A Change of Heart-Part 1 of 3

Ten years ago, I was pregnant with baby #1. I had no doubt in my mind that I would get an epidural come delivery time. I couldn't understand why anyone would choose to have a natural childbirth in this day and age. I figured there was no reason to attempt it when there are great drugs to eliminate the pain.

We took a childbirth class at the hospital. I didn't get a whole lot out of it though. With baby #2 and #3, I didn't think I needed to take a refresher class. I thought I was a pro by this point and didn't think a class would be of any help.

I experienced back labor with baby #1. It was difficult to go through the pain of labor until I was dilated enough to get an epidural. The biggest side effect I experienced was uncontrollable shaking. I was so cold from the fluids rushing into my body. It was miserable, but I thought it was better than the pain of back labor.

Baby #2 was not back labor. I was very thankful! The labor was still very painful, but at least it wasn't in my back. When it was time, I got an epidural. I experienced the same side effects as the first time. However, this time the epidural caused my contractions to slow down too. In order to get the contractions back on track, the nurse gave me a drug called Cytotec. It worked and labor progressed.

When baby #2 was born, he was very quiet. The nurse ended up taking him from me right after he was born because she said he was holding his breath. She put him on oxygen for a little while and thumped his foot to get him to start crying and breathing better. After that, he was fine.

My labor and delivery with baby #3 was pretty traumatic. It was back labor again. I did not handle the labor very well. I was close to hyperventilating, my face was tingling and my eye was twitching. When I got the epidural, I experienced the same side effects as the first time. Then my blood pressure tanked and the baby's heart rate plummeted. I had to be put on oxygen and an internal monitor was placed in the baby's head before he was born. Thankfully, he delivered normally and was just fine.

After baby #3, I decided that if we were going to have a baby #4, I wanted it to be different. I didn't want to experience the panicked, out of control feeling I had with baby #3. My other fear with having a fourth baby was ending up with a cesarean section. I had 3 normal deliveries and I didn't want to end up having a cesarean with the last birth.

I wasn't sold on the idea of having an unmedicated birth because I wasn't sure I could do it. But, I did want to learn some techniques on how to handle my labor better. I have a friend who teaches childbirth classes and I was interested in learning more about it in order to be better prepared for baby #4. The classes were once a week for about 3 months. With my husband working and going to school full time, he wasn't interested in adding something else to his schedule. I understood and accepted the fact that I would probably end up getting an epidural and pray I could deliver without a cesarean.

When I was 32 weeks pregnant with baby #4 I had a change of heart. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law were in town with their baby. We started talking about her labor and delivery. I found out they went through the same set of childbirth classes that my friend teaches. She also told me that she had an unmedicated birth WITH Pitocin! I was completely amazed! (Pitocin is a synthetic drug that is used to induce labor. The contractions are much stronger and much more painful than normal.) It was then that I decided, if she can have a natural labor and endure the added pain of Pitocin, then surely I could do it! 

I was inspired and had a whole new respect for my sister-in-law. She encouraged me to read the Bradley Method book called Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and practice the exercises on my own. Her encouragement and faith in me that I could do it meant so much to me.

I immediately bought the book and contacted my friend who teaches the classes. I was hoping to be able to take a shorter version of the class. She suggested that I buy Ina May Gaskin's book called Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. My friend was a huge source of support for me as well. I had my mind made up and had some good support, but I needed to get my husband on board...

Here's the next part of the story:
Change-of-heart-part-2-of-3