Gimme drugs or drug free?

[lindrusso]

No, no, not THOSE kind of drugs.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

The baby thread made me wonder how many of you moms went natural or used epidurals?

NOTE: Please don't use this opportunity to relay your war stories, just the basics!! We don't want to scare the moms-to-be or gross anyone out!!!! So please keep the gory details to yourself! But I have to admit it's fun to have a room full of moms that have given birth - then the gory details can come flying out!!!

I went into delivery wanting to go without drugs. However, when the pain got too intense, I asked for an epidural. I didn't get one EITHER time. With the first, it was too late. With the second, I think my doctor was hesitating so that I would follow through with my choice to go drug-free.

All in all, if I had another child, I'd go drug-free again. It hurts like h***, but I find it weird to hear stories about how women who did get drugs didn't even know it was time to push. Without drugs, their ain't no question about when it's time to push - you can't NOT push! I just found that part interesting - not making any judgements one way or the other - whatever gets you through is the right choice!

I found it surprising that the pain subsided when I was pushing. I thought the actual delivery would be the hardest part, but it was all the contractions just before pushing that were the hardest.

It was also amazing to me how fast I felt perfectly fine after the baby was out. For me it was like - okay, that part's done, what now? My mom laughed at how relaxed and awake and upbeat I sounded after my first - she would have never guessed I had just given birth! Don't get me wrong - it was painful and exhausting, but I also felt completely exhilirated once it was all done.

I was also amazed at how hungry I was after my first - I must have eaten like a pig for 2 or 3 days straight!

[This message has been edited by lindrusso (edited 02-23-2001).]

[MrsReber]

Great topic! I'd actually love to know what the other moms have done! My sister had an epidural with her 2nd (the first was c-section). She said the epidural was great, but I can see not knowing when to push just from reading the stories from other women. I hope the other moms respond! I'm really curious. By the way, I want drugs!!!! I'm not a hero!!

[S]

Good for you Mrs. Reber, I felt the same way. I walked in saying, "Give me the drugs!" I've had three kids and all three were different. My first daughter was face up so I had a very long labor in which I pushed for three hours. They turned off the epidural when it was time to push and, boy, I knew it was time to push. The three hours the doctor checked me and said that they would have to take her by c-section. My husband was waiting for me to be upset about this, all I said was "Where is the drug guy, bring me the drug guy." They said that her would meet us in the OR and I said that that wasn't going to work for me. When I saw him in the OR, I fell in love. When I was back in my room, holding her, I looked at my husband and said that I would do this all over again. My second was induced. Talk about hard labor quickly. But, I had the epidural and I was able to sleep through most of it. I only had to push for an hour and out he came. The difference with him was the recovery. It was like Lindrusso said, I was walking around, laughing and talking with everyone, and feeling great. My third was crazy. We walked in and got into the bed and when it was time, the drug guy came in. They got the epidural going and I said to my husband, "please go get someone I don't think that this is working. This isn't supposed to hurt this bad with the epidural." So he got the nurse and she told me that it hurt because I was having a baby. Well, I think I knew that. What she meant was that I was having the baby that minute. The doctor came walking in getting his gown on and she was born in about two pushes. The nurse warned me that if I were to have another child, I need to tell the staff that this happened so quickly. I have had the full impact of the epidural and a delivery with out the epidural. So, I've pretty much run the range of deliveries and wouldn't change a moment of any one of them. Each and every moment was and incredible journey that will be with me forever. Thank you for letting me share this with you.

[karen w]

You will have to keep in mind my answer is totally biased... I am an anesthesiologist..so I say go for the epidural!!! I had an epidural for all three of my kids. I should not have had one for my 2nd. When I got to the hospital and they examined me, I was 10 cm. They were going to break my water and let me push. Of course, I was not thinking straight at the time, so I yelled..."No, wait! I want an epidural!" What were they going to do...say "No" to an anesthesiologist. So I got one with my water starting to leak as they were completing it. After it was done they turned me over, completed breaking my water, 3 pushes, and that was that!!! Needless to say I had alot of postpartum pain releif. Seriously, I would recommend the epidural, and if anyone has any questions about it I can try to answer them.

