Epidural or no epidural? I don’t want one but I’m nervous. Tell me your experiences for those of you…

I didn't do a water birth, but in the future I'm considering it! It looks like a good pain management tool without drugs. I had an epidural with the birth of my daughter just a few days ago. It made pushing hard because sometimes i would miss feeling the contractions, but you do feel the pressure just not the pain. All in all, I'm glad I got it and my husband is glad too because they ended up giving me a nice old big episiotomy because I was too small. So, there is my experience and glad I did it. Just makes pushing longer (in my case anyways)!

I tried to do both my births without epidural. With my first I made it 2 hours after being inducted without one but needed one. If you get induced get one before they do it. It sucks. With my second we made it to 8cm then baby wouldn't come I got an epidural, something kept nagging me that there was something wrong, so I asked for one. While we where waiting babys heart rate dropped and we ended up with one, then an emergency c-section.

Both times it took and helped alot. But I can slow labour down and you cant move around after it.

We didnt have the option for a water birth for my kiddies. We wanted one for my first but my labour was not progressing normally.

I'd see what options are available for you. Learn the different options and pick what's right for you.

Labour and delivery are a journey. Be prepared to take whatever road is safe for you and your baby. Know your options and know when you want to use each one. Honestly birth plans are good but knowing the different pathways is better. From my experience birth plans are like planning a hiking trip with no map. But making a birth plan and picking up a map and compass on the way, priceless. The goal, is a healthy baby and healthy mama.

@swedishmomma, i had one with my first because i was just so exhausted from the pain i wanted to be able to relax and take a nap before it was time to push. I’m not sure if they did a episiotomy on me but i know they did have to stitch me.

@sorcha, with my first i went as long as i could without an epidural but eventually i was just so exhausted and frustrated (the baby’s father wouldn’t help me) that i ended up caving and getting one. It definitely helped make me dilate a lot faster but it felt like it took forever to push him out and i almost ended up with an emergency c-section. I hate the idea of not being able to get up and move around and I don’t want it to make my labor slow down. I really want to be able to experience it with no pain management. I also feel like a water birth would be an amazing experience if they even offer it at my hospital

I have 4 kids and on my 5th. I have never ever had and Epidural. And yes, it’s extremely painful 😣 but when it’s gets extremely hard and unbearable it for me it ment baby was coming in the next hr or 2.... I’m not gonna lie if you don’t do pain well you might have a difficult time handling the pain.

@sara_elizabeth2014 maybe you just tore? They flat out told me they had to get in there and cut me. I got a big line of stitches, which really sucks to sit right now lol 🙄

@swedishmomma, I’m sure they would have told me if they had to. I could feel the doctor trying to stretch me and even my mom said that’s what she was doing but she never said they cut me

@autism.mommy, i usually handle pain very well. I think with my first i was just so exhausted from being up all day and running around doing things and then my water broke at 4:30 in the afternoon and i was up all night in labor at the hospital after that so from being so tired it just made the pain worse with him so i ended up getting it. This time around I’m hoping I’ll know when I’m in labor before my water breaks so i can actually sit and try to relax so I’m not so exhausted. Pain usually doesn’t bother me but i know it’s a lot different when your having a baby

@sara_elizabeth2014, Completely understand. I had my oldest My Senior yr and my water broke after school

I've had 2 natural births. The first I was able to labor in a tub and it was amazing. I would recommend trying a water birth if you can. The second I could not because I had to be induced. I would have if I could have. I tried nitrous for like 10 minutes with the second, but it felt suffocating so I stopped using it. As far as pain, it didn't get really bad until I was at the point of pushing. And at that point it's too late for an epidural anyway, so you kinda of just power through. That's the best way I can describe it. Instinct kicked in and motivated me to get that baby out so the pain would stop. Lol.

@autism.mommy, that’s literally the same thing that happened to me 😂 i had just finished my classes for the day and an hour later my water broke

@optimusprimesmom, what were the benefits of the water birth for you? Also was there anything you didn’t like about it?

@sara_elizabeth2014 It definitely dulled the pain. I found it really relaxing. I sat back in the tub and watched movies most of my first labor, which was a glorious 23 hours long. The only annoying thing was getting in and out when I had to use the bathroom.

In my honest opinion... I like to tell first time moms to just get the epidural if they think they need it. There's nothing to prove by doing it without one so why not be comfortable and be able to manage through the pain? Also when it comes to a water birth... here in the US, an actual birth in water at a hospital isn't usually allowed but you can labor in water until it's time to push but you'll have to get out of the water. Some hospitals don't even allow you to be in a tub after your water breaks because it could invite infection (which isn't true btw but some nurses and doctors actually think that way). I had my little in July and I wanted to labor in the water but the pain was just too much that I didn't even think that would help at all, I demanded an epidural and managed to get one at the very last minute (I was at 9cm) and because it was so last minute, it didn't take the pain away completely.

@optimusprimesmom, did you do it at home or in the hospital?

@sara_elizabeth2014, Yes, it was about 45-hr after mine did as well. My mom took me in after she got my 2 siblings from school. She said put a pad on if it’s fills up before she gets home I was going in, I had changed it one time and we went in and was my water. She was gonna about 45 mins. I had my bags n all that pack and was in car she got them after they said I was staying

@ladyblauvelt_mommyof2, i did en epidural with my first but i didn’t plan to in the beginning. I was just so exhausted i ended up getting one

@autism.mommy, mine came out gushing so i didn’t even try to wait it out at home i just got right up and went in

@sara_elizabeth2014 At the hospital.

@sara_elizabeth2014 I didn't want one with my first either but when the nurse told me I couldn't labor in the water after my water broke I had no choice, I needed it

@sara_elizabeth2014, I had to wait. She had to get my brother n sister from school. My grandma was home if it got to point I needed to go in right than and their. Hospital even said to wait also to make sure was my water

@autism.mommy, i think this time I’m going to wait a little bit and relax at home before i just rush right in.

@sara_elizabeth2014, That’s what I did. I monitor when I think I need to go in for an hr and go from their