Would you get another epi? Would you try naturally?
I had an epi for A, but would consider going natural since the hardest part for me was the pushing... and not necessarily the contractions... (though I didn't feel the worst ones, so I can't say for sure).
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Nope! Epi all the way! Can't imagine pushing and possibly tearing as much as I did without it!
honeydew / 7687 posts
Nope it worked exactly how I wanted it to and was a great experience. I only pushed for about 40 mins though, and got the epi more out of exhaustion than pain- labor started before I could sleep the night before.
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
Heck no!! I was so relaxed and rested because I wasn't fighting through contractions. I want that again!
persimmon / 1479 posts
Yes. I had a birth with no pain medications with pitocin (with an episotomy +tearing), then a birth with an epi at 10 cm.
With this delivery I am planning on going natural again.
cherry / 205 posts
It depends on how long my labor is. If my labor lasts one day, then i would do it natural. But if my labor lasts as long as my previous one THREE FULL DAYS, then no I would get an epidural.
coconut / 8681 posts
Nope!!! I loved my epi! Once it was time to push I could feel pressure without the pain so I was able to push effectively.
pomelo / 5178 posts
I considered going med-free for #2, but after a pre-term labor scare, I remembered how glorious my first epidural was. 
pear / 1837 posts
Yeah, I'm hoping to go without for #2, but it depends on so many factors. I was so tired and overwhelmed by the time I even got to the hospital with #1 that I don't think I could have pushed a baby out if I hadn't had some breathing room from the epi. I've heard second babies often come much faster, so that would help. Also, I think I'd try to put off going to hospital longer and therefore have more freedom to move around and sit in the tub and stuff like that, and I think that would help me feel like I could go med-free.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
I'm a wimp, definitely another epi for me...even though it wore off during my pushing, I'm sure it took the edge off still.
coconut / 8234 posts
Yes. I planned on a water birth in a birth center and ended up transferring to the hospital and having a c-section. My hope is to VBAC next time. I want to do it med-free but would get an epi if it meant I could still vbac.
apricot / 491 posts
I was in labor for about 35 hours with no epi but I ended up getting one so that I could sleep. Within one hour I was ready to push... but flat on my back it took 2.5 hours. I thought I was going to die! I think next time I will focus on getting labor to go more quickly (acupuncture during labor was the only thing we didn't try last time) and just pray for the second-babies-come-faster thing!
Although I will say that once it kicked in I was kinda pissed that I had been suffering for so long.
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
Since I had to be induced and loaded up with a shit ton of Pitocin, I'd love to be able to go into labor naturally and experience natural contractions...but I'd probably still get an epidural eventually. I'd prefer the crowning/pushing/potential tearing to be numbed a bit.
honeydew / 7303 posts
My epi was heaven on earth! I won't be able to make that decision until I'm in the situation though.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
Ha, no. My epi was amazing. I could still feel every contraction and pushed very effectively but I didn't feel pain. I may have even proposed marriage to my anesthesiologist....
pineapple / 12526 posts
If I was laboring without pitocin, yes! If I had to be induced again, no way. I'm getting the drugs.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
helllll no!! I did labor naturally and got the epi at 10 cm, +3 station.. and was so happy I didn't feel her coming out. or the awful tear, or the stitches!!
I <333 my epi. HAHA.
coconut / 8498 posts
I'm thinking about it, but definitely keeping my options open. If I hadn't had a cervical lip and been close to a ruptured cervix, I would have done it with LO.
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
I considered it since my epi experience was so bad. I was convinced that my spine was cursed. But when I found out I had GD and my doc's policy is to induce at 39 weeks for GD moms, I knew I'd probably end up with an epi. I was ok with it though because after experiencing contractions during transition with the first, I knew I probably wouldn't make it without pain intervention. I did labor as long as I could without one though, because I was worried that the epis had slowed my labor the first time (24 hours). I got to about 6 cm and pitocin up to about 16 when I got the epi the second time. It ended up confirming my cursed spine theory (it went too far and became a spinal, which resulted in a spinal headache 2 days later, and a blood patch procedure during which I had to get poked in the epidural space twice because they missed the first time) but it made delivery amazing-- an hour later I was fully dilated and I pushed LMW out in 15 mins completely painlessly!
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
hell no. i loved my epi the second time around! i had a great labor.
pomelo / 5093 posts
YES! I had planned for a natural birth, then got derailed with a ton of painful interventions. I hated my epidural, and the stupid thing failed anyway. All the pitocin was hideously painful, though. But I despised the way it made me feel, during and afterwards. I felt so disconnected, I couldn't even feel when I'd delivered her. I just asked 'is that it?', because she wasn't crying.
I will be avoiding the epidural if at all possible in the future.
coconut / 8305 posts
I did. I had a medicated labor & cesarean with my first. This time I had an unmedicated vbac. I'm for unmedicated homebirths from here on out!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
I had a natural birth but looking back on it I'm thinking sheesh I cannot believe I did that - why didn't I get pain meds?!?! But I still plan to go natural next time
grapefruit / 4120 posts
I had an epi the first time and went natural the second time. I don't think there will be a third time but if there is, I'm not sure which I'd pick! I didn't find natural birth to be the be-all and end-all experience I had heard it would be. But by the third the kid just comes walking right out anyway, am I right?
grapefruit / 4049 posts
Ditto @Sloaneandpuffy... I had an epi the first time and went natural the second time. But I ended up loving having a natural birth. It was a fast labor though so i was lucky in that regard. But while "planning" #2's birth, I was pro med-free for a few reasons. Mainly, I just felt I could do it and that I could maximize the chances of the baby's outcomes being as healthy as possible.
I was and still am open to epi's though. I had a good experience with it the first time around.
nectarine / 2797 posts
I'd consider it - I had some residual back pain from my epi that lingered for a month or two. I would have taken another hour or two of pain (which was all the time I had the epi before giving birth) over that back pain!
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
No way. I thought I was going to die before I got my epi and I was barely even dilating.
squash / 13764 posts
Nope my epi was awesome and helped me have a great birth experience! Will definitely get one next time.
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