Epidural -vs- Demerol
wal...@dnvn.com
In article <19970806164...@ladder01.news.aol.com>, aji...@aol.com
(Ajinpa) wrote:
> i'm not a doctor, but my guess is yes they could.
> with my first daughter, they gave me demerol--that is just to relax you in
> between contractions. it actually did nothing for my pain. i then
> requested an epidural, and would have gotten one if they would have
> hurried a little more. my point is that the doctor ok'd it after i'd had
> demerol, but they took over an hour and a half and by that time it was
> time to push.
> i have to tell you though, with my 2nd daughter i did have an epidural
> because i was induced and it was recommended by my doctor. some woman
> feel differently then i do, but i would never do that again only because i
> do now have back pain <not constant> but occasional in the area where it
> was administered. I also don't recommend it because you can't feel to
> push, and I felt for me it hurt my bonding with my daughter because with
> my first child i endured the pain and was rewarded with the baby
> afterwards. with the epidural i simply laid there and watched the monitor
> lines going up and down <looked painful too> and when I had her it was
> like i had done nothing to achieve her.
> an epidural is a personal choice, and I wish you the best of luck with
> your birth experience.
>
> amy
I got the worst of both worlds. No relief and back pain.
With my first baby, after a very long
labor, they attempted an epidural and failed to get it in. I had a lot
of back pain for a long time afterwards in the area where they punctured
the spinal column to try to get the tube in.
The actual pushing and delivery were not particularly painful and I am
glad actually that the first attempt failed and I choose to use nothing
for subsequent delivery. In my experience, it is not the final stages,
but the middle stages of labor that are the most difficult and none of
them are anywhere close to unbearable. 'Labor' is a good word for it.
It is tough and tiring rather than painful [and I am a total wimp] For
me the pain was like very bad menstrual cramps -- unpleasant, but not
unbearable. While my first, with forceps and no epidural was a bit
difficult, my second was actually oddly pleasurable -- I wouldn't have
missed this very unique experience [and sensation] for anything.
k
naomi pardue
ChrryLps20 (chrry...@aol.com) wrote:
>
> What if, after taking the Demerol, I am still in pain and feel as if I
> need the epidural. Will they still be able to administer it to me?
Yes.
AmyLora
>>My OBGYN suggested that if I feel that I need drugs during labor, it
would
>>be a wiser choice to take the Demerol as opposed to an epidural.
When the time came that I couldn't take the pain anymore, I made the
decision of an epidural over Demerol. I was too afraid of being really
"out of it" with the Demerol, since most of those types of medications
make me feel like that even in small doses - I'm just more sensitive to
them than most people. In my case the epidural made more sense to me. I
knew that there were many risks involved in it (I had actually had my
heart set on NO medication, but that's another subject all together) but I
was lucky enough to still feel the contractions & have the ability to push
effectively. I know people who have had both, so that shouldn't be too
much of a concern...other than for the baby. Also, I still have a little
tenderness where the epidural was inserted almost 3 months after the birth
of my son, but nothing major.
Beatrix Downton
I had a pretty long labou (27 hours) and tried out a number of different
forms of pain relieve. But whether you choose Demerol or the epidural each
of them can have side-effects you don't like. And they are different for
each women.
With Demerol I've heard of women who threw up because of it. For me it
didn't do anything during contractions but *relaxed* me in-between to a
point that I became dellusional. I can hardly remember any of those hours.
Since it didn't help me coping with the contractions I got an epidural. The
first one was just wonderful and I actually got to sleep for an hour (the
only hour of sleep in a 48 hour period). However, the top-up I got a few
hours later had a number of side-effect such as completely numbing my legs
and actually stopping my contractions. I got induced again 4 hours later to
start contractions again and got another epidural top-up. By the time I
started to push I couldn't feel the pushing and needed coaching to do it
properly. But towards the end (pushing was close to 2 hours) the epidural
had worn off and I could feel everything.
Despite the side-effects of the epidural DURING labour (the reason why I
really want to avoid it the next time around if possible) it had absolutely
no effects on me AFTERWARDS.
This is just my personal experience. Yours will be totally different. But
you need to be aware of all the possible side effects any of the
medications you are considering could have on you and/or your baby.
--
Beatrix Downton
Mami to Annika (9/18/95)
and baby (2/28/98)
**************************************************************
The mind is like a parachute - it only works if it’s open.
**************************************************************
ChrryLps20 <chrry...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970806152...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
> My OBGYN suggested that if I feel that I need drugs during labor, it
would
> be a wiser choice to take the Demerol as opposed to an epidural. She
said
> that the epidural may leave me unable to push when I need to, where as w/
> the Demerol, that was unlikely to happen. She also said that I may
> experience back problems after the birth if I had an epidural. My
question
> is this:
Ajinpa
I also had that experience with demerol as far as not holding my daughter
because i thought i may drop her. Still for me an epidural would be out
of the question next time around.
amy
Christine Insell
I had alot of drugs trying to stop my labor and I can tell you the only
thing that didn't make me fill doped up was the epidural.
By the time it came to push, they had reduced the amount of the epidural
drip I was getting so as far as feeling and pushing, I felt it all.
If it's administered correctly, there's virtually no harm to you or
baby, where as narcotics can affect you and the baby - feeling drowsey
and thus lowering Apgar scores.
I had morphine for pain and a sleep aid 2 days before I delivered but
this was after already laboring for 2 days and getting NO sleep. I also
took Fentynol which made me sooo high but didn't really help the pain.
When it got too tough to handle after 4 days of labor, I opted for an
epidural which allowed me 8 blissful hours of rest before pushing. I
pushed for 15 contractions or about 30-45 minutes (I foget exactly).
The first few pushes I couldn't tell if progress was being made. But
once that head was moving thru the birth canal and it began to crown,
epidural or no epidural, you feel it!
Christine
ChrryLps20
Saw the midwife yesterday and she says that I also have the choice of
taking Stadol. Says it doesn't have same respiratory effects as Demerol
can have on baby.
Anyone have any experiences w/ Stadol?
Thanks!
Ajinpa
>I got the worst of both worlds. No relief and back pain.
> With my first baby, after a very long
>labor, they attempted an epidural and failed to get it in. I had a lot
>of back pain for a long time afterwards in the area where they punctured
>the spinal column to try to get the tube in.
>
>The actual pushing and delivery were not particularly painful and I am
>glad actually that the first attempt failed and I choose to use nothing
>for subsequent delivery. In my experience, it is not the final stages,
>but the middle stages of labor that are the most difficult and none of
>them are anywhere close to unbearable. 'Labor' is a good word for it.
>It is tough and tiring rather than painful [and I am a total wimp] For
>me the pain was like very bad menstrual cramps -- unpleasant, but not
> unbearable. While my first, with forceps and no epidural was a bit
>difficult, my second was actually oddly pleasurable -- I wouldn't have
>missed this very unique experience [and sensation] for anything.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
You are lucky. I am also a wimp when it comes to pain, and with my 1st
daughter, I thought I was going to die in the 3rd stage. All I wanted was
for them to take her from me. Of course afterwards I was glad that I did
it, but I never thought I was gonna make it.
I also just want to add that my 3rd child was born with no medications at
all, however my labor with him was very simple compared to the other 2.
I was in labor for only 4 hours, but only had about 5 severe contractions
in the last 10-15 minutes before it was time to push. I was so worn out
after just those 5 or so, that my doctor had to yell at me to push the
baby out because I was too tired to do it. Of course I finally did and
was elated and surprised that I did it w/o any drugs. That was a great
feeling.
The only other difference about my contractions with my son is that I got
a decent break in between contractions with him. With my first daughter I
did not. They came on top of each other and as you say they to me were
"unbearable". I wouldn't wish that kind of labor on anyone. Anyway, just
more of my ramblings : )
Amy
Ajinpa
don't understand what you mean by "feel" it. I did not feel my daugher
coming out with an epidural. I wish I had thought to ask them to try to
have the meds wear off for delivery, however, I can understand that may
be hard since they have no idea when you will be fully dialated. I had
the epidural at approx 2pm, and was not able to walk and see my daughter
in the nursery until 3 am the next morning. This alarmed me because I
was told that its effects would only last for a few hours after delivery.
amy
FreeGratis
>
>What if, after taking the Demerol, I am still in pain and feel as if I
>need the epidural. Will they still be able to administer it to me?
>
>
I had Demerol and an epidural, and if I hadto do it again, I would skip
the Demerol and just do the epidural. The Demerol just drugged me out to
where I had no reasoning capability and could not handle the situation.
They eventually gave me an epidural and it was blessed relief. And I had
NO trouble pushing. They told me to push like I was having a BM and that's
all you need to remember. Don't worry about actually having one. If you
do, then you know you're doing it right. Good luck.
Marianna
Claudia Arriaga
Yes, I believe you can decide to have an epidural after demerol. I know
this only because when I was in labor I explained to my nurse that I had
already decided on an epidural but I told her I wanted to wait for as
long as could before getting it(since I heard it might slow things down
I wanted to get as far as I could without it) and she offered to give me
some Demerol for the meantime but I refused since the pain hadn't gotten
that intense.
I did get the epidural and I don't regret it one bit. I have never
experienced any backache (despite the fact that they had to try twice
before they were able to put the epidural in correctly)or headaches.
As far as the ability to push I definetly had it I. Not only did I have
the ability but also a strong urge to push. I only pushed for about 10
to 15 minutes before my son was born.
The anesthesiologist explained to me that the epidural she administered
would only numb me about 80%. She said that it would be enough that I
wouldn't feel the contractions but when it came time to push I would
feel extreme pressure along with the urge to push.
Good Luck and Congratulations. Hope this information helps.
