This is MY birth story (Allie Edwards, creator of The PPP). On the Perfect Pregnancy Plan, we often take submissions of unique birth stories to share. If you would like to submit yours for possible publication read about our submission requirements here.

When you are preparing for labor, birth stories can really give you a great idea of what to expect, ease your mind, or scare the bejeezus out of you.

I personally love hearing people’s birth stories. They are all so unique and amazing. Labor and delivery is truly a phenomenal experience: whether it be bad or good.

This is the story of my first labor and delivery, which went nothing as I’d planned.

**This post contains affiliate links to items I own and love and am confident will benefit you immensely! You can read the full disclosure here.**

The Birth Plan that Failed: My Labor and Delivery with an Epidural Birth Story

Ok so maybe that title is a bit dramatic but that’s how it felt to me. So many people place such a weight on creating a birth plan.

Being a planner, list writing, kind of gal myself I was eager to write up my birth plan. Print it out. Then share it with every doctor and nurse on my team!

Knowing, that in those precious typed and printed words were the details of how my labor was going to progress.

Looking back I now know that belief was foolish. Your birth plan is really just a wishlist. It is you showing that you are aware of some of the choices you may have during labor and should those choices arrive, that you have a plan as to how you intend to handle them, and that is all.

My first pregnancy I was only 22 and not knowledgeable about pregnancy or babies AT ALL. So I did an awful lot of research and reading throughout my pregnancy on both subjects.

Like cramming for a final for 9 months that I absolutely had to ace because, well, another human being’s life depended on it!

What WAS My Dream Birth Plan?

I wanted what was best for my little girl. And from everything that I read and researched, all-natural was the best option.

I didn’t want her drugged up, I didn’t want to be drugged up. Plus, I felt like I could handle it because I truly believed it was best for my baby.

I wanted the least intervention possible. No induction. No forceps and no suction. I knew my body and mind could do it, I had a crazy high pain tolerance anyway.

But then exactly one week before my due date, something horrible happened.

It was the morning of my 23 birthday. My now hubby and I were on our way to go donate some old clothes and head to Denny’s for a free grand slam birthday breakfast for me!

We got all of one block down the street and while sitting at a red light, got smashed into from behind by a woman who didn’t even touch her brakes going 45.

What a terrifying thing to happen when you are about ready to have a baby. I insisted I was fine but decided to go to the hospital anyway to check on the baby.

We spent 4 hours there. I was hooked up to a fetal monitor the entire time to check on our little girl, who showed no signs of distress whatsoever.

By then it was early evening and my parents drove down to take us out to a birthday dinner before taking us back to our apartment. By the end of the dinner, whiplash had already set in and I could barely move my neck.

This was not the first horrible car accident I’d ever been in, and with that pain setting in already I was very worried about how I would feel the next day.

The Day After the Accident: 6 Days Until My Due Date

When I awoke the next morning I could hardly move. I definitely couldn’t turn my head, and my entire body ached.

I was so sad. Because I knew at any moment I could go into labor. I knew I was soon about to endure the hardest most physically strenuous experience of my life of bringing another human into the world… and I could barely move.

I needed all of my strength, physical and mental. And now it wasn’t there. When I had felt so almost prepared and at ease about my little girl coming soon just a day before, I was now dreading it.

Within the next few days, my husband and I both began chiropractic care, bought a car, and were as prepared as we possibly could be.

Each day I prayed she’d stay in a bit longer so that I could heal.

Well, everything seemed to be going in our favor as our little angel continued to not come out.

What’s funny is I had just started Braxton Hick’s contractions for the first time the morning of the car accident. I assumed that meant she was almost ready, that my uterus was preparing. But after the accident they stopped. With no sign of returning.

I felt like baby girl got scared back in. Perfectly content to stay in her warm dark safe place as long as possible.

RELATED: First Trimester Checklist (with free printable)

5 Days After My Due Date

My first baby was born in California. California has really strict rules in its hospitals about childbirth. Originally I had chosen to have a DO instead of an MD because I thought a doctor of obstetrics would be less likely to insist on medical interventions. Well, she wasn’t.

At only 5 days post-date (which is super common for first pregnancies to go up to 2 weeks post-date) I was told I would need to schedule an induction if I went 2 more days.

I pleaded as I explained my birth plan. The holy grail paper everyone had insisted I write.

That I didn’t want to be induced. That it increases the chances of every other type of intervention I didn’t want. That I wanted to wait longer to see if she could please come naturally. That I in fact had been 2 weeks late myself.

I was told with some attitude, “Fine, you can go longer, but you will have to spend each day in the hospital on the fetal monitor to make sure baby ivgtrfvds ok.”

After hanging up the phone, I felt total despair over my set of choices. Both were heavily clad with medical intervention. Interventions that seemed awfully unnecessary to me.

But once again, I was young. This was my first baby. I didn’t know what else to do, or that I really DID have options, so I scheduled my induction when I was told to. 1 week after my “due date.”

