With both of the girls, I delivered in a hospital with a nurse-midwife. She was awesome.
She just let me do my own thing with both labor. I have a vivid memory of her plopping down on the bathroom floor next to my tub at midnight and just saying, “I’m here. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
As it turned out, I don’t really like a lot of people around when I’m laboring. She went with that. She let me stay off the monitors as much as possible, nibble on a few snacks, (nothing crazy, just saltine crackers and popsicles) and–this was the key–spend as much time in the jacuzzi tub as possible.
That jacuzzi tub was a lifesaver.
While I didn’t give birth in the tub, I did spend the majority of time during labor hopping in and out of the tub. I alternated between the tub and a rocking chair, so I actually spent no time in bed until it was closer to push. The tub was perfect, with jets that hit just the right spots to ease the contraction pain.
With both labors, I used the tub until I was dilated to about 7-8, at which point, those of you who’ve been through it know, things can pretty uncomfortable. I used a dose of IV meds (Nubain, as it so happens there) to help take the edge off until it was pushing time.
Ah, pushing.
I fondly remember my mother telling me how easy pushing would be before Ada was born.
“Oh, pushing was such a relief,” she gushed. “It’s the easiest part!”
Lies.
All lies.
But of course, my mother and her throne of lies is not the point. My point in all of this labor and delivery rambling is that I have successfully birthed two children sans epidural. And things went well. Especially with the second labor, I felt very in control, very Zen, very much like a giant pregnant Buddha.
It feels good to have done things my way, and there’s a certain pride I have in knowing that I have fully experienced birth—what it feels like to push a baby from my body, a linking to the thousands and thousands of women who have crossed the threshold into motherhood.
But things are different this time.
1) I’m delivering at a different hospital, with a doctor this time around.
2) There are no tubs.
3) I’m delivering on the unit I work on.
4) There are no tubs.
And honestly, I’m scared.
I feel a little lost without my tub. I honestly don’t see how I can possibly get through labor naturally without my jets. Throw in the fact that I’m going to be on full display around, you know, people I work with, and I feel a little more than intimidated. I know by experience that I’m not exactly the most dignified person when I’m pushing….
Part of me just wants to do an epidural and get it over with…but the other part of me thinks if I’ve done it before without one, why start now?
What do you guys think?
Should I just go with the epidural this time around? Maintain a somewhat dignified state around my co-workers? Or should I look into other non-tub strategies of getting through without the needle?
What would you do?
Why hello, little one. Was it really you causing all that pain??
Tiny Blue Lines
Latest posts by Tiny Blue Lines (see all)
- This is 22 - May 24, 2013
- The Dreaded Afternoon Slump - May 21, 2013
- From The Mouth of Babes - May 15, 2013
People are different. I never had anything but a local (for episiotomy stitches) and everything went fine in terms of pain for all four. #1 was the toughest, probably because I was learning how to give birth. The kids took 29, 3, 6, and 4 hours to be born.
My daughter Rosie took something like 60 (yes, 60) and 24 hours with her two, and she was a couple of years younger than I was when I started (at 25). She didn’t want painkillers or a C-section, and she managed to avoid the C-section. But she’s built smaller, too. And she’d never had allergy shots, which I am convinced taught me how to relax the part of my body that is about to experience pain, if I know pain is coming.
So . . . if it were me, I wouldn’t do an epidural, nohow, no way. And Rosie will almost certainly have an epidural for #3. People are different. Will there be a shower with a detachable head that you can use? Is your doctor low-key and accommodating? How much emotional stress will you be in? How good will Ben be at helping? Will an epidural help you? How good are your unit’s personnel at giving them? How well do medicated and non-medicated births turn out at your hospital? How much does it matter to you that your colleagues not see you screaming?
Ultimately, the decision will be made when you’re there. As long as your husband and medical guys are okay with either decision, you should be just fine. But you knew that.
Everyone and every birth is different you may have to play wait and see. However, the more I read about epidurals and the problems my friend has had and the still to this day back pain I have, I wish I had tried natural.
Andrea recently posted..They nest with Copperheads.
I’d wait and see – but I love the epidural. My third birth experience was as close to blissful as I can imagine. Peaceful and loving and just wonderful. I got the epidural early, was fully dilated in five hours and pushed three times.
Melissa Cohen recently posted..Stomach bug
If you did it two other times without an epidural, why start now? I think you can do it. It’s all about mind control!
This Cookn’ Mom recently posted..Tweet Tweet
You’ve done it twice! You can do it. Labor at home as long as possible & use the shower. I know how you feel – I loved the tub as well.
Don’t base your decisions on the people around you, Chaunie. Making an important choice like that out of fear (fear that people might see an undignified side of you that they’ve never seen) is never uplifting. Make the decision that fills your heart with joy! You can always change your mind while you’re there, but why not research other natural techniques, too? I’ve never used a tub and managed to deliver naturally in a hospital. But, I will say, it would be a good idea for you to get a doula. She can be your voice of reason when you have no voice of reason of your own left. I think that could be the missing piece that makes it possible
Dwija {House Unseen} recently posted..Stuff You’re Gonna Love
Only you can answer that question. It doesn’t matter what I think or anyone else. When the time comes you will know. I delivered 3 natural with no drugs at all. 36 hours, 24 hours, and 24 hours of labor which included the delivery of ten pound Patrick with a broken clavicle. Tessa’s birth, my forth, my Doc decided for me. She was 58 years old and had 4 children of her own. She said I was going to experience a birth with no pain. And that’s just what I did. Awh…epidural. It was wonderful. Her labor was my shortest at 21 hours. After her delivery I looked at my husband and said that getting the epidural was the smartest thing I ever did. If I had to do it again I would have listen to my awesome husband and amazing mother and taken the epidural with all of them. Even though without the drug I never lost control with the pain, and it was long and hard, it sure wasn’t what I call fun. I was so glad to have my husband and mother with me through it all. If I had to do it all again I would diffently have taken the drug with all 4 deliveries. My advise to my own daughters will be, do whatever is best for you…and take the epidural. But of course I will support them in whatever dicision they make just as my mother did for me.
I loved my epidural!
seriously, it made my labor experience with my first so pleasant and even fun and I felt like I could participate–I still had pain but it wasn’t breathtaking as it had been before the epi. I wound up with a c-section after very long process but that’s a different story…
Go with what makes you comfortable and happy. Good luck!
wendy @ mama one to three recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Stopping at the End the Day
Oooh that’s a tough one. I mean if you’ve done it without them in the past, I’d say go for it, girl! I thought about going without an epidural with PB, but my blood pressure was so high they suggested that I did. I have tons of respect for women who can go through it without it. Although I’m sure it helped some with the pain, I’m not fully convinced that my epidural didn’t cause more problems in the long run. My verdict: you go girl!
britt@knewlywifed recently posted..oh body, where art thou?