tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post8877543953364911692..comments2024-03-28T13:43:19.402-04:00Comments on Martin Family Moments: To Medicate or Not to Medicate? That is the Labor Question.Colleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-65294556624079967022015-01-18T21:53:05.732-05:002015-01-18T21:53:05.732-05:00Yes!!! Immediately after I had Peter (our first u...Yes!!! Immediately after I had Peter (our first unmedicated) I was telling Andrew I was planning on epidurals again from now on... But the memory of pain is still fresh and I kind of realize that it's probably just a better idea not to have medication as an option! Truthfully, my recovery after the girls' births and his birth were pretty similar (I'm not counting John Paul, because that was just a ridiculous labor and hard recovery), despite being medicated for their births and not with Peter. I keep meaning to write this up in blog post form buuuut we'll see if that ever happens!Rosiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12888635342531960478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-1107370363886581492015-01-15T07:32:05.031-05:002015-01-15T07:32:05.031-05:00Talk about things not going to plan! My sister en...Talk about things not going to plan! My sister ended up having a tumor removed from her Fallopian tube while pregnant with her first baby, then she had an emergency c section for that baby, and two scheduled c sections after that (our hospital doesn't do VBACs). Poor thing finally ended up having a hysterectomy at the age of 31 because she basically bled for a year after the birth of her last child. That's 5 surgeries!! Crazy!! It definitely makes me extremely grateful to have ever gotten the birth outcome I'd hoped for, and I don't take it for granted. I hope you can experience a VBAC one day if that's your desire, Caitlin :)Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-82917332787867037962015-01-14T17:50:08.434-05:002015-01-14T17:50:08.434-05:00With my first I really wanted to do it naturally, ...With my first I really wanted to do it naturally, but then I had a placental rupture and emergency c-section. With my second, I absolutely didn't care about going au naturel, I just wanted a VBAC, but ended up having to go with a scheduled c-section. I'm hoping to try for another VBAC when the time comes and I will just be thrilled if the baby doesn't have to come out through major abdominal surgery! Although after having two babies without a single contraction, I am probably even more terrified of labor than I was in my first pregnancy :)Caitlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01466771774001309549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-35616639501515185352015-01-14T15:10:09.535-05:002015-01-14T15:10:09.535-05:00I would say don't worry/overthink it, but I di...I would say don't worry/overthink it, but I did exactly that! The only upside was that it really did make the actual labor seem less scary than I had been envisioning. And maybe replace the wine with two shots of whiskey :)Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-65271829987538968662015-01-14T15:01:14.722-05:002015-01-14T15:01:14.722-05:00"The more times you go through it, the more y..."The more times you go through it, the more you know what it's like." Oh, yes. Let's just agree that the whole "you forget once they're out" is not really true for a lot of us!!!! Worth it? Yeah, I guess. But oh yes, I remember. My current plan is not to think about it and then maybe my head won't get in the way too much. That and a glass of wine once things start getting real.Mary @ Better Than Edenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05409924891343767874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-68028393049638556722015-01-14T14:32:39.139-05:002015-01-14T14:32:39.139-05:00It's been true for me...but maybe it's jus...It's been true for me...but maybe it's just that it happened on my 4th, 5th, and 6th babies and parenting was a little easier by then!!Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-11450813454603598602015-01-14T14:11:05.890-05:002015-01-14T14:11:05.890-05:00Hm...I'd never considered the possible connect...Hm...I'd never considered the possible connection between easy baby and unmedicated...I'm trying to think of a birth that I know of that doesn't follow this "rule"...Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17012343060419868539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-29749468400315289852015-01-14T12:58:38.035-05:002015-01-14T12:58:38.035-05:00Agreed, healthy mom and baby. That's why I st...Agreed, healthy mom and baby. That's why I stopped getting the epidural - it gave me an unhealthy result the third time around. But I know that's rare and I'm not saying I would never get one again...like you said, they are all different!Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-12740995457911617362015-01-14T12:51:37.482-05:002015-01-14T12:51:37.482-05:00I had no choice but natural childbirth with my fir...I had no choice but natural childbirth with my first three. When my fourth came along the pain was incredible different! So I got the epidural with no complications and it was wonderful. Best labor ever. I will definitely get the epidural again if the situation allows it. Every labor is different and as long as there is a healthy baby and mommy at the end of the ordeal then that is always the best situation. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-78329744519988771622015-01-14T12:29:29.152-05:002015-01-14T12:29:29.152-05:00Hahaha, yes, I ask even though they are not availa...Hahaha, yes, I ask even though they are not available too! We're weak and vulnerable HUMANS :)Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-6289152090381563882015-01-14T12:24:26.812-05:002015-01-14T12:24:26.812-05:00I love this Colleen! I have to discount your theor...I love this Colleen! I have to discount your theory in that my first was super easy (induced and drugged!) and this little lady of mine... well, she's easy now but in the beginning oh hellllllno she wasn't (and no drugs). ;) I had a lot of regret and sadness after the first because I just couldn't cut it. I really couldn't even think about it for too long without getting weepy (the hormones! they raged!). After the second (almost 30 hours shorter but hurt more than I can imagine) I declared that I would never ever be trying to do that again... but within a couple of days I was starting to think I could do it. And now? Pretty sure I'm swearing off the drugs. Like you, if they're available, I'll ask. Or in the case with my second, they weren't available and I still asked.Caitlynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13749026285320725448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-46220371980428573772015-01-14T11:13:51.164-05:002015-01-14T11:13:51.164-05:00Amen and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!Amen and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-76335661213296058062015-01-14T11:13:25.597-05:002015-01-14T11:13:25.597-05:00That's a good reason!That's a good reason! Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-40617454547123293212015-01-14T11:00:52.625-05:002015-01-14T11:00:52.625-05:00I had all three of mine without an epidural. I did...I had all three of mine without an epidural. I did have very fast deliveries which helped. I'm not sure if the deliveries were fast because I didn't have an epidural or if that's just my body. Plus, who am I kidding? I'm terrified of needles! I'll literally endure any pain to forego the anxiety I have for needles. Marjoriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17321079714068819379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-89266128155739093272015-01-14T10:38:51.865-05:002015-01-14T10:38:51.865-05:00I think this is a great post. Being pregnant with ...I think this is a great post. Being pregnant with #2 I feel is a lot easier in some regards than being pregnant with your first since you have some experience. With my daughter, I wanted a natural birth, but, well, you really can't plan for everything. She was sunny side up which meant that my back labor was honestly excruciating, and I held out as long as I could, but I only dilated to I think 4 and got an epidural. Once I fully dilated I pushed for 2 hours, when she wouldn't budge they attempted a vacuum and that failed too. So I had an emergency c-section. And I'm okay with that.<br /><br />I think some "crunchy" people get so caught up in the feeling that they fail to see that not everything works for every experience. I follow a lot of more natural minded fb pages and so often I feel like they make people with c-sections feel like it was a bad thing. Or for that matter, those that medicate. I feel like you do what you need to do to have a healthy baby and that's okay. Not one birth is better than another. They are all different.<br /><br />So now that I'm pregnant with #2, I will try for a VBAC, and attempt natural again, but if it goes similar to last time and my body doesn't rotate the baby properly then I will get an epidural to manage the pain. And if I can't birth vaginally, that's okay too. Too many women beat themselves up over how their birth went. I hope to just go with the flow, and however it's meant to go will be how it will be. God is in charge, definitely not us, especially when in labor.Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18037863893536646602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-80445401533046920552015-01-14T10:31:49.436-05:002015-01-14T10:31:49.436-05:00Hurts soooooo much! I agree :)Hurts soooooo much! I agree :)Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11451797365712728579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937303870758455964.post-69712337518463679412015-01-14T10:17:08.785-05:002015-01-14T10:17:08.785-05:00I couldn't agree more with feeling let down af...I couldn't agree more with feeling let down after an epidural and amazing after a natural birth. But it is hard to forget how much the natural hurts and how much relief comes from an epidural.Katie Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13346299617811169438noreply@blogger.com