Karen

[ChefChris]

I went into both delieveries thinking I would probably have an epidural, but left it open in my mind to try without too. I had an epidural with each of my deliveries. My first was induced. I wasn't dilating and I was 10 days past due. I was in hard labor for 4 hours and not much progress so I opted for pain relief not knowing how much longer it would all take, it was a very long day, so I was glad I did. My second labor started on its own and I had the experience of labor building and my water breaking on its own and walking around the hospital and it was great, and then I decided that was enough pain and I took the epidural! It was great and I felt wonderful afterwards.

Neither of the epidurals seemed to slow my progress down which is what I was afraid of. I delievered at two different hospitals and of course one baby was induced and one baby came on its own, but my epidurals each felt different. With the first I was more numb, and felt a little blah afterwards, but that also could have been from the long day of pitosin. It's funny because I felt so much better after my second delivery. I was able to push no problem and felt great aftewards. I am glad that I had them and will have another when I have my third baby!
Chris

[RUSTYSMOM]

No drugs. I am no martyr but I really did not want to miss anything with the birth of my boys. I also felt pretty good not long after. MrsReber is right though - it HURTS - but you get over it! If I had it to do over again (which I won't) I would do no drugs again. However I never recommend either way to friends - it is such a personal choice.

[lindrusso]

Just to clarify, my hard labor didn't last all that long (though it seemed like an eternity at the time and it was certainly long enough!). With the first, I had pre-labor for 2 1/2 days (like really bad menstrual cramps that kept me from sleeping at all - ugh), but once my water broke and hard labor started, my son was born 2 hours later. I pushed for 40 minutes with him - not bad for a first baby.

With my second, I had to be induced because my water had broken and labor was going nowhere. It took a while (most of the day) for the pitocin to kick in, but hard labor didn't last all that long and I only had to push 5 times to get the little guy out. After which he promptly peed on the doctor and me!

Had I had a very long, difficult labor, I'm sure I'd be telling a different story!!!!

[MrsReber]

Karen, I will keep that in mind! I have questions about everything. I have mitral valve prolapse. Will that matter if I want an epidural? I know I've had drugs before when my knees were dislocated and to have my wisdom teeth. I think they said I just can't be put all the way out. I am also scared of the epidural. It sounds like it'd hurt itself, with that huge needle. They put it in your back? Maybe you can shed some more light on this for me. My sister said that the men are more amazed at the size of that needle than anything else!

[Kristilyn1]

Karen may agree with this,or maybe she won't...as our resident "goddess of the delivery drug", but my recommendation is DONT LET YOUR HUBBY WATCH THE EPIDURAL. Unless he's the type of guy who can totally handle that kind of thing. I don't think it hurt AT ALL and I am a serious needle freak (I cry when I get shots, etc.) but my husband definitely could not handle the way it looked and the last thing you want to worry about is whether he can handle it.

As I mentioned, I had epidurals both times and was up walking around happy as a clam within an hour of giving birth. When I came home from the hospital with my second, I went swimming in the pool (though I was extremely BAD and put in a tampon so I could do it) but it was 96 degrees outside and I didn't stay in long. So I know we said no graphics....but I know the veteran moms are thinking SHE WENT SWIMMING, EEEWWWW.

I had a vacuum assisted birth the first time with Nubain and an epidural and I experienced the erraticly dipping heart rate and didnt want it (nubain) again. Every time Drew's heart rate went down, I would feel my own dip--it was very eerie. The vacuum was pretty yuck, but everything was fine.