Samios
ChrryLps20 <chrry...@aol.com> wrote in article
<19970806152...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
> My OBGYN suggested that if I feel that I need drugs during labor, it
would
> be a wiser choice to take the Demerol as opposed to an epidural. She
said
> that the epidural may leave me unable to push when I need to, where as w/
> the Demerol, that was unlikely to happen. She also said that I may
> experience back problems after the birth if I had an epidural.
Personally, I hated Demerol. It made me really loopy and sleepy. My
sister had an epidural and had no problem with voluntary pushing (however,
her contractions were erratic after the epidural -- but then again, so
were mine, and I didn't have one. Seems to run in our family).
There is another drug available that isn't supposed to make you sleepy --
the nurse practitioner at my OB's office told me about it -- but I can't
remember what it was called.
>My question is this:
> What if, after taking the Demerol, I am still in pain and feel as if I
> need the epidural. Will they still be able to administer it to me?
As far as the possibility of wanting an epidural after receiving Demerol, I
don't know. One of the reasons why I was giving Demerol was because my
labor had progressed too far to be given an epidural. If I were you, I
would have your OBGYN discuss pain management (breathing techniques, as
well as drugs available) in greater detail. It's not something that you
want to worry about on you way to the hospital!
Mary
mother of Elizabeth Dana, 2 yrs, 3 mo
expecting the second 9-21-97
Tami Osterstock
Hi.
I had Stadol, but before I give my opinion of it, here's the quick
background of my labor. I had been having very irregular contractions
for about 12 hours and was only up to 1 cm, even though my water bag
had already ruptured. So, staff had me walk around for an hour to try
and get things going. While they were monitoring me after the
walking, the baby's heart rate dropped to 64 bpm in between
contractions. This sent everybody into a panic and they put me on
Pitocen to try and speed things up. The pitocen threw me into very
hard and fast contractions almost immediately. For you Lamaze
graduates, we went straight from the relaxed "normal" breathing right
into the unpredictable hee breathing. That's when I asked for
something for the pain, and they gave me a shot Stadol (into the IV).
The Stadol was supposed to take the edge off of the contractions.
Well, it worked for ONE contraction. I think, because of the Pitocen,
my contractions were escalating too fast to make the Stadol worthwhile
- it couldn't keep up. It also had the effect of making me very
woozy. It became very hard to focus on my focal point - kind of like
being really drunk. I didn't like that feeling at all. Although I
don't think I realized it at the time, in retrospect, I don't think
the Stadol was worth it. Then again, maybe it was taking the edge off
the contractions, since I don't know what they would have been like
without it. Luckily, it was only about two and a half hours from the
time they started the Pitocen until my daughter was born. Despite
Stadol's apparent ineffectiveness, if my labor had gone on longer, I
probably would have begged for something more... :-)
Just my humble experience.
Tami, mom to Amber (6/17/96)
Jill Kent
I am very appalled that our country is fast approaching an epidural
rate of 90%. Who said that giving birth was easy??? No pain no
gain..All the drugs used for labor pain are NARCOTICS! We preach a
drug free pregnancy, why not a drug free labor and birth!!!??? Just my
opinion...Jill Kent/Certified Professional Midwife
Rich & Lynn
i have to agree. Depending on the situation. I happened to be in labor from Friday night to
delivery on Sunday afternoon. If I wasn't so tired and didn't have so much back pain, I probably
would've gone for the gusto!!!
The second came in only 6 hours and hopefully this one too. No drugs for the second, there wasn't
enough time for that!!!
Lynn
>I myself will be trying to give birth drug-free this time, but I'm not
>embarassed to say I used drugs in my first birth.
>
>--Medea
>mama to 13 mo. old Devin, expecting 3/23/98
Medea
ummm...
Who says giving birth has to be incredibly painful, either?
Why do you have to have pain to gain?
DB
Yeah...and remember the good old days when all you had to do was give a
patient about to undergo a limb amputation was a shot of whiskey? Or how
about those damn patients with terminal cancer who go and get addicted to
their pain killers. What a bunch of whimps we've become!
Seriously, the goal is to eliminate unnecessary and unwanted pain and
suffering. If there's something that we (the medical profession) can do to
provide our patients with that relief with minimal risks, then we have an
obligation to make that available to patients.
Patrick Boyle, R.Ph.
Jill Kent wrote in article ...
Karen Branson
naomi pardue wrote:
>
> Christine Sanderson (tmpcsa...@ptc.com) wrote:
> > Jill,
> >
> > Everybody is entitled to do what is best for them. When you get a tooth
> > filled, do you have novocaine? I don't because for that tiny bit of
> > pain, I can handle it, and would rather not have a numb mouth for an
> > hour and 1/2 after. For a root canal I would have novicane. Childbirth is
> > going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal. I for one, would
> > rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
> > recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces. For those woman
> > who can do it with out drugs CONGRADS! And for those who like me, do not
> > want the pain, thats just fine to. Its whatever you are up to.
Holy Cow!!! Have you actually had a baby? How about a root canal?
You've actually had a tooth filled without whatever it is they give you?
I have had 3 and soon to be 4 completely natural, unmedicated births. I
can sure tell you I would not even CONSIDER having dental work without
pain preventative. As a matter of fact, they have to numb my mouth with
gel, and give me gas BEFORE they can give me the shots to numb the jaw
(my dentist learned this the hard way). Childbirth worse than a
root-canal! No I don't have dentist-phobia, I just think dental work
HURTS. Personally, I'd prefer to have a baby than one of the hellacious
migraines I'm prone to. An episiotomy would be more likely with an
epidural, however you may get one regardless. The first one I had hurt
like hell for 3 months, the other two, much smaller, never gave me a bit
of trouble. But the pain comes later, not while your still under the
medication. And, while my labors are very fast, they are incredibly
intense, with one major contraction on top of the other the entire time.
However, when that baby pops out, I feel like I could run a marathon.
I'm high as a kite for hours! Plus, I can use my legs immediately, use
my bladder immediately, eat or drink what I want and walk myself down to
my room. Sure, everyone should have options, but why assume that
childbirth is a day in hell!
naomi pardue
Christine Sanderson (tmpcsa...@ptc.com) wrote:
> Jill,
>
> Everybody is entitled to do what is best for them. When you get a tooth
> filled, do you have novocaine? I don't because for that tiny bit of
> pain, I can handle it, and would rather not have a numb mouth for an
> hour and 1/2 after. For a root canal I would have novicane. Childbirth is
> going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal. I for one, would
> rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
> recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces. For those woman
> who can do it with out drugs CONGRADS! And for those who like me, do not
> want the pain, thats just fine to. Its whatever you are up to.
Actually, you don't KNOW that labor will be extremely painful.
Labor varies widely. Some women have a
great deal of pain, others have comparatively little. Also, labor is not
continunous pain. You have several minutes between contractions to rest
up.
You should of course do what is best for you, which may be an epidural or
something else. But please don't base your decision on assumptions like
"labor is going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal" or "an
unmedicated labor will result in having my bottom torn to pieces" (if
anything the reverse is true; epidural births are more likely to need
forceps, and forceps generally mean an episiotomy...) or "an unmedicated
labor means I'll be worn out and unrelaxed and unable to enjoy my baby."
And, just as having that novacaine can mean some unpleasantness after the
filling, having an epidural is not a win-win situation. You will pay for
that pain relief with an increased risk of a variety of side effects.
I'd encourage you to look at both sides of the issue before making a
decision. (And don't forget that you can wait to make the decision until
you are actually in labor and KNOW what your particular labor will be
like and how well non-drug methods of pain-releif and coping work for you.)
Naomi
J & D Klau
In article <33F397...@ca.flomerics.com>, ch...@ca.flomerics.com wrote:
> I wasn't aware that an epidural was a narcotic. I've always been taught
> narcotics get your "high" and are addicting, something I could never see
> an epidural doing.
>
> Some people encounter INCREDIBLE pain. Am I a whimp for asking for an
> epidural, after enduring FOUR DAYS of preterm labor prior to my daughter
> being born, not to mention I couldn't sleep because I was being
> monitored for blood pressure every hour or so. What the epidural did
> for me was allow me the opportunity to relax and get my self rested
> prior to pushing. Saved me that's for sure. I went into labor Friday,
> Feb 14th at 9:30pm and at 8:15am Tuesday Feb 18th my dauther was born.
> So you tell me, after enduring that much pain (granted it all wasn't
> active labor) for that length of time, don't you think I'm entitled to
> pain aides.
>
> I went to 9cm before asking for the epidural - it was 1am Tues 2/18 so I
> think I did pretty good under the circumstances.
>
> BTW - NO ONE every offered me drugs - I asked......My doctors were not
> pumping drugs in me (except those used to stop labor) so you can't blame
> the medical community because 90% of women can't endure pain.
>
Christine,
You are not a wimp for asking for an epidural. And being exhausted only
decreases one's ability to deal with pain, and increases the perception of
it. It is very possible that if your labor had been shorter and/or you'd
gotten more rest, you might not have felt that the pain was unbearable.
Who knows? And that's beside the point.
The point is that no one knows what her labor will be like until she gets
there. And it is important to educate oneself on the pros and cons of
medications that are available. There are upsides and downsides to
everything, and a woman needs to know enough to weigh her options.
I think it borders on stupid to decide before contraction one what kind of
medication one is going to have. But it is not my place to say, after the
fact, about a birth I didn't attend, that medication was or was not called
for. We all do the best we can in our various circumstances. I believe
women should educate themselves, keep an open mind, and then deal with the
situation as it unfolds.
I do believe that the medical community tends to default towards
medication. No, not everyone finds drugs are pushed at them, but many
women here have reported nurses or doctors suggesting they try mediation x
or an epidural. Personally, I'd rather see nurses and doctors suggest
other strategies for pain management in labor, but many are more
time-consuming than summoning the anesthesiologist or injecting something
into an iv. The support a woman receives during labor is critical to her
ability to relax during the process and deal with the situation at hand.
