Epidural or No Epidural That Is The Question?

Let me just say for the record that I am so happy that I decided against using an epidural during Lincoln's birth.

First off, I had a very quick active labor and for those of you that don't know that means when you go from 4cm to 10cm. Active labor is the phase that hurts the most and going from 8cm to 10cm is not a walk in the park. Honestly my active labor phase went so quickly I really didn't even have the time to think about getting an epidural.

Secondly, if I had received an epidural I would not of been able to push Lincoln out 'sunny-side' up and I probably would of had to have a c-section according to my doctor and nurses. I say no way to those. That is some major surgery.

Now I am going to get on my soapbox here a bit and just discuss some of the things I have noticed about epidural use and how I believe society sees a low-medicated/non-medicated birth.

When I told my group of girlfriends that I would be trying to have a non-epidural birth I got one comment from all of them, "Are you crazy?" That was it, end of conversation. I also got told, "Oh don't worry about it, just get the epidural and you will be fine." Trying to find support from a group of women my age was really hard to find, and in fact I couldn't find one! It seemed like everybody in their 20's who were having children were getting an epidural with out even thinking about it! It was like the miracle drug for women to have 'pain-free' child birth. When I even told my nurse practitioner about my plans she even said to me, "ooohh you need to have a high pain tolerance to be able to do it." Well no shit, Sherlock. Like I didn't know this was going to hurt.  I then turned to my friends who were out of their 20's and they were much more supportive. That is how my mom became my labor coach. She had done this before with all 3 kids with no pain meds except the minor IV drugs they can give, so I figured she was the best I could have in there with me.

I have found through this experience that the medical community just expects women to get epidurals and in return women are not even told the risks that come with an epidural, or even given the chance to question natural child birth. I find this somewhat detrimental to women's health and I think that it doesn't empower women to make an educated choice. The idea that you can't trust your body to do what it was born to do naturally is crazy to me, not the idea of choosing a low-medicated/non-medicated birth.

Through watching films, attending birthing classes, and doing my own what I like to call 'google' research I have come up with some reasons why I think that natural/low-medicated birth is the best option if you can.

1. Epidural use is directly related to higher c-section rates. A c-section is no minor surgery! It takes at least 6-weeks to recover and have you actually watched a c-section video? Well, I have and let me say it looks like no fun. Yes you can't feel anything, but man it is not an easy thing to do. Just check out the links below for a lot of information! Doctors who used EA (epidural analegesia) 40 percent or less only had a 14.8% rate of c-section compared to those who used it 71-100% of the time had a 23.4% increase in c-sections. Yikes! (This is in Canada but the US shows similar rates). According to WHO a c-section rate of 15% is ideal in countries but the US is hovering around 30%. Now the American College of Gynecology says that there is no related increase in c-section rates to EA use, but looking at all the European nations and the fact that the US has such a high c-section rate I tend to really question this, but I would be a bad researcher and fact teller if I didn't let you know that the ACOG does not believe that there is a direct relation. I just don't quite believe it, yet. I think more research needs to be done to prove the opposite.

I know from my birth and talking to my doctors and nurses, that most likely a c-section would of been inevitable in my case because there was no way I would of been able to get Lincoln out had I not been able to feel.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1481670/

http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/11/labor-interrupted

2. If you get an epidural, you will most likely get a catheter to help you go pee.

I just say if I can avoid it, I will. This is a personal choice though, but most women don't know this little fact when the ask for the EA.

3. It can cause low blood pressure.

Well that just means more medication injected into you. Personal choice again, but if I can avoid it I will.

4. Most hospitals when they give the EA will not allow walking or moving until it has worn off because of liability issues.

I loved the fact that I could move through my labor. It made it so much easier and I didn't feel chained to a bed for 4-5 hours.

5. Women who use EA have a higher chance of getting 3-4 degree tears during birth.

OUCH! I believe this to be directly related to the fact that you can't feel that baby coming out. When a doctor tells you to push slowly, how do you know what that feels like if you have no feeling down there. Fact is you don't. I'm really cool with only my 2nd degree tear. I'll take just 5-10 stitches over 20+ and getting my anal sphincter torn up a bit.