The second was induced and total labor was about 4 hours, they gave me about a 1/2 hour of pitocin, broke my water and away we went. I got an epidural again and I did realize when it was time to push, which I didn't with my first. My labor was fast the second time because I don't have full cervix left, so the dr. said that I could go from 4 cm to 10 in a matter of minutes, and that's exactly what happened.

Kristi

[ChefChris]

Mrs Reber

I didn't find the epidural to be painful at all. I think they swab a little numbing stuff on you first and the sensation I remember feeling was more pressure/pushing than pain. My husband watched and wasn't bothered by the needle. Good Luck!

Chris

[karen w]

Mrs. Reber,

MVP should not stop you from having an epidural, but it is something the anesthesiologist needs to know along with the rest of your health history, medications, allergies etc.... The medications used in the epidural can cause a slight decrease in your blood pressure, but the nurses/Dr.'s usually give you a little extra fluid through your I.V. to offset this. This drop would be more of an issue if you had mitral stenosis (or a tight mitral valve). I don't want to confuse anyone with too much info., but the bottom line is MVP is not a problem with an epidural!

And as far as husbands go, I'll have to agree with the above. If your husband can handle it, and the anesthesiologist does not mind, then he can stay. If he's the least bit squeamish with these type of things, send him out for coffee. My first son was born at a large hospital for woman where I had done my OB training in residency, so many people knew me. As a resident I remember we always kicked the husband out, but they knew both me and my husband here(who is also a physician) so they let him stay. He was also present with the epidurals for my other 2 kids, both born at a different hospitals as well(and in different states too!). The needle used can look intimidating, but it is not left in your back. It is a hollow needle that is just used to guide a very thin, clear catheter(the epidutal) into the epidural space which by the way IS NOT the same space as the Spinal canal with the spinal cord!!!! I hope this eliminates some confusion without being scary!!! Good luck.

Karen

[HARRYET]

O.K. I'll jump in as well. I have 2 kids w/two totally different deliveries and recoveries.

with my 1st (son) i started w/contractions at home and went to the hospital after a little while i asked for something to ease the pain and they gave me "nubain" (i've never heard of anyone else having this drug) but it just lasts long enough (about 40 mins.) to take the edge off. after pushing and no progress and his heartbeat dropping periodically they decided to do a c-section (but the hospital i delivered in has 21 birthing room, so when you check in you have one room for the duration of your stay) they were going to move me the the delivery room but it was contaminated, so they preformed a forcips delivery and gave me a pudendal (sp?) block so i wouldn't feel it, huh! i felt it! but alas he was born perfectly fine, the only thing was my recovery was very long.

my 2nd (daughter) was born really fast w/no drugs at all. i was in labor and my DH wanted to call the doctor it was about 11:30 pm i told him to wait til midnight, cause when the doctor checks you in the insurance company starts counting days, and with a toddler at home i wanted the extra days in the hospital. anyway we got to the hospital at 12:45 am the doctor checked me at 1:15, they broke my water at 1:30 and she was born at 1:57, and my recovery with her was incredibly fast, back to working out at 2 weeks.

when it comes time to deliver, do whats best for you and your baby, don't let people try and tell you that meds are bad for the baby, if they were truely that bad then the doctors wouldn't offer them in the 1st place.

Ann

[BosunsWife]

No drugs. My labor was similiar to that described by lindrusso. Cramp type labor pains for about two days and then hard labor for about three hours. I did ask for drugs, but they told me I was already dilated to 9 so it was too late. Had to settled for gouging my husbands hands with my fingernails. I think if you can, no drugs is great. I'm glad I got to experience the whole thing and would do it again in a minute if I could talk my husband into it LOL!

[RUSTYSMOM]

I have to add one more thought on this topic which I was thinking about this morning - whichever way you go (and there is not a right or wrong answer), the end result is soooo worth whatever you go through. I am always jealous of pregnant women - enjoy this incredibly special time and don't worry!!!