RELATED: 2nd Trimester Checklist with free printable pdf

The Day of My Scheduled Induction

My husband and I were both too anxious to sleep the night before the induction. We were scheduled to be in the hospital at 5 AM anyway.

When we arrived I was given a hospital gown and an IV block. They put in Cervidil (this little drug-laden string they stick in your vagina to ripen your cervix.)

At that point, I had zero effacement, zero dilation. I remember for my last few appointments being told my cervix had a dimple, meaning maybe it would efface somewhat to prepare for labor soon. But that never happened.

We kind of waited around and chatted between reading magazines for what felt like forever. I believe it was somewhere right around 10 hours.

My cervix was finally “ripe” enough at that point and it was time to start that drip of Pitocin. Which means you are:

• Now stuck in the bed.
• Fetal monitor strapped on.
• And labor is about to start.

Once I got my Pitocin Drip Labor Pain Came on Quickly

I had all these plans of how to manage my labor pain. How to move around. Different positions to try. Get some counter pressure on my back.

Everything I had read about in the handfuls of books I read and everything I learned about the birth classes we attended at the hospital.

On a side note, for my next labor, I attended this awesome birth class online in my PJs from home instead! It’s so thorough and created by an L&D nurse of 18 years! Check out an awesome online birth class!

Well, I couldn’t do any of it! Once they start that drip you are confined to the bed.

Within an hour my contractions were getting intense. I remember writhing back and forth in the bed, trying to breathe through the pain the best I could and clenching the bed rails as tight as I could. One side, then the other side.

Did I mention I was still in horrible pain from that car accident? So my neck, back, and head were killing me and flipping back and forth in the bed, trying to quietly ride out those contractions was horrible and aggravated the accident pain.

I did not handle the contractions well with being stuck in one place. I know I was supposed to relax, that tensing up makes the pain worse. But I kept tensing up more and more anyway.

I believe I went on like that for about 6 hours. Making steady progress dilating to 6 cm by 11 pm. But then I knew I’d had it.

I was so exhausted from not sleeping the night before, tossing and turning with each contraction stuck in one position was making my neck and back pain horrible, and I knew I needed rest if I still had to somehow muster up the strength to push a baby out at the end of all this.

RELATED: Out of hospital birth bag checklist (free printable)

So against all my wishes, I asked for the epidural.

A wave of relief came suddenly. My now-husband asked how I felt with concern in his eyes from across the room. I had something to say, then decided against it and waved him off with a smile and tired flick of my wrist.

We were able to talk to each other again. I gave up talking at all for the last 4 or 5 hours. And there were no nurses hanging around to talk me through it now that I look back. The hospital staff didn’t provide any support, they just went about their duties not in my room, checking in periodically, checking my dilation and asking me if I wanted that epidural every 4 hours.

After getting the epidural I couldn’t feel anything from the belly down. They gave me a catheter, which I thought was really interesting at the time.

My husband and I both got some much-needed sleep for about 5 hours.

I actually slept during labor, the epidural did its job.

When I awoke about 4:30 AM the bed was soaked.

My water had broken! AND I was fully dilated!

But I was told it wasn’t time to push. The baby was face down and they wanted to wait to see if she would turn.

I called my parents and told them I was fully dilated and their first grandchild was almost here! They rushed to the hospital.

But we were still waiting. And waiting. And waiting. We waited for my baby to turn for 2 hours before the nurse finally said, “Why don’t you try pushing and see if that turns her?”

So I tried and she immediately hollered at me, “No no no don’t do that! You’re really good at that! She turned and now she’s coming!”

So they hurried the doctor in and it was FINALLY time to push.

It’s a very strange sensation to push with an epidural. I couldn’t feel my contractions at all, so I would watch the monitor for when one was coming and the nurse would feel my belly for when it got tight and direct me to push.

It’s also hard to push when you don’t really know what you’re pushing. I just bared down as hard as I could when they told me to. Within a few minutes and only 4 pushes she was out.

I know I got lucky. Many women who have gotten an epidural can’t push at all because they can’t feel what they’re doing.

On the flip side of the coin, I think I pushed too hard.

After all, that’s what you see in the movies right? Women stuck in the hospital bed, screaming as they push as hard as possible to get that baby out! And that’s what the doctor and nurses were telling me to do.

So I pushed with all my might. And she came right out, but she tore her way out. I tore really badly from my perineum up to my clitoris. I’m glad I couldn’t feel that when it happened.

But then she was here. My beautiful baby girl laid on my chest and I was a mama for real.

So What Was My Take on Labor and Delivery With an Epidural?

I know the epidural gave me the chance to rest before pushing that I don’t think I would have had the strength for otherwise. I feel that tossing and turning back and forth stuck in that bed would have tightened my neck and back to a point that I would’ve felt too weakened when pushing time came.

Have you heard of a pain cycle? You feel pain, so you tense up, which causes more pain, so you tense up, which causes more pain, and so on. That’s where I was.

