Natural Childbirth vs. Give me Drugs!!

With my daughter (42 hours labor, BTW) when they asked if I wanted Demerol in my IV, I definitely said yes! It lasted so long because the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around her neck, so the pain killer was VERY welcomed. But I definitely earned the mommy badge with my son. He was born about 50 minutes after I arrived at the hospital (with only one hour of pain at home). The doc didn't even offer me Stadol. But as hard and fast as the contractions were coming, I just wanted to push, push, push! LOL. I've had a hysterectomy since then, so no worries about having to earn the badge anymore.

Unfortunately there wont be any future ones for me but if there were to be I'd go natural like I did with my other kids...However with my youngest they DID have to give me demerol for pain but that was only because with each contraction my son was tearing away from my body (he was born at 24 weeks and shot out of me still in the sack LOL..kinda like his sleeping bag ;-) )Other than that though my kids were born naturally....

well at first i didnt even realize that i was in labor.. it was my due date and i thought it was just braxton hicks, eventhough my contractions had been about 1 min apart for several hours already. i decided i needed to go to the hospital so they could give me something so i could sleep (sleep seemed to be my only concern). on the way to the hospital i realized that i could feel the contractions coming on and it hit me "oh oh im in labor" so for a minute i had thought about telling my friend to turn around and take me back home (as if that would have stoped the labor lol).. once we got to the hospital they hooked me up to some machine to see if i was actually in labor or if they were going to send me back home.. they couldnt give me anything until they decided if i was in labor or not, so i stayed hooked up to that machine from 3am until about 6am. then they finally decided that yes i was in labor.. i asked them to please give me something for the pain so i could sleep (still only concerned with sleeping) they said no lets put you in the hot tub for a bit it will help.. i told them that i didnt want to go in the hot tub, but they said if they gave me the epidural i wouldnt be able to go in the hot tub after.. i told them i didnt care that i just wanted something so i could go to sleep.. well they somehow talked me into going in the hot tub, while i was there they gave me an IV and some kind of meds that made me fall asleep but id wake up during each contraction.. and then i was saying some of the oddest things i can remember telling my sons father that we had to go buy avon make up (not sure why i said that?).. anyways when they finally let me back out of the hot tub they gave me the epidural which was soooo my friend! i was able to get a few hours of sleep before giving birth which was great and really the only thing i wanted too! then about 30 mins before i started to push my son out the epidural wore off, so i hit the button to push more meds through but it just wasnt helping at all! needless to say i felt everything during child birth and honestly it wasnt that bad.. i mean yes it hurt i wont deny that, however it wasnt the end of the world and then when i got to hold my baby the pain was just non existant in my mind anymore! the nurse had told me that for some women the epidural just doesnt work during child birth.. but im very thankful for it during the labor because without it i wouldnt have gotten any sleep!

With my first the dr gave me an epi without permission. They knew the baby was really big. And he wasnt desending. Anyway they were prepping for a c section ( i find this out much later lol) and i was able to push him out. He was over 10 lbs. Im pregnant now, due in 2 months ( there abouts) and im planning on a waterbirth. As long as there is nothing wrong between now and labor day he will come in his own time and come out easily. Hopefully not 10 lbs again hehe.

Unfortunately i don't think you can earn a Mummy Badge just by the way you give birth :( Does it make me any less of a Mummy just because i didn't go through labour at all? If you'd asked me how i'd like to give birth i'd have said naturally (with meds if necessary) but since i have a big metal rod in my pelvis, this just wasn't possible. So, does this mean i can never have the Mummy Badge because i had to have a C Section? I'm a little curious. Future babies for me though will still have to be via C Section since the rod wont ever be coming out - maybe i'll just never get that Badge!

I've never had the chance to earn the mommy badge. My 1st son was 2 weeks overdue. I was induced and was in labor for 9 hours. I wasn't progressing like i should, so I had to have a c section. My 2nd was 6 weeks early. My water broke at 30 weeks, was in the hospital for 2 weeks on bedrest. The drs were going to let me try to have him natural, but then said I was too narrow. At 32 weeks I had a c section.