6. Easy recovery when you birth naturally.

I didn't have to wait at all to walk. I was up and walking the second they transported me to my recovery room. I could of walked in the labor room, but I just wanted to hold Lincoln. I was not in severe pain and I was only taking 600 milligrams of ibuprofen for my painkillers for my recovery Much better than a narcotic which honestly, they knock me out and with a newborn not quite a good idea.

7. Women should just trust their bodies.

Yes, this shit is going to hurt. Yes, it's hard work. Yes, contractions are a son of a bitch. Yes, you can trust your body to do work.

This was just my experience and I am still not anti-EA use. If you need it get it! I just think if your labor is progressing normally/quickly, like mine did, then I think its a good idea to just be open to the idea that you can do it without. Just be open to it. There will be moments you think 'Oh I can't do this!' but you can! I had those moments, but once the contraction passed and I had my fantastic labor coaches there I was ok. Try getting some minor painkillers in your IV first before you make the decision to go completely numb down there. Have a support person. I suggest a woman or a doula who has done this before. Yes my husband was great, but he was so worried/scared as well that its just good to have another lady present. If you really want to use your husband though I say more power to you! It will be an even better birthing experience and how special!

Now if you are in active labor for a while, like 8+ hours or more, I say get the drugs! No point in having hard contractions for that long with little progression. Remember natural/normal progression is 1cm an hour. Going from 3-10 should take somewhere around 7 hours. Luckily for me Lincoln was completely born under 5 hours from when I got admitted, so a bit easier to not have to make the epidural decision.

It was the most rewarding experience of my life to be able to actual feel my son being born, and I don't think you can really explain this to some one until they have experienced it themselves.

Yes, you can all call me a hippie now too....

Lincoln is doing well and as a family we are doing great. He only gets up once during the night, score! He is still being a great baby who just hangs out. He loves, loves, loves music. We play music and he is quiet immediately. We also play the good stuff like Mumford, Adele, Etta James, Earth, Wind and Fire, The Beatles and many more. We are staying away from baby tunes, so as not to go insane. We are going to try to step up our game and play some classical this week, but he really seems to like songs that have a strong beat present.

Went for a walk in the Baby Bjorn with dad and mom.

 A little preview for next time...I only have 5lbs to lose of baby weight as of now! Hells yes! Sorry just had to put it out there because I am so stoked. I might even lose a bit more before my 6 week appt! A month of running/working out and I will be back in tip top shape. Good thing I love working out huh?! So look forward to getting that body back blog next week.

~Julia

Birthing Experience

I would say that giving birth to Lincoln is the most rewarding experience I have ever had in the 24 years I have been alive on this earth.

Having a baby was something that I was so against when Nate and I got married at the tender ages of 19 and 21. In fact, I was against adding to our family until in February of 2012 when I was in the process of changing gynecologists and my birth control ironically ran out during the same month. At that point I told Nate, and we both just kind of thought well we may as well try and see what happens. It's not like we weren't in a position to start a family with regards to finances, our relationship, and the usual stuff that people think about when they start to decide to add a plus one. I honestly couldn't even think of one thing to actually stop us from having a kid besides my vanity of maintaining my hot pre-pregnancy bod. (Which by the way my post-pregnancy bod is still super hot but that is another blog entry about loving your self no matter what state you are in for another time.) I knew that this was a lame and shallow reason, so Nate and I headed out on our well why not? journey that all of you have been reading about since my first blog entry.