If that horrible car accident hadn’t happened just before my labor then I’m pretty sure I would’ve managed without the epidural. But that’s just not how my story went.

I am confident that I wouldn’t have suffered nearly as sever of a perineal tear without an epidural. If you can’t feel your body ripping apart, there’s nothing to stop you from pushing harder. No reason for you to slow it down.

For that reason, I planned to try to go all-natural with my second baby. How about my third? Curious what happened? They couldn’t be more different than this story, and they were each so exciting!

RELATED: How to Prevent Perineal Tears Using Essential Oils

Wrapping Up My Labor with an Epidural Birth Story

And What About the Birth Plan that Failed?

After my baby was born I was still really disappointed that my birth went nothing according to plan. I am not someone who deals well with disappointment when plans change.

I do not like creating a plan that doesn’t come to fruition. If I had realized that a birth plan is really just a loose idea of your birth wishes I would have mentally prepared differently. I wouldn’t have made a plan.

In my mind you make a plan, you set a goal, and you smash it. The end.

Not being able to do that at all with such a huge life event really threw me for a loop. So for all you planning, list-making, goal-setters out there reading this, know that it is ok to not have a birth plan.

OR to set up your “birth wishes” instead. Or do what I did the second time and have a loose idea of what you’d like to happen, prepare for everything, not print it out or hand it around, and instead just verbalize your ideas and go with the flow.

Oddly enough for this ultra-planning kind of girl that suited me WAY better. No disappointment.

What’s your take… super-specific birth plan or loose birth plan? Epidural or all-natural? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

More Labor and Birth Stories You Will Love

• All Natural Childbirth vs. Labor with an Epidural
• 3 Woman’s Stories: Labor with Epidural vs. Their All Natural Labor
• All Natural Labor with Pitocin

The post Birth Story Labor with an Epidural when Nothing Went to Plan appeared first on The Perfect Pregnancy Plan.

A Labor and Delivery with Pitocin, that STILL Ended up All Natural!

As mamas to be we make birth plans. We dream about what labor will be like. We research, plan, and prepare our butts off for the big day ahead!

You can choose your doctor. You can pick your hospital of choice for delivery (or no hospital if that’s your choice). Maybe you even already know if you want that epidural or want to breathe it out.

Even with all the preparation and planning in the world, you still REALLY have no control over that big day.

Let’s take a trip into a birth story from the east coast that turned one mom’s plans upside down!

**This post contains affiliate links to items I own and love and am confident will benefit you immensely! You can read the full disclosure here.**

Meet Stacey, Whose Baby Had Birth Plans of Her Own.

So We Waited Through the Night After My Water Broke!

Nate and I then went to lay in bed.  We both realized that we hadn’t really looked over the notes I prepared about labor.

Before falling asleep, we read aloud through my birth and labor notes. We were essentially “studying” or “cramming!”  (I made notes on The Bradley Method Book as well as the Hypnobirthing Morgan Method book)

Nate fell right asleep.  I couldn’t on the other hand because I could feel some cramping starting to develop in my tummy.

The next morning I knew Samantha was going to make her presence over the weekend!

We got out of bed around 7:30 and tried to have a normal breakfast.  Nate made this typical eggs and turkey bacon breakfast and I made myself eat a smoothie with soy milk and a banana and blueberries.

We started to time my contractions as we ate breakfast. We clocked them at 5 minutes apart and 40 seconds long.

We then decided to call CBP again at 9:00 and got Judy on the phone.  She asked about my water breaking and I said that it “stopped” because I didn’t feel any more water gush out recently.

She was immediately concerned that what I felt that night wasn’t the real thing. 

She then said to come into CBP at 11 and she would do some tests to check me out.

At that point, we didn’t know if we would be delivering at CBP, the hospital, or delivering at all! We then finished packing up all our stuff and left shortly after that, bringing it all.

Judy showed up right before us and led us in.  We were the only ones there.

She checked me and took one look “down there” and saw how moist I was and knew I was going into labor and indeed my water broke.

She asked about my beta strep test performed that Wednesday and I said I hadn’t gotten the results back yet. She said she’d meet us at the hospital and for us to grab something to eat because it was going to be a long day.

I asked what a good “pre-labor” meal was and she said anything!

We went to the Dunkin Donuts right by the birth center and each got a bacon egg and cheese English muffin sandwich and some orange juice.  We went to the hospital and knew exactly where to go since I was just there the Wednesday before.

Once we Finally Arrived at the Hospital

Shannon, a nurse at Trident and also from CBP, led us into our room.  I was immediately pleasantly surprised. It was large and private. I was worried though – Judy came in and said the strep B results came back positive so since my water broke they needed to speed things along with Pitocin.

She said if I was at CBP they would do it with herbs, but they can’t at the hospital.

It was kind of like my worst nightmare come true because I really wanted a natural childbirth but I knew that Pitocin made contractions stronger and more close together and most people who have Pitocin end up with epidurals – everything I didn’t want!

I knew I had to be strong.