I had my first with a shot of Demerol. My second and third were completely natural. My fourth was with Stadol first, followed by an epidural. I actually regretted this later, as I could not feel enough to know when to push, so I do think that that phase of delivery lasted longer due to the epidural. If I ever have a fifth child (which I probably won't), I will definitely go natural.

With my daughter I was in labor for 8 hours. She was ALMOST there. They guessed I had another hour left. I had no meds. But she went into distress and they had to do an emergency csection. I didn't even get to be away and hear her first cry, or the the first one to hold her. With my next, I not only am going to try for a VBAC but an all natural birth. :)

I had no meds with my son, who is now 19 years old. I was young, my labor and delivery teacher was a nurse where I delivered and she happened to be on duty the night my son was born. She took a special interest in my husband and myself because we were a young couple, and so she stayed with us the whole time I was laboring. I also did most of my laboring at home, and when I finally went to the hospital I birthed 4 hours later so, I was calm and able to endure more. Don't get me wrong--it was painful. My middle child, I had to be induced with her, she's 16 now, and the pain that comes with being induced was way way different and more intense then natural labor pains. They didn't want to give me meds (military hospital), and finally I demanded it because I knew my body wasn't going to do what it needed to unless I could sleep and relax, but the contractions were so close together and so painful I couldn't control my focus or breathing. I finally got demerol, I slept for 2 hrs, woke and birthed 15 minutes later. My last child, I also had to be induced with her, she's 7 now. I knew my chances of being induced and I already knew I wanted something for pain. Being induced did nothing for my labor, sure there were painful contractions--my body just wasn't doing what it needed too...my midwife came in and did a check and said it would be another 6-7 hours before I'd deliver at the rate I was going and chances are I'd need a C-section. So, I said give me an epi. I chose to have the Combined Spinal-Epidural (Walking Epidural). It was great--I was able to get into the rocking position (on all fours) and within 30 minutes after I got the epi, I birthed my daughter. I think you just have to know your body and what it can handle. Sure, it would be great if everyone could go medication free, but some women can't and they should know what options are available to them. Like the walking epi is wonderful because you can move around, there is no need to have a foley for the bladder--it was a good choice for me, and made for an enjoyable labor and delivery.

I did natural childbirth - not by choice! I was SCREAMING my head off for pain relief, epidural, pethidine whatever, not a chance would those midwives give me anything. I am glad it went this way for me as I was straight up, walking around the place after the birth. And if I was having another one I would try to have no painkillers again but the pain would probably get to me again...

this is just a diffecult Q. for a man

I am not that brave. I asked and received lots of pain medication when I gave birth. And I had a relatively easy time of it. But I don't deal with pain very well so I needed lots of pain medication.

When I had my daughter I had her naturally. The only thing I was given was a local anesthestic that they said they give everyone right toward the end. Thankfully my labor was not bad at all, but I was determined not to have an epidural. When I had my son, however, I went into premature labor as a result of developing bronchitis. I coughed so hard I threw myself into labor. Because of this my doctor was concerned about me having to push and concerned for the safety of my son. So for his sake I had an epidural. I didn't like it one bit. The first shot didn't take and they wound up having to give me a second one. Thankfully, though, my son came into this world safely.

I went all natural with my daughter. The only thing I had for pain was the watertub. And if I ever have another one I would do it the same way. Yeah it was painful but it was all worth it in the end when I held my daughter and we were both alert. And I was up walking around shortly after I had her with no ivs, tubes or anything. Wonderful experience!

When I was pregnant, we had planned an unmedicated, out of hospital birth. Then we found out we were having twins so the midwife would no longer attend the delivery out of the hospital. So, I had to see an OB. We had still planned unmedicated. I went into labor, originally, at a little over 22 weeks and they manged to stall labor for 5 weeks. I went into labor at 28 weeks. Still the plan was unmedicated, natural delivery. Unfortunately the kids dind't cooperate. One was coming butt first and the other had his feet stuck down next to her. They weren't coming out with a c-section. My OB sucked and the anesthesiologist dragged his feet getting there so, by the time we went in for the emergency c-section because the damn OB dind't bother to check my cervix and by the time he did I was 6cm and needed to go, there was no time for an epidural so I had general anesthesia. However, the 12 hours of labor before that were unmeducated. If I ever do get pregnant again I've said I will deliver in a corn field with a birkenstock-wearing, sun dress sporting, midwife before I'll go to an OB and deliver in a hospital.

