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No guys, you know who is a mess and super annoying...TonysWife. I think that you are just mad that some people don't freak out over pain. You know when I first read your posts, I felt bad for your situation. Didn't know how to help...offered the surigosy option. But now you are just getting on my nerves.You really do have something against natural birth. You were mouthing off about it in the other post as well. I don't know about epidural Nazis, maybe they should just keep their mouth shut. Who cares if labor will be more difficult for someone else. But when I was planning a natural birth people were either laughing in face or looking at me like I'm crazy. So when I had a pleasant birth my way, why shouldn't I be proud that I used my own head and did the right thing.

Believe it or not, Miriam, I can relate to you as well, even though I've never given birth naturally. Everyone I've told that I'm considering at least trying natural childbirth has looked at me like I was crazy. So I guess nazis can go either way.

cindernar, to answer your question about episiotomies. First of all it is kind of an old school practice. More and more doctors these days only use it when the baby is in danger. But if you are having a natural birth and need an episiotomy you have two options. Option one is to get a local shot of novocane. But in realiy you don't even need that. When the babies head pushes against the perinium (sp?) it cuts off the circulation. The doctor can tell because the perinium turns white. Once there is no circulation there is no pain so he can just cut you at that point.

btw, in my March 21, 2007 post i was going to say "the right thing for my situation". If a woman is so stressed out and uncomfortable that she can't dilate, and epidural might actually help like tinkri said.

Wow--I didn't realize how narrow minded Tonyswife is about natural childbirth-- I really believe that she experienced the wrong people whe discussing it. I believe that the least amount of intervention is always best--I'm sorry that there are 'natural birthers' out there that are giving the rest of us a bad name. I don't believe that other people are bad for getting epidurals. The question is, where do you draw the line? I also believe that b___stfeeding is better than formula. After the baby is born we have requested that he/she not be removed from our presence, not even to do blood work, etc. We want everything done right there in front of us. Call us crunchy if you want--but at least we will never have to regret getting an epi or taking drugs.

Hey everyone, I have a comment about the epidural. I am about to have my 1st baby. The MAIN 3 reasons I have to say I don't want an epidural are: afraid of the risk of the insertion of the epi going wrong for some random reason, I get 50% no probs and 50% probs from women I talk to that have had one, and lastly I do feel that on some level the drugs in the epidural do affect the baby, even if it's on a small level. Now, all that to say, I am attempting a non-medicated birth, but, if push comes to shove, I know what I can and cannot take, so if there is a valid reason for me to get an epi then I would--i know that millions of women have them and the babies are fine. My best advice is to go in knowing how birth works (Bradley Method book is awesome at explaining this), and identifying each step of labor. Anyway, go with your gut instinct, and God Bless!!!

I'm not planning on having an epidural just because I am a puss and I hate needles!!! I get freaked out when I think of someone poking a needle in my back/spine. I will consider an IV, say in my hand w/ some kind of pain med. But unless I end up having to have a C-section... NO EPI for me! Hee hee! I have heard things about women having trouble b___stfeeding after them and having back problems, but I have also heard women rave about them and tell me I am crazy to not want one. I can't help it, I'm chickensh--!! <Sorry about that, but it's the truth!

I had my first at 7lbs 6 oz. completely natural. I was induced at noon on december 5th and didn't end up having him until 5:50pm dec. 6th. My delivery was a long one and I still managed to go through it with no pain meds.... but this is only because I was so against having an epidural. The nurses continuously asked me to get one because they had me on the maximum dose of pitocin. When the doctor finally broke my water, because of all the pitocin it was the most intense pain i've ever felt. My contraction took up half the monitor and was completely off the charts. I understand everyone has a different pain threshold, but if you want to do it naturally all I can say is just keep telling yourself the pains not going to last forever. I barely even felt him as I pushed. And I liked being able to feel everything that was going on. It only took me 3 pushes and he was out. The risk of epidural in my opinion just didn't make sense to me when I can do it naturally with no added risks. The positives of an epidural are obviously it will relieve the pain, and if you're labor is stalled it may help you relax. It's really something you should research and decide on your own what's best for you.

Whoops i didn't mean completely natural, I meant completely without pain meds. :)

Thats the one thing I don't understand about women not getting epidurals b/c of the needle. When something is about to open your cervix 10 cm and go through your birth ca___l. There must be some intense needle phobia there.

I have had two epidurals, one when i had surgery done and I was 14 years old and one recently with my first child. I think that it is the best thing ever. I had a long rough labor and I did not feel a thing. I do not have any side effects and i would reccomend an epidural to everyone because I think it was wonderful.

i was induce with my daughter so i was having contractions for 3 days. the epidural was amazing! seriously, i remember saying to the midwife that i hadnt felt thais comfortable in months! its probably different for everyone but i would definately recommend it. i was having strong contractions less than a minute apart and i was able to go to sleep! it was fabulous lol good luck

Hello I am not a person that is very good with pain, so I left my options open til I went into labour. I hated the pain, I was horrible, but please bear in mind that I am a big baby and that a tooth ache can make me cry, I wanted the epidural, I was a nightmare before I had it and was stressed and loud etc, then after I had it I was calm and relaxed, it was really very nice, been laid in the bed all chilled til the nurse told me to push, I couldnt feel any pain, just pressure I had a little girl and she is fab, a really good baby, I think it was because the birth was stress free and she didnt hear her mother streaming. She came into the world into a very calm, relaxed atmosphere.

Hi everyone. This is a great topic and one I plan to carefully consider during the remaining part of my pregancy. The only experience I had with childbirth happened in 1986 when my daughter was born. I was treated very poorly by everyone...except the doc. I had my daughter essentially naturally..but my labor was back labor because she was turned posterior. Because of the back labor...it hurt like hell to push...and no one would give me anything to ease the pain because Andrea's (my daughter) heartrate was too low. Thus...I screamed my way through the worst part of back labor only to have no relief when it came time to push. In fact...that hurt MORE. THEN the idiots caring for me made me lay down FLAT ON MY BACK to deliver her!!! Without a doubt, the pain I experienced that day was freakin' intolerable and I am scared witless of going through it again...especially now some 20 yrs later!!! My daughter Andrea weighed in at 9lbs and my baby now is probably going to be even larger because father of baby is 6'6'' this time. Thus...I opt for the epidural..even though I am afraid of those too. To make matters worse....I am a healthcare professional and am all too aware of the c___p that can go wrong. It is literally amazing to me that some women can endure childbirth without reporting much pain...because I had so MUCH pain. More power to em I guess....but I'm opting for the less painful way to go about it since I don't EVER want to endure that kind of pain again!

I love the epidural... They gave it to me in the middle of a contraction and I didnt feel a thing... There are risks for everything that are done, but they have come pretty far with that... Good Luck and Congrats!

My family members are in medicine, and so much of what is said about what is supposedly bad about epidurals is bunk. Yes, everything has risks, everything. But when you see the results of natural childbirth for SOME (note I didn't say all) women, and when you hear from qualified medical professionals who have no axe to grind (no, not profits, ladies!) who talk about how poorly some of these natural birthers did with their births, it's hard to respect the bunk that comes out of SOME (not all) of the birth nazis. For the record, a natural childbirth is a choice today--a choice. No one is any better or any worse for making that choice. It's a choice. I have a serious problem with SOME (not all) of the outright lies told by nazis who seem to have something invested personally in seeing everybody go through childbirth naturally, when, at the end of the day, it really is nobody else's business. Unfortunately, these nazis see fit to interject their opinion when it is unwanted, unwelcome, and unheeded. And you will notice I did not refer to crunchies--I referred to nazis. There is a huge difference.