This is why I prefer the midwifery model of childbirth. But that's my
$0.02. I'll keep trying to contribute it to whomever will take it. ;-)
--
-Jennifer
ACE & AFAA certified Aerobics Instructor, ACE certified Personal Trainer,
JG Spinning Instructor, Athlete, Mama to Miriam (12/94) and Ari (12/96)
****TO REPLY:j...@klau.com*****
Christine Sanderson
Jill,
Everybody is entitled to do what is best for them. When you get a tooth
filled, do you have novocaine? I don't because for that tiny bit of
pain, I can handle it, and would rather not have a numb mouth for an
hour and 1/2 after. For a root canal I would have novicane. Childbirth is
going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal. I for one, would
rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces. For those woman
who can do it with out drugs CONGRADS! And for those who like me, do not
want the pain, thats just fine to. Its whatever you are up to.
Christine
DB
Yeah...and remember the good old days when all you had to do was give a
patient about to undergo a limb amputation was a shot of whiskey? Or how
about those damn patients with terminal cancer who go and get addicted to
their pain killers. What a bunch of whimps we've become!
Seriously, the goal is to eliminate unnecessary and unwanted pain and
suffering. If there's something that we (the medical profession) can do to
provide our patients with that relief with minimal risks, then we have an
obligation to make that available to patients.
Patrick Boyle, R.Ph.
Jill Kent wrote in article ...
>I am very appalled that our country is fast approaching an epidural
naomi pardue
DB (DPB...@GWI.NET) wrote:
> Yeah...and remember the good old days when all you had to do was give a
> patient about to undergo a limb amputation was a shot of whiskey? Or how
> about those damn patients with terminal cancer who go and get addicted to
> their pain killers. What a bunch of whimps we've become!
>
> Seriously, the goal is to eliminate unnecessary and unwanted pain and
> suffering. If there's something that we (the medical profession) can do to
> provide our patients with that relief with minimal risks, then we have an
> obligation to make that available to patients.
Make it available, yes. Tell women that having pain relief is the only
way to go? No. Epidurals are not risk free. Today I know of no-one who
has limbs amputated with only whiskey for anestesia. I know of a great
many women who give birth without an epidural. Unlike limb amputation,
child birth is a natural process...
(And I must ask, WHO'S goal is to eliminate unnecessary pain? Presumably
the MOTHER'S goal is to have a healthy baby with as little risk as
possible, and preferably without having her abdomen sliced open.
(Something that is much more likely if she has had her pain 'eliminated'
with a nice safe epidural.)
Naomi
Hong Kong Youngs
Jill Kent wrote:
>
> I am very appalled that our country is fast approaching an epidural
> rate of 90%. Who said that giving birth was easy??? No pain no
> gain..All the drugs used for labor pain are NARCOTICS! We preach a
> drug free pregnancy, why not a drug free labor and birth!!!??? Just my
> opinion...Jill Kent/Certified Professional Midwife
Dear Jill,
After nine months of taking very good care of my body/baby, the VERY
LAST thing I wanted to do was to have drug intervention during my labor
and delivery. But alas, water broke, meconium (lots), pitocin to speed
up delivery, and the drugs became a necessity. I tried to make it. I
really did. I'm not happy I ended up with demerol (puking) and an
epidural (blissful relief), but then I never in a million years imagined
how MUCH PAIN the process involved. I went from no contractions to these
huge whoppers, like doing zero to sixty in one point two seconds, and my
body couldn't handle it. I hope next time will be different, but I did
what I had to do at the time. BTW - ended up with a whopper of a ten
pound bouncing baby boy, my first, and worth every second of the misery
of labor and delivery. :)
Annie
Christine Insell
I wasn't aware that an epidural was a narcotic. I've always been taught
narcotics get your "high" and are addicting, something I could never see
an epidural doing.
Some people encounter INCREDIBLE pain. Am I a whimp for asking for an
epidural, after enduring FOUR DAYS of preterm labor prior to my daughter
being born, not to mention I couldn't sleep because I was being
monitored for blood pressure every hour or so. What the epidural did
for me was allow me the opportunity to relax and get my self rested
prior to pushing. Saved me that's for sure. I went into labor Friday,
Feb 14th at 9:30pm and at 8:15am Tuesday Feb 18th my dauther was born.
So you tell me, after enduring that much pain (granted it all wasn't
active labor) for that length of time, don't you think I'm entitled to
pain aides.
I went to 9cm before asking for the epidural - it was 1am Tues 2/18 so I
think I did pretty good under the circumstances.
BTW - NO ONE every offered me drugs - I asked......My doctors were not
pumping drugs in me (except those used to stop labor) so you can't blame
the medical community because 90% of women can't endure pain.
Christine
DB wrote:
>
> Yeah...and remember the good old days when all you had to do was give a
> patient about to undergo a limb amputation was a shot of whiskey? Or how
> about those damn patients with terminal cancer who go and get addicted to
> their pain killers. What a bunch of whimps we've become!
>
> Seriously, the goal is to eliminate unnecessary and unwanted pain and
> suffering. If there's something that we (the medical profession) can do to
> provide our patients with that relief with minimal risks, then we have an
> obligation to make that available to patients.
>
> Patrick Boyle, R.Ph.
>
> Jill Kent wrote in article ...
>
Christine Sanderson
Karen,
Yeah, I have had most of my fillings done with out novicane. The shot
does hurt worse than the 45 seconds of drilling ever did. It doesn't
hurt when they drill btw, it just feels like a cold kind of pressure. I
did have a pain killer for the root cannal that I had when I got hit in
the face with a baseball(accident), but my grandmother has them without
it. The difference is, that that ends rather quickley. I have not had a
baby yet, Im only 7 weeks pregnant. But... I saw it on a movie in a kids
psych class a few years back. It was not something I want to do. It
looked awful. That poor thing was screaming, and crying, and saying she
was going to die. It was the scariest thing I ever saw in my life. I love
children, and I want this baby to be healthy. Im just not sure that I
have what it takes to endure what that poor woman did.
Also, Im the kind of person who likes to have everything all planned out,
before I do something. Without a plan of action, I feel kind of lost. I
am trying to make all my decisions now, so I feel beter about it when the
time comes. Not to say, that sometimes, I have a plan, and that I don't
throw it out at the last miniute. But, Its having that plan, that makes
me secure. (Do I sound anal or what?) <G>
Christine
Karen Branson wrote:
>
> naomi pardue wrote:
> >
> > Christine Sanderson (tmpcsa...@ptc.com) wrote:
> > > Jill,
> > >
> > > Everybody is entitled to do what is best for them. When you get a tooth
> > > filled, do you have novocaine? I don't because for that tiny bit of
> > > pain, I can handle it, and would rather not have a numb mouth for an
> > > hour and 1/2 after. For a root canal I would have novicane. Childbirth is
> > > going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal. I for one, would
> > > rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
> > > recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces. For those woman
> > > who can do it with out drugs CONGRADS! And for those who like me, do not
> > > want the pain, thats just fine to. Its whatever you are up to.
>
Christine Sanderson
I don't know of anybody who had a limb amputated with only wiskey as a
pain killer, but, I know that it was done.
On the other hand, I don't know anybody (personaly) who has had a baby
with out an epidural,unless they had a c section. Im the first one in my
group to marry, and now to have a baby. (Im 25) Who should I ask, my
mom? Heck, they knocked her out and induced labor with both me and my
sister. No info thier, they don't do that anymore. It may be
natural..but.. I happen to be afraid of it.
Christine
naomi pardue
Christine Insell (ch...@ca.flomerics.com) wrote:
> I wasn't aware that an epidural was a narcotic. I've always been taught
> narcotics get your "high" and are addicting, something I could never see
> an epidural doing.
Epidurals are not narcotics. (Which, technically, are pain killers based
on opiates or synthetic opiates.) They will not get you high and are not
addictive. They do, however, have an effect on your labor and your baby.
(I'm not sure, but I think some epidurals do INCLUDE a narcotic in the
drug mix.)
>
> Some people encounter INCREDIBLE pain. Am I a whimp for asking for an
> epidural, after enduring FOUR DAYS of preterm labor prior to my daughter
> being born, not to mention I couldn't sleep because I was being
> monitored for blood pressure every hour or so.
No, of course not. EPidurals, like any other medical treatment, have
their valid uses. However, some people (including me) believe that they
are being promoted by SOME doctors (and some patients...) as the ONLY
sensible way to get through ANY labor. Why suffer any pain, they say, if
we have this wonderful drug that will allow you to have an utterly
pain-free labor. (And, converserly, if you DON"T have the epidural, you
can expect hours of untold agony that is worse than anything any human
being has ever felt...)
Why not use epidurals only in those cases where they are clearly needed,
rather than as a routine part of 'labor management' ["You're at 4 cm.
Mrs. Jones. Time for your epidural!") and let women know that a drug-free
labor is not NECESSARILY an
impossible goal, but is, rather, the preferred method.
(Emphasizing that it depends on the labor. Some women
WILL have exremely long/painful labors and some women do have extremely
low pain tolerences. However, the fact that epidural rates vary widely
from hospital to hospital and doctor to doctor implies that the variable
here is NOT the indiviual labor or the individual woman, but the attitude
of the medical staff. (And to some degree, probably, other routine
procedures at that hospital. [A hospital that requires all women to stay
in bed will probably have a higher epidural rate than one that encourages
walking and warm showers...])
