I'm Giving it a Shot...

I ordered this book and got it in the mail the other day:

I really needed this book.

Why? Because I am (potentially) crazy and I want to *try* and have a drug-free birth.

I say “try” because that is exactly what my mind-set is. I am not going into this trying to be a hero and be screaming my lungs out and having my body ripped in half and still deny medical intervention and/or drugs because of my desire to “do it natural”

I’m not THAT crazy…

I just believe that the human body is designed to give birth (hey, women have been doing it since the dawn of time!) and that my body will instinctually know what to do. I just want to let it do what it already knows to do and let Nature take over.

I am also deathly, irrationally, stupidly freaked-the-hell out by epidurals.

Let me explain.  

Something about epidurals just seem unnatural to me. I DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING NUMB. DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT… (did I make my point??? Haha)  so here is my Pros and Cons list for trying to do this whole birth thing a la naturale…

PROS

-No epidural means I will be able to get into any position that feels comfortable to me during labor. I can stand, walk around, be on all fours (probably growling too), on my side, bent over the bed, taking a shower.. whatever. That really appeals to me.

-No epidural means nothing will mess with my body’s natural production of pain relievers… oxytocin, adrenaline, and endorphins. The books say these can be just as strong as engineered drugs.

-No epidural means I won’t be completely paranoid and freaked out the entire time, wondering if I’ll ever get sensation back, or if they screwed up and I’ll be paralyzed for life. Yes, I am a horrible worry-wort and I am actually beyond freaked out that they will paralyze me.

-No epidural means no anesthesiologist charge on our final bill. Yes, this is my Scrooge side talking here. It could save us $1,000’s.

CONS

- I could end up with a long labor and not be able to sleep or rest.

-When sensation comes back into your legs and body, you itch really bad.

-Me, needle-phobe of the highest degree, will have to lie for hours knowing there is something stuck into my spine.

-There are risks, though they are rare… including horrible headaches, and being numb up to your neck, and other complications

-I would be stuck on my back as soon as I get the epidural. No moving, no walking, no showers, just lying there.

-Some research has shown babies born to Moms who have epidurals don’t latch on and nurse as easily as babies born under no epidural.

-Epidurals mess with and stop your body’s natural production of pain relievers

-Epidurals can wear off and you still end up feeling pain.

In my opinion, the Pros of doing it drug-free outweigh the Cons and potential complications of having and epidural. 

I am trying to prepare myself as best I can with researching and exercising so that my body can have this baby epidural-free. But like I mentioned before, I am not a hero, nor am I am a hippie-Earth Mother… so if I end up in horrible pain and am willing to give up my right arm for some pain relief, I will ask for it.

It’s just a big struggle for me to be open-minded about epidurals since something is my gut screams “NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” every time I even think about them. I am trying though, because I know my birth experience may come down to really needing one or wanting one.

I'm sure some of you are shaking your head, listing me under your "crazy people" list and thinking I'm too big of weenie to pull off this natural thing.

You may be right.

But... I want to give it a shot. I really do. My Mom had 2 kids with no drugs, and countless other women have too... if they can do it, I'd like to think I can too.

Here's hoping!