As I am approaching the ½ way mark in my pregnancy I have thought about how to deliver this baby. With Lily I received the epidural around 8-9 centimeters. I don’t think it helped. I felt everything. It hurt. I felt the pain and pressure and even felt the lidocaine injection and stitches afterwards. Lucky for me I didn’t care at that point, I had a new baby girl to look at. They could have done just about anything and I would have smiled and said “okay”. I probably would have giggled too but I still felt every swipe of the needle stitching me up. Every swipe. Basically I felt like I delivered naturally. I went into that delivery knowing I wanted the epidural but I tried to stay open minded...just in case. That didn't work out so well. When it was discovered my labor progressed faster than expected my labor nurse made a bold statement that I didn't have much longer and I could do it naturally. I don't know if I even responded to her, if I did I likely threw her a nasty look that translated my overwhelming desire for an epidural. I thought I was more open minded for the possibility of not getting an epidural but obviously I wasn't. I tried to prepare myself that maybe my labor would be fast because my sister-in-law had 3 babies that shot out of her about as fast as her husband was paying for chinese food in the hallway. But that was my sister-in-law and well, you could barely tell she was pregnant when she was 9 months along. With my balloon belly (don't get me wrong, I loved my balloon belly) I didn't compare our pregnancies too much and didn't put too much thought into comparing our deliveries either.

I like the idea of having a natural childbirth mainly for the ability to move around. Once you get the epidural you have to stay in bed. Although there are limits to moving around due to monitoring the baby which I am just peachy with. I’ve been a baby nurse…ya know the one that comes in time for the grand finale to welcome the new one with fierce towel wiping (we do this because we like our newborn babies crying and pink). It's very important to know the status of the baby throughout labor. They are affected by every contraction and can react in ways baby nurses don't like to see. So I know the importance of monitoring the baby throughout delivery.

I want things to go as smoothly as possible, who doesn’t right? Although my decision at this time is to get the epidural I still read up on both topics. Mostly cuz I know each delivery is unknown…unknown when it will happen and the course that it will take. I will try and stay open minded about EVERYTHING. Even if I required a c/s I have faith and trust in my OB that it would be necessary. I really, really don’t care how I deliver, it’s the watermelon sized reward that matters.

There is A LOT of heated debate about having a natural delivery vs. a delivery with an epidural. Just like breast feeding vs. bottle feeding. I could care less what each person thinks is the BEST. It’s funny to me how one person can be so judgmental and put others down because their way it the BEST. Anyhow, at least it causes me to roll my eyes (I’m good at this) instead of getting my blood to boil. I don’t care. I try to support every one of my friends/family in their decisions. Even if I choose an alternate way…it doesn’t mean my decision is better than someone else's. I really hope all my friends know this and that I will always support them in their decisions. The following is a comment from a pregnancy website I often read. The article was about natural childbirth and this was the very first comment. As you read, especially the end, imagine my eyes rolling, over and over.


"Hi, I have been reading some of your stories and most of them are great. However it upsets me when I read or hear peoples comments putting down natural childbirth and the women who choose not to get high during delivery. It's childbirth, it's supposed to hurt. My husband has been told people who have babies at home are just stupid. Well excuse me, but women have only been delivering in hospitals for less than a century! Women who have babies at home naturally are truly strong, I speak from experience. I have a very low pain tolerancy yet I was able to deliver a 9lb. 10 oz. boy at home with no meds. I tore and required stitches, yet I would not have done it differently and am about to have my second child at home. Ladies, don't be discouraged by what other people say. Those who choose drugs can't appreciate what god has chosen for them and it makes it all to easy for some to keep having kids they can't care for. I know we share a special bond with our children because of the level of difficulty it took to bring them into the world that no woman who didn't feel it could ever understand."
-- Jessie