Baby Corner

[Eveline 9]

Haha, I watch those shows too although all the epidurals and pitocin induced women sometimes get on my nerves. Seems like the doctors are trying to break records sometimes. I can't stop watching it though and I do cry too every now and then. I can't wait.

[MrsAmera 41]

Wow suddenly I feel super old lol! Well where to start haha. Sammy - if you're not hungry and feel sick don't eat. It's not going to hurt either one of you. I can remember going 2 or 3 days with my first pregnancy and not being able to keep anything down. Try some crackers or whatever does sound appealing even if it's not "the best" for you.

Hmm as for me - going on week 32 here - jeez where has the time gone? Up to having a visit to the midwife every 2 weeks to check the status of things. I've become a little worried lately though because the fetal movements have decreased hugely - very noticeable. So I have to rest every few hours and make sure he's moving at least 5 times in a half hour. As this is the second baby all the kicking is really low which is not comfortable at all for me! I swear his leg is going to stick out one of these times!! I also was diagnosed with severe anemia so I'm on almost 100mg of iron a day to increase the red blood cell count.

Just a general thought on my part by Eveline's comment. When you get in the situation of delivering it won't happen fast enough - honestly. And doctor's really are not apt to use an epidural or petocin or other medication to speed along the delivery. Petocin is used to induce labor but it is also often used after the birth to stop bleeding. It might seem that way on TV but not in real life. With my son I went into active labor 2 weeks early and was dialated to 5 cm, 100% effaced then my labor stopped. My water hadn't broken yet and they refused to give me petocin or break my water and instead sent me home. They did make an appt for a week later that if my labor didn't "re-start" they would break my water and get the labor going again. Guess what it didn't start. And if you think that walking around uber pregnant isn't fun - try it with your cervix half way open! I have total respect for women who give birth totally naturally but I highly recommend and enjoyed the epidural. When my labor did start again I had all back labor - I never felt a contraction in my stomach only in my back. So it was like 1000 lbs of pressure being squeezed on my spine. By the time I was around 7-8 cm I couldn't take the pressure anymore it hurt so bad I thought my back was going to explode. Then I got the epidural and I could actually relax and enjoy the experience 100x's more than I could have were I in the pain I was before epidural. With this pregnancy I'll do it naturally as long as I can but I'll make sure they know I'm up for the meds! So that's all for now - good luck gals

[Marilyn. 340]

I had a natural childbirth experience, not by choice though.... there wasn't time to give me anything....

boy, did that hurt...

they kept telling me to push through the pain but I kept yelling back, " I can't, it hurts..!!"

It is weird though because I remember it hurt a lot but I don't actually remember the pain

Edited November 6, 2006 by MarilynP

[MrMrsKnight 0]

So, you can get an epidural even if you're not having a C section? If so, does the pain go away completely?

I just want to make sure everything in the US is the same as here.... I'm learning for when I need it

[Saddle Bronc 124]

So, you can get an epidural even if you're not having a C section? If so, does the pain go away completely?

I just want to make sure everything in the US is the same as here.... I'm learning for when I need it

Pras tells me that for a C-section it will be general (not epidural) anaesthetic. Epidural is only for a variation of "normal delivery", as it is does the maximum (but not cent-percent) pain suppression without stopping the contractions.

(and yes, Pras worked as a doctor in India; she can do so here after taking USMLE).

Edited November 6, 2006 by CherryXS

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So, you can get an epidural even if you're not having a C section? If so, does the pain go away completely?

I just want to make sure everything in the US is the same as here.... I'm learning for when I need it :

Pras tells me that for a C-section it will be general (not epidural) anaesthetic. Epidural is only for a variation of "normal delivery", as it is does the maximum (but not cent-percent) pain suppression without stopping the contractions.

(and yes, Pras worked as a doctor in India; she can do so here after taking USMLE).

They do use epidurals for c-sections as well. Pras will know that after taking USMLE.

[Marilyn. 340]

So, you can get an epidural even if you're not having a C section? If so, does the pain go away completely?

I just want to make sure everything in the US is the same as here.... I'm learning for when I need it

I am pretty sure it does but they do turn off the medication once you start pushing... that is why they couldn't give me anything because the baby was already on his way out and they don't want the baby to be drowsy for that......

[Eveline 9]

They do give epidurals for c-sections. I have read that sometimes doctors won't give you an epidural when you are 7 cm dialated and they just tell you to push through the pain for only a few more minutes...which I don't understand at all. How many more patients do they ask in the hospital to just get through the pain for a few more minutes....