What I didn't realize until I actually gave birth is that being parents is soooo much larger than ourselves. In the past two weeks I have felt, pondered and realized that giving birth to life is something that should not be taken for granted for there are others out there who can not. It has truly made me closer to God and made me realize that this is what living is all about. There is something phenomenal about joining the 'circle of life' that makes you appreciate your parents and all of your relatives before them even more. It also makes me realize that all of those stupid teenager emotions of not feeling loved by family or others were just that, stupid. It's stupid because the love I feel for my son is truly amazing and I know my mother feels the same way. I finally feel content in my life and what my purpose is, and for me this is a huge thing! I have struggled with years of not feeling adequate, having purpose, and knowing what life is about, but in a matter of just two weeks I no longer have those feelings of inadequacy. I know that of course there will be moments of feeling inadequate but they will be just moments, not all day, every day. It has made me feel all encompassing love that is on a higher level that I have never felt for my husband and our son. If this is not what God is, divine love, then I don't know what else He could be and I am so blessed to be experiencing it.

I asked my mom, "When will I stop checking if he is breathing?" She said, "Julia, I have a 15 year old still in my house and late at night when I wake up I still check if he is breathing. So the answer is never."
Now that's some momma love.

These past two weeks have been so great with our new little family and the emotions that have come along with it are insurmountable. Of course I have felt the usual emotions of fear and worry for our son but the second I do, I realize I have them, experience them, and then pray. That makes it better and lets me experience the great emotions that come along with being a new parent. I am trying to cherish every little thing with Lincoln because I know I will never get these tiny baby moments back. I have never been more excited in my life about being a mom and nor have I been so excited about eating, pooping, burping, and tummy time accomplishments. For now though, I'm really okay with it.

I promise next time will be the actual blog about low-medicated birth and how rewarding it is, but this is what just came out as I began typing this evening.

First bath and he loved it!

Hard to give a bath and take a picture with the
three of us but we managed.

How I will always remember him.

~Julia

Finally Lincoln Made It!

I guess I really need to be careful what I wish for in the future since Lincoln was born only 40 minutes after Superbowl Sunday.

That morning Nate and I got up all excited for the big game and knowing that my contractions were getting pretty tough to the point that I was borderline crying, we knew today would probably be the day. We literally did nothing all day except watch Superbowl coverage and the game. I proudly put on my Ravens hat, earrings and purple shirt and just sat waiting for either a Ravens victory or our son to be born.

That afternoon around 2pm, my contractions kept getting closer together and were getting really intense. After each one, I would look at Nate and he would say every time, "Oh Shit, he's coming today huh?" I would say back, "Yea probably." We went through this pattern up until I decided it was time to go to the hospital.

The first half of the game was so exciting for me that I really didn't want to have to leave until the last possible minute because I really, really wanted to see the Ravens keep dominating the 49ers, but once the stadium lights went out I decided that this would be the perfect time to go to the hospital. In my mind I thought if we left now by the time the lights came back on and the game started up again I would be in my hospital bed and be able to watch the rest of the game.

We then decided to leave, and the drive to the hospital sucked because first of all my contractions hurt like a bitch and secondly, we were listening to the 3rd quarter of the game in car and the 49ers began trying to make their comeback. It was miserable! I sat there and would be having a contractions and on top of it I was having to listen to the 49ers keep scoring touchdowns!

When we got into the assessment room at the hospital, they hooked me up to the fetal monitor and the nurse then checked me. Nathan at this point did not miss a beat and immediately turned on the television to the game. That made me feel much better. Then while the nurse was checking my cervix she informed me I was only at 3cm but then right at that moment my water broke. The nurse was all, "Well, I didn't do that! It's time to get this baby out." She then informed us that there was some meconium in the water but she wasn't too concerned. She then told us that the NICU nurses would be in my labor room as back up just in case and to help with really sucking his lungs out when he's born.

They then sent us to the labor room and Nathan immediately turned on the television again. It was exactly 7:55pm when they stuck me in there and things started picking up quickly from there. My mom arrived about 30 minutes after I had been in the labor room and my contractions were strong. I decided though that as of right now I do not need an epidural. I asked the nurse, Serena,  if there was anything that I could take to get me through the peak of my contractions she said we could do some IV drugs, and once I got those bad boys in me I was good to go for the first hour. Then at about 9:30pm, I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. I asked if I could go and my mom helped me up. The second I sat on the toilet, I felt like I had to push. I told Serena and she told me that,  "What ever I do, do not push!" I didn't and she checked me and I was already at 7cm. At that point, I knew I could do this without an epidural.