[MrsReber]

Thanks everyone! My heart rate is abnormally fast, which they think is my body's way of compensating for the MVP, so slowing it down shouldn't be an issue. It seems to beat more regularly when it's slowed down, too.

I like reading everyone else's stories. I think I mostly suffer from fear of the unknown more than anything else. I have enjoyed being pregnant so far, with all the little aches and pains and whatnot. I think I will somehow enjoy the time in the hospital, too.

Kristi, the only reason I'd think you were crazy for going swimming would be that you were actually comfortable wearing a bathing suit! Good for you! I am wondering if I'm going to fit into my shorts- or if I'll want to even go out in shorts!

[SueK]

Up until 2 years ago, our hospital did not even offer epidurals, so I had no choice. They gave me something (can't remember the name) which kind of made me stoned between contractions. I did get Fentanol (sp?) and maybe Karen W. can clear this up for me---it was a spinal injection but wasn't an epidural. It didn't numb my legs or anything, so I could tell when to push. I really thought any spinal injection would be considered an epidural. (?)

Anyway, it worked, which was great, because I was in labor for 20 hours, 3 of which I pushed. Even after all that, I couldn't believe how much energy I had. I couldn't even sleep that night because of all the andrenaline running through my system!

[karen w]

SueK,
It sounds like you got an intrathecal(spinal) injection of fentanyl(a narcotic). This is different than an epidural. There are 2 different types of medications that are injected in the epidural or the spinal space for labor pain. One class of drugs is the local anesthetics-these are the ones that make you numb. The other class is narcotics-these may take away some of the pain, but will not make your legs numb. Typically for a labor epidural, you receive a local anesthetic(the numbing drug), and sometimes a narcotic in addition. You would not have gotten the local anesthetic in the spinal space for labor unless you needed a c-section. Local anesthetics in the spinal space make you MUCH MUCH more numb than in the epidural space. Too numb to push, walk etc... for several hours. I hope this clears up some confusion without adding more!!!

By the way, I just had a thought I wanted to share(and again, it's probably biased!) Would you have your appendix out without anesthesia??? Well, a baby is alot bigger than an appendix, and alot more painful!!!

And one more thing, one of the beauties of the epidural is that YOU DO NOT miss out on any part of the child birth. You are wide awake, and can touch and see the baby as soon as it comes out as opposed to being groggy, perhaps, if you asked for I.V. medications instead.

Finally, please don't be offended by my opinions. They are exactly that(opinions), and no matter what you choose to do or what others who have posted chose to do-there is no wrong or right way to go. It's a personal choice, and you have to do what's best for you-what makes you most comfortable.

Good Luck!
Karen

[BeckyM]

Karen,

I appreciate hearing your advice/opinions. I am not pregnant yet, but we are planning to try soon, and I have been starting to read up on all the aspects of pregnancy. Your explanations have helped clear up some questions I have had about epidurals. It's nice to hear from an actual anesthesiologist on the topic!

Becky http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[karen w]

Thanks BeckyM. That kinda makes a person feel warm and fuzzy all over! And I need that right now. It's been a rough winter!!!!

[kwormann]

As someone who hopes to be soon, I also love the talk. ps...my sister was given morphine during childbirth...is this safe????

Kim

[SusanD]

Drugs, please!

Wow, I just discovered this topic. So interesting to hear everyone's stories! I know for sure that I want an epidural - mostly because I'm a big wimp when it comes to pain. Ha-ha! Seriously, my SIL and another good friend, both of whom have had babies in the past 6 months, had epidurals and came away from the delivery saying what a great experience it was. I want to walk away from it with the same feelings, and remember it as a really positive experience so that next time around I'll look forward to the delivery and not spend my whole pregnancy dreading it!

[karen w]

kwormann,

Morphine is in the same class of drugs as fentanyl(a narcotic) which is commonly given during labor. They are both O.K. to give in labor as long as the appropriate doses are used.

