Competitive Birthing...

[Meenah]

Angie I agree with you. I was one of the posters that mentioned not taking the drugs was "stupid". It was definitely meant tongue in cheek, I would never judge another's choices.
Luanne

What I rememeber most is how GOOD the time between contractions felt.

And stadol? Imagine feeling as high as anything and having the worst pain ever!

I agree about the stadol. It does nothing for the pain, just makes you totally fuzzy. That wouldn't be so bad if that's what you expected, but silly me - I thought any drugs they were giving me would help with the pain! I wasn't in it to get stoned!

Jane - you go! Do what's right for you (and soooooooooo not right for me!)

Anonymous poster - downright rude!

Here's a funny: when pregnant w/ds#1, dh tried to tell me that "if it were him, he'd try to go natural." I told him that when it's his turn, he's more than welcome to do it any way he wants to, but he needed to back off!

[Amiens]

Re: Competitive Birthing...

And Good grief....people used to have to have teeth extracted w/o pain meds, but now that there is anesthesia, I don't see people rushing in to have a 'natural' tooth extraction. :!

kris

Matt likes to point that out when we talk about his time on the OB service.

It seems we've hit an all new mothering low. I've heard a lot of talk lately that basically infers that a woman should either have a home birth or at the very least a 'natural' (no pain-meds) delivery in order to be a 'good' mom/strong woman.

In my eyes, healthy baby/healthy mom should be the desired outcome.

I agree with you whole-heartedly. I have had births with an epidural and one without. I know my own preference for birthing but would never force that on or think less of another woman for what she has chosen. Personally whether you give birth vaginally, C-section or heck go through the arduous and grueling process of adoption you are STILL a MOTHER, regardless of how the child came to be.

I haven't read the rest of the posts, and maybe behind. I will add my comments by posting quotes.

Crystal

[Amiens]

if I went without medication, I would feel more empowered as a woman.

Uh - hello? You've grown a person in your uterus - that's pretty damn' empowering. What's more "empowering"? CARING for the kid once it gets here, whether by c-section, vaginal birth or via adoption. The care and nurturing a kid gets is what shows the real grit of a woman! Sometimes I just hate people.

After I got my epidural when I was in labor with DS#1, I wanted dh to wheel me around the maternity ward so I could collect donations to erect a statue in honor of whomever created the epidural. They are good things!

Last bit: whatever makes mommy sane is good for the baby.

Well you know the saying "If momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy." That's funny about wanting to roll around collecting donations. Matt almost did a fellowship in OB anesthesia, just because he loved (his words) "I go into the room, the mom is screaming and begging, I do a 10-15 minute procedure, and presto she is saying "Oh, Dr. I love you can I name my baby after you?"

About the empowerment comment- some people have nerve. I have experienced both, and both were equally empowering--- ummm a baby came out. I know which of my labors I prefered, but wouldn't push it on another woman. You have to do what's best for you and your body.

Crystal

[Amiens]

she proceeded to lecture me on how I was making a bad decision and how, if I went without medication, I would feel more empowered as a woman.

Having labored without meds for most of it, I can say that I did *not* feel at all empowered for suffering like that. (picture me on my hands and knees bawling and bellowing like an injured cow ) I think the epidural made the experience 1000x better - I actually was much more aware of things.

And what's up with the toothpaste and sunscreen avoidance? :!

just had to laugh at the image of a bellowing injured cow in my head.

Crystal

[Amiens]

Ok, well, I guess I'll go out on a limb here and say that I'm hoping to be able to have this baby without an epidural. [I should probably insert a big disclaimer here in that I haven't yet experienced childbirth!!]

Yes, I believe in anesthesia for a tooth extraction; yes, I believe in brushing my teeth; and yes, I believe in sunscreen. I don't know why I feel differently about childbirth (as opposed to a tooth extraction, I mean), I guess the best way for me to describe it is that I want to be able to fully experience it. I do have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but I'm not going to go crazy and demand a natural childbirth at all costs. I plan to be flexible and see how things go, and if they don't go according to my initial plan (which seems pretty likely!) then that's fine too. I don't have super strong feelings about it (I'm probably the least 'crunchy' person I know), but natural childbirth is something that I'd like to try. That being said, I certainly don't have opinions on whether other women should do the same.

So ... I'm going to go hide and you can all laugh at poor uninformed, inexperienced me. :!

