Paging Rosie: Medicine-Free Labor – I Don’t Know
So the news is out and now you all know I’m expecting again! It has been so hard not to tell you all over the last weeks as I have wanted to share my every thought with you all and am so excited that I can now finally talk about it.
I wanted to talk about something deeply personal, something I am, well, tossing and turning around in my mind: Whether or not to try labor without medication. Non-medicated births are certainly on the rise, if not dramatically in practice certainly at the forefront of many of the pregnant women’s minds that I meet every day. The question of should I or shouldn’t I and of course why should I choose one way or the other, does seem to come up in many people’s pregnancy. I am a firm believer in choice for the mother and of course most importantly whatever in that individual’s situation is the best and by best I mean healthiest for the child and for the mother.
Everybody’s situation and treatment options are very different and I certainly do not believe in judging people for the choice they make as long as they have the best interests of the child as a priority. Now you know where I stand let me say that I had medication for the births of both my sons but I have to say I have become increasingly curious about the option of no medication, I am just not exactly sure why, considering both of my births were very successful and by successful I mean I delivered two beautiful healthy boys.
For my first delivery I had the notion of I’ll just try without medication and see how it goes (after all I did Pilates I thought to myself!). I hear this frequently from my clients and honestly this is likely doomed to failure. If you truly want to try without medication you have to prepare for the greatest chance of success. The first time around I did not and ended up getting the epidural after 10 hours of excruciating pain. There is nothing wrong in this type of scenario other than the disappointment I felt. I felt as though I was letting someone down, I wasn’t’ sure who but I felt somehow like a failure having the epidural.
In retrospect I understand how ridiculous this sounds, all that mattered is I had a healthy baby. But what I learned from this delivery is that the most important thing is to prepare for the type of delivery that you want, remain infinitely flexible in the actual delivery as you never know what will happen, and decide very early on what type of delivery you want and why knowing (and being okay with the fact) that this might change. My first delivery ended up being 26 hrs and I delivered with the help of forceps. My second pregnancy was very complicated and I was on bed rest for many of the months. I ultimately was induced a few days after my due date and ended up having a 10 hour labor with a combination of Pitocin and an epidural.
Both times I had intervention with an epidural and both times I felt as though I was in the best medical care possible and delivered two healthy children. So this time around, why am I considering potentially a birth without medication? Is it purely curiosity? Do I want to see if I have the ability to do it? Do I really think it would be better for my baby or for me? Would my two previous deliveries have gone better, how would they have gone better? Or were my previous two experiences the best for me and my babies and why change?
With all these questions swimming around I decided to talk with our renowned MomPrep doula & Childbirth educator Catherine Stewart-Lindley, I have asked Catherine to teach a class about different birthing options “Understanding Natural Childbirth: Is it Right For You?” and how to figure out the best one for you at our MomPrep studio here in New York City. There are so many things that make Catherine a wonderful Doula and one of the things I love the most is that she realizes everyone is different and not every option is right for every Mom.
I think it’s so important to have a childbirth strategy. The reason I say strategy and not plan, is there is no way to “plan” childbirth, as every birth is different and every woman is different. I recommend that instead you put together your strategy; a strategy tends to be more flexible and accounts for “what if” scenarios. If you are even considering choosing a different way to have your baby other than what your local hospital normally follows, you must take Catherine’s class or speak with a Doula in your area to learn more about all the options available to you and what you need to do to be prepared. She also offers another class“Childbirth Prep for Mom & Partner” that will help you and your partner prepare for labor and give you tips and tools to help it go smoothly, so whether you are going to labor for a few hours or the entire time without meds, this is a great class to give you some tools and strategies to help you cope.
After I met with Catherine I still am not sure what I want to do. What I do know is that in my case I have access to some of the best and most dynamic thinking doctors hear in New York and that I trust them. This is not true for everyone but no matter what type of birth you choose this is the most important thing, you must have medical care that you trust. I would love to hear your birth stories and what types of births you had and why you chose them or why you didn’t choose them and what you did to prepare.