She told me not to worry and that if it was too intense and I needed drugs to not feel like a failure. I told her I understood. I was then ready to get to work and help Samantha make her presence in this world!

They put an iv in my left hand and started a saline drip.  They also hooked me up to a fetal monitor and a blood pressure cuff.

The fetal monitor ended up being such a pain because I had to stay in ONE position otherwise it would fall off my belly.  With my right knee raised – left leg down. I started breathing techniques and could handle it so far. Nurse Shannon commented on my breathing so well.

They started the Pitocin drip at 1:00 pm. Nate had to help me go to the bathroom and move the whole iv station with me. I got it tangled and we tried to time going to the bathroom between contractions.

Once Pitocin started – it was getting more uncomfortable in the one position.  I complained. Judy mentioned putting the monitor on the baby’s head. I definitely agreed to it.

An hour later – they did it and checked my status for the first time – 4 cm dilated! She said that was good because I probably started out at 0cm that morning.

Once they put the monitor on the baby’s head I could get in any position I wanted – it was really helpful.

Nate gave me sips of water from my Venti Starbucks cup between EVERY contraction – so helpful.  All I wanted was water.

As labor got more intense, I started moaning, panting and making weird noises. I never thought I would do that but I couldn’t hold back.

I tried to relax during contractions but it was getting hard to.  They got stronger and more close together.

• I went into my own world that was surreal.
• I knew exactly what I was feeling but was unaware of time and who was present in the room.
• It helped that I had my contacts/glasses off so I couldn’t see too much around me.
• It helped me focus and stay “in the zone.”

As contractions were getting stronger, I didn’t know what positions to get into to help.

They brought a birthing ball to help. With every contraction – I’d get into a new position.

They finally took me off the Pitocin and then I was free to move entirely. But then everything got really intense.

Then Shannon mentioned getting me in the water (deep tub) when they knew I was reaching transition. I welcomed the idea. The water couldn’t run fast enough to get me in.

Once I got in the water – I felt instant relief and the contractions felt less painful.

I still felt them but they were less intense.

Every so often Shannon would have to come in and get a fetal heart reading and as soon as I got out of the tub, the contractions would intensify.  I never wanted to get out!

I must’ve been in the water for over an hour. They said to let them know when I felt like pushing but I didn’t want to ever tell them because I didn’t want to get out!

Two minutes later – I felt like pushing! I got out and they checked my dilation – 9.  I thought I’d be at 10!

No position felt comfortable.  With each contraction, I grunted and couldn’t help pushing a little.

I peed and poop and couldn’t help myself.

We were experimenting and trying to get me comfortable in different positions.

Nothing worked!

After awhile she checked my dilation again – 9 ¾! A little lip of the cervix was holding me back.

On the next contraction, Judy reached in and tried to push the lip back (it hurt SO bad).  She did this several times. FINALLY – all dilated and ready to push.

1. First I tried on my hands and knees – I didn’t like it.
2. Then on my back which I liked better. With each contraction, I put my knees into my chest and held each foot.  I put my chin into my chest and pushed. I made ungodly noises with each push. Judy (and new nice nurse Michell) coached me through it and gave me encouraging words with each push.

Each contraction I’d push hard about 3x. I got better and better at pushing but it hurt more and more.

As Sam’s head moved closer down – it burned with each push – even between contractions – (ring of fire!)

I was sweating and at one point asked how much longer? How many more pushes? I can’t do this much longer!

Judy responded by saying a few more contractions. Nate was standing by Judy so he could see my progress.  They asked if I wanted to see her in the mirror but I didn’t because I thought it would distract me from pushing.

I could tell by Nate’s face my progress. His eyes would get big anytime something was happening.

At one point they said they could see her light brown hair.  Nate said he could see her head move around as it was poking through!

I never pushed or worked so hard for anything in my life.

I didn’t think I could do it at some points.

I doubted myself on more than one occasion.

Everyone with me supported me through it. Nate finally got behind me for the final pushes – it hurt moving him into position!

The push where the head came out stung and burned.

I pushed for 2 hours up to that point.

Then the next push the shoulders came through and it felt like such a relief after!  They laid Sam right on me! She was covered in vernix but was so beautiful!

Those moments were the most magical of my entire life. I started crying and then Judy took our picture of all three of us.

Michelle helped me to start feeding. She latched right away!

Nate cut the umbilical cord after it stopped pulsating a few minutes.

After snuggling awhile – Michelle showed Nate how to give Samantha a sponge bath.

They then laid her in her hospital bassinet. Nate’s parents came in and brought food.

I ate a sub (with tomatoes and I didn’t care I was so hungry!) and a frosty from Wendy’s.  Sam stayed in the room with us the entire time in the hospital.

Our first time as a family!  Nathan, Stacey, and Samantha!

What an Amazing Birth Story!

The post All Natural Labor with Pitocin: Stacey’s Birth Story appeared first on The Perfect Pregnancy Plan.

