DH and I were discussing pain meds during labor and I started wondering what the rough breakdown of what people go into labor wanting, and what actually happens. So... which best describes your attitude about pain meds in labor and the outcome?
(I'll put my answer in the comments!)
89 votes
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
I would prefer to have a totally natural birth, no epidural or pitocin, but I'm realize that other things may happen. So, I'm preparing to do it without pain meds but trying not to get too tied to it.
DH said, well, yeah, most people probably hope to not use them, but I was pretty sure that's not the case-- I know plenty of people who planned to have an epidural and were very happy with it! Hence... the poll!
bananas / 9357 posts
Planned to go with out epi or other pain meds and I did. I was still open that if I had to or I felt like I needed them, then I would have. I could not have done it with out my doula though. My DH was a great support but he told me afterwards, he was ready to get me anything to make the pain go away. It was very hard for him to see me like that. My doula and my DH got me through it. So thankful for them.
grapefruit / 4049 posts
#1 - went in open-minded, got pain meds
#2 - wanted a med-free birth and got it!
pomelo / 5820 posts
I'm planning on getting an epidural. I think I'd prefer to avoid any kind of narcotic pain killers after the fact (like Percocet or Vicodin), but I'm not sure how realistic that is. Especially if I were to end up with a c section.
pomegranate / 3212 posts
I was planning on going with a natural birth as the goal, but open to meds. I found out last week I found out that due to my spinal fusion in 2000, I'm not a good candidate for an epidural.... There's other stuff they can do, but I'm hoping this just helps me focus on getting through it naturally. (barring the need for a c-section of course.)
papaya / 10570 posts
I've voted other because I started out really wanting a med free home birth, in the pool. I read up on hypnobirthing, interviewed a potential doula but as the pregnancy has progressed I have had to open my heart to the possibility of intervention more and more. Firstly, DH wasn't into the doula idea and wasn't sold on hypnobirthing. He also put his foot down and insisted I give birth at the hospital. Then I was diagnosed with GD and have been told I will need to be induced (unless she makes an early appearance on her own accord) and a water birth is out as I will need to be hooked up to monitors/drips etc. Now an induction is looking likely, I'm less committed to coping without pain meds which will probably mean a spiral of interventions. I've made my peace with it.
coconut / 8305 posts
Like any other intervention I believe pain meds should be used when they pose necessary. With G I went in wanting a natural birth & got very far from it... With P I planned a hbac, transferred to the hospital & delivered naturally before they could prep me for surgery (vbac ban hospital can not "allow" for a vbac delivery. We'll plan home births for all our future children.
cherry / 153 posts
Due to my hydrocephalus, it was highly suggested that I get an epidural asap while in labor. I'm glad I did!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
I was induced and planned to labor to 6cm (before transition) before getting an epidural. I ended up laboring to 9cm before I got it. Oops! The epidural was the only pain medicine I wanted (no IV meds)
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Planned on getting an epidural and did! It was heaven.
pineapple / 12526 posts
I wanted a med-free birth, was told at 36 weeks that (due to a heart condition I have) I would most likely need the epidural and a forceps delivery.
I ended up induced, had a failed epi, labored without pain meds for 15.5 hours until they gave me a spinal to do the forceps.
I want to try for all-natural next time. Fingers crossed! I figure nothing is worse that 15 hours of full-dose pit with no pain relief, so I can handle it with nothing.
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
I wanted med free but after 27hrs with little progress needed an epidural so that I could get into a position to get him out of back labor position. He was born several hours later.
As for pain management, my doula was worth every penny. Lots of low noises during contractions and massage on pressure points by she and DH were key.
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
I didn't really go in with a set plan but I figured I'd probably end up with an epidural. I'd wanted to go as long as I could without one, though, and labor on the ball/walking/shower/etc.
In hindsight, I wish I had prepared myself more for a natural birth, even if I assumed I'd end up with an epidural. I was not prepared at all for back labor, or for my epidurals failing (twice). By the time I was admitted to the hospital I'd already been awake for 24 hours. I was exhausted, and I couldn't get in front of the pain, I was just surviving it. I think I'd have had a much easier time of it if I'd been better prepared to go med-free.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
Planned for med free with a midwife and doula. Labored for 17 hrs and felt like I could do it forever! The team thought I was going through transition and all got ready for me to start pushing. One last cervical check - I was 1cm dilated. Had a total nervous breakdown and since my water had broken the day before, the whole pro-natural birth team recommended epi+ pit. I wasn't dilating for a few reasons and they thought that intervention would help. 5 hrs later I was 8 cm and 2 hrs and 4 pushes later she was born. At the time I was super disappointed about the interventions but in retrospect it was absolutely the right call. If we have another ill def try again for med free.
pear / 1787 posts
I'm due in November and am set on a med-free birth (barring complications, of course).
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
Planned for med free, baby was posterior and I had 40 hours of early but very painful back labor, started pitocin and epidural. Oh, and after about 24 hours we tried a morphine drip so I could sleep a bit. I feel really happy with my choices.
