain tolerance normally?

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          09.03.08, 03:53 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • ^^ fwiw, have to go now, but i have a high pain/discomfort tolerance normally. like i said, i labored for 24 hours - 12 of which were on pitocin with contractions 2 minutes apart - without the epi and really would describe it more as extremely intense, not like any other pain i can think of and not really pain most of the time.

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            09.03.08, 03:58 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • pretty high... I mean I guess I feel like this isn't "normal" pain... in the sense that it isn't pathological

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            09.03.08, 04:52 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • He's got no idea what the pain is like - he's a man! Some people cope without and others like me go for the drugs.

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          09.03.08, 03:54 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • I had one & was NOT immobilized at all. Was able to feel and move in bed. Nursed right after.

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        09.03.08, 04:45 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • Oh brother.

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        09.03.08, 04:59 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • educate yourself about the pros and cons and base your decision on that, but know that you may change your mind one way or the other when you are in labor.

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      09.03.08, 03:50 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I was totally open minded going into labor but I ended up realizing 'natural' was not for me. You can always wait and see how you get on. GL

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      09.03.08, 03:53 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • i agree with this. see how it goes and then decide. for my first db i thought i could go au naturel but it was way more painful than i expected and i begged for pain relief

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        09.03.08, 03:54 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I gave birth twice with no drugs. hard work but nothing I needed to be anaesthetized to handle.

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      09.03.08, 03:55 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • np. I really wanted to go without but I was just getting to a point where I was struggling and they told me I could still have hours to go. That tipped me over the edge and I had the epi. I don't regret it but I do wonder what it would feel like without.

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        09.03.08, 03:59 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • i used to be you. then i had a db w/out an epi. pg again and having done it both ways, i'm opting for the epi again.

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          09.03.08, 04:57 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • bad ass

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        09.03.08, 03:59 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I had planned on no epi, but got tons of pitocin and couldn't handle the pain (got epi at 7 cm). However, I was so numb I could barely push and almost had to have a c-section. Next time, I plan to try again for natural. If you do get epi, maybe ask doc to turn it down as you near pushing, so it won't be a hindrance. Also, if you try for natural, tell the doc not to offer epi but that you will let him know. Mine kept asking every hour and it was really hard to say no for so long!

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      09.03.08, 04:00 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • thank you all, this is really helpful. I think maybe I should switch providers. I'm 29 weeks.

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      09.03.08, 04:06 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ita with your gut on this. you are being set up for an epi if this is how he feels. again, an epi can be great, but you need to have a clinician who is supportive of your desires and not dictatorial about how birth should be.

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        09.03.08, 04:07 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • of course. My epi didn't work and I was miserable. So pissed.

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      09.03.08, 04:26 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • np I think your best bet is to go in with an open mind. I did want to go natural, but was totally open to an epi if I needed it. My labor went quickly, so I did not. If you're in labor for hours and hours and hours or stuck , or in so much pain you can't push or rest or anything, why not have it? Your dr may have been trying to be funny (har har) and just sounded off. Anyway, be open to going with the flow and try not to overplan your birth in advance as you really don't know how you will feel

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      09.03.08, 04:27 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I planned on natural. But after 36 hours of labor I was so tired and so hungry, I couldn't go on in pain. So I got the epidural. It was like night and day. I also had an epidural for knee surgery and it was an excellent tool for pain management then.

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      09.03.08, 04:30 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • i started my labor at 5am. Went to the doctor at 1pm - where I found out I was 8cm. Went to Roosevelt finally in a room by 2pm (I was in hard labor by then). I debated whether or not to have an epidural. Finally decided to do it. Best decision for me. I didn't feel a thing and 4 hours later my dd was born. The thing is you may not know now. I wanted to go as far as I could without pain. I had been practicing hypnosis birthing which i think really helped me to relax. maybe i could gone further and done it without the epidural. but it was my choice. and it should be yours. you may decide now not to have one, but once you're in there change your mind. and if you do have one or you don't it doesn't matter. all that matters is that healthly baby...

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      09.03.08, 04:31 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • good point about healthy baby! we all get too caught up in the details of the birth, when we should all thank god we live in a time when mothers and babies don't die during childbirth anymore!