Naomi
Christine Sanderson
Karen Branson wrote:
>
> Christine Sanderson wrote:
>
> What I want is a c-section. Chances are, thats
> > just not going to happen, because I know that they don't just do them
> > because the mother doesn't want it any other way. Nor should they. I
> > guess, if I could have my way, Id be like a chicken and hatch an egg or
> > something.<g>
> >
> > Christine
> >
> When my best friend was pregnant with her first child she was terrified
> of the prospect of childbirth. She hoped, wished and prayed throughout
> the whole pregnancy that she would have to have a c-section. Her wish
> came true - her baby was in a traverse-lie so she had a scheduled
> section. Was she ever sorry she wanted that - she said she was
> miserable for weeks afterward. Then her second baby, she had a VBAC,
> with an epidural. She stills says she can't believe she thought a
> c-section would be easier than a vaginal birth! The hatching an egg
> thing might work though!!!
Hi,
Im sure it didn't tickle, that's for sure, but, they cut a hole in your
belly big enough to bring the baby through. No ripping, no tearing, just
an incision. The way I see it,is, (and Im sorry if Im crude) how can a
big baby come out of a little hole without an awful lot of tearing?
Christine
Karen Branson
My last tear didn't hurt at all once it was stitched and had
> totally healed up a week later. Three weeks later, I was able to have
> sex without pain.
>
Uhhhh ok - one question. WHY OH WHY did you want or consent to sex 3
WEEKS LATER?!?!!! I was still bleeding like a slaughter pig at 3 weeks
and I can tell you if anyone mentioned the SEX word I would have killed
them! I was only slightly more receptive at 3 MONTHS! I've always
wondered how siblings can be 10 months apart!!!
AmyLora
> You have several minutes between contractions to rest
>up.
SOME people may have several minutes between contractions. I, on the
other hand, had contractions that were 1 1/2 to 2 minutes apart from the
time my water broke until I started pushing 8 hours later...they were also
60 to 90 seconds long the whole time. There was no time to catch my
breath, relax, change positions, or go to the bathroom between
contractions. Ugh!
> (And don't forget that you can wait to make the decision until
>you are actually in labor and KNOW what your particular labor will be
>like and how well non-drug methods of pain-releif and coping work for
you.)
TRUE!! I insisted that I would not make the final decision until I was in
the situation. I really wanted to go unmedicated, but after 6 hours of
hard labor I was so worn out and tense that I found myself needing an
epidural...something I truly never thought I'd want! Each woman is
different, each labor is different.
Amy, mom to Michael (5/21/97)
sabe...@netwiz.net
> > Christine Sanderson wrote:
> >
> > What I want is a c-section. Chances are, thats
> > > just not going to happen, because I know that they don't just do them
> > > because the mother doesn't want it any other way. Nor should they. I
> > > guess, if I could have my way, Id be like a chicken and hatch an egg or
> > > something.<g>
She stills says she can't believe she thought a
> > c-section would be easier than a vaginal birth! The hatching an egg
> > thing might work though!!!
>
> Hi,
> Im sure it didn't tickle, that's for sure, but, they cut a hole in your
> belly big enough to bring the baby through. No ripping, no tearing, just
> an incision. The way I see it,is, (and Im sorry if Im crude) how can a
> big baby come out of a little hole without an awful lot of tearing?
>
> Christine
Hi Christine,
I'm sure the movie you saw was very scary, but childbirth is not that
way for most women. Most people don't scream, swear, and lose control,
though most do go through a stage of "just leave me alone", and may lash
out if disturbed or annoyed. For others, making some noise helps them
deal with it. I went through the "omigosh, what have i gotten myself
into" a few weeks before my son was born. I psyched myself out of it by
telling myself that there are billions people on this planet, and they
all got here the same way. One of my friends (out of many with
children), did have a hellacious labor (49 hours), so I psyched myself
up to planning on a 24+ hour labor. I got surprised with an 8 hour one,
and almost felt cheated in a way. (Not that I wasn't grateful - no
flamers please! It's just whenever you don't get what you expect,
there's a mental adjustment to make.) Your attitude plays as a big part
in the kind of labor you'll have as your particular physiology does.
Read some childbirth books. Fear sets off a whole chain of biological
reactions which contribute to pain and can lengthen labor. That can
result in a chain of interventions with a lot of unpleasant side
effects. Go in with an open mind about the epidural, if it's too much
for you then get it, but it simply isn't necessary for a lot of women
and may not be for you.
BTW, have you ever had major abdominal surgery? And then been sleep
deprived for weeks afterwards, while dealing with a 24 hour a day
responsibility? Your body is designed to give birth, and most women
can. If you are worried about tearing, then read up on ways to avoid
it. It is designed to stretch enough, it's doing it wrong that results
in a lot of tears. I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to opt for a
c-section. 95% of the people I know who've had both would much rather
do a vaginal delivery.
Deena #2 12/4
Carol Alvin
Christine Sanderson <tmpcsa...@ptc.com> wrote:
>I for one, would
>rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
>recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces.
Actually, you're more likely to have your bottom 1/2 torn to
pieces (episiotomy) if you have an epidural than if you don't.
Having an epidural increases your chances of episiotomy,
instrument (forceps or vacuum extractor) delivery and C-section.
I give birth twice without any pain meds. Both times I was
relaxed and euphoric when handed my baby. Both times I had
no episiotomy (slight tear and a couple stitches the first time,
no tearing nor stitches the second). I also believe that I
had easier recoveries than my friends who took meds.
Believing that having pain meds will make your first minutes
with your baby nicer may be right. Or maybe you'll be wigged
out by the drugs.
-Carol
Mommy to Jared (4-13-94) and Connor (4-19-97)
Christine Sanderson
Hi Naomi,
I saw a film of a woman giving birth a few years ago, in a college psych
class dealing with childrens issues. What I saw scared me to death. Im
not a wimp when it comes to pain, but that woman was screaming, and
crying like she was in agony. And all that blood..God, I thought I was
going to die right along with her. It did not look like something I ever
wanted to do. In fact, its made me very aprehensive about child birth.
Whenever I think about it, I picture that poor woman screaming her
lungs out. And so do some of the things I have been reading. I don't
want an epistotomy. I don't want forceps used on my child, they caused
my mom's cousin to be born with mental retardation (or at least that's
how the story goes, in my family, you never know if they are just trying
to cover something up). What I want is a c-section. Chances are, thats
just not going to happen, because I know that they don't just do them
because the mother doesn't want it any other way. Nor should they. I
guess, if I could have my way, Id be like a chicken and hatch an egg or
something.<g>
Christine
naomi pardue wrote:
>
> Christine Sanderson (tmpcsa...@ptc.com) wrote:
> > Jill,
> >
> > Everybody is entitled to do what is best for them. When you get a tooth
> > filled, do you have novocaine? I don't because for that tiny bit of
> > pain, I can handle it, and would rather not have a numb mouth for an
> > hour and 1/2 after. For a root canal I would have novicane. Childbirth is
> > going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal. I for one, would
> > rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
> > recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces. For those woman
> > who can do it with out drugs CONGRADS! And for those who like me, do not
> > want the pain, thats just fine to. Its whatever you are up to.
>
> Actually, you don't KNOW that labor will be extremely painful.
> Labor varies widely. Some women have a
> great deal of pain, others have comparatively little. Also, labor is not
> continunous pain. You have several minutes between contractions to rest
> up.
>
> You should of course do what is best for you, which may be an epidural or
> something else. But please don't base your decision on assumptions like
> "labor is going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal" or "an
> unmedicated labor will result in having my bottom torn to pieces" (if
> anything the reverse is true; epidural births are more likely to need
> forceps, and forceps generally mean an episiotomy...) or "an unmedicated
> labor means I'll be worn out and unrelaxed and unable to enjoy my baby."
>
> And, just as having that novacaine can mean some unpleasantness after the
> filling, having an epidural is not a win-win situation. You will pay for
> that pain relief with an increased risk of a variety of side effects.
>
> I'd encourage you to look at both sides of the issue before making a
> decision. (And don't forget that you can wait to make the decision until
> you are actually in labor and KNOW what your particular labor will be
> like and how well non-drug methods of pain-releif and coping work for you.)
>
> Naomi
Karen Branson
Christine Sanderson wrote:
What I want is a c-section. Chances are, thats
> just not going to happen, because I know that they don't just do them
> because the mother doesn't want it any other way. Nor should they. I
> guess, if I could have my way, Id be like a chicken and hatch an egg or
> something.<g>
>
> Christine
>
When my best friend was pregnant with her first child she was terrified
of the prospect of childbirth. She hoped, wished and prayed throughout
the whole pregnancy that she would have to have a c-section. Her wish
came true - her baby was in a traverse-lie so she had a scheduled
section. Was she ever sorry she wanted that - she said she was
miserable for weeks afterward. Then her second baby, she had a VBAC,
with an epidural. She stills says she can't believe she thought a
Tammy42096
>
>Hi,
>Im sure it didn't tickle, that's for sure, but, they cut a hole in your
>belly big enough to bring the baby through. No ripping, no tearing, just
>an incision. The way I see it,is, (and Im sorry if Im crude) how can a
>big baby come out of a little hole without an awful lot of tearing?
>
>Christine
I had a c-section and it really wasn't bad at all. I was up and walking
without pain in less than a week. My incision is only about an inch or
two, and not even noticeable now. I had an epidural for the section, and I
could still feel pressure and pulling when they pulled the shoulders out
and it was not comfortable, but other than that, I think it probably was
less traumatic(for lack of a better word) than a vaginal birth would have
been. At least for me, anyway.
Anna
>Im sure it didn't tickle, that's for sure, but, they cut a hole in your
>belly big enough to bring the baby through. No ripping, no tearing, just
>an incision. The way I see it,is, (and Im sorry if Im crude) how can a
>big baby come out of a little hole without an awful lot of tearing?
