BornToResist Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I have heard conflicting information about pain medication during labor. I know it's a tremendous amount of pain and I'm not going into this thinking it won't be, but are there downsides to getting pain medication, such as epidurals, etc. during delivery? If you DID have medication, did it help a lot? Did you have any side-effects? Could you imagine labor without it? Would you do it differently next time? If you DIDN'T have any meds, why'd you make that choice? Would you do it differently next time? I am completely undecided on the subject. Any input appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melrich Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 My partner had both our kids drug free (but for some gas). The first was really bad as she had major tearing and and our son got stuck in the birth canal so it was a very long final stage of labor. She took a while to recover from this labor because of the tearing and she does not know if drugs would have shortened the recovery or lengthened it. For our second she actually planned to get some pain relief (no epidural) but by the time we got to the hospital and worked out what was going on it was too late in the labor for anything to be administered and it was just the gas again. This was an "easy" labor. No problems. My partner and I could have gone out for dinner 2 hours later. That seems to be the common theme I hear about drugs for pain relief during birth, the recovery for the mother is much slower, the baby tends to be a bit dopey for a couple of days. One form of pain relief she did use is called "Tens" here. It is basically electrical pulses sent into the back around the spine to block pain messages to the brain. Sounds sci-fi but she swears it works to take the real edge off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythical_Suicide Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I had two shots of Stadol and a shot of demerol earlier in my labor, neither one worked. I then had an epidural but they had to stick me 3 times to get it right the second time brushing a nerve so I now have constant pain in my back from it, on top of the fact they had it turned on too high at first so I was numb from my top lip down and once they turned it down it was too low so I felt everything, didnt help I had a 4th degree tear but thats beside the point, if I had it to do all over again I wont be gettin an epidural next time. Just to add I was in labor for 35 hours with almost 3 hours of pushing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToResist Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Okay okay I appreciate your input but I REALLY don't want to hear labor horror stories, since there's no way of getting out of this now!! So I'm guessing you'd go med free next time...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythical_Suicide Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Oh sorry I wasn't trying to give you a labor horror story I was just stating that if I had to do it all ove ragain i'd go med free just because it was pointless getting meds and if I have another, it will definitely be a medication free labor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerngirl Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I had an epidural for my first child, during labor. Within 30 minutes of that, my heart was stopping. I was also 14 hours into labor. They gave me drugs to try to boost my blood pressure that didnt work. They finally did an emergency CSection. Also, my labor wasnt progressing even that far into labor, its like my body just wasnt doing it right, I wasnt even but 4 centimeters along and you have to be 8-10" so.... I will never know if it was the drug used for pain relief, not sure what it was... the procedure of having the epidural, or just 'labor intollerance' as my doctor called it. But for that reason I can not risk even having natural delivery again, the thought of my heart giving out is too scary for me, so planned Csections for me now. If I had to do it again, I probally still would want the pain meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southerngirl Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Okay okay I appreciate your input but I REALLY don't want to hear labor horror stories, since there's no way of getting out of this now!! So I'm guessing you'd go med free next time...? I really am sorry I typed that before I read your reply. You and me are different people and every labor is different. Please dont worry about my personal story.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Good question, BTR. I have heard some downsides of pain meds being the epidural sort of makes things take longer??? True? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I really am sorry I typed that before I read your reply. You and me are different people and every labor is different. Please dont worry about my personal story.... You're cute, SouthernGirl!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythical_Suicide Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I think its nice to know the good and bad sides of labor meds, thats why I posted what I did because I was never made aware of the BAD things that could happen I was just told of the good it could do. But as southerngirl said every labor is different and you could have the smoothest easy going labor (I pray that you do!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythical_Suicide Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Good question, BTR. I have heard some downsides of pain meds being the epidural sort of makes things take longer??? True? There have been "speculations" of that but from everything i've heard and learned from it is thats all it is is speculation it has never been proven to slow down a labor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hope75 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Hey BTR, Of course there are risks to you and the baby with any type of pain medication regime during labor, but you and the baby will be closely monitored and the risks are pretty minimal. The majority of the risk is with slight respiratory depression in the baby when he first comes out, but again it's not terribly common and the doctors and nurses are right there if they need to give the baby a little "blow-by" O2 in the first few minutes... and the fetal monitor lets them know right away if the baby is in any kind of distress. Generally what we tell moms is that pain medication or not, everyone goes home with a baby. So it really is a personal choice that each parent must make when the time comes. I think it's very smart that you are doing your homework, and you should also talk with your OB about your options and what the potential side effects to you or the baby are. It's getting close to that time... wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwdreeHpburn Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Hey Born - The info I'VE heard about the meds, you could easily get from your Dr as well. There are possible side effects to them all, I believe, but the narcotic ones are the worst, for possibility of side effects. I personally went drug free-all naa-sure-al with my first child. It was painful, I'm not going to lie, but to ME, the pain was very toerable. I actually prefer to describe it as "uncomfortable" rather than painful....if that makes any sense... If you have to have a ceasarian, of course you will HAVE to be medicated...nothing you can do about that..