Natural Childbirth

Pregnancy is a time of joy, expectation and many personal decisions. One such decision is whether to deliver your new baby naturally without drugs. I decided early on that I would deliver without drugs or an epidural. I was determined to have the healthiest baby I could.

The decision to have a natural childbirth is often easy to make, and not always possible to keep. Complications arise in many pregnancies, changing many of the plans we have made. I did experience some complications with both of my pregnancies; however none required having a cesarean section. Some women experience a long labor and need to have pain relief to rest.

Pain relief drugs during delivery can cause many complications. Complications that can affect your baby include difficulty breathing and slowed response after birth. Combine these complications with issues your baby might have at birth and you have a potential recipe for disaster. Complications that may affect you include drowsiness, inability to effectively push, and lack of complete awareness. This doesn't include allergic reactions.

There is a learning curve to having a baby. No matter how well read you become on the topic of delivering your child, there will be surprises. With my first son, I was bound and determined to be drug-free when he was born. Unfortunately, when I reached transition, the painful contractions were so strong I requested something without asking the nurse to check my dilation. They gave me half a shot of fentanyl and I then fully entered transition. I was only semi conscious at this point. I must have appeared to be resting, because everyone but my mother (who was also acting in a similar role as a doula) left the room. My mother remembers I told her I had to push, and she told me I couldn't until she got everyone back in the room!

I had some trouble pushing, and I fully believe that the drug affected my ability to deliver my son. His head was stuck in the birth canal, perhaps because I lacked the strength to push effectively. My midwife ended up doing a vacuum extraction to get his head to move out of the birth canal.

I was so happy to have my son in my arms, but I felt a lingering disappointment that I had caved and asked for the nurse to medicate me. I wished I had just held out for a little longer. I couldn't go back and change the way my first son was born, so when I became pregnant again, I determined to do it right this time.

I informed my spouse and mother that if I asked for any drugs during the delivery of my second son that the nurses should check my dilation before administering the medication to me. I knew that if my second labor and delivery were anything like the first I would be able to handle the pain until just before I entered transition and was ready to push. Sure enough, when I reached the end of my pain tolerance, the midwife checked me and I was ready to push.

Pushing with my second son was a much better experience. I was more alert and responsive. I was able to push more effectively. I delivered a nearly 11 pound baby with no drugs and no tearing.

There are many ways to handle labor pains without the use of drugs. I highly recommend going to a birthing class. The instructor at these classes can teach you how to properly do breathing exercises, and explain other drug free options. If the instructor doesn't have in-depth knowledge of a method you are interested in trying, they can give you a reference to someone who can teach you more.