Because the perineum is made of incredibly elastic tissues that if they
are allowed to slowly fan out, should not tear at all. And if they do
(usually because of pushing at the wrong moment, perhaps because you are
pushing when you are told to rather than when you need to; or because
the perineum is not being properly supported by your midwife), most
tears are relatively minor injuries that are nothing to write home
about. My last tear didn't hurt at all once it was stitched and had
totally healed up a week later. Three weeks later, I was able to have
sex without pain.
A Caesarean cuts through several layers of muscle and skin. In an
elective section, the baby has not been "primed" by labour, which clears
out the breathing tubes and helps get the baby fit for the outside
world. Consequently, c-section babies often come out "flat" ie in need
of resuscitation. The mother may take months before she can do certain
things without pain and there is always the risk of infection for both
baby and mother. A c-section is a major abdominal operation - much, much
more than just a "little hole". It certainly isn't "an easy way to give
birth" as some ignorant people have said to those unfortunate enough to
have them - I am very glad I've never needed one.
My friend has had three, and she says one of her scars *still* hurts,
over 11 years later. Her last child was born at home, vaginally. She
said she couldn't believe how fast her recovery was :-)
My normal births were hard going, but after the last birth I went
shopping 24 hours later. My friend, who had a c-section, is still
holding her stomach some 6 weeks later.
If you want a c-section because you are frightened, I can understand
that, and it is, after all, your body. You have a right to the kind of
birth you want. However, you know the old saying? Be careful what you
wish for - you might get it.
--
Anna (mummy to Emma, born 17th Jan 1995 and Alice, born 11th Sept 1996)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You were hungry and I was sorry.
You were thirsty, and I blamed the world.
You were a stranger, and I pointed you out.
You were naked, and I turned you in.
You were sick, and I said a prayer.
You were in prison, and I wrote a poem. STEVE TURNER
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email: an...@ratbag.demon.co.uk Web Page: http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna
Elfman & Danita
This is a topic that I am researching very closely. I am disabled now
and my pain levels are very high all the time. My last pregnancy was
au natural but with the extra problems I will encounter this time
around I am searching out various medications to help.
Does anyone know if there is a web site or a book that perhaps lists
the various options, their administration, side effects etc?
Thanks in advance.
Angel
On Thu, 14 Aug 1997 15:49:40 -0700, Christine Sanderson
<tmpcsa...@ptc.com> wrote:
>Jill,
>
>Everybody is entitled to do what is best for them. When you get a tooth
>filled, do you have novocaine? I don't because for that tiny bit of
>pain, I can handle it, and would rather not have a numb mouth for an
>hour and 1/2 after. For a root canal I would have novicane. Childbirth is
>going to hurt a hell of a lot more than a root canal. I for one, would
>rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
>recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces. For those woman
>who can do it with out drugs CONGRADS! And for those who like me, do not
>want the pain, thats just fine to. Its whatever you are up to.
>
>Christine
Anna
In article <33F4F5...@m9.sprynet.com>, Karen Branson
<kb8...@m9.sprynet.com> writes
>My last tear didn't hurt at all once it was stitched and had
>> totally healed up a week later. Three weeks later, I was able to have
>> sex without pain.
>>
>
>WEEKS LATER?!?!!! I was still bleeding like a slaughter pig at 3 weeks
>and I can tell you if anyone mentioned the SEX word I would have killed
>them! I was only slightly more receptive at 3 MONTHS! I've always
>wondered how siblings can be 10 months apart!!!
The whole point is I was fine. I didn't just "consent" to it, I iniated
it! Not everyone bleeds like a stuck pig for weeks and if you feel fine,
there is no reason why not.
First time round, it was months after the birth before we dared try, but
this time round it was OK. You have to go by your body.
--
Anna (Mummy to Emma, born 17th Jan 1995, Alice, born 11th Sept 1996,
??? due 18th April 1998)
Debora Blair
Christine,
I'll probably get flamed for this post, but wanted to jump in the
discussion. In contrast to your post, I've only known 1 woman who did have
an epidural. She was giving her baby up for adoption and didn't want to
remember anything. I've had 3 children and had no pain medication of any
kind with any of them. Not even a Tylenol. Yes it got a bit difficult at
times, however, I was determined to not go the medicated route as I would
rather suffer a bit than inflict any meds on my baby(s). I typed up a
complete birth plan (a full page) of all my desires for the birthing
experience, I went through it in detail with my OB and made sure there were
copies in every file he and the hospital had on me. This included a "No
Meds" statement as well as a request to ONLY do an epesiotomy (sp) if
absolutely necessary. (OK, I know I was blessed and didn't have to have
the epesiotomy). Just thought I'd share my experience.
Deb
Debora Blair
Christine,
I hate it when they portray Every woman in childbirth as like she is going
to die at any minute, writhing and screaming in agony. It scares people. It
did you. Have you ever toured an OB floor of the hospital or asked an Labor
nurse how many women act like that? I'd encourage you to do that.
Deb
Christine Sanderson <tmpcsa...@ptc.com> wrote in article
<33F4AC...@ptc.com>...
Karen Branson
Anna wrote:
>
> In article <33F4F5...@m9.sprynet.com>, Karen Branson
> <kb8...@m9.sprynet.com> writes
> >My last tear didn't hurt at all once it was stitched and had
> >> totally healed up a week later. Three weeks later, I was able to have
> >> sex without pain.
> >>
> >
> >Uhhhh ok - one question. WHY OH WHY did you want or consent to sex 3
> >WEEKS LATER?!?!!! I was still bleeding like a slaughter pig at 3 weeks
> >and I can tell you if anyone mentioned the SEX word I would have killed
> >them! I was only slightly more receptive at 3 MONTHS! I've always
> >wondered how siblings can be 10 months apart!!!
>
> The whole point is I was fine. I didn't just "consent" to it, I iniated
> it! Not everyone bleeds like a stuck pig for weeks and if you feel fine,
> there is no reason why not.
>
> First time round, it was months after the birth before we dared try, but
> this time round it was OK. You have to go by your body.
> --
>
more of a joking manner! Although, for medical reasons, I did think you
were supposed to wait six-weeks. At least my ob said no sex until after
6 week postpartum visit.
Karen Branson
Anna wrote:
>
> >Anna - hope you didn't mistake the tone of my reply. It was meant in
> >more of a joking manner! Although, for medical reasons, I did think you
> >were supposed to wait six-weeks. At least my ob said no sex until after
> >6 week postpartum visit.
>
> week visit, since your ability to have sex or not may show up any
> problems you may have. He also said sex stretches the vagina and
> prevents the formation of non-stretchy scar tissue, which could make sex
> painful in the future.
Hmmmm. Maybe this was my problem. After the first baby, sex still hurt
4 or 5 months later. And I STILL can not use a diaphram without it
hurting like hell. The other two episiotomies were only a stitch or two
and never bothered me - but I still can tell about my first one.
Melissa Wahl
--WebTV-Mail-1042263326-2546
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I had my first baby 2yrs ago, and it was an aweful labor. I went into
the hospital and was already at 4cm, so about an hour later I recieved
an epidural, boy that hurt like nobody said it would. 20 minutes later I
was in pain and the epidural wasnt working so they gave me another one,
another 20 minutes later it still wasnt working so they tried another
one, needless to say none of them worked and by the time I was 8cm and
they couldnt do anything for me, so I ended up going all natural and
hemmoraging, ended up in surgery, 2 days later I finally got to see my
daughter, boy I hope they will sure try or give me somthing else in
April, cause I dont want to do it natural again.
P.S the doctor said some people they just dont effect, it wasnt the
person the performed them, he was the best in the west I was told.
--WebTV-Mail-1042263326-2546
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Clisby Williams
You've never known anyone who had a baby without an epidural? Jeez, this
epidural thing
must be really getting out of hand!
I remember when we went to the Lamaze class and they showed films of
several childbirths -
we were sort of going, "oh, this isn't too bad" until they got to the one
where the woman got an
epidural. I think we both turned pale and resolved to do anything we could
to avoid that. Luckily,
I was never in enough pain to even consider it.
I agree with one of your other posts that it's a good idea to have a plan.
However, I don't think
it's such a good idea for that plan automatically to include an epidural,
or any other pain medication.
My plan was to hope that I could get by without it, but I was certainly
prepared to get one if the pain
was bad enough. The thing is, you can't predict what your labor will be
like. In my case, it was
long (about 31 hours) and exhausting, but not horribly painful. I think
that was partly because it
went on so long, and the pain built up so gradually, that I never felt like
I needed an epidural. If I
had had one of those sudden hard labors where you're thrown right into the
worst of it with no
build-up, it could easily have been a different story (in case you're
wondering, I do not have a
high tolerance for pain). Another factor was that when I got to the
hospital, I was already 6 cm
dilated, and at that point didn't yet need Nubain (pain medicine, kind of
like Stadol or Demerol).
I figured, if I've gotten this far, I can probably make it all the way
without an epidural. If they had
checked me and said I was only 2 cm dilated, I wouldn't have been nearly as
optimistic, and
might have wound up getting the epidural.
Anyhow, I'd have willingly gone through a labor 10 times worse than the one
I had if I could have
skipped the 9 months of pregnancy. I didn't have a difficult pregnancy,
but I certainly didn't
enjoy it - for me, that was by far the worst part of having a baby - labor
and delivery was nothing
compared to it.
Clisby
Christine Sanderson <tmpcsa...@ptc.com> wrote in article
<33F4B0...@ptc.com>...
> I don't know of anybody who had a limb amputated with only wiskey as a
> pain killer, but, I know that it was done.
>
> On the other hand, I don't know anybody (personaly) who has had a baby
> with out an epidural,unless they had a c section. Im the first one in my
> group to marry, and now to have a baby. (Im 25) Who should I ask, my
> mom? Heck, they knocked her out and induced labor with both me and my
> sister. No info thier, they don't do that anymore. It may be
> natural..but.. I happen to be afraid of it.
