Ok, so we've all heard the horror stories of bad outcomes from epidurals, and the fact that "natural" childbirth is much healthier for mom and baby has probably been drilled into every nurse (maybe not, but this has been my experience). Then there are those occassions when an epidural is a necessity.
So, I'm just curious: what is your personal opinion of epidurals? Whether you work with laboring moms, or have had a baby yourself, or both. What are some personal opinions about and experiences with epidurals...
Someone told me IV pain meds get into the baby's bloodstream and can lead to drowsy newborns {and decreased mother-infant bonding}. Whereas epidural meds don't enter the baby's bloodstream. Does this sound right?
This is true, and I understand the concept very well as I am a Neonatal ICU nurse and attend deliveries on a regular basis. However, those medications only stay in your body (and thus the baby's body) for a few hours so unless you get them and deliver the baby very quickly afterwards, it should be fine. There are certain IV pain meds they use on a regular basis in labor and delivery so it's not like this is some crazy idea I have. The key is timing.
My mom and I were chatting again tonight and now I'm more determined than ever to try this without an epidural. She is very supportive of this and said she will be there for me should I need her during labor. She sounds very excited about it and it's contagious!
This is true, and I understand the concept very well as I am a Neonatal ICU nurse and attend deliveries on a regular basis. However, those medications only stay in your body (and thus the baby's body) for a few hours so unless you get them and deliver the baby very quickly afterwards, it should be fine. There are certain IV pain meds they use on a regular basis in labor and delivery so it's not like this is some crazy idea I have. The key is timing.
My mom and I were chatting again tonight and now I'm more determined than ever to try this without an epidural. She is very supportive of this and said she will be there for me should I need her during labor. She sounds very excited about it and it's contagious!
Your plan sounds fine. I wasn't criticizing it. I was just trying to clear this up for my own knowledge. I've heard women say that they didn't want an epidural because they didn't want drugs getting to the baby, but that's not really much of an issue with an epi, is it?
Before I had my daughter I had planned on natural childbirth, well then a week before she was born I had the worst false labor for days! Those contractions weren't even making cervical change. Well my water broke and I was not contracting regularily, so after 7 hours they were still not regular so my midwife decided it was time for Pit. I told my nurse they were not starting it without an epi in place!
I had a really good epi, so good that I never felt the urge to push. I was very afraid I was going to end up with a forcep or vacuum delivery since I wasn't even aware I had legs since I was so numb. I ended up pushing for 1 1/2 hours and had a second degree lac once my daughters shoulders were born. I had no idea that had happened since I felt nothing, and I was pretty thankful for that. Would I have an epi next time? I don't know, part of me wants to try natural just to have the expereince. Did I have isssues with breastfeeding? Yes, but my daughter was given a bottle and suffered nipple confusion that she never got over so I don't believe it was due to the epi.
It is a very personal decision and it worked out well for me, but to each their own. :balloons:
It's official now, I hate them! :angryfire Last night I had my 3rd crash section for "fetal intolerance of labor" Seems to me like it's a bit of a misnomer, should be "epidural induced deep and prolonged decels". Even with the fluid bolus before the epi, anesthesia still in the room giving meds to bump up a dropping BP, O2 and position changes, I keep seeing previously beautiful babies tank. I understand that it could be a fluke, but 3? Seriously? In a month? That seems un-flukeish to me. I can't blame the CRNA, it's been a different one each time. Is anyone else seeing this? Anything else I can try either before or immediately post epi placement?
Well, I guess that I just felt more in control. I loved being able to walk around while I labored and found it to be soooo much easier than lying in bed. It was a 22 hour labor and I can honestly say that it was not challenging until the last 5-7 minutes. But boy was she a handful! Maybe a few drugs in her system would have helped:lol2:
T
Same for me . I had the epidural for my first baby but not for my second cause I refused it. I enjoy the second labor so much more. Like you said it was easier to be able to walk around instead of being stuck in bed. Also I felt much more in control and stronger.
In my opinion, I wish I didn't have an epidural because while it got rid of the pain that came with the contractions, my epidural wore off when it came time to push, so I felt the full pain of child birth. My doctor told me if I didn't have an epidural then I wouldn't have been in labor for 17hrs and 40mins. When it came time to push, it took me only 15mins to push.