As I continue to think about this I am sure that as we must go into motherhood feeling proud of our labor and to do that flexibility, preparation and education is key, whatever your choices are.
Tags: epidural, natural labor
I get strange looks when I tell people that I had a terrific labor and delivery experience. From the time my water was broken until my daughter was delivered was almost thirteen hours. Considering that the average first time labor and delivery is fifteen hours, I thought I did pretty well. I managed to forgo the epidural and instead chose the lesser known option of narcotics. Like so many others I thought my only two choices were epidural or natural. I was lucky enough to deliver in a facility that also offered systemic medication during labor. I was still in some pain, but the medication took the edge off just enough that I was not in agony. I even slept for a couple of hours while in labor! I couldn’t agree more that you need a strategy rather than a plan when it comes to child birth. I had outlined my preferences for the hospital rather than a list of demands for how I thought the birth should go. I firmly believe that education is the best thing you can do to prepare for child birth. It doesn’t matter what “method” you want to prescribe to learn as much as you can about it, the facility where you plan to deliver, and even your doctor’s philosophies. I hope to be blessed with at least one more child in the future and hope to follow the same experience that I did with the first one. Congratulations to you and best wishes for a speedy and comfortable delivery no matter what route you choose to go.
Natural birth is more scary in theory, than the actual experience. My first son, Thomas was delivered via c-section after a grueling 17 hours of labor (with epidural). My second (VBAC) came so quickly after my water broke that there was not enough time for an epidural. I was terrified when I realized I’d have no choice but to go natural…But the experience was amazing, and I felt so empowered after Ben’s arrival. I’m still grateful and amazed 10 mos later. If we happen to be blessed with a third child, I will go natural again. You’ll figure out what’s best for you, or you could leave it up to fate… And just wait and see what happens.
I know exactly what you mean about the guilt you felt when you didn’t do it naturally. I had my first baby in February, and I desperately wanted to do it naturally, mostly because of a little documentary called “The Business of Being Born.” Heard of it? ;0) We were determined to to do it naturally. We went through natural childbirth classes and even hired a doula. I was in back labor for 24 hours before finally deciding to get the epidural. I was so exhausted from labor that I didn’t think I’d be able to push without some rest. I mostly felt like I was disappointing my husband who was so supportive and encouraging of my desire to have a natural childbirth. Of course, the idea that he would be disappointed, in hindsight, is silly, because all he was concerned about was my health and the health of our son. I will say that I hope to do it naturally for our second child if we are blessed to get pregnant again. I think that under the ideal circumstances the fewer interventions during labor the better. But, I also know that you can never know what to expect and you should be prepared for ALL scenarios.
My First birth was what I considered to be a Nightmare. I decided on Natural Childbirth and did 12 weeks of Bradley Method, read every natural CB book under the sun, and felt very prepared. After 42 hours of labor, no epidural, I had an emergency C-Section beccause of the baby’s heartrate dropping and she never came far enough down to deliver. I too felt like such a failure! I wasn’t even able to be the first one to lay eyes on her becuase I was put to sleep. I suffered quite a bit of PP depression but after a few months, I recovered. And yes, I have a gorgeous baby girl who will be 1 in Dec. We just found out that we are expecting again! I am going to attempt a VBAC and yes, go natural again. I feel that natural childbirth is the best for the Mom and baby, even after the experience I had. I really wish I had stayed home a lot longer. Once I got to the hospital, I felt like I was on their clock. After a few hours, they broke my water and gave me a shot to slow contractions down, and everything went terrible from there!! It was just intervention after intervention. I’m not sure what would have happend otherwise but I do know the interventions did not help. I believe God designed a woman’s body to labor and sometimes interventions are necessary and sometimes they prevent the woman’s body from doing what it was made to do. I plan to stay home until I’m in active, hardworking labor. I believe the benefits of a vaginal birth outweigh the risks of repeat c-sections. I pray you have a wonderful Birth Rosie. And above all, a healthy baby with a vaginal birth. Epidural or not, I believe with a vaginal birth, your recovery is so much quicker and you still have that “natural” experience. I also pray for myself that I walk away with a secessful VBAC.
