Natural Birth after Epidural
This is the second installment of a series on childbirth. Click here to read the first section: 3 Reasons Why It’s Impossible to Have a Natural Labor.
There was a time when I longed for a natural birth and instead I opted for an epidural. Actually there were three times where I did just that. The truth is I was terrified of the pain. I was anxious about what the pain might be. I told everybody I wanted a natural birth and once I got in the delivery room I gave in to my fears.
The older I’ve gotten and the more babies I’ve had, I realize that there are so many reasons to prepare for natural childbirth even if you don’t want a natural childbirth. Mothers who have certain drug allergies may develop problems from certain types of pain medication. Precipitous labors might happen too quickly for the drugs to take effect. Low platelet counts can make epidurals dangerous to the mother and possibly against hospital policy.
Warning, warning! Sometimes, plain and simple, there is a problem and the epidural doesn’t work. Yeah, ask me how I know.
Whether this is the case for you or not, it is good to know what your body is capable of. It is good to know what is normal and what is far from it.
Maybe you, like me, have been longing to go natural but haven’t pushed past your fears. Go for it! Below continues the story of my journey from medicated births to unmedicated.