Some stories are intriguing, some are surprising, some breeze right through, and some break down every detail. In these stories Jessica really takes the time to break down every detail of the experience, especially with her all-natural birth!

This story is not for the squeamish but shares very clearly what her experience with an all-natural birth felt like. The unique sensations of the importance of breathing, the difficulty of dealing with the pain, and more.

Please enjoy these heartfelt and detailed birth stories weighing the drastic differences the same woman can experience in a medication-free vs. an epidural birth.

One Natural and One Epidural: Did I make the right choice?

When I talk about having my babies now, it’s with a wry smile that I got an epidural with the
wrong one.

With my daughter, I had intended to deliver naturally and without pain meds.

But what also made her birth eventful is that based on my gut feeling I chose not to get an amniocentesis during
pregnancy to determine what kind of abnormality she had — if she did.

The doctors had told me to abort before giving me any reason, so having an amnio after that didn’t feel right.

She was just a small baby because of a two-vessel cord, and the bowel obstruction she had did not
indicate that she was unfit to carry, I reasoned.

The Night My Contractions Started

The time of her birth came in early November 2015. One late night, I felt a shift in my abdomen and cramps began. I took a bath to relax, but contractions steadily continued.

We ultimately ended up in the hospital and I was told I was borderline pre-eclamptic so… Surprise!

It was Go Time.

After I was admitted, I intended to ride out my labor on my feet and have something of an experience like everyone sees in the movies. Instead:

• I was induced with Pitocin
• Directed to stay in bed
• Not to get up
• TO STAY THERE.

My contractions became three times worse when I laid there, so I kept sneaking off to the bathroom. It was some while later, after several painful cervical checks during which my nurses told me to just get my epidural over with, that I finally did.

At that point, I was 4 to 5 centimeters along. While the pain of my contractions was getting harder to deal with, I was still holding steady and had only started to feel like I was enduring my labor.

And while I did not feel I accepted an epidural the most willingly, it did bring a lot of relief.

I did not feel anything after the epidural.

All I did was take a long, long nap.

Then It Came Time to Push!

The lights were flipped on and my soft, dark cave of a hospital room became a glaring bright medical theatre as I was set up in bed, something like twelve staff filed in, and it was time to bring my daughter into the world.

When I mention I felt nothing after the epidural, I mean that I can sum that up in a particular moment during pushing in which I was eventually told that I needed to push harder because my baby’s heart rate was beginning to fall.

Without that guidance, I had barely tried pushing at all because I didn’t know how hard or not I was. Until then, I hadn’t noticed the student doctor in the corner who was cringing while watching me give birth.

There was the nurse who tried to coach me on how to breathe.

I remember a male doctor up front, with a blonde female doctor to his side.

When I was finally told I needed better pushes, she delivered in about 20
more minutes after seven contractions. Voila.

What did that birth with an Epidural feel like?

Birth itself was kind of a trip. My memory of that moment is kind of fuzzy… not memorable. Except that I was thirsty. And the room was very bright. And I hoped I was pushing right.

The only real part I felt? When she came out all the way. I guess my body was feeling everything far more than I was taking in because I let go of a great breath, and it was like that breath left my body with her. She was born.

NICU staff members swept her to the other side of the room as I began to shiver uncontrollably from the birthing meds I had been given. I felt very cold, and it took three warmed blankets to manage that.

Next, I couldn’t breathe due to having an asthma attack, and so my worry over why I heard no baby crying yet couldn’t find footing. I was sewn up from a first-degree tear as the epidural wore off. Then I asked for water to drink, and was
able to take some sips.

How Was Recovery from an Epidural Birth?

Recovery was a bit better, though I missed seeing my baby. I had been shivering too hard and had an asthma attack from bad breath coaching, and was not able to pay more attention to my daughter when my husband tried to show her to me at my side.

I only had a brief glimpse of the blanket around her, a flash of white and stripes, and then she was taken away.
My husband had tried to show her to me after her breathing was attended to, but she had already guzzled two ounces of meconium and had obvious needs that landed her in NICU care fairly quickly.

Before birth, I’d told my husband to stay with her if she had to go straight to NICU, and I waved him away at that moment too… Since I do not count the five minutes in which I fell asleep three times while trying to look at her, and still failed to see her properly while I was told to sign a paper for her admittance to NICU.

The next time I actually saw her was two days later.

After she was born, blood was drawn from my new daughter, my husband, and myself that later determined she had a partial Trisomy 18 that should have been fatal before, in the process of, or shortly after delivery.

A life measured in moments only.

But I am happy to say she’s the first Little Love my body has had the privilege to bring home, and — although her early years have been an absolute adventure — she’s three-and-a-half years old now.

The experience of my first child was a scary way to become prepared for the birth of my second, which came in July 2019.

RELATED: 3 More Women Share Their Experiences with Epidural vs. All Natural Births

Four Years Later: The Story of my Unmedicated Birth

Achieving my son came after three losses since having had his big sister.

I had an uneventful pregnancy, even if I did refuse an amnio this time again.