>
har...@powernet.net
I was under the impression that you should not have sex after the birth
of a baby for at least 6 weeks due to increased risk of infection? I was
told that your cervix does not completely close and that at your 6th week
exam, the doctor checks to see if your cervix has properly healed/closed.
Am I wrong?
Dawn
Due 08/23
***********************************************************************************************
In article <RzgUmAAf...@ratbag.demon.co.uk>,
Anna <an...@ratbag.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> In article <33F4F5...@m9.sprynet.com>, Karen Branson
> <kb8...@m9.sprynet.com> writes
> >My last tear didn't hurt at all once it was stitched and had
> >> totally healed up a week later. Three weeks later, I was able to have
> >> sex without pain.
> >>
> >
> >Uhhhh ok - one question. WHY OH WHY did you want or consent to sex 3
> >WEEKS LATER?!?!!! I was still bleeding like a slaughter pig at 3 weeks
> >and I can tell you if anyone mentioned the SEX word I would have killed
> >them! I was only slightly more receptive at 3 MONTHS! I've always
> >wondered how siblings can be 10 months apart!!!
>
> The whole point is I was fine. I didn't just "consent" to it, I iniated
> it! Not everyone bleeds like a stuck pig for weeks and if you feel fine,
> there is no reason why not.
>
> First time round, it was months after the birth before we dared try, but
> this time round it was OK. You have to go by your body.
> --
> Anna (Mummy to Emma, born 17th Jan 1995, Alice, born 11th Sept 1996,
> ??? due 18th April 1998)
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> You were hungry and I was sorry.
> You were thirsty, and I blamed the world.
> You were a stranger, and I pointed you out.
> You were naked, and I turned you in.
> You were sick, and I said a prayer.
> You were in prison, and I wrote a poem. STEVE TURNER
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Email: an...@ratbag.demon.co.uk Web Page: http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
ti...@djo.com
Christine Sanderson wrote:
>
> Hi Naomi,
>
> I saw a film of a woman giving birth a few years ago, in a college psych
> class dealing with childrens issues. What I saw scared me to death. Im
> not a wimp when it comes to pain, but that woman was screaming, and
> crying like she was in agony. And all that blood..God, I thought I was
> going to die right along with her. It did not look like something I ever
> wanted to do. In fact, its made me very aprehensive about child birth.
> lungs out. And so do some of the things I have been reading. I don't
> want an epistotomy. I don't want forceps used on my child, they caused
> my mom's cousin to be born with mental retardation (or at least that's
> how the story goes, in my family, you never know if they are just trying
> just not going to happen, because I know that they don't just do them
> because the mother doesn't want it any other way. Nor should they. I
> guess, if I could have my way, Id be like a chicken and hatch an egg or
> something.<g>
>
> Christine
>
Girl! You need to get your boo-tay right on over to some childbirth
education classes as soon as possible, where they will show you a film
of a woman coping decently with a normal labor. Sometimes they show you
a woman who just seems to breeze through, sometimes they show you one
who has some trouble. Sometimes (if you're really lucky) they'll show
you a whole array of labors, or at least tell you the true stories of
several labors, so that you get an idea of what it's really like and how
much it can differ. What's really important, though, is to see that most
women DON'T spend their entire labors screaming in agony, covered in
blood, or have their babies removed by forceps. Not these days! Whether
you have an epidural or use the labor management techniques taught in
natural childbirth classes, you will find that your labor is manageable
and not a complete nightmare. They must have chosen one absolutely AWFUL
labor to show you guys. The very most important thing is for you to
seriously start educating yourself right now (and it sounds like you've
already started) by reading books, talking to other women, (I don't mean
the hundreds of horror-story freaks who will be attracted like flies to
your pregnant belly) and questioning your doctor. Finding a childbirth
instructor will help a lot too; if you take your classes early, most
allow you to take the course over for free when you get close to your
due date. Reading up on natural childbirth, especially Bradley method,
is a good idea even if you fully intend to have an epidural, because it
will also tell you things you can do before and during your labor to
help prevent having an episiotomy, and to minimize discomfort during
labor. Don't let anything you read scare you, just KEEP READING because
you will find that every book offers a different viewpoint, and after
you've read several you will be able to put the information together in
a balanced way that makes sense for you.
It's important for you to learn that you can give birth vaginally
without uncontrollable agony, that the pain can be managed, that while
labor involves some blood it's really not much to worry about, that you
can minimize the possibility of having an episiotomy, that not only are
forceps rarely used anymore, they are DIFFERENT than the ones which
caused brain dmage to your mother's cousin (and to my aunt).
You will do fine when your time comes. Just keep educating yourself.
-Kalera
Tammy42096
>> Hi Naomi,
>>
>> I saw a film of a woman giving birth a few years ago, in a college
psych
>> class dealing with childrens issues. What I saw scared me to death.
Im
>> not a wimp when it comes to pain, but that woman was screaming, and
>> crying like she was in agony. And all that blood..God, I thought I was
>> going to die right along with her. It did not look like something I
ever
>
>> wanted to do. In fact, its made me very aprehensive about child birth.
That's exactly how it was for me. I had a labor nurse tell me it would
feel like a drill bit ripping my cervix apart, and I blew her off. The
doctor was upset with her when he found out, but she sure as heck didn't
lie. I'm sure everyone experiences different levels of pain in labor and
everyone has different tolerance levels, but it is not called labor for
nothing. And if it felt good, there wouldn't be a 90 % epidural rate. It
hurts like nothing I have ever known, but there is nothing that can
compare to the end result! And if you don't have anything against
epidurals, the pain is a moot point.
Anna
>Anna - hope you didn't mistake the tone of my reply. It was meant in
>more of a joking manner! Although, for medical reasons, I did think you
>were supposed to wait six-weeks. At least my ob said no sex until after
>6 week postpartum visit.
My OB said as soon as you felt able to, and preferably *before* the 6
week visit, since your ability to have sex or not may show up any
problems you may have. He also said sex stretches the vagina and
prevents the formation of non-stretchy scar tissue, which could make sex
painful in the future.
Charlotte and Bart
Clisby Williams wrote:
>
> You've never known anyone who had a baby without an epidural?
Hi,
Just thought I'd add my 2 cents in...I've had three children w/o
epidural...I have a very low pain tolerance but I have an even greater
thing about needles, so an epidural was *not* on my wish list! My mom
was from the 'get knocked out cold generation' for childbirth and she
also raised me to be horrified of the terrors of childbirth (not
intentionally) I turned into an information junkie when I was first
pregnant, the more I knew to be fact, the less the fear. All three
labours were fairly short but very intense - no warning - hard labour
was the *start* of things. It wasn't fun, but it was bearable and I
avoided drugs except for my last one and that could have been avoided.
When I had had it and wanted something for pain, I got a shot of demerol
and the baby was born 10 minutes later - so he got the blast of drugs -
I think I could have done without if I'd known it was so close! I think
a plan is a good idea as long as you're flexible - no one knows what it
will be like for each pregnancy. I've had friends who really berated
themselves for taking drugs after and I think you have to do what you
have to do - as long as you are both ok after. I'm sure when things were
at the worst for me and the labour had gone on longer, I would have
quite happily utilized whatever was around to get through it!
Charlotte
> >
Karen Branson
Charlotte and Bart wrote:
>
> Clisby Williams wrote:
> >
> > You've never known anyone who had a baby without an epidural?
>
> It may be natural..but.. I happen to be afraid of it.
>
> Hi,
>
> Just thought I'd add my 2 cents in...I've had three children w/o
> epidural...I have a very low pain tolerance but I have an even greater
> thing about needles, so an epidural was *not* on my wish list! My mom
> was from the 'get knocked out cold generation' for childbirth and she
> also raised me to be horrified of the terrors of childbirth (not
> intentionally) I turned into an information junkie when I was first
> pregnant, the more I knew to be fact, the less the fear. All three
> labours were fairly short but very intense - no warning - hard labour
> was the *start* of things. It wasn't fun, but it was bearable and I
> avoided drugs except for my last one and that could have been avoided.
> When I had had it and wanted something for pain, I got a shot of demerol
> and the baby was born 10 minutes later - so he got the blast of drugs -
> I think I could have done without if I'd known it was so close! I think
> a plan is a good idea as long as you're flexible - no one knows what i
This was pretty much exactly how it was for me. Except for the Demoral
thing - I'm deathly allergic to that. I've had three, my labors sound
like yours, I don't mind needles, but the thought of one in my SPINE -
NO WAY. My mother made it sound as if I would die (she had twins
naturally, although not on purpose- she just barely made it to the
hospital). It wasn't that bad and I don't have much tolerance for pain
either.
Debbort
For my second birth the entire hospital must have heard me, LOL. Later I
thought about it all and felt bab because 3 other women were in labor
while I was but they were not close to delivery and I must have scared the
living daylights out of them. not sure if the screaming and freaking out
helped, but with my emotional state I couldn't help it. Just like I
couldn't help kicking the nurse who wouldn't let go of my leg when my hip
cramped up when they expected me to push, felt bad about that later to but
the nurse later laughed it off, Whew! So when I had my 3rd child my
husband and sister-in-law were in the room with me, she had been forearned
about my previous freaking out. Well she was pleasantly surprised when I
was fairly calm with the 3rd birth. She probably thought me & husband were
exaggerating about the second birth. how we react in each birth can be
very different due our state of mind and the labor circumstances. But
there is never nothing to be ashamed of, we cope the best we can.
Debbie
Michael Flynn
Get Bent!
Let's play cards instead......you can't do Epidurals......that is why
you don't agree and preach breathing....you try breathing with a
watermelon coming out...