I had an epidural with my first...didn't even consider *not* having one. She was a 32-weeker, and it still took over 3 hrs. of pushing...I could not feel a thing--the only thing that saved me from a c-section was a very patient dr. So for the second I decided I would go unmedicated...but he was born at 33 weeks and there were all kinds of complications, so I ended up with a c-section. If it would have been a "normal" circumstance at term, things would have been different. Personally, I got no relief from IV pain meds, but I was also stuck in the bed, on mag, couldn't walk around, etc. For a future pg., I would love to try it with no epidural...but I will have a trans-abdominal cerclage and repeat c-section, so that isn't an option anymore!
Good luck Gompers, I wish I had been more informed during my first pg. and considered at least attempting it without an epidural.
h a]Good luck Gompers, I wish I had been more informed during my first pg.
Exactly, natural childbirth needs to be presented as a rational, healthful option -- not as some flaky thing that paranoid hippies do or an ordeal that women in third world countries are forced to endure.
Exactly, natural childbirth needs to be presented as a rational, heathful option -- not as some flaky thing that hippies do or an ordeal that women in third world countries are forced to endure.
I'm really surprised that it isn't presented that way. I am only 19 weeks so my OB and I haven't gotten into birth options yet, but I always assumed that things like IV pain meds and epidurals were presented as options, not the norm. Is it just because so many women want epidurals that there is no push anymore for a non-medicated birth? I kind of assumed my doc would recommend going without as the first choice. I would think that with the cost of malpractice insurance these days and all the fear of litigious patients, that docs would try and have as little medical intervention with their patients as possible - to thus decrease complications.
Very few, if any, of the docs I work with would prefer a non-medicated birth for you. Truth be told, I think they would prefer you not choose to go natural. The anesthiologists think it their mission in life to make sure you know all about it from the second you walk in the door. I've even had them go into a patient's room even though I told them the patient is not wanting an epidural. And then there are the times when they'll go in and say,"well, I have another case, so if you want one, you'd better get it now." Is that a veiled threat or what? It really makes me angry when that happens.
Someone during this thread stated that I (tntrn) was less fulfilled when women choose an epidural. On one level that is true and I see no problem with that. One should choose employment so as to be fulfilled and I chose this kind of nursing 30 years ago because it was fulfilling to me. My patients who choose an epidural never know my own personal preferences. If they ask, I will tell them what my preferences for myself are, but never do they get a guilt trip from me one way or the other.
I do think that way too many patients are given the message from early on that they won't be able to "do it" without an epidural. That is bogus and unfair, not to mention untrue. In my opinion, it gives women the message that they are weak and puny and that is just not the case.
I'm really surprised that it isn't presented that way. I am only 19 weeks so my OB and I haven't gotten into birth options yet, but I always assumed that things like IV pain meds and epidurals were presented as options, not the norm. Is it just because so many women want epidurals that there is no push anymore for a non-medicated birth? I kind of assumed my doc would recommend going without as the first choice. I would think that with the cost of malpractice insurance these days and all the fear of litigious patients, that docs would try and have as little medical intervention with their patients as possible - to thus decrease complications.
It's interesting that you chose an OB without a thought toward childbirth or the doctor's philosophy. I didn't either. I didn't ask my doctors at the group practice about it when I was at my first appointment. It never occurred to me. Fortunately, my doctors were completely supportive of natural childbirth and even had a midwife in the practice. But I've known other women who had to switch OBs late in the game. Now, when someone who is pregnant asks my advice about OBs, I tell them them that if they want to go the hospital/physician route, and they have strong opinions about their birth, to ask those crucial questions from the get go...
It's interesting that you chose an OB without a thought toward childbirth or the doctor's philosophy.
Well I have a semi-high risk pregnancy, plus I work in the NICU and asked some of our female docs who had babies at our hospital who they trusted most and recommended for me. The safety of this pregnancy was and still is my number one concern.
Because I'm so excited to try for a natural childbirth, I have a funny feeling that I'm going to end up with a crash c-section for something...
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Gompers, BSN, RN
2,691 Posts
This is true, and I understand the concept very well as I am a Neonatal ICU nurse and attend deliveries on a regular basis. However, those medications only stay in your body (and thus the baby's body) for a few hours so unless you get them and deliver the baby very quickly afterwards, it should be fine. There are certain IV pain meds they use on a regular basis in labor and delivery so it's not like this is some crazy idea I have. The key is timing.
My mom and I were chatting again tonight and now I'm more determined than ever to try this without an epidural. She is very supportive of this and said she will be there for me should I need her during labor. She sounds very excited about it and it's contagious!