During a 17-week loss in between my children, I’d gotten an amnio with that one “to be sure” and found out that baby’s results were that he was a carrier.

The next day we found out he had died in utero due to a cord accident — that after a month’s time in which I had migraines three times each week from the anxiety of getting that test in case of another prenatal/postnatal experience like my daughter’s.

So for this son, I chose not to test.

But I did get a NIPT screen, which was clear with a nuchal measurement of 2.04 that couldn’t be prettier, ultrasounds were all perfect, and my gut feeling was unworried.

In the span of time of my pregnancy, my husband had gotten a job in a different state. We relocated, but I was able to secure new care with a birthing center.

My birth plan going into birth for my son was the same as with my first in that I wanted a natural, unmedicated birth.

But events being what they were for my daughter, it was decided my son would be born in the hospital the birthing center was affiliated with.

Having had an epidural after the painful contractions of my first delivery, I wasn’t at all sure I could do it.

I ended up praying my body would have an “easy” birth. Just let it be easy, let me make it through intact, I said to myself.

I spent much of my time anxious about how things would go. But the midwives who tended me, and a healthy dose of self-forgiveness for the complications that came after my first birth and more recent upheavals in my life that took away from my original plans for my second baby, pulled me through.

• Like my daughter, my son was born in his thirty-ninth week.
• Like my daughter, my son was having complications. Not pre-eclampsia this time, but polyhydramnios and reduced fetal activity.
• And once again, I was induced.
• Pitocin was used again, but this time raised very slowly.

And I’m truly not sure how it is that I had a Pitocin drip and no pain during that labor. It was like very, very mild period cramps. Mostly pressure. And feeling the hip, sciatic, and tailbone pain that followed me through both pregnancies.

But the miraculous thing was, I felt no pain.

The staff, doula, friend who was able to come, and my husband all seemed to take it as a challenge that I should feel more pain. Let’s crank the Pitocin. And so on, because I was so stoic.

I think it’s possible that my pregnant belly had stretched too far to feel anything, as I had a vertical line of numbness along where the linea nigra was on my belly.

Maybe it was divine intervention that I should have a mostly painless birthing process, I don’t know. But labor was so easy I was bored. I kept waiting for the time I would need an epidural, but nothing was out of my ability to manage.

I was still 2 centimeters, I felt almost nothing. Then my midwife asked if we would like to try a Foley bulb.

When they Began to Progress my Labor with a Foley Bulb it got Really Interesting.

After the bulb was inflated, I went from next to no pain to immediate discomfort, feeling pressure in my colon, and pain grabbed me like a sharper, steadier, spike in the middle point of my abdomen.

Although very intense, that was it. But the pain from the bulb and the tension that was set for it may have sent me into too much pain, so I was given a medication that made me feel drunk and like I had to remember to take breaths. Or remember how to talk. Or remember how to do… anything.

But eventually that strange state of meds wore off and the pain was bearable again, in that I suppose my tolerance had adjusted to it. The bulb had moved me from 2 centimeters… to 6 and was removed just before my water broke.

Shortly after my water broke, I abruptly vomited every bit of Jell-O and raspberry tea I’d had since admittance. Labor moved quickly then.

I don’t remember so much of it by that point except:

• That I was on my back in the hospital bed with my eyes squeezed shut.
• I know I was crying.
• I remember hitting the sidearm of the bed with a fist at one point or whimpering.
• My midwife reminded me to breathe each time.
• I felt… watched over.

Not the glaring bright like last time, but watched over in dimmer lighting. I was told to “Breathe in. Big, slow breath.
Breathe it out. Let it go. Let go. Remember your breath.”

And it was like breadcrumbs back to feeling like I could handle things again. Over and over.

What Natural Birth Felt Like for Me: in Detail

When natural birth is described as “surges”, that remembrance of breath when overridden by nearly-unbearable pain is what that means. The breathing exercises women learn before their labors aren’t about how to breathe right, or anything else. It’s remembering to breathe. Remembering breath. To trade away pain for breath. Breath is how it
escapes.

After some time floating in my pain world, I was asked to readjust my position, to be on my side. After much trouble (as I’d recently relaxed entirely into pubic bone dysfunction) I made it into a side-lying position with a peanut ball between my knees.

And then I was asked to move again and ended up on my hands and knees.

Something about being on my hands and knees must have clicked for my body because that was the end of it.

I went from 7 centimeters full force to 10 centimeters very quickly when my baby’s head dropped into my pelvis. And that intensity of labor went full throttle as I felt like throwing up. But instead of throwing up I felt a massive lurch downward.

The remainder of my birth, I screamed.

I was afraid, so I screamed. I was angry that I felt out of control, so screamed that. It hurt so much in my abdomen and it felt good to scream it.

And each scream, my midwife told me to lower my tone so it was belly yells instead of high-pitched. Because belly yells are useful. High pitches are not. Belly yells move belly muscles which contribute to bearing down. But I honestly couldn’t stop screaming.