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        09.03.08, 04:32 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • np: i couldn't agree more. the saddest thing to me is how some women who choose to get the epidural act like it's a copout and feel the need to justify their decision by saying how long and intense their labor is. you shouldn't have to justify it. i've had three kids - two with epis and one without and i don't think the fact that i got through without an epi makes me any more of a woman than anyone else.

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          09.03.08, 04:52 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • but let me add (i could still feel a little) and it was what i needed to take the edge off

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        09.03.08, 04:32 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I did natural and it was only the last 30 minutes where the pain was so much that I was begging for the epi (but of course by then it was too late and I just needed to push through). I am very glad I was able to do it that way.

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      09.03.08, 04:33 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • Had DC#1 with epidural and DC#2 (got to hospital too late). Assuming a first child (and a longer labor), I would definitely recommend the epidural. That said, after having DC#2 I felt great. Not knocked out at all.

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      09.03.08, 04:38 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • just do what ur body tells u.. its ok to do natural and its ok to get an epidural.. at any rate just remember its not a race..the only thin you win is ur baby :)

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        09.03.08, 04:42 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • educate yourself with info from MANY different sources. epidurals and pitocen can slow down labour which then can lead to a C-section and alot of doctors LOVE them b/c they can control the delivery outcome better and (a) reduce their risk of malpractice and (b) get out of the hospital in a reasonable time from. I suggest REALLY exploring all your birth options--the politics of birthing are much stronger than I ever realized and the OB/GYN, nurses, hospital, drug companies all have a point of view that may not be in line with how you envision your birth.

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      09.03.08, 04:43 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • np - for some of us an epidural can actually speed up the process...for me and a few of my friends at least. Perhaps it relaxes you so that you can release...who knows.

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        09.04.08, 04:51 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I got to the hospital 8cm. I did it. Best decision. Made me relax and dilate really quickly & push easily. Was amazing!

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      09.03.08, 04:44 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I gave birth 3 times, 1 with epidural, 1 without epidural (not by choice), 1 without epidural by choice. After getting an awful headache the first time and being in extreme pain the second time because of being asked to hold still during labor, I decided to forego it the 3rd time. It is totally doable and I wish I had gone natural all 3 times in retrospect.

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      09.03.08, 05:20 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I have a low tolerance for Pain. With my first I said I will try no epi, the contractions started, I handled it for like 1 hour. With me it was the pain in my back that was too much too take. It felt likes someone was stabbing something back there and then trying to pry me open. EPI time! This is what I liked about the Epi: I was comfortable. I layed in bed and was able to switch from my back and to either side. I could look forward to my little girl arriving, I did not get desperate thinking how many more hours of this. When it was time to push that was all I needed to do.......concentrate on pushing. When she came , I was happy and not in pain and concentrating on just her because nothing hurt and I was not exhuasted . A few hours later,...

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      09.03.08, 06:24 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • Regardless of whether or not you get an epidural l, I think you should definitely get a new ob. Yours sounds like an ass. For what it's worth, I've had two naturally and that worked great for me. But everyone is different.

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      09.04.08, 04:36 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • I felt the same way that you did - I went in there hoping I wouldn't need one. I needed one big time - I was so afraid of that needle and the idea of something in my spine but when the pain kicked in - I was crying and begging for one. Play it by ear - some women don't need it but I went so fast that I don't think my body had time to create endorphin pain relief!

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      09.04.08, 04:49 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ^do you have Janice Marks? That sounds like something she would say (but man is she the best doctor I've ever had)

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        09.04.08, 04:50 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • OK, look. If you are interested in natural, you need to fully educate yourself. You need more than the decision to "go natural", you need a class like Bradley or something and more imprtantly you need the support of your husband and doc. switch docs, read "Birthing From Within" and then decide.

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      09.04.08, 05:02 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • Loved my epidural. Loved it!

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      09.04.08, 06:23 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • Both of my labors were non-medicated, and one of them was truly awful in terms of pain --- I felt overwhelmed and out of control. The other was great and I got the euphoric high that people talk about. So, I truly appreciate both sides of this "debate." My advice is if you do want a non-medicated birth, prepare for it. Don't just go blithely into it thinking you can handle it.

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