did you use drugs or natural with birth?

[Jina]

12hrs afer my water broke I was induced as my labour was not progressing. The contractions were so strong and painful I asked for epi. Unfortunately I had to wait about 1hr as the anesthesiologist was not available. When he came, it was difficult to stay still while having contractions so the first attempt failed. 2nd one worked. After 3hrs, I tried pushing for 1hr but DS would not come down and his heart rate was dropping quite low with every contractions. So they stopped the induction and had a C-section. DS had the cord round his neck.

[AnnNoe]

12hrs afer my water broke I was induced as my labour was not progressing. The contractions were so strong and painful I asked for epi. Unfortunately I had to wait about 1hr as the anesthesiologist was not available. When he came, it was difficult to stay still while having contractions so the first attempt failed. 2nd one worked. After 3hrs, I tried pushing for 1hr but DS would not come down and his heart rate was dropping quite low with every contractions. So they stopped the induction and had a C-section. DS had the cord round his neck.

Scary!! I was pushing with DD for 2.5hrs and when she finally came out the cord was wrapped twice around her neck and once around her shoulder!!! My Mum said she was so worried when she saw her as she was blue!! The Dr acted so fast, we were all amazed!!! And thankful!!

[matty's mom]

I was natural... until I began throwing up Then I had the epidural. And not a pain at all, even when I had to push... and push... and push... (2 1/2 hr of pushing) The last position was the one that he got out on.

The best advice I got was from my pre-natal counsellor. "Watch your strength". I was an "older" mother (39 1/2 years). She reminded me that the labour and birth was just the beginning. Then I would need to go home and take care of the baby on what strength I had left. Good Point!

[Alixana]

Both my deliveries were so fast, didn't have time for epidurals. Not that I wanted to get it anyways. 29 mins pushing on the first one, 9 minutes pushing last week on 2nd DD.

I got injected with the drug on my first one (can't remember the name, but the alt to morphine). It didn't take effect until after I've had DD.

The 2nd time, I went with the laughing gas. Just cause I wanted to see what it felt like. Didn't do anything for me. It was more a distraction from the contractions, holding the mask and breathing.

[GoddessDigi]

Ah, I couldn't do laughing gas.
I opted for it when I went to get a tooth pulled, and almost had a panic attack. I couldn't stand the mask on my face, felt like I couldn't breathe.

[SaveWaveRider]

I wanted a midwife with my first but couldn't get in so i was stuck with the OB/GYN. I had a shot of demerol and the epidural. I pushed for 3 hours on my back, tore and was in a fog for about a week after. My my second I had the midwives and a doula, no drugs, and the whole hospital experience was 3 hours. it was amazing. if we were to have another it would be a midwife and doula all the way. if you haven't seen the documentary put out my Ricky Lake called "The business of being born" ... download it! So worth watching!

[seventhwave]

i just finished a bunch of prenatal classes that were awesome for going over the pros and cons, for an epi... you are less likely to tear but more likely to have an episiotomy because you can't feel the muscles to use them properly to push, they may give you a snip to move things along.

for no drugs, you will most likely tear but you can control the degree, breath, ask for coaching and when to slow down your pushing, massage and compresses..

i'm hoping for a natural, i know it's going to hurt like hell but like our teacher said.. it's not a "something's wrong" pain, it's a "something beautiful is going to come from this and I CAN do it" pain.

[seventhwave]

I wanted a midwife with my first but couldn't get in so i was stuck with the OB/GYN. I had a shot of demerol and the epidural. I pushed for 3 hours on my back, tore and was in a fog for about a week after. My my second I had the midwives and a doula, no drugs, and the whole hospital experience was 3 hours. it was amazing. if we were to have another it would be a midwife and doula all the way. if you haven't seen the documentary put out my Ricky Lake called "The business of being born" ... download it! So worth watching!

I'm *so* excited to have a midwife for our first... everything I've heard about OB births scares the bejesus out of me, hours and hours at the hospital, epis without your consent, no real control over your birth experience (they aren't going to read your birth plan obviously lol) and a more "medical" experience... We just have a midwife, not a doula but our midwives have experience as doulas too so quite excited :D

[corbinx]

Went natural for #2 as well, other than trying the laughing gas which once again did not help. I wouldn't have had time for anything else since I was holding him 3 hours after my labour first started, yikes. If I ever have a third we'll have to camp out in the hospital parking lot, lol. Still tore though, blah, but not much worse than the first time which is surprising since he was 9lb 1 oz and I am normally only 110lbs (140 when pregnant).

[AnnNoe]

Went natural for #2 as well, other than trying the laughing gas which once again did not help. I wouldn't have had time for anything else since I was holding him 3 hours after my labour first started, yikes. If I ever have a third we'll have to camp out in the hospital parking lot, lol. Still tore though, blah, but not much worse than the first time which is surprising since he was 9lb 1 oz and I am normally only 110lbs (140 when pregnant).

I was the same!! I had very quick labours for both of mine. The second was much quicker though and the nurses told me to camp in the parking lot next time!! But there won't be a next time! LOL! We're done!

[mellyskater]

I had an epidural for my first baby one year ago and no regrets. I was undecided going in but with back labour I went for it... Even if I chose not to I had to get extra drugs one way or another due to severe complications and they said I was very lucky to have the epidural already

[TheSaltyDog]

After 46 hours of labour and "stalling" (by the hospital's standards) at an 8cm for two of those hours, I was augmented with a ridonculous amount of pitocin, and I delivered naturally with no major tearing, episiotomy, or any drugs, two hours after with a whopping 15 minutes of uncontrollable "throwing down" (like throwing up, but...a baby), no coached pushing.

Quick transition/delivery resulted in major hemorrhaging, cytotec suppository, un-anesthetized stitching of VERY minor tearing, uterine massage and eventually, manual, un-anesthetized removal of retained membrane. 1,000,000% more painful than anything related to the birthing process and the thought/feeling lingers with me today, whereas childbirth is but a memory. Most painful experience EVER. I want to vomit just thinking of it, and I'm also trapped in a defensive kegel .