by Susan Lower

Created on: April 11, 2008

Labor, like love, is a natural thing. Five years ago I embraced them both on the morning my first child was born.

It doesn't always happen the same way for each person, but for me I wouldn't have had it any other way. I gave birth in a birthing center set in a separate wing of a hospital. At first people looked at me pretty odd when I told them I was going to have my baby without drugs. I'm afraid of needles, you see. Or at least five years ago I was.

My husband was wonderful, he supported my decision, and was the best coach I could have had in the situation. We went to labor class learning many techniques for relaxation and pain control during labor. My husband played low, soft, soothing music in the cd player and we danced the early stages away like new love on a date in a dim room. He massaged my hands, and who would have thought the wonderful feeling it brought in amidst the contractions. The nurse pressed on my back during contractions.

Then when I felt I couldn't do it anymore, I asked for Tylenol. Yep good old fashioned Tylenol, and the nurse gave me something much better. A soak in a warm tub. I gave birth to my baby not a half hour later.

It was one of the greatest moments in my life.

But I've had an epidural too. I have three children. The first two were natural - drug free. Then my third came along and the doctor insisted I have an epidural. It was a drug induced labor after my water broke and I showed no progress through the night. For the pain the Epidural put me through to get it - let me tell you. It wasn't worth the hassle.

The epidural didn't work! Besides getting over the fear of all the things that could go wrong when they put the needle in, once it was there it didn't do their job. The anesthesiologist said, "Oh, well sometimes that happens."

Sometimes that happens, he just didn't mention it before he stuck the needle in my back and made me go through the horrid task with my husband being tossed out in the hallway.

Sometimes that happens, when you can still feel everything on your left side, because the right one is numb.

Sometimes ladies, things happen. But sometimes it's just best if we try to manage pain in our own ways. Nobody knows your body like you do, and nobody knows how the epidural will effect them or their babies. What goes into you, goes in your baby too.

I'll never have an epidural again. My first two children came into this world a lot quicker and more alert than my last child with all modern medicines pain free promises. You decide what is best for you.

Learn more about this author, Susan Lower.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.