Labor/Childbirth

This is how I see it, would you pull a tooth without novacaine? Then why go through the pain if you don't have to?

congrats on the soon addition to your family. So I passed on ALL meds and went 100% natural. By humming and taking a very hot shower while in labor and staying completely relaxed I was blessed with an amazingly easy and short labor (4hrs and 39min for labor and delivery) I loved doing it all natural because the baby was soooo alert and not at all groggy. every person has a different labor and a different pain tollerance. I say go in there with the thought of natural but if you cant handle it get some meds. no harm done. I am not gonna lie...it hurt like hell...but it was a good pain. There was the most amazing award after it all and i knew in my mind that with each contraction i was closer to meeting my daughter. Anyway I delivered at Banner thunderbird and I LOVED IT! I had such an amazing experience there and most everyone was so pleasant! I wish you a happy and safe delivery and good luck with whatever path you take!

Hello K. - Congratulations on your pregnancy! Our Doctor was Dr. Wilkey (we just love her) at Desert West OB/GYN and we delivered at Banner Thunderbird a year ago on Wednesday - we had a great exerience - eventhough I ended up having a C-Section and was looking forward to labor - I had my petty party and got over it - because I realized it was the best for my son - whom is happy and healthy a year later. Anyway - the first class that my husband and I took at Banner Thunderbird was Breatfeeding we were excited and nervous at the same time because we didn't know what to expect and we thought we were going to have this nice very gently explained lecture on it. However, our instructor was very poor (just like you mentioned) she seemed irrated she was there and there was no excitement about the nursing process eventhough she stated she did it with her two sons. So, my husband and I left feeling not sure whatsoever and if we should continue with classes there the next one being childbirth. BOY were we glad we continued and went to the birthing class. We had the best instructor - so very thorough and explained and answered all questions and made you feel like you were going to be wonderful parents! She was terrific her name was JOYCE LINQUIST, RN (25+ years), Doula & Instructor - Not to mention, she is a mother of 3 grown kids and a grandmother - she has been through it all...boys and girls - everything. We were sad to find out we were having a c-section because we wanted this wonderful person Joyce Linquist to be our Doula and we loved her as the birthing instructor. SO, the point to this is see if you could switch instructors because you would be much happier with Joyce Lindquist. And, no - childbirth is not like stubbing your toe; not by any stretch of the imagination. Good luck to you. take care.

Well K., she obviously was smoking something when she said that. While I have a fairly different situation because I was enduced, and the doc came in and explained all about an epidural and how he couldnt understand why in todays modern technology and science every mom doesnt take one. But to some women they dont want the drugs. I got mine before the pain of any contractions really kicked in and all i felt really was the pushing. Not pain though. I had more pain after i was through the following few days. I would recommend the epidural to any expectant mom. Yeah it seems kinda scary to have something put into your back, but It is well worth not having to go through all that pain. Good Luck with your new baby!

Labor and delivery is just a really uncomfortable process. I've had two children, one w/o meds and one with. My first I did w/o, and didn't regret the decission. My second, my dr. felt it would be best, due to other complication, however, the epidural didn't help at all. I was affraid of having cronic constant back pain as I've heard others complain of from the epidural, however, that hasn't been an issue at all. In the end, you'll decided to do what's best for you! Goodluck!

im sorry to tell u ITS THE WORSE PAIN U WILL EVER HAV i had one with the epadoral and one without i had no pain with the epi but the second one was hell they couldnt giv it to me cause he was comming too fast ur instructer must be on drugs! i must say however right after the pain is gone

Congradulations on your upcoming birth and on taking the classes. I took mine at TBird, but delivered at Good Sam. I also found the instructor lacking. From my own expierences, I can tell you that labor is as individual as the children you will have. If you go into it thinking it will be painful and aweful, then it will be. I had back labor, which was more incomfortable, but my mistake was getting the "pain" medications. They do not stop pain, they just make you doopy and unable to controll any pain you are having. I maxed out on them with my first daughter and then got an epidural at 9.5cm . With my second, I also had back labor, but I skipped the pain meds and went straight to the epidural. Both times I had the epidural titrated so that it just took the edge off and I was able to still feel the contractions and push on my own. You need a good, strong coach who can get in your face and make you listen/breath when and if needed. Don't be afraid to bring in someone else with you if your hubby can't do it. Childbirth is an amazing experience and the more in controll you are, they better it is.