I intended to go the natural way, but after 3 days of contractions and no sleep, they offered my some demerol (not sure if I spelled that correctly) to help me sleep while they were delivering another baby. I had never had anything stronger then tylenol before that, and LOL they asked me if I wanted an epideral, and I agreed. I think I would have agreed to anything at that time. I ended up having to have a c-section, so I guess it was a good thing I had agreed to the epideral. I don't plan on having any future pregnancies (I'm going to be 37 this year). But if I was to do it again, if they offered anything for pain or such, I probably would take it.

I was induced with pitocin with my baby. I went in at about 930 pm. My contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. I could have stayed home, but they were getting closer, and my husband worked night shift. I wanted him with me! LOL He couldn't call in if we weren't at the hospital. Anyway, my doctor came in and broke my water at around 5 am. The contractions still didn't get any closer or anything. I had been dilated to about 5-6 the whole time I was there. At a little after noon, they gave me pitocin. They also gave me demarol a few minutes later. It was AWFUL. I never want that again. It made me feel like I was going to puke with every contraction. And I had been throwing up all night so there was nothing left! It didn't do anything for the pain either. My son was born at 4:05 pm. He was 8 lbs 10 oz and 21.75 inches. He also had the cord wrapped around his neck three times and tied in two knots. I really don't know how there was enough room in there for that big baby and that long cord! I was told that if we still live here, I will probably be induced about a week before my due date if we have another child, because my labor went so fast. We live about 25-30 minutes from the hospital.

I requested a jewish delivery i told them to wake me when the hairdresser arived LOL

i guess was a bit lucky with the birth of my 1st child ( i have two now by the way). i didn't have much of a painful labor..i think it was because i didn't expect that i would give birth a little earlier than my expected date..i didn't even know that i was already in labor until that one instant where it hurt really bad that i could not even move. i remember walking through town at around 7:30 am, just to have some exercise. on my way home i felt the contractions every now and then, but i didn't give it any thought. when i got home around 8 am it was then that it hurt really bad.i thought it was just bcause of the long walk, but still i told my husband to bring me to the hospital for a check up..that was about 8:30 am.. imagine my surprise when the nurse told me that i'm about to give birth in a few minutes...i didn't even bring my baby's stuff with me..well, a few minutes after 9 am my baby girl came out...i could still remember vividly every pain i felt as i pushed and pushed until she came out..i think i was given a little bit of anaesthesia to numb the pain a bit, but i felt every thing through that birth...do you think i earned my "mommy badge"?

With my son I had natural childbirth. My water broke at home at 10 p.m. and at 5:45 he was born. I went to the hospital at 11 and then got in the shower at 12 and then got out at 2 am and I was 7 cm.. At 9 1/2 cm I asked for something and they said it was to late. I mainly wanted something to let me rest a little bit because I had been vomiting my whole labor with him. He was 6 lbs 8 ozs. With my daughter I was going to have natural childbirth again. I labored for a month and a half . Where at one point they got to be 1 min apart for 17 hours and then they stopped. Finally I went into full labor.. Went to the hospital and I was still only 1cm dilated. This was at 9 p.m. Finally at 2 am my water broke but I was still only 1 cm dilated. So I asked to get in the shower cause that is what progressed me so fast with my son. I had told the midwife if she is over 7 lbs even I will have to have a c-section. Well my placenta abrupted from my uterus and I had to have an emergency c-section but she was 7 lbs 2 ozs.. The midwife was shocked that I knew. Now with the c-section they had to knock me out cold because I was not in enough pain for them to stick a needle in my back. But even with her my labor was 8 hours from start to finish.