I say good luck and go for it. I had the same mindset with my first as you do. It didn't turn out how I thought it would-- I have labors that don't like to have, well, very aggressive contractions; and need a little help giving those contractions a boost with pitocin. I needed it big time with my 1st delivery, and ended up with an epidural. I was fine with it, and knew my limitations and what I could or could not handle. The 2nd delivery went in the same open mind- when I can't handle I will ask for the epidural. Seeing I was needing to have pitocin to boost my contractions, I didn't think I would go as long as I did the first time around. (A little side note-- if anything I felt like my body was a little defective needing meds to boost it, but I have since gotten over that). I got to a point where I thought I couldn't handle the pain any more asked for the epidural, and Brigham was born 15 minutes later after asking.

Just be open and know your options. I know that I felt the best after my 2nd delivery compared to the 1st, but that's me-- and no there was no sense of Uberwoman involved. I will be trying again for an unmedicated birth. I feel wierd using the term "natural" because then I start thinking of roaming around the forest naked and giving birth amongst the trees.

Stadol doesn't do anything for me other than make me fly higher than Jimi Hendrix. When delivering Emma we stated we wanted no residents or students of any kind, well when I wanted the epidural the attending anesthesiologist was in an emergency section, thus I got the Stadol to see if it would help hold me--- nope. About 30 minutes later I told Matt he could start building his case load for OB anesthesia by starting with me-- crack his book open and get moving, that I didn't care who gave me the epidural as long as I got my drugs.

About the "stupid" remark--- uncalled for, and you must be pretty shallow and chicken to hide behind a guest log-in. If you don't agree, have balls and stand your ground. That's what a debate forum is for. (Ummm warning- Crystal gets fiesty when pregnant).

Crystal

[Amiens]

Not that others don't find their births empowering also, but I really hate it when I hear people make fun of this aspect of drug-free birthing.

I apologize if I made giving birth seem trivial. Giving birth drug-free the last time, this is going to sound so silly, but it wasn't so much empowering to me as it felt like I climbed Everest or something. It was hard to describe- like a huge accomplishment for me. I remember laying there as each contraction came telling Matt "I can't do this!" Lucky for me I had a great nurse, and Matt kept me focus on breathing. I can only hope this next labor is similar. Although if it is I will be living at the hospital. I hope that if I have the chance to go drug-free that I can feel that sense of "empowerment" that you talked about.

Another thing -- women should be supportive of other women! I hate it when I hear people telling pregnant women the worst labor stories they can think of. WTH! Can't we be supportive of each other instead of scare the sh** out of somebody who is about to give birth?! No wonder so many people opt for epidurals! This really gets me . . . can you tell?

Yeah, what is up with this??!!! It doesn't matter if it is the first or third, it seems like I always hear the "My aunt Gertie or my friend Bessie got pitocin or labored for 60 hours, had vaccuum, had you name it.... blah blah blah." I have friends who had not so good experiences with their first deliveries, and I try to give them hope by telling my L&D story from the second time around--- I have a friend who said it brought her luck hearing the story.

[PrincessFiona]

I will be trying again for an unmedicated birth. I feel wierd using the term "natural" because then I start thinking of roaming around the forest naked and giving birth amongst the trees.

funniest quote ever!

[PrincessFiona]

One of the worst things I experienced was the horror story talk before my first was born. It seemed like everyone wanted to share their pain with me right before I went into labor.

The night before I went into labor, my mom was telling me how she ended up with an epidural or spinal with my brother and how something went wrong and she stopped breathing and at first they didn't notice and she had to be resuscitated (she hates it now that she told me this and that I went into labor the next day. She has repeatedly told me she wished she could take it back.)

The truth is, it frightened me so much that after nearly 2 days of labor when I had to have a spinal to have a c-section (only dialated to 1cm with pitocin and hours and hours of labor) I became so panicked that I laid on the table and cried hysterically that I couldn't feel my arms and that I couldn't breathe. They thought I'd lost my mind.

hmmmm. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm telling a horror story now. It wasn't my intention. I was trying to talk about how I hated people telling horror stories. :!

kris

[Rapunzel]

I KNOW I am guilty of telling horror stories - but I try not to share them with "newbies". I think it's kind of fun to trade these birthing stories in the same way you have those oft-exaggerated stories about big fish being caught, etc. But, yeah, we all should refrain from scaring first time moms (or moms that are having pregnancy complications). Better to tell these stories when you're NOT pregnant to other women who are NOT currently pregnant.

Jennifer

[HeartRN]

I'm guilty, too. Sorry!!!

I guess I really don't mind the horror stories....I prefer to expect the worst so that I can be pleasantly surprised when things run smoothly!

[HeartRN]

And it may very well run smoothly! I don't want people to think there is no great labor and delivery. I guess for me, it was just NOTHING like I pictured! (And it wasn't so great, either... :! )