Follow up from "Please don't take this the wrong way"...

3timemama

My original post is below, and there were a lot of ladies who read and responded to the post.  I just want to follow up by saying that I don't feel inferior to those who have a med free birth.  I have had two babies so far and knew from the get go that I wanted an epi.  I have a very low pain tolerance and had a feeling that I would not be able to make it without an epi.  With DD#1 I was induced and my contractions were unbearable.  I barely had any time to recover from one before the next hit, and they were off the charts!  I wasn't making any progress because I was in so much pain and couldn't even breath through the contractions.  Another poster mentioned how you end up in more pain when you tighten your muscles and that is def. what I was doing.  Once  I got the epi I was able to relax and I went from a 4 to a 10 in about 4 hours. 

With DD#2 I labored as long as I could without the epi, but still knew that I wanted one at some point.  I didn't get an epi until I was 7cm and at that time they knew I would deliver soon, so I didn't even get a drip, just a dose of the meds to hold me over until delivery.  I delivered two hours later. 

 I know that labor is different for everyone and that we all have to make choices that are best for us.  Again, if I thought I could go med free I would def. try, but I know myself and my body, and I really don't think I have the will power to do that.  I was really just saying that I think it is great that there are so many women out there that are willing to go natural.  I don't think they are better than those of us that get and epi, I just think it is great and I respect your will power/mind set to make it through without meds.  Saying that I also totally get women who want an epi, like I said, I have always know that I would get one.  For me, they helped me relax and prepare for the baby. 

On another note I also think that it is every family's right to decide what is best for them when it comes to feeding (bottle vs. breast), diapering, parenting, and working vs. SAHM.  I think we all do what we need to do for our families.  There is a lot of pressure out there to do things a certain way, and as an experienced mother, I will tell you that when you have those pressures on you it makes things harder.  With DD#1 I really wanted to BF, but it just didn't work out. My daughter would not latch on and I ended up pumping for as long as I could and worked with a LC to try and get DD to nurse for months.  It was so stressful, and when I look back on it, I think it interfeared with my ability to enjoy the first few months because I was so stressed out and felt like a failure because I couldn't nurse.  With my second I went into it thinking that I would try to nurse, but if it didn't work out, that it was okay.  I didn't want the stress and feelings of failure to come between me and my baby.  All in all my second time around was much more enjoyable.  I was able to nurse and enjoyed the first few months more, because the stress wasn't there, because I knew that if I couldnt' that it wasn't the end of the world and that I wasn't a failure. That made things a lot easier on us. 

So ladies, take it easy, enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and all those precious moments with your baby.  Try not to stress out about meeting the expecations of others and be open to what may come your way.  Because we really don't have any control over how things will play out. We can plan as best as possible, but sometimes we are thrown a curve ball.  Try and go with the flow and know that no matter what you decide is best, as long as baby's best interests are at heart you can't go wrong!  Good luck.

 

I don't know how anyone can go through the labor and delivery process without meds.  I keep reading about all these ladies that have had drug free births and I can't imagine doing that.  I have two LO's at home and had an epi with both.  I was in so much pain, the epi was so nice.  It allowed me to relax and rest and then my body progressed so much faster after that.  Before getting the epi I could barely breath.  Kudos to all of you that have had a med free birth and for those planning to have one.  I don't know where you get your will power from! 

I think not getting to the hospital in time for my epi is my biggest delivery fear (for all three pregnancies). 

 Good luck ladies! I hope you all have the labor and delivery that you imagined for yourselves! As for me I will be getting the epi : )