It was just where I was at. Somewhere, floating in my head, in pain, and screaming is how I coped because I couldn’t crawl out of my body away from the pain. So, on my fours, head to bed, every muscle taut, I screamed.

In good news, I barely felt the “ring of fire”. It was a shadow in the distance. It was the abdominal cramp that wouldn’t let me go that felt awful. Or the way everything felt dry in my body because my waters had been released. I could feel baby descend like you might use your tongue to feel a burn in your mouth, raw like that.

And I couldn’t stop it. I was told not to push because I was only 7 centimeters, but my body did it anyway. “I’m sorry—pushing—can’t stop!” I sobbed and pushed anyway because my body had lurched again.

That puke feeling, that downward curl of my spine, and that final letting go of every muscle in that region – that’s what it means when women say pushing feels like having a bowel movement. It’s not that you’re using the muscles it takes to have a bowel movement, but that those muscles can’t help themselves due to the stretching happening right next to them.

Whether or not you pass stool during birth, it’s not stoppable. I felt embarrassed because I thought I might, so cried that I was sorry if I did, but kept going. Luckily, I didn’t. But I felt that lack of control over that set of muscles too. It’s just… so much pain.

I Began Yelling for an Epidural During Transition.

I was yelling for an epidural by then. In fact, I yelled five times for an epidural, and I think being asked four of those times if I was sure stalled me enough for the point of transition during birth to complete. Because by then my son was already crowning.

And then I felt a lurch and I guess his head was out. I didn’t hear anything, but then I heard someone say his shoulders were out.

And then I didn’t need anyone to say anything because the pain was already subsiding as I felt the rest of his body come out. Then the umbilical cord was dangling. There was some rush of fluid, and my hospital socks got soaked.

By then I was wrung out like a washrag in a drained bathtub.

I still hadn’t heard anything. I looked at my husband, who had tensed. The room felt tense, like an invisible livewire. My son wasn’t crying. There were a lot of people in the room again. I started asking, staccato, “Is he alive? Did I kill him? Is he alive? Is he gone?”

It had been over a minute.

I was later told he’d been wrapped three times in his cord… around his neck, his torso, and his left foot.

And then he cried from the other side of the room, and everybody, every person could breathe again. Once
measured, my husband held our second Little Love.

I was returned to my back. I wasn’t out of breath really, but the enormity of birth was an adrenaline rush that took time to leave behind.

My everything down there was numbed with a few injections, and the midwife got to work repairing my second-degree tear. It was almost peaceful, except for me yelping when the needle felt sharp. Like sending a pointy little object through a badly skinned knee a few times.

But at my side, I could see my son. I was able to breathe, able to appreciate.

No chills, no isolation, no utter exhaustion. My son was able to be laid on my chest, as my heart of hearts hoped he could be, and it made this whole experience different and better.

He found his way to my breast and nursed like a champ without even being shown, and it was so, so reassuring for all to just be well.

Why my Epidural Birth Was With the Wrong Baby. And Comparing the 2 Experiences.

I mentioned at the very beginning that I had an epidural with the wrong baby, right?

Allow me to finally share why that is: After 31 hours, my daughter was born 6 pounds, 8.6 ounces, and 21”. My son? After 15 hours he was born 10 pounds, 1 ounce, and 22” like the Kool-Aid man crashing in.

Would I say that really made a difference now, though? No, it really didn’t.

I think I could have had a perfectly fine birth with my daughter with no epidural. And I really did have a good birth with my son with no epidural.

My daughter showed distress and having the epidural on board would have made that experience an easier emergency caesarian section if she’d had to come out faster than I was able to deliver.

My son was in distress upon delivery but I was able to have that experience and he came around. Experiencing the birth of a smaller baby allowed me a faster healing time normally advertised for a natural birth. This was just as well since my husband and I had to follow her to a different hospital that could handle the medical interventions she needed.

My experience with a large second baby showed me that bodies are certainly capable of far, far more than we are
given confidence to do, but that we still need to treat ourselves more gently than we might think after what Nature puts us through.

The difference though, I believe, was in heart rates – and were I interested in more children than my two, I would choose the birth experience that supports the option my baby needs for heart health.

Yes, begin naturally, but it’s baby’s heart that will ultimately lead the way.

RELATED: 3 More Women Share Their Experiences with Epidural vs. All Natural Births

Love Birth Stories? We have lots here at the PPP: Check them Out NOW!

This Birth Story has been a wonderful submission from Jessica Plummer from ChromoChallenges.

Want to hear what happened to her daughter Abby after she was born? Read her growing story.

The post An All Natural Childbirth vs. Childbirth with an Epidural appeared first on The Perfect Pregnancy Plan.

When pregnant we are always directed to layout our birth plans. You may aim for an unmedicated natural birth, getting some pain relief with medication, or a full epidural.

But what is having a baby fully unmedicated really like when compared to having a baby under the strong drugs of an epidural? Which one is really better for you?