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hope75 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 There have been "speculations" of that but from everything i've heard and learned from it is thats all it is is speculation it has never been proven to slow down a labor. Timing of medication is very important when giving mom pain meds in labor. If they are given too early, they can indeed slow down the labor process. If given too late in labor they can cause a little bit of respiratory depression in the baby- so it is watched very carefully and that is why sometimes they will tell a mom that it's too late to have anything for pain if she is going to deliver shortly. An epidural can at times knock out the labor pattern in a laboring mom, so that is true- but they will typically give pitocin to speed it back up and get things going again. For the mom, an epidural carries the side effect of lowering her blood pressue, so it is watched very closely after administration and they will give her IV fluids if needed to bring it back up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwdreeHpburn Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Good question, BTR. I have heard some downsides of pain meds being the epidural sort of makes things take longer??? True? I supppose that's different for everyone too, but part of the issue there is that you can't feel the contractions, obviously, because they've numbed you so you aren't so aware of when to push or how hard. So yeh, it can take a bit longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texami Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 i had an epidural both times. it was fantastic and i had super-quick, relatively easy deliveries (trying to be the "good" story, here... but also completely TRUE!) the drugs that are narcotics or other kind of pain reducers that circulate through your system i was wary of just because it will impact the baby. the epidural seemed like the way to block the pain only. i've heard the "it slows down labor" things before... my friend is an L&D nurse, and she says that women are so different there really isn't strong proof to that. epidurals are kind of freaky... and a bit scary, but when they work it's great. you're pretty much numb, but you can still push, move, etc. (although it does take a while for you to be able to walk. i wanted to get up a few hours after the delivery, and my legs were still wobbly/numb.) with my second child i was induced a week early, and so i got the drugs to make you go into labor, too. if you do slow down too much, they can always give you that to speed up labor. best of luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texami Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 I supppose that's different for everyone too, but part of the issue there is that you can't feel the contractions, obviously, because they've numbed you so you aren't so aware of when to push or how hard. So yeh, it can take a bit longer. with all the machines and people in the room tracking my labor, they told me when to push. however, i think i would have known because it really is like you can feel the pressure of what's going on (the squeezing factor of the contractions), but there isn't much pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwdreeHpburn Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 epidurals are kind of freaky... and a bit scary, but when they work it's great. yeh - see it's the messing with sticking big ol' needles directly into my spinal column that completely freaks me - not to mention - what about the times they DON'T work?? The possibilities are WAY worse then the baby may be a bit groggy.....(which I wouldn't do either, I'm just sayin'...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwdreeHpburn Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 with all the machines and people in the room tracking my labor, they told me when to push. however, i think i would have known because it really is like you can feel the pressure of what's going on (the squeezing factor of the contractions), but there isn't much pain. that's true. I've just heard people say that relying on the nurses to tell you and waiting for the machine to show the increase, just slows down the process a bit. I don't think by hours or anything, but none-the-less, it is as you said, diffeernt for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texami Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 yeh - see it's the messing with sticking big ol' needles directly into my spinal column that completely freaks me - not to mention - what about the times they DON'T work?? The possibilities are WAY worse then the baby may be a bit groggy.....(which I wouldn't do either, I'm just sayin'...) yeah, i've heard some bad stories about when they just don't work well enough... you go in thinking you won't have pain, and then you're P*SSED off at the very least. it's all about figuring out what aspects of the process you can handle and how you want to make the delivery choices for yourself. i'm wondering about making the baby groggy?? i thought it was a like a local anesthetic deposited around certain nerves to block pain, not somehting that would ever make it into your bloodstream? they put it in the spinal column where there is spinal fluid. i'll have to google... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texami Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 link removed there is a statement about making the baby lethargic... good information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToResist Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Okay it wasn't that I don't want to hear labor stories because if it has to do with meds, I want to be informed. But I just get freaked out by needles and the whole "stabbing" and "sticking" adjectives to describe them makes my skin crawl. I heard about the baby being groggy too, which I why I ultimately asked this question. I have a very high pain tolerance but can't handle getting shots whatsoever. There's just something about injecting my body with something that I can't stand. I am so undecided on this subject! My mom told me that she had an epidural with her first and swore never to have another one and never regretted it...is there any way that labor patterns are hereditary...? (I'm guessing a big fat no, but it would be nice to believe I will have deliveries like my mom...) I think I'm leaning towards trying without meds...but then again it seems silly when there's so many advances in medicine that I could take advantage of... Anyways thanks for all the input so far!!! (And yeah it is coming up REALLY quick...it seems to have flown by...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythical_Suicide Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 I waited til I physically couldnt handle it anymore, I was gettin to the point where I was seizing because the pain was getting so bad, I also had horrible back labor so it just made it worse. I dont wish that on my worst enemy.. okay well maybe I do but thats beside the point but my next child, unless its by csection which is a high possibilty but it is going to be completely medication free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilly Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 So glad you asked this question, BTR. I always thought it was weird people didn't want the epidural, but now, I see why. I'm asking my doc next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToResist Posted December 6, 2006 Author Share Posted December 6, 2006 Me too! I'm going to "Childbirth Education" classes too so hopefully they'll talk about this. I want as many opinions as possible. (I take the hospital tour tonight...scary! It's getting close...) It's frightening to think about going through it completely med-free but I might end up going this route. As long as they give me heavy duty pain pills afterwards... I can't handle even the thought of getting a shot into my spine. Just reading that website made me feel dizzy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now