I have this internal battle going on in my head right now. Some days I think I'm superwoman, and I think that I can have this baby naturally. I get really excited to read all of these different books, and techniques and prepare for the moment. Then other days I say "what am I thinking? This is the most pain a person can go through, and I think I can handle it?" I am not the biggest fan of pain, actually, I try to avoid it at all costs. I don't have a huge pain tolerance, so what am I thinking? On the other hand... My body is made to do this. Women pushed out their babies without drugs for thousands of years... if they can do it I should be able to as well.
Another thing: this is probably going to be my longest labor, and the longest time pushing (because it's my first) so if I want to go natural, it would make more sense to try in my later pregnancies. But... on the other hand, I'm of the mindset that if I can get by without medication then why take it. I also really don't want to be tied down to a bed. I have had several women tell me how nice it is to jump out of bed right after pushing the baby out. I also really want to walk around during labor, use gravity to my advantage (I know that you can sit when you have an epidural, but I want to be on my feet). But then that voice comes along "what are you thinking? This isn't a picnic we're talking about... this is LABOR!"
This is the battle that is going on in my head. I have no idea what I'll end up doing. Just thought I would share.
Then here's what I recommend. You're most likely to have to "go natural" for at least the beginning of labor, before you get to the hospital. It really DOES hurt LESS if you can relax. It almost doesn't hurt at all.
ReplyDeleteSo, do the natural prep for before getting to the hospital. And if it's going well, keep it up once you're at the hospital. And if it's too much, you can get a lower-dose epidural to take the edge off. And then up the dose if you need to.
You experience will be unique to you. But here's what mine was: I tried my first two labors without pain-killers. My labors were long and in my back, so I got worn out. With my third baby, I started with the epidural on a lower-dose before I got totally worn down and needed to be totally numbed. For me, that's what worked best.
I'll be interested to see what works for you.