Hello K.,
My name is R. I am a 26 yr old Mother of three wonderful Daughters. My daughters are 10, 8 and 15 months old. When I went into labor with my first daughter I was scared, so I got the epidural before I felt any REAL pain, and I had a good expierence. With that said, I did not hesitate to ask for it again when my second daughter was born.
The birth of my last baby is a completly different story. I did not make it to the hospital in time so I gave birth to her in my car outside of the emergency room with my two older daughters (crying) in the back seat. My husband had ran into the ER to get a wheel chair and when he came back I had a beautiful, crying, 6lb 1oz baby girl in my arms.(I was fully clothed she came out of the side of my shorts!) When she came out I unwrapped the cord,it was wrapped around her neck and then I cleared her mouth with my finger, then she began to cry. ER staff then brought a stretcher out and I stood up and
walked to the bed then I laid down the the new bundle in my arms. When we got to labor and delivery they cut the cord and delivered the placenta, that is when i began to bleed for like fifteen minutes. I lost alot of blood and I almost had to get a blood transfusion. (key word ALMOST) IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST
MOMENTS IN MY LIFE!!! The feeling that I had after delivering
my daughter is unexplainable!!
Back to your question, I have been fortunate enough to expirience delivery with and without medication and I would strongly recommend that you DO NOT get an epidural. Yes, there is pain, but that pain is nothing compared to the daily back pain i endure from the epidural. The Memories are wonderful (Pain and all)!!
I hope I have given you some useful advice, I wish you all the luck in the world.

Hello, I'm a mother of 2 boys 8yrs old and 22 months old, and my first was with the drug they call demerol and that did nothing for me as I felt everything from the contractions to the head crowning and then for the after birth. With my 2nd son it was a much easier delivery and labor as I had the epideral and the statement that your instructor said about it being less painfull that stubbing your toe, that's true after you have the epideral because i didn't feel a thing after that, other than a little burst of the water bag and then telling the nirse I felt the urge to push. I never took childbirth classes instead I read the books, what to expect when your expecting series and that helped me alot and I had the book to always reference to it if I needed it. But I learned the majority of how to take care of my babies hands on taking it day by day. I heard all the horror stories everyone insisted on telling me about childbirth. The only advice i can give you is if you don't use any form of drug then it will be painful, if you use a form of drug then you will have minimal to no pain depending on the drug you choose to work with. It took me 20 minutes to decide if I would let the Dr. put the epideral needle in me, but I will do it again when I have another baby. Hope this helps you.

I took that same class and I remember her saying that I think she just ment you know how you stub your toe and it hurts so bad for a couple of minutes, it's not like that not even comparable I don't know too much about having a natural childbirth but I know I was getting terrible pains (contractions) before I got the epideral Honestly you don't really even have to worry about all this if your in pain you can ask at the hosp and they will give it to you, if you can bear it then dont get the epideral till you need it!! Don't worry you'll be fine and after all of it you'll have a wonderful little baby!!

If she was on street drugs when she delivered her children then maybe it only hurt like stubbing your toe. I had both of my children WITH OUT an epidural. The pain was like a mixture of braxton-hicks contractions and severe menstrual craps, or as I like to say, God himself squezing you like a tube of toothpaste. The pain hurts don't get me wrong. But I've been in worse pain before. What is so bad about child birth is dealing with the pain for so long. And the pains come stronger, longer, and closer together as it progresses.
The classes I took were provided by Arrowhead hopsital. That lady you are working with sounds like she doesn't know what she's doing. You should try going to Arrowhead's website and seeing when they offer classes. And take the class again with every baby. I think my second delivery would have went more smoothly if I had taken it again.
You can still deliver at T-Bird but get another child birth teacher for sure!
Congratulations! Everything will be fine.

Hi K.,
I'm glad I didn't take childbirth classes now. I was looking into it, but couldn't afford it. I ended up having a C-Section because I would dialate pass 2cm. So they gave me an Epidural. With the Epidural I didn't feel a thing from the waste down. It felt totally weird. I was awake when they did the C-Section and I told them to tell me when they start cutting because I was scared I might feel something. Well, they humored me and told me and I didn't feel a thing. So, with an Epidural, little to no pain, with just shots of pain relievers, you'll probably feel a lot more pain, but less than if you were to go without it completely. Your instructor should NOT be telling Mom's that it's just like stubbing your toe. My doctor actually encouraged the Epidural because of the amount of excrutiating pain I would feel without it. I hesitated until I got into the hospital, which was Banner T-Bird, and I went ahead and did it. No regrets...And I LOVE THAT HOSPITAL! They were SO GOOD to me and my baby...who is now 2 years old. :-)
To me, I think you're wasting your money on that class you're taking. It will never be a breeze without drugs! I've also worked in hospitals as a Pharmacy Tech/Anesthesia Tech, and Nursing Assistant....I've experienced about 5 hospitals while I was working. T-Bird not one of them that I worked at, but as a Patient's perspective...You could have chosen a better hospital to have your baby! Congrats on being a Mom! OH, I have this book called, "What to Expect*The First Year". Basically gives you solutions to common problems that will arise during your child's first year of growing up. :-) And it teaches you what to expect in your child's first year with teething, eating habits, common colds, etc. It's a great book. I referenced to it several times and it helped a great deal. Especially since my parents are out of state and no one was here to help me physically. I hope you keep coming back to MamaSource and let us know when you have your baby! :-) There are so many nice Mom's on this website and we're all here and we've got your back when you have more questions...Good Luck..God Bless..G.