I think it's important to feel empowered during your labor and delivery. I did, and felt that the choices were what was best for both me and babe. So even though it wasn't what we planned, I feel extremely positively about the experience.
pomegranate / 3452 posts
Wanted med free birth, but got an epidural at 9 3/4 cm due to 12 hours of labor, exhaustion and intense back/hip labor. I needed to gain more strength before I could push. The epidural wore off and I pushed med free.
blogger / pineapple / 12381 posts
Didn't have strong feelings about it, got an epidural towards the end and had a wonderful experience!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@aprk: This is actually the exact situation I have in mind where an epidural can help the most! I have a couple of friends who had this experience and believe it enabled them to avoid a c-section. That's why I'm not letting myself get too hung up on a pain med free birth.
bananas / 9118 posts
I went in open to anything, requested an epidural at 6cm, ended up asking for narcotics during a longer than expected wait for the epidural. The plus side to the narcotics was I didn't feel anything when I did get the epidural. I asked for only a small dose epidural, and really liked being able to labor down for a while before letting it wear off prior to pushing.
I'm happy with how it went and the outcome, and will go in open to anything when we go through it again in the future.
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
@Foodnerd81: I think this was the case for me, too. Babe was starting to struggle a bit and I was exhausted from not eating or sleeping for so long. The interventions were so helpful and important in getting her out!
pomelo / 5178 posts
With my first I prepared for a med-free birth and ended up getting an epidural. With my second, I went into wanting an epidural and got it. 
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
#1: Went in planning for an epidural. Ended up with 3 failed epidurals, 24 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing, vacuum assisted delivery. I did deliver med-free because the third epidural had failed by the second hour of pushing. So it wasn't by choice!
#2: Pitocin and waters broken induction at 39 weeks due to GD. Went in hoping to get as far as possible before placing an epidural, in case I had failed epis again. Ended up getting an inadvertent dural puncture at 6cm, which made for a totally pain-free and perfect delivery, but then led to spinal fluid leakage during recovery and I needed to have a blood patch done.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I voted Other! I planned on getting an epidural, but wasn't able to, so had to do it without meds! So painful!! I was totally unprepared for it, but was able to do it!!
cantaloupe / 6800 posts
Still pregnant but i'm planning on getting an epidural. Not opposed to any other drugs if necessary though.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I wanted an intervention free birth, using the birthing tub. I didn't use any pain meds, but the tub wasn't appealing once I was in labor.
watermelon / 14206 posts
Mine is a different senario...
Since LO passed during labor, it stalled, and they amped up the pitocin to get the body out. Pitocin is horrible stuff, so after about 8 hours of trying it without meds, I started with demerol and then stadol...eventually they weren't working anymore and I gave in for an epidural. During pushing, the baby was so big and limp, her shoulders were stuck, and I was in so much pain while the OB had her hands inside me trying to get her lose that the anesthesiologist numbed me from my neck to my toes so that they could finish and I could stop feeling the need to push. Then I had lidocaine to stitch me up.
I had every med in the book, besides general anesthesia.
pomegranate / 3895 posts
Well, thankfully DH and I are able to laugh about our experience...our ongoing joke is that we wanted no interventions and ended up with almost every intervention known to man. I never would have imagined that our birth would have ended up as it did, but I am totally okay with it, because we went in knowing it really wasn't something we could plan.
VERY long story short:I was induced at 42 weeks, they couldn't break my water (baby was too high) so I was immediately put on pitocin. I laboured for 10-ish hours without pain meds. Contractions were 2 minutes apart, lasting for 60-90 seconds each and double-peaking. I was SO tired that I eventually gave in and got the epidural so I could rest. Dilated to 9 cm over the next 10 hours, but baby's heart rate kept dropping with the strength of the contractions and then I spiked a fever. Ended up with a c-section.
persimmon / 1081 posts
@Dandelion: oh my gosh, how terrible. Thank you for sharing. I am going to hug DD extra tight when she gets home today!
pomelo / 5331 posts
I was sort of open, but I was fairly certain I would not have been able to withstand a med-free birth. So I set a random goal for myself that I wanted to be 5 cm when I requested the epidural. On the way to the hospital, I told my husband, "remember when the childbirth instructor said not to wait to request the epidural when the pain is unbearable, but when you feel like if it gets worse, it will be unbearable? well this is that moment!" Thankfully I was 7 cm (my water broke, I started having contractions immediately, and was 7 cm an hour later) so I requested that epidural asap. Turns out I was right about my pain tolerance! I was starting to go through transition by the time I got the epidural and I just, omg.
papaya / 10473 posts
I am hoping for an intervention free birth, but I know I can't plan for it to go perfectly either.
pomegranate / 3759 posts
I went in open minded and got an epidural. I made it to 7 probably pushing 8 and my doctor came in and saw how much pain I was in, and said 'crazy lady, get the epidural, you will enjoy it so much more' lol DONE!
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
I went in planning no pain meds or pit. Ended up caving and getting pit almost 36 hours after my water broke. Managed to go epi free though.
grapefruit / 4554 posts
Went in knowing I wanted an epi, got it and had a vacuum assisted delivery
pomelo / 5524 posts
I went in open minded and received demerol when I first got there which helped me relax and dilate, then I asked for and received an epidural. After my cervix stopped dilating at 9 cm, I was put on a very weak pitocin drip which worked right away. After 2 hours of pushing and me spiking a fever, I had a C-section. Definitely not the ideal turnout, but the epidural was definitely needed. There was no way I could have done that on my own and more power to anyone who did or is going to!
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