What are your thoughts about natural childbirth?

Natural childbirth is a nice ideal, but I think that a woman should still stay open to the possibility that she may need or want drugs. Being completely adamant and close-minded about the idea of drugs could hurt you in the long run. I had a 24 hr. labor and pushed for 3 hrs. My daughters head was stuck. She was born here on Guam when the awful Korean Air crash occured. I had been adamant that I was not going to have drugs, but by the time I decided I really needed them no anethesiologists were available to give me an edpidural...they were all medicating crash victims. I was giving seditives, which didn't take the pain away and only made me sleep between contractions. I am just saying, that if you can have a natural childbirth...that is wonderful and ideal, but don't be close minded like I was because you may regret it later. The most important thing is that you and your baby come through the birth experience as easily as possible.

Keep an open mind! But...dont' think that you're not a real woman if you receive drugs during childbirth. Why torture yourself if you don't have to. I had a 27 hour labor and had horrible back labor, how do you spell relief? EPIDURAL EPIDURAL EPIDURAL!!! It is safe for you and your baby, and it puts you at such ease,and lets you relax for a while, cause your gonna need some kind of rest. Another thing, a lot of men dont want their wives/girlfriends to have an epi, but remember he's not the one pushing the pot roast out of a pringles can(for a little humor). Use your best judgement, and good luck. Its the best experience!

Don't place yourlife in anyone elses hands ....Listen to God.... Do only What He Guides you to ... THis is a Great commision don't perform.... only a humble and contrite heart can bear the pain of child birth and sin.

Well I have had babies naturally. Drugs I did not want. I did this the second time and I was a mess. I got demerol and all I did was sleep between contractions just to wake in a panic as the next contraction was peaking. I never considered the epidural since they are not safe. Please read into this before you choose one. They may not take on both sides, you can be paralized, the medicine does get to your baby and can cause breathing problems to name one thing, you can get the terrible spinal headache-this sometimes requires a blood patch to repair the hole in your spine. Any drug can be hard on the baby as they do reach the baby. In the hospital or at home you may want to consider hiring a doula to be labor support. They are trained to help women through labor with pain relief messures that don't require drugs. To me it is worth the money. I just didn't want to risk the epidural that often leads to the pitocin due to the epidural slowing your contractions down. Then on to more juice in the epidural to the baby being stressed to section or not being able to push due to lack of feeling and on to the section. If you need drugs don't feel badly. Just make a smart decision and get a small dose. I made it through a 52 hour back labor and did just fine without anything.

If possible, I hope many women would at least try and prepare for natural/drug-free childbirth. According to the AMA, there are no medications that have been proven to be safe for the pregnant women and/or child that she carries. Yes, there are reasons for some women to take drugs during labor! However, it seems that drugs are being pushed on many women who would likely do just fine without them given a little support.
I had Demerol with my first 3 births - didn't really work other than the psychological effect of "Oh! They gave me drugs so this must not really hurt anymore" (that effect didn't last long:-)) With my last two births, I went drug-free, and I will say right now that barring emergency c-section, I will always plan to go drug-free for my future (hopefully!) births. Such an easy recovery, no weird side effects from the drugs for me OR baby...Of course, my last one was born without access to drugs, so I didn't have a choice ayway! But I still wouldn't trade the pain of back labor/sunny-side-up baby for the access to drugs. I'm sure if something was wrong enough for me to need medications/surgery, God would send some kind of sign in time!

If you go into labor thinking that you'll see how bad it is and decide to have drugs or not, you'll probably need them. If you prepare yourself with relaxation and make up your mind to not use drugs, you have a much better chance of succeeding. Birthing naturally was the best thing I did for myself and for my baby. When the pediatrician heard I was going without drugs he applauded me. Of course the obstetricians said not to count on not being able to go without. What a great way to make sure that a woman doesn't trust in herself. Fortunately, I didn't listen. If it's not okay to use drugs in pregnancy, why is it okay in labor? Why do drugs all of a sudden become safe? How about the babies that need to be resuscitated because drugs were given to mom and the doctor thought that they would be out of baby's system before birth, but weren't? It's not worth the risk. I spend nine months doing everything I can to ensure that my baby is safe and is not exposed to harmful chemicals. I absolutely refuse to take drugs in labor, barring a TRULY emergency c-section.

Hey!!! natural child birth sounds all fine and dandy and you should do what you think is best .but with my 1st they wouldnt give me an epidural because of my insurance I was given one shot of demerol I had very bad back labor and didnt give birth untill 4hrs later, my 2nd I had good insurance and an excellant Dr. he gave me an epidural I had back labor again and it relieved most of my pain I was very happy, Im expecting my 3rd any day now and the miniute I walk in the door Im gonna tell them lets get the epidural started Im not doing this without it, luckily Ive got the same Dr. that delivered my 2nd so I know labor/delivery is going to be easy cause I know I'll have an epidural to help me. Im a baby when it comes to pain and back labor is VERY,VERY,VERY painful I dont know what I would do without drugs, but thats me. you have to do whats best for you.

I was one of the lucky women who was fortunate enough to give birth without a lot of pain. Both of my deliveries were too quick to have any kind of medication anyway, so for my husband and I they were both great expereinces.

I had an 18 hour labor. I was in pain, but more tired than anything. My nurse told me that I didn't need an epidural. I was scared, but it really wasn't bad. I thought that it would hurt more to push, but it actually felt better. I did have a Demerol shot. I would not recommend it. All it did was make me more sleepy and it did nothing for the pain. I felt out of control.

I think natural childbirth is wonderful. Even though I only got to do it for 12 hours strait and then they had to perform a c-section. I love the thought of my child being born without drugs, not being asleep the whole time we were in the hospital. I liked the idea that you could get out of bed after the birth and not be drugged and in bed for the remainder of the day. Those 12 hours was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life but those 12 hours I proved I could what I set my mind to do.