The Big Bad Epidural

The Big Bad Epidural. For anyone in the natural childbirth community, this is how it is often viewed. This is how I viewed. Until my own experience with childbirth. After 48 hours of natural labor, I was too exhausted to go on and my midwife transferred me to the hospital to find relief and finally rest.

We have read multiple reasons on why epidurals are bad and why we should avoid them. We look down on anyone who had one. We even fight strongly against them and feel guilty and like a failure when we “give in”. I did. But I believe there are VALID REASONS to receive an epidural. Here are some of them:

Exhaustion: This was my issue. My body and mind had become so exhausted, that I wasn’t going to be able to give my all to get my baby out. My labor was wacky and long, and I never rested more than a few minutes at a time, for days straight. I pushed for about 7 hours at the birthing center with little luck, and I couldn’t go on. I was also mentally exhausted and losing my confidence and sanity. I was exhausted. Once a mother’s body reaches this point, it is hard to find the strength and energy to push. It is also difficult to find the energy to take care of baby after delivery (yes, there is a new baby “high”, but you’re still exhausted). A epidural can help you to relax, rest, and sleep so your body can dilate and you can feel refreshed when the time comes to meet baby.

Position of Baby: Sometimes the baby is in an awkward position, causing a longer labor or more painful contractions. After trying different laboring positions, an epidural can be a good reason to take pressure off of your body and relax your cervix as baby moves and turns trying to find the correct position to descend. Sometimes, this pain can just be too much to bear.

Fear: Yes, a very valid reason. I think this was also part of my problem. I wanted to meet my baby and give birth naturally, but I was so scared. Scared of pushing, scared of tearing, scared of the pain, and scared of actually HAVING a baby! Fear can act as a sort of “mental block”, and your body can actually refuse to dilate or move the baby down when you feel fearful. This is why so many childbirth classes work on relaxation, breathing, and mantras to repeat to give yourself confidence and keep you calm. Hiring a doula can be a huge help. It has also been proven that when you are afraid, your uterus has the possibility of not receiving enough blood supply to work it’s best. THIS CAN BE PREVENTED, and everyone should do their best to prepare mentally for childbirth.

Lack of Support: I don’t know how single mamas or mamas without their husbands (deployment, etc.) do this birthing thing alone. They are awesome. I know one, and she is simply amazing. I don’t think I could have done my long labor without my husband there every moment of the way. It is grueling work, and without someone (husband, mother, friend, doula) staring into your eyes and calming you or telling you that “you can do it”, it can overwhelming. I now understand why some women volunteer for an epidural if they are alone- it is tough to go through something so difficult alone.

Avoid a C-Section: I have read and heard some stories of women receiving epidurals in order to help avoid surgery to deliver baby. It is usually for one of the reasons listed above- and again, this was what we ran into. Even after our epidural, we were facing a possible c-section. If this is the case, it is good to have an epidural already in to speed up the process and help to avoid general anesthesia- because that DOES NOT sound fun.

There are many people who may not agree with these reasons, and that is okay. After my experience, I see the necessity of the epidural and how it has changed our ability to birth. My husband constantly reassures me that if it wasn’t for my epidural, I may not have lived through my childbirth 100 years ago. He also states that my body went through so much during my labor, that it’s like I delivered 3 babies that day! My body was exhausted, my baby was malpositioned, and I was scared. But my body would not stop contracting or give me rest. My epidural helped me to relax, birth my baby, and avoid further medical attention.

I still believe that God has fashioned our bodies to create, carry, and birth life naturally. In my opinion, every woman should labor naturally as long as possible for their health, the baby’s health, their ability to move and eat, and to allow their body to progress naturally. Whatever else you choose is your choice. I don’t know what my birth plan will be for future babies. I am still healing mentally and emotionally from my experience, as is my husband. I guess we’ll keep praying, healing, and leave that one up to God. 

(Much of this information was obtained from  Birth Without Fear. Check out their blog at birthwithoutfearblog.com for more.)