Then I had two really, really tough contractions. They were to the point where the idea that I could do this without an epidural went out the window. I looked at my mom and said, "I don't know if I can do this." She was a rock star labor coach and said back, "Julia, yes you can and remember every hard contraction means he is getting closer to being here." She was so supportive and amazing that I couldn't of done it without her. Then I felt the need to push again and Serena checked me and I was at 9cm. In about less than 5 minutes I had gone from 7cm to 9cm. Then I had three of those horrible tough contractions again and it was now time to get this baby out!

It was then that they told me that they could not give me anymore of the IV drugs and if I want an epidural this would be the time to get one. I told them no and that I was ok. Then Serena had me do a couple of practice pushes and once I found the right spot we got to work. I was shocked at how the pushing did not hurt. I sware! I kept looking at my mom and Nate and kept saying, "Mom, it doesn't hurt. Nate it doesn't hurt." I kept expecting it to hurt, but it never did. I pushed for about two hours. I was so sweaty, I had oxygen, and I was exhausted, but I just wanted to keep going and get him out. While I was pushing, Lincoln decided to flip and be what they call 'sunny side up' which makes it really hard to push him past my pubic bone. During this phase I do remember the Ravens winning the Superbowl and seeing the confetti pour onto the field. I was exhausted but watching the Ravens win did provide a bit of extra strength!

I kept at it and he finally 2 hours later, I got the point where I could deliver him. I was pushing and then all of a sudden Lincoln's heart rate dropped to 70 bpm. My doctor looked at me and said, "Ok, either you get him out with these next couple of pushes or else I will have to do an episiotomy and get him out myself." Well that was that! In my mind it was like either get him out or I will cut you. I did not at any cost want an episiotomy! I will never, ever forget that moment seeing my doctors face and telling me what I needed to do. It felt like a challenge and I was up for it! I pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed like I had never before. Then after 5 of them, Lincoln was born. I was pushing so hard that I didn't even realize he was out of me and my doctor and mom had to actually tell me to stop pushing and look because he was here.

Can't believe he came out of me!

I didn't have that all encompassing experience of being able to look down and see my baby because I was so exhausted that when they told me the news, I just laid my head back and closed my eyes.On top of it they didn't put him on me immediately because they wanted to suck his lungs out well. I went into my self because at that point because my body needed it. I had to take care of me and my body was telling me to just sit and rest for a few minutes. I honestly don't remember anything until the nurses told me to look over at the scale and I saw him and was filled with utter joy and amazement. They then stuck him on me and I just held him for the first 1.5 hours of his life. Just him and I. He was so happy and when I think about it to this day it just baffles my mind that this little guy came out of me!!

Nathan was so proud and to this day when he talks about seeing Lincoln born he still gets all welled up and I can tell he really is proud of me. Sorry there are no pictures of Nate and Lincoln right away we didn't manage to get any! My parents have some though.

The next day.
Of course he is sporting his Ravens beanie with a fist pump to boot in victory!

I have to thank all the nurses, my husband, my mother, and all of our family that came and waited in the waiting room for Lincoln. The nurses were utterly amazing at Sutter Memorial and Serena my labor and delivery nurse was absolutely incredible. I even had about 5 nurses in the room when I was pushing and delivering Lincoln and normally you only get one! They we're so supportive during the 2 hours I was pushing and delivering Lincoln that I felt so loved. The best comment I received was from another nurse when I was in recovery and she told me that, "Since this is your first baby, you don't even realize how special what you did was. Women just don't push out babies like you did anymore, its so old school." Now I realize that plenty of women, have pushed out babies with out medication but in today's society it is few and far in between.

My next blog will be about the experience of having a low medicated/non-medicated childbirth and my thoughts/opinions on how it is possible ladies and how rewarding it is! Of course it doesn't mean that you can't use an epidural! I say if you need 'em them get 'em! What matters is that you get this precious little soul out and how you do it is up to you!

~Julia