Anna
>I was under the impression that you should not have sex after the birth
>of a baby for at least 6 weeks due to increased risk of infection? I was
>told that your cervix does not completely close and that at your 6th week
>exam, the doctor checks to see if your cervix has properly healed/closed.
> Am I wrong?
We used a condom and my husband is perfectly healthy. My doctor said it
was fine to have sex as long as we felt ready.
In Britain, they often don't even examine you internally at your 6 week
check, not unless there is a problem or they need to do a PAP smear
test. At both 6 week checks the doctor said to me "Now, have you tried
having sex yet?" and at my first, when the doctor asked me and I said
no, she said "Well don't leave it too long, will you?".
The cervix not closing completely is more a problem with a subsequent
pregnancy. However, with a natural birth there is little risk of the
cervix having torn or anything.
Anna
Christine,
Someone said:
>I'm sure the movie you saw was very scary, but childbirth is not that
>way for most women. Most people don't scream, swear, and lose control,
>though most do go through a stage of "just leave me alone", and may lash
>out if disturbed or annoyed. For others, making some noise helps them
>deal with it.
This is so true - I can't imagine what they were thinking of showing you
a woman who was the sort the screams blue murder (screaming, btw, might
be more to do with personality than pain levels, and some women from
some cultures feel almost "hard done by" if they haven't screamed like a
banshee!).
For my first birth, I did quite a bit of yelling and swearing, but I was
very tense and I believed it helped me get the tension out. For my
second birth, at home, I was not tense at all, and I surprised everyone
(who'd bought ear-plugs after my first performance) by not making much
sound at all apart from the occasional moan in transition.
In my case, the noises I made were more indicative of my emotional state
than the level of pain I was in. For both labours, I coped with the
pain. I had Pethidine in my first labour, which is another narcotic. I
have since seen research that it doesn't give pain relief, but does
cause disorientation and an "out of control" feeling, that might have
explained my screaming. Afterwards, my baby wouldn't feed for almost 36
hours - another side-effect of narcotics in labour. I vowed I'd never
have Pethidine again. Strangely, many women find it makes pain harder to
deal with and I have heard there are moves afoot to get Pethidine banned
as a labour drug. What's the point of taking something that has nasty
side-effects, makes dealing with pain harder and doesn't actually kill
pain either?
wal...@dnvn.com
> Clisby Williams wrote:
> >
> > You've never known anyone who had a baby without an epidural?
>
> It may be natural..but.. I happen to be afraid of it.
>
> Hi,
>
> Just thought I'd add my 2 cents in...I've had three children w/o
> epidural...I have a very low pain tolerance but I have an even greater
> thing about needles, so an epidural was *not* on my wish list! My mom
> was from the 'get knocked out cold generation' for childbirth and she
> also raised me to be horrified of the terrors of childbirth (not
> intentionally) I turned into an information junkie when I was first
> pregnant, the more I knew to be fact, the less the fear. All three
> labours were fairly short but very intense - no warning - hard labour
> was the *start* of things. It wasn't fun, but it was bearable and I
> avoided drugs except for my last one and that could have been avoided.
> When I had had it and wanted something for pain, I got a shot of demerol
> and the baby was born 10 minutes later - so he got the blast of drugs -
> I think I could have done without if I'd known it was so close! I think
> a plan is a good idea as long as you're flexible - no one knows what it
> will be like for each pregnancy. I've had friends who really berated
> themselves for taking drugs after and I think you have to do what you
> have to do - as long as you are both ok after. I'm sure when things were
> at the worst for me and the labour had gone on longer, I would have
> quite happily utilized whatever was around to get through it!
>
> Charlotte
I had incredibly long labors -- just the opposite of your experience=--
and also didn't find them agonizing. Long, tiring, and there were moments
of intense discomfort, but nothing like the pain I felt when I broke my
arm and could hardly breath for pain. I don't kow that the lamaze stuff
really helped -- but it did keep us busy trying to remember what to do.
I think it is unfortunate that so many women are frightened that it
will be terrible, when it is generally not all that difficult to deal
with.
k
Debbort
All the rsponses just goes to show that every woman's birth experience is
different. And each birth experience they have may be different, I know my
3 were. After my second i was hoping for a c-section for my third and up
to the last few weeks of pregnancy it looked like there was a 75% chance
that that may be the case due to the baby's size, but it turned out I had
him vaginal and compared to my second horrifying birth it was a piece of
cake. Now for this 4th one who knows what will happen, I want to go into
labor knowing my options if the pain does get to unbearable for me or if
complications arise.
Debbie
Anna Evans
In article <01bcaa8b$1afcc340$8c85f5cd@clisby>, Clisby Williams
<cli...@avana.net> writes
I definitely agree with the above.
I went into hospital with the opinion that I would definitely not have
pethadin, and would try to avoid an epidural. However, I would consider
one if the pain was bad enough.
After 6 hours of contractions, I was having back labour (Becky Lou was
occipito posteriori i.e. her back lying on my spinal nerve) with
contractions 2 minutes apart. The pain was unbearably intense. I asked
for an internal with a view to how long I had to go, figuring if it was
only a couple of hours I would try and make it. Well, I was still less
than 4 cm dilated, and they reckoned at least six hours. They suggested
that the pain was so bad my body was fighting the contractions and I
couldn't relax enought to dilate more. I discussed it with DH (Who BTW
was also suffering intensely simply watching me) and we decided on an
epidural.
The relief was immediate, and an hour later I was 8 cm dilated.
My opinion is, that if I had been giving birth at a time before pain
relief was available, my body would not have co-operated, and either
myself or Becky Lou would have become a natal mortality statistic. A lot
more women and babies used to die in childbirth before pain relief,
after all.
Of course, when I go for Number 2, I will try again to avoid an
epidural, but there are no guarantees.
BTW Becky Lou is perfectly gorgeous, and had APGARs of 10
Anna
--
Anna Evans
Reading, UK
http:\\www.keba.demon.co.uk
Christine Sanderson
Clisby Williams wrote:
>
> You've never known anyone who had a baby without an epidural? Jeez, this
> epidural thing
> must be really getting out of hand!
Now, why is that so strange? I am only 25, and the only one out of my
friends who is married. I work in a field with very few women, and the
ones that are here are my age. Im also the oldest of the "children" in
my entire family (even the extended family). To me, it seems thier are
not a lot of chances to know anybody who was pregnant anytime in the last
15 years, never mind had an epidural or not.
>
> I remember when we went to the Lamaze class and they showed films of
> several childbirths -
> we were sort of going, "oh, this isn't too bad" until they got to the one
> where the woman got an
> epidural. I think we both turned pale and resolved to do anything we could
> to avoid that. Luckily,
> I was never in enough pain to even consider it.
You must have seen a different movie than I did in school. Ill be taking
lamaze classes so mabey after I see that Ill change my mind.
>
> I agree with one of your other posts that it's a good idea to have a plan.
> However, I don't think
> it's such a good idea for that plan automatically to include an epidural,
> or any other pain medication.
> My plan was to hope that I could get by without it, but I was certainly
> prepared to get one if the pain
> was bad enough. The thing is, you can't predict what your labor will be
> like. In my case, it was
> long (about 31 hours) and exhausting, but not horribly painful. I think
> that was partly because it
> went on so long, and the pain built up so gradually, that I never felt like
> I needed an epidural.
I have heard many people feel guilty about taking pain meds. I figure,
if my plan includes pain meds, and I take them, No problem. If I don't
need them, then thats great. However, If I do need them, now I don't
need to feel guilty, because it was already in my plan. <g>
Christine
Christine Sanderson
Deb,
thanks for the idea,its a good one!
christine
Debora Blair wrote:
>
> Christine,
>
> I hate it when they portray Every woman in childbirth as like she is going
> to die at any minute, writhing and screaming in agony. It scares people. It
> did you. Have you ever toured an OB floor of the hospital or asked an Labor
> nurse how many women act like that? I'd encourage you to do that.
> Deb
>
Christine Sanderson
Carol Alvin wrote:
>
> Christine Sanderson <tmpcsa...@ptc.com> wrote:
>
> >I for one, would
> >rather be relaxed when they hand me my baby for the first time, not
> >recovering from having my bottom 1/2 torn to pieces.
>
> pieces (episiotomy) if you have an epidural than if you don't.
> Having an epidural increases your chances of episiotomy,
> instrument (forceps or vacuum extractor) delivery and C-section.
>
Now, thats the part I don't understand. Why would one way be more likley
to require a episiotomy than the other? I won't let them use forceps on
my baby. According to family legend, My mom's cousin is retarted because
the doctor used them on her. This could be fact, or fiction, nobody will
ever know for sure. Happened 50 years ago.
> I give birth twice without any pain meds. Both times I was
> relaxed and euphoric when handed my baby. Both times I had
> no episiotomy (slight tear and a couple stitches the first time,
> no tearing nor stitches the second). I also believe that I
> had easier recoveries than my friends who took meds.
> See, for me, I can't have demerol. When I broke my arm a few years ago,
I had to have surgery to set it in place (compound fracture). They gave
me a shot of demerol when I first got to the hospital, and I spent the
next 45min heaving my brains out, with broken arm. I thought I was going
to die, and in fact, I felt so bad, I wished I would! <g> Thats how I
found out I was alergic to it.
> Believing that having pain meds will make your first minutes
> with your baby nicer may be right. Or maybe you'll be wigged
> out by the drugs.
Mabey the drugs will wigg me out. I say now, I plan on having an
epidural. That doesn't mean I won't change my mind when the time comes.
I just feel better knowing the option is thier incase I can't handle it.
Christine
Momamya3
>And, just as having that novacaine can mean some unpleasantness after the
>filling, having an epidural is not a win-win situation. You will pay for
>that pain relief with an increased risk of a variety of side effects.