Make a birth plan to have a natural birth and you will be more likely to stick to it. I had a natural birth in a birth center that was in a hospital. I felt that it was the best of both worlds because it was about as close as you can get to a homebirth while still having the security of a hospital. It was an amazing experience and I will do it exactly the same the next time around.
For my first birth I was all about the epidural. I knew I wanted one and I got one. My labor went great and my baby girl was out after 12 hours. Because it was so easy for me, this time I am thinking natural is the way to go. We are only planning on having two and I really want to experience natural childbirth this time around. They say the next birth is always shorter so I am crossing my fingers and reading all I can about Hypno Birthing.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughts! I’m yet to get pregnant, but this topic and all the questions you mentioned above is exactly what’s been rattling my brain.
I have just been given a wonderful gift by my son and daughter-in-law, a grandson! I watched my daughter-in-law try to have the baby with no pain medication but it became very obvious that while she was having labor pains she was not progressing.So in came the pitocin and therefore the epidural and eventually a c-section.They were not prepared for anything other then a natural child birth. I do not understand where the mentality comes in that if we have pain relief we are somehow a failure. I think the experience of childbirth should be a memory looked back with love and gratitude. The goal is a healthy baby and mom. God bless you and your family. I say take the pain relief when it becomes unbearable but do take a childbirth class because the breathing and the focus did help me. Thank you for sharing a very personal thought with us XO
I had many of the same feeling about having a natural delivery after having an epidural with my first child. I have made it through the whole dilation process without medication but the transition labor was more intense than I could handle. But then the epidural made the pushing phase take much longer – I pushed for 3 hours. An OB/GYN friend of mine said that epidurals can really slow down labor and that I probably would have pushed for much less time without it. That gave me the encouragement to really go for a natural birth. As it turns out, my second delivery was so fast I didn’t even make it to the hospital! So it was natural all the way! My labor began at 1:19am and my daughter was born at 2:16am – The ambulance arrived 5 MINUTES before she was born and my husband was the one who actually caught the baby in our living room. So sometimes you choose your delivery and sometimes your baby decides how he/she will enter the world and takes you along for the ride! Although it was scary during labor knowing that I was going to experience the full delivery naturally, I was also really amazed and comforted that my body knew what to do. Women have been having children this way for thousands of years and I really felt that connection through this experience. I know that not every birth goes that smoothly, but that was my experience with this birth. Thank God for the loving support of my husband and for a safe and healthy delivery of our baby girl!
Loving the blog! On this topic: I had full intentions of having an epidural with both of my deliveries. I was so convinced that this plan would go off without a hitch, that I didn’t pay attention at all in child birth classes. With my first, my epidural was removed after being inserted twice and natural childbirth, although I didn’t choose it, was forced on me After a 21 hour labor, a broken tailbone, and 3rd degree tear, it was nearly 3 years before I was ready to brave another delivery. I think I was the only second time mom in childbirth classes, but I paid attention in round 2. The second time my epidural worked perfectly and labor only lasted 4 hours. I would really recommend that expectant mommies prepare for natural childbirth, even if it is not their preferred plan. I can honestly say, the delivery, recovery, and post-partum symptoms were better after the second child. But, it would be hard to say if the second was easier because it was my second, or because the delivery was so stress free because of pain management. Congratulations on your pregnancy! So exciting!
