Should you have an epidural or natural childbirth?

Natural

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by Tina Kelleher

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When I was younger and thinking about someday when I'd have kids, I always said that I'd take as many drugs as they would give me. It never occurred to me that those drugs could also affect the baby.

When I did find myself pregnant with my son at 30, I started my research on everything having to do with pregnancy, labor and birth. The more information I uncovered about epidurals, which seemed to be the most common pain management method, the more convinced I became that natural child birth was the better choice - both for me and for my son.

My initial impression about an epidural was that it would dull the pain and nothing more. It didn't occur to me that in order to dull the pain, you're essentially numb from the waist down, which means you can't get up and walk. You can't go to the bathroom for yourself, which means a catheter needs to be put in. In addition to that, there could be a pretty severe headache that comes as a result of having an epidural should there be any spinal fluid leakage. I don't know about you, but anything that's going to cause my spinal fluid to leak out of the area where it's supposed to stay sounds pretty sketchy. In addition, there is a risk that you could suffer permanent nerve damage should anything go wrong while the epidural is being administered... in extreme cases, permanent paralysis.

As far as the baby is concerned, the American Pregnancy Association states that some newborns may experience difficulty in "latching on" when trying to breastfeed. While still in the womb, some babies may become lethargic and some may have trouble getting into position for delivery. Epidurals have also been known to cause respiratory depression and decreased fetal heart rate in newborns. While some women are comfortable with these risks, I was not and so opted for natural childbirth.

I knew it would mean more pain and discomfort, but I also knew that every person walking on the face of the planet got here because a woman birthed them and that birth would happen whether drugs were involved or not. Women have been bearing children for thousands of years without the assistance of drugs, epidurals have only been administered for as long as I've been alive (before that it was chloroform, followed by a cocktail of morphine and scopolamine). If doing everything in my power to ensure my son's health and well being meant I had to suffer more, I would do it... and I did. If I can do it with the circumstances I faced, I think anyone can do it in a "normal" situation.

No doubt that last sentance has you curious about what my circumstances were. To put not too fine a point on it, my labor was longer, harder and more painful than your typical delivery because while my son was not breach, he wasn't positioned correctly for delivery. When a baby is positioned correctly, it will emerge from the birth canal so that it's facing downward; facing the bed. If you think about it, that makes perfect sense when you consider the shape of their tiny skull and the shape of the birth canal. It's a perfect, though snug, fit. My son wasn't facing downward, he was facing sideways... he came out facing my leg. While labor can go on for many hours, the actual pushing phase typically lasts around an hour, maybe two hours at the most. I pushed for five hours straight. By the time he was ready to come out, I had nothing left to give. The doctor had to call in additional nurses to push on my abdomen because I had no energy left to push with. I couldn't even stand up to go to the bathroom after everything was over with, I'd never been so drained in my entire life.

I had several windows of opportunity to break down and have something administered, but I turned it down every time. I had come that far, I just kept telling myself it would be just a bit longer... I just had to keep going a bit longer to keep my son from being drugged and groggy at our first meeting. I won't lie, it was hellacious, but looking back now, it's given me a huge sense of pride and accomplishment to have joined the ranks of my ancestors who felt every second of birthing their child. There is something to be said about feeling such a profound connection to your past and your future in that moment of bringing another human being into the world, just as your mother did, her mother did, her mother did and so on. I can't describe it, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be nearly as memorable for me if I was spending that moment worrying what effects the drugs might have on my son.

We're going to start trying for our second child soon. Having been through what I have, I have to think that a "normal" delivery will be much easier in comparison - I fully plan to go natural again. Should I find myself in the same situation with the baby not being positioned correctly, I honestly can't tell you how I'll react to the question of whether I want an epidural or not. When I was in the moment with my son, I had no idea how long labor would be, or that I'd be pushing for five hours... sometimes ignorance is bliss. If faced with the same situation again, and know knowing what I know now, I probably will most likely accept some method of pain relief... whatever will post the least risk to the baby. Should you, dear reader, find yourself in such a situation, I would advise the same. If, however, everything is going as planned and your baby is positioned as they should be, do your best to stick to your guns if you've decided that you want a natural child birth. It's so worth it!

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