Karen

[Beth]

I had nothing with my first, but I was dialated to 4-5 cm for about a month before he was born (following preterm labor at 26 wks). I remember being very uncomfortable, but relaxed, no yelling, no intense pain. I was very grateful I did not have any drugs, because a few hours later I started having other complications, soon went into shock and do not know if I would have been awake and reporting how I felt after an all-nighter if I had drugs (I'm very sensitive to them anyway).

Second son was induced after being 2 wks late. I think I had one dose of nubain and wished I hadn't. It did nothing for the intense contractions, made me feel nasueous and out of control, which made things worse. Second son was born without me pushing, just a couple of contractions that nearly sent him across the room before anyone was ready.

I think whether you go with or without is something you can best leave somewhat open with your leaning based on how you handle pain, your confidence in the birth process (women squatted in fields for thousands of years before hospitals) and your own knowledge about how you handle pain medications. Either way, relaxing every part of you that you can control will make it much easier and nature will handle the rest. Fear tightens you and fights the process, so be calm and make the choice that will help you keep that way.

[kwormann]

Now that DH is on-board witht he baby-thing, I asked him if he would think less of me if I wanted epidural. He looked at me as if I were crazy and said he didnt think I could handle it wo the drugs. I told him he was in charge of making sure I get one when the time comes......

Kim http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[MrsReber]

Kim, sounds like a good idea to make hubby in charge of the drug thing! How could he possibly think less of you? I was telling this guy I work with about how your joints loosen up (bet you can't wait for all that great stuff!) Sometimes I get aches in my pelvic bone from it and it goes into my back, too. This guy at work told me that he has decided not to become pregnant. This other guy at work said there'd be a standard year and a half for leave if men had babies! I believe that! Women can tolerate the pain much better, but I'd still prefer the drugs. My sister had them and she thoroughly enjoyed giving birth to her son. I think it probably is an individual decision since each person reacts differently, too. I hope I am okay with drugs since I normally don't like to have them. I hate to not be in control, but I also hate to be in alot of pain. I've had demorol when I dislocated my knee (twice) and that was very relaxing. I didn't mind that too much. It made me not exactly care about the pain. I am getting very nervous as the time gets closer. I am just under three months from my due date. Yikes!! I have three friends who just had babies and they inspire me since they lived through it. I just have to remember that women do this every day.

[SusanD]

Last week's class talked more extensively about drug options and it was very interesting. Hubby & I decided (well, I decided and he agreed with me) that I'm going to skip the narcotic beforehand and just go right into the epidural when I'm in hard labor. One of the videos we saw, the woman had a narcotic (don't remember which one) and she said it made her see double! I didn't like that, nor do I like the idea of feeling all woozy and nauseous.

[ChristinaK]

Gimme Drugs! I was induced with my son on my due date. I was on the pitocin drip for about 5 hours before the dr broke my water. I was a little uncomfortable before she broke my water, afterwards I was "okay, give me drugs NOW!" I will confess that I am a big baby when it comes to pain!

The epidural is not bad at all. I am really needle phobic so I was worried about the epidural hurting. Just don't look at the needle. My hubby stayed in the room while I got the epidural and I held onto his shoulders to stabilize myself while I was sitting on the edge of the bed. He is an EMT so he's not squeamish. (He even watched my entire csection!) They give a shot to numb you before they give the epidural so it doesn't hurt. You just feel pressure in your back as they push the needle in. The worst part about getting the epidural was having to sit on the edge of the bed while you're having contractions and having to get a catherer.

I ended up having a csection because my son was face up and I didn't dilate sufficiently. When they did the csection, they just increased the med in the epidural and also gave me Finnergan through my IV to prevent nausea. The Finnergan made me a little groggy but I was awake and pretty alert during the csection. Since I had a csection, they left the epidural in for 24 hours after the delivery for pain control. Good for pain relief but bad in that you can't eat while the epidural is in.