...Well... in my experience... I would much rather go through my delivery again than stub my toe... I didn't have a single contraction, and I barely even felt the spinal! He came out without a single push from me, too! Oh... I don't think she was talking about a c-section though.. huh? What an idiot! I would write a letter complaining to the hospital.

Toe stubbing pain is not a good comparison because it's a different kind of pain. Contractions are like the most intense period cramps I'd ever had though I once had food poisoning that was worse. I did have an epidural but that was a decision I made ahead of time, not because I was in too much pain but because I didn't want to be later while pushing. We had a really easy delivery. I never went to childbirth class because I was told it doesn't really prepare you. Talking to other moms who'd given birth recently was my biggest help.

LOL!!! Stubbing a toe?!?! Well, maybe if you have the highest threshold for pain there is! (Maybe she meant if you get the drugs, or just spoke while distracted?) I never took a childbirthing class, and my babies and I weren't any worse for wear. I figured I really don't need anyone to teach me how to breathe - I've been breathing for 20+ years.

Anyway, I had epidurals with my boys, who were both induced. The first time was absolutely essential for me, as it was my first time, I was young and unfamiliar with the process and the fear alone can make the pain a lot worse. The second time I got so tired - I hadn't been sleeping well for weeks and it was almost midnight by the time labor had progressed enough to push. So I asked for the epidural, but by the time it actually kicked in, my son was almost out anyway, and the only "benefits" I got out of having it was nausea and trembling so hard I could hardly stay on the bed. All in all, not bad experiences, really.

My baby girl, delivered last August, was a different story. My only one to come into this world unassisted by meds, by the time I knew her birth was imminent and got to the hospital, I was way past the point of no return. Natural wasn't the end of the world, because I do have a high tolerance for pain, but I was scared because I'd never felt pain quite that intense and my water never broke, so I had a "bulging bag" which ruptured - popped, really - all over the sterile instruments and staff members as my daughter was being born. (They told me that's highly unusual.) I really thought something was wrong, but the staff helped me compose myself and my little girl came out healthy and pretty placid.

You know, K., any way you go, labor and delivery is the easy part. Your days of greatest pain, frustration, amusement and love (the kind that makes you feel your heart will burst) are way ahead of you, sweetie. Lots of grace and love to you.

~ R.

How annoying your instructor sounds!

Ok- for what it is worth here is my experience with childbirth, naturally x2. With my first- although I hate needles and the thought of a really BIG one going in my back, I was all for arriving to the hospital and asking for the pain free childbirth plan. However fortunately/unfortunately, my labor went too quickly. 5 hours from 1st contraction to delivery. It was definately more painful than stubbing my toe. With my first the contrations were not as bad as the pushing (it BURNS) was. With my 2nd baby I was just going to ask for the epidural if the pain got unbearable (7 hrs from 1st contration to delivery) once my water broke, the contactions became very painful (they had to break my water with my first after I was at 10cm). I was ready to ask for the epidural- but when the nurse checked it was time to push. The pushing this time was much easier than the contractions.
Sounds like you already knew your instructor was kinda lame. Hope she was at least a little helpful. sucks to waste money.

Best of luck. Just remember to breathe but don't hyperventilate- I know it sounds silly. And tell your husband to do whatever you say!!!!

S.

I'm with jordan on this why not take the drugs. They didn't have this stuff where I'm from and trust me my mom has 7 kids and when we told her about epideral she said take it nothing will go wrong. Childbirth is very painful but once you get the epideral you are on cloud nine, of course the bottom line is its up to you if you could handle pain then ggo for it. That instructor of yours needs to quit what shes doing cuz there is no way in hell its like a toe stub. Good luck and get a new instructor :)