I am not totally against epirudals. I will keep that option open for me to get one on request but - and call me naive since I don't know what to expect yet - I wanna try to go as far as possible without any medication. My husband and my Mother in Law are in on it and are going to talk me out of it. Whenever the baby is here and I went through the pain I'll probably understand you - AmeraMouttaki - a lot better.

As for the hospitals on TV. I think they are always the same hospitals and always the same doctors and they really tend to give epis and pitocin A LOT. I mean before I got pregnant I watched those shows and I thought it was normal in the US to have labor induced...

[MrMrsKnight 0]

Good.... I want the drugs!!

I'm such a hypocrite about this.... lol... I'd tell anyone to do it naturally, no drugs at all. But I'm sure I'll give in once I'm having a baby. I know I will....

And yeah I'm sure they give you the epidural when you're having a C section. I just wasn't sure if they also gave you that if you're having a natural birth. Thanks for the replies!

[Marilyn. 340]

I really don't know how women can do childbirth naturally by choice ....

I am not knocking women who do... it just is still kind of fresh in my mind how much pain it is ....

Edited November 6, 2006 by MarilynP

[Nizzy 1]

They do give epidurals for c-sections. I have read that sometimes doctors won't give you an epidural when you are 7 cm dialated and they just tell you to push through the pain for only a few more minutes...which I don't understand at all. How many more patients do they ask in the hospital to just get through the pain for a few more minutes....

I am not totally against epirudals. I will keep that option open for me to get one on request but - and call me naive since I don't know what to expect yet - I wanna try to go as far as possible without any medication. My husband and my Mother in Law are in on it and are going to talk me out of it. Whenever the baby is here and I went through the pain I'll probably understand you - AmeraMouttaki - a lot better.

As for the hospitals on TV. I think they are always the same hospitals and always the same doctors and they really tend to give epis and pitocin A LOT. I mean before I got pregnant I watched those shows and I thought it was normal in the US to have labor induced...

I think wanting to do it naturally without any meds is a first-timer thing. I want to do it without an epidural because I'm soooo afraid of getting a shot near my spine. The needle looks so horrible and one wrong move and that's it (well at least that's how I feel). One of my relatives is now having so much trouble with her back due to an epidural she had 10 years ago. She is constantly in excruciating pain. That's what scares me so I will try to do it without. If I get a C-section then I guess I don't have a choice. My brother-in-laws wife had a natural birth without any painkillers and she was telling me that at one point her husband was the one begging her to get the epidural. lol. Do you guys know how long we can wait after your water breaks to go to the hospital? I would rather spend the majority of the time at home then in a cold hospital room.

[KiKi 0]

I had a C-section with this baby and they gave me a spinal, not an epidural....

it was ALOT stronger....I was dead from the waist down, completely.

I had epidurals with BOTH of my sons....they are the BEST!!!!!! I admire those that can go natural, but I'm no hero .....LOL. I rather enjoyed watching my contractions on the monitor and saying "That was a big one" and not feeling it......

[Eveline 9]

I had real bad belly pain the other day and believe me...it made me think about an epidural again. We'll see what happens. I read that you get to a point (when you are dialating to 10 cm) where the pain doesn't get any worse. The complete dialation of the cervix is the most pain you have to go through and from then on it stays the same and then decreases. Of course me sitting here feeling all comfy and in no pain is different from me dialating to only 3 cm and then having to wait maybe another 20 hrs until complete dialation. I guess we can only wait and see what the decision is going to be in the end.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Eveline

[Nizzy 1]

I don't know if I should do this but I am basing my feelings about a no meds labor on my normal menstrual pain. I have had the most excruciating periods since 11. I'm talking back pain, cramps, leg pain, vomiting, and headache. I also found out that I have a cyst in my ovary that is the culprit for my severe cramps. Even though the doctor would prescribe Ibprofein and codeine, I got through it without meds because I wanted to train my body to endure pain. After a couple of hours I found that I could get through it by breathing and envisioning the pain. Either it subsided or I learned to get used to the pain. Hopefully this technique works during labor. Although I do think I am being slightly naive. I guess we'll see!

[Irisheyes 0]

I'm thinking I won't get through too much of it without drugs of some variety.....Bring 'em on I say!! I'm the biggest wimp and I'm not trying to be anybodys hero, LOL! I just want to get through it as easily as possible. I don't want to be in so much pain that I don't relax and experience as much as I can.

Nizzy, the technique you use for pain management should work just as well in labor, maybe just more intense than your reqular period pains. It sounds like one of the methods they teach in pre-natal classes anyway. You can focus on an object outside your pain or on the pain itself, as you do. Hopefully the painful period pains won't have been in vain!