>
>I'd encourage you to look at both sides of the issue before making a
>decision. (And don't forget that you can wait to make the decision until
>you are actually in labor and KNOW what your particular labor will be
>like and how well non-drug methods of pain-releif and coping work for
you.)
>
>Naomi
>
>
Now YOU are making a generalization *YOU WILL PAY* I never paid???
I actually felt better after my last sons birth (epidural) then i did
after the birth of my second son (natural) I did pay, after the birth of
my second, i was exausted, he was unable to nurse, and i suffered severe
post partium depression, due, i believe to exaustion.
Please everyones labor is different, there is no one correct way to birth
a baby!
Aimee
mom to Christopher 10, Sterling 4, Joshua 2
And Lily due 9/25ish
Momamya3
I am the mommy of three boys with my fourth child, A GIRL!! due the end of
September. Each of my labors were so different, i just felt i should share
with you a bit.
With my first i was young and unprepared, i pretty much went along with
whatever the L&D nurses told me.
I was given demerol for pain, which personally did not help at all, it
just left me feeling high and totally out of it! Eventually i was given an
epidural, and although that took away most of the pain, i was still out of
it from the demerol.
My sons birth was a huge blur, i remember very little of it.
With my second (6 years later) I decided to go natural, with a doula.
I did everything i was supposed to do, including eating well, excersizing,
taking all the childbirth classes available, and reading everything i
could find on pregnancy.
I felt totally prepared NOT! My son was posterior (face up) and i had
horrible back labor, i was tempted to ask for relief, but felt i would
*fail* if i did, so i endured.
I must say however that i did manage torelax between contractions, and
remain very calm, but i was exausted. Finally after almost 3 hours of
pushing out came son #2 Sterling :)
But it took me a very long time to recover, and i was drained for weeks!
With my third, after going in for a routine exam, my Dr. informed me that
he really wanted to induce me, my blood pressure had been steadily rising
for the oast few weeks and he didnt want to chance it. I agreed. I spent
most of my pregnancy in fear constantly flashing back on the previous
delivery. But once i had made up my mind, that i would open my mind a
little more regarding the epidural, i had immediate peace.
I was hooked up to the IV/pit drip first thing the next morning, and after
about an hour the contractions kicked in, my water was broken, at 3
centimeters, and labor was in full swing withing 5 minutes, the
contractions were intense and yea i did scream, for the anesthesiologist
:)
After a few minutes he showed up, administered the epidural, and i was
instantly relieved! I was totally aware of what was going on around me,
very relaxed, and calm, i pushed my son out within 10 minutes, he nursed
right away, had high agpar scores!
I look back on this birth with the fondest memories of them all, it was so
beautiful, and Joshua (yes son #3) was and is perfect!
I will most likely have another epidural this time around, i will be
induced at 38-39 weeks due to gestational diabetes, and a few other
factors, i love the epidural, because i am abto be totally alert and aware
of what is going on around me, unlike the feeling i had from the demerol,
and felt wonderful afterwards, not drowsy and hungover.
But i really must say that each labor is so different, and i am secretly
hoping i will not need any kind of pain relief this time around.
Good luck
Clisby Williams
Christine Sanderson <tmpcsa...@ptc.com> wrote in article
<33F862...@ptc.com>...
> Clisby Williams wrote:
> >
> > You've never known anyone who had a baby without an epidural? Jeez,
this
> > epidural thing
> > must be really getting out of hand!
>
> Now, why is that so strange? I am only 25, and the only one out of my
> friends who is married. I work in a field with very few women, and the
> ones that are here are my age. Im also the oldest of the "children" in
> my entire family (even the extended family). To me, it seems thier are
> not a lot of chances to know anybody who was pregnant anytime in the last
> 15 years, never mind had an epidural or not.
> >
OK, I guess that would account for it. One other thing I thought of later
was that even
if you want an epidural, you should be prepared for the possibility that it
won't "take".
I personally know 3 people this happened to - they got the epidural, and it
didn't work.
Clisby
Gypsy Noir
I can only share my experience. When my labor pains got to be too much
for me to bear, my doctor first had the hospital give me Demerol. It was
a joke (and I wasn't laughing!) All it did was make me drowsy between
contractions, but it did nothing to take the edge off or anything like
that. Everytime a contraction hit, I was wide awake to feel every
sensation! Later, when I was near hysteria, my doctor ordered the
epidural. Ahh, bliss!!! No more pain. The only thing that I can't tell
you, though, is about the pushing, because I wound up having a c-section
because I wasn't progressing. Hope this helps anyway. Good luck!!
-- Karen (due 1-10-97 with baby #2)
Momamya3
<<I think it borders on stupid to decide before contraction one what kind
of
medication one is going to have.>>
I think it borders on Stupid, to try and make this kind of decision while
you are in pain, and maybe not thinking clearly!
Also has it occured to you that some of us feel the need to make this kind
of decision ahead of time, for peace of mind?? I was so traumatized, after
the birth of my second son, that the decision to have an epidural, was
what got me through my third pregnancy!
Hey if you are doing fine while in labor without the epidural, you still
have the option of going drug free.......
Aimee
mom to Christopher, Sterling, Joshua
and Lily 9/25ish
Momamya3
>I've only known 1 woman who did have
>an epidural. She was giving her baby up for adoption and didn't want to
>remember anything. I've had 3 children and had no pain medication of any
>kind with any of them.
Oh come on now Deb! First of all an epidural does not make you high, and
if anything, you are more alert, because you are not dealing with painful
contractions!
Out of each of MY three births, the one i remember the most was my third ,
who i had an epidural with!!!!
With my first i was drugged up with everything, and with my
second(natural) i was in so much pain, the whole experience was a blur.
Please!
naomi pardue
Tammy42096 (tammy...@aol.com) wrote:
> compare to the end result! And if you don't have anything against
I find this a rather odd point. Having 'nothing against' epidurals does
not reduce the likelihood that you will have side effects from them.
Suppose a women has 'nothing against' epidurals, and ends up with an
unnecessary c-section and all the post-operative pain and difficulties
that go along with it?
Epidurals (IMO) are useful where needed. However, no-one can know if one
is needed until one is 1) in labor 2) has tried other safer/non-medical
forms of pain management 3) is fully aware of the possible dangers
involved and so is able to make an EDUCATED choice based on both pros and
cons.
Naomi
naomi pardue
Christine Sanderson (tmpcsa...@ptc.com) wrote:
> > Actually, you're more likely to have your bottom 1/2 torn to
> > pieces (episiotomy) if you have an epidural than if you don't.
> > Having an epidural increases your chances of episiotomy,
> > instrument (forceps or vacuum extractor) delivery and C-section.
> >
>
> Now, thats the part I don't understand. Why would one way be more likley
> to require a episiotomy than the other?
Becuase an episiotomy is always needed if forceps are used. They are NOT
always needed for an unaided birth.
I won't let them use forceps on
> my baby.
You may not have much choice. If you can't push well enough to get the
baby out, they will use forceps. (Or else surgery...)
According to family legend, My mom's cousin is retarted because
> the doctor used them on her. This could be fact, or fiction, nobody will
> ever know for sure. Happened 50 years ago.
Of course childbirth 50 years ago was very different in MANY ways from
today.
> Mabey the drugs will wigg me out. I say now, I plan on having an
> epidural. That doesn't mean I won't change my mind when the time comes.
> I just feel better knowing the option is thier incase I can't handle it.
How about, "I plan on considering an epidural should I need one." The
option will always be there. I do believe that if a woman goes into labor
beleiving that she will need one, she WILL need one. (The toughest part
of my labor was the hour between deciding that I would have one and
actually getting it. My mind-set had changed from "I can handle this," to
"I can't handle this" and, at that point, I COULD no longer handle it.
You don't want to start labor like that, if only becuase you may have
MANY hours of contractions before you can safely get the epidural. You're
going to need some other skills in your bag of tricks anyway.
Naomi
naomi pardue
Momamya3 (moma...@aol.com) wrote:
> >And, just as having that novacaine can mean some unpleasantness after the
>
> >filling, having an epidural is not a win-win situation. You will pay for
> >that pain relief with an increased risk of a variety of side effects.
> >
>
> I actually felt better after my last sons birth (epidural) then i did
> after the birth of my second son (natural) I did pay, after the birth of
> my second, i was exausted, he was unable to nurse, and i suffered severe
> post partium depression, due, i believe to exaustion.
> Please everyones labor is different, there is no one correct way to birth
> a baby!
Please read my statement again. "You will pay with an increased RISK of
side effects." The increased RISK is there for everyone. Whether you are
one of the unlucky ones who has those side effects is another issue. (And
you can't know in advance which group you will be in.)
Naomi
the impudent guttersnipe
Naomi siad:
> >And, just as having that novacaine can mean some unpleasantness after the
> >filling, having an epidural is not a win-win situation. You will pay for
> >that pain relief with an increased risk of a variety of side effects.
Momamya3 replied:
> Now YOU are making a generalization *YOU WILL PAY* I never paid???
She said you would pay with an *increased risk*, not that those side
effects would be a certainty. So, yes, you *did* pay that way.
Heidi
the impudent guttersnipe
KL Ussery
>Who said that giving birth was easy??? No pain no
>gain..All the drugs used for labor pain are NARCOTICS! We preach a
>drug free pregnancy, why not a drug free labor and birth!!!??
Someone needs to hop off the soap box here. Not everyone can be as
"strong" as you during labor. (I'm assuming you have gone through labor
as I hope you wouldn't post about something you don't know anything about)
Personally, I tried to stay away from the "narcotic" drugs but for some,
that may be the only thing that works.
As for the "no pain no gain" I just have to laugh at that. Never heard
that used for a womans labor pains. (Nor would I)
Kendra
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Always remember that you're unique; just like everyone else
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