Hi Rosie! First time commenting so I have to start off by saying I love your show and your blog and only wish I had the money to buy some of your gorgeous creations! I just had my first baby, a son, in August and I fully intended to make use of all the pain management options the hospital had as I needed it (even though I hate needles). I was induced 2 days after my due date as my doctor was concerned my gestational diabetes (managed through diet) would allow my son to grow too big. Before they started the Pitocin, the doctor broke my water as I had been contracting since the previous night when I was admitted for the induction. My contractions came so hard and fast that I immediately requested an epidural. I was told I needed a bag of IV fluids first before they could administer the epidural… let’s just say that when the fluids were in and the anesthesiologist arrived, it was too close to delivery to get my epidural (3 hours after my water was broken). My husband and I had taken the birthing classes and thank God for the breathing techniques or I would not have gotten through my (unplanned) natural childbirth! It was a very empowering experience to know that I was strong enough to get through it. I agree that all women should go in prepared to experience natural childbirth, as it is not always an option how we deliver! Being educated is absolutely essential. The nurses in the hospital also told me that had I gotten an epidural, I probably would have had at least 3 hours of pushing (compared to the 10 minutes I experienced). Every women is different so I would never let that prevent me from getting one the second time around. I wish you the best of luck in whatever strategy (good word!) you decide on. We as women should feel accomplished as mothers however it happens and never be disappointed that things may not have gone according to plan. As a new mom I’ve learned, babies hate plans anyways! :o)
HI Rosie! I love your show and I love your passion about babies and mommys. I had a wonderful pregnancy until 32 weeks when my doctor discovered my cervix was thinning and I was put on bedrest. I had a few stays in the hospital on magnesium until 36 1/2 weeks when my dr performed an amnio and told me my babies lungs were mature enough for delivery. From the beginning I wanted a natural childbirth. Eventho I had preterm labor at 32 weeks when the dr said it was okay to deliver he put me on pitocin. After being on bed rest for a month having magnesium in my system and now pitocin it was the least I could do not to have anymore drugs. My nurses urged me to get an epidural but I told them no I was only in labor for 2 hours and I delivered my son (he had to spend 5 days in the nicu because the magnesium I was receiving made him very tired) For me the only thing I did for myself was to not have an epidural. Now I will say the pain was something I could barely handle, but I was able to get through it. In a few years I plan on having another child and again will go epidural free. For me it was something I wanted and Im glad I did.
Let me just preface this by saying that I am a wuss. I don’t do pain, I don’t like stress, I like things nice and easy (and yet, I am a mother, HA!). However, as you well know, every birth is just as different as every child. I delivered pre-term with no drugs. Did having a little one make the birth easier? Absolutely! However, if she had been a predicted 10 pounder, I would have never had an epidural. Why? Long story short, I had to have an epidural for surgery while pregnant. It was the worst pain I have ever experienced. My vertebrae are very close together and every time the anesthesiologist inserted that needle, I felt a jolt, like lighting, going down my right leg. Horrible. I still harbor ill will towards that doctor and wish that just once he could experience the “joy” of child birth. At any rate, I delivered later naturally, but it was a fast (4 hours from first contraction to baby in my arms) delivery and I felt everything. Surprisingly, it wasn’t bad, more pressure than pain. And I loved it. I felt empowered! I was a different woman; I had just given birth to my child with no real help. I did it on my own! It was so easy! It was cool! I was lucky, I know that. My friends call me names. 😉 I wish every birth could be as easy as mine, if so, women would be having babies hand over foot. Bottom line: You have to do what is best for you. Period. What’s best for mommy is best for baby. A mommy in pain due to back labor, a long labor, or whatever is stressed! A stressed out mommy means a stressed out baby. No need for that with the power of medicine. Do what’s best for you and in turn, will be best for your baby. Stick with your birth plan once you decide, but like you said, be prepared because it can all change from one contraction to the next. Best of luck and Congratulations!
I did that the first time around and for me it was a breeze. My first labor was only 6 hours. I did it at Roosevelt hospital on the west side. This second time I’m due in May I will try the birthing center this time around. I feel like moving around and support is the key in unmedicated birth. I’m also moving from Manhattan to Park Slope 6 weeks before the baby is due so I’m nervous about how I’m going to make it and how to organize help if you have any suggestions on that….
Rosie,
As a labor & delivery nurse I can not express how important it is for women to at least contemplate a natural delivery. Even with the best medical care, an epidural does NOT always work. I find my most difficult patients are those that believe they will feel NO pain and the epidural will be life saving. For one reason or another the epidural does not always work and every woman needs to be prepared for that possibility.
I think every doctor needs to discuss this fact with their patients and express how important childbirth classes are to attend.
Thanks,
An L&D RN with 5 years experience
I’ll apply this idea…… It can be fun!
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