**This post contains affiliate links to items I own and love and am confident will benefit you immensely! You can read the full disclosure here.**

I have interviewed multiple women who have gone through BOTH a fully unmedicated birth as well as birth with an epidural. They have come here to share their stories and experiences to try to help give you a real idea of what each type of labor was like for them.

It is hard to really get an idea from your birth classes and prenatal books what each experience is really like.

Sure, they will describe what an epidural does and how it is administered, but you won’t get the details that you will get from moms who have been there.

• What and epidural feels like or doesn’t feel like.
• What natural birth feels like too.
• AND the pros and cons of both experiences for them. This post will answer all those questions for you and finally give you a REAL idea of what birthing a baby naturally vs. with an epidural is like.

My Personal Experience with Natural vs. Epidural Births

I myself am a mother who has both birth experiences under my belt. My first labor went nothing as planned. I wanted to go all-natural, I wanted to have as little intervention as possible. But then I went 1-week post-date and my doctor forced me into having an induction.

Already having unwanted interventions, after hours of waiting to dilate and finally begin labor, I eventually caved and got an epidural.

Interested in hearing the full story where nothing went according to plan? You can read all about my first labor here.

My second labor was an entirely different story. I mean worlds different. 5 years later I was so much wiser when it came to childbirth, the preparation, and my options. I ended up having that baby with no interventions or medication whatsoever! It really is an exciting labor story.

Want to read about my all-natural birth experience and learn how I plan on having my 3rd baby in a few months? You can read more by clicking the link!

(I am building those stories right now… and the links will be inserted soon! This pregnant mommy needs some extra sleep most days and I’ll get those posts up soon!)

For now, read the wonderful stories from 3 experienced mamas.

If you haven’t prepared for your labor and delivery yet by taking a birth class it’s really something you should consider. It helps so much to calm your fears, make you feel prepared to handle the soon to be task at hand, AND helps you layout your birth plan the way you want.

I didn’t really have time to fit a traditional birth class into my plans last time, and instead stumbled upon the best birth class ever! You can take it online, in your pjs, whenever you and your hubby have time. Check out the perfect Prenatal Class now so you are totally prepared when the big day comes!

1. Lauren’s Epidural vs. Natural Birth Stories

Having first an epidural and then a natural birth has led me to appreciate both sides and I think you will come to your own conclusion on which is better by the end of my story.

Lauren’s First Birth: with an Epidural

With my first child, my son, everything was perfect and normal in the pregnancy up to 20 weeks. It was after our first perinatal exam that we found out he was running behind in his size. The next one revealed the same thing and by the time 32 weeks rolled around my doctor, who I really was not too happy with, told me that I may not make it to 36 weeks as she wanted to induce me earlier.

Every time I left the doctor, needless to say, I was in tears.

They put me on partial bed rest, though I really just rested a few times per day, and had me eating as many fat-rich foods as possible.

Approaching 38 weeks, I asked for a second opinion and got in writing from a second perinatologist that I could go to 40 weeks. My OBGYN took this as if it were written in gold and had my induction scheduled on my due date. I was set and determined to not be induced and wanted to do the whole thing naturally without an epidural. 

The day before my induction, I had my last OBGYN exam. That was miserable, to say the least. My husband drove me home as I was sobbing with the idea of what would soon come.

I spoke to an old friend who recommended trying a labor-inducing drink. We found a birthing center that made it and drove 40 minutes to get it.

This contained:

• castor oil
• almond butter
• lemon something or other
• and some other nasty stuff that was supposed to give the uterus a kick.

I drank it all down and waited.

We decided to then order pizza for dinner as we didn’t have time to cook much.

I then spoke to a midwife who had been helping us on the side and she ordered me to come to see her right then. Before the pizza even arrived, my husband swept me into the car and away we went.

She did a thorough pokey poke up there and I felt an incredibly painful jab that I later found out was the sweeping of membranes. She sent me away with some other homeopathy type things and off we went.

The pizza was still good when we got home (my mom helped to receive the pizza while we were away) and we ate and waited.

Around 10 that night I started noticing some pains in my stomach and at first, couldn’t tell if it was from the pizza or not.

They then started getting more regular and after they had been going for over an hour, I knew this was not indigestion. Never in my life had I been so welcoming of pain than at that moment.

This was a good pain, an exciting pain.

This meant that my son would be arriving soon! We quickly got in the car and arrived at the hospital around 12 AM. After going to triage, it was confirmed I was in labor and shortly after my water broke.

And remember that labor drink I had taken? Well, that ensured that my insides were fully flushed out.

Going to the bathroom at the same time as having a contraction is a feeling I never wish upon anyone ever. 

Back in the room, the pain slowly increased, but the dilation just wouldn’t get past 6… my husband and my mom were wonderful, by my side with every contraction, holding my hand and rolling ice-cold soda cans on my back.

I was ready to do this fully natural.

By 8AM I was so exhausted and two things tipped me over the edge:

1. The anesthesiologist kept “checking in” to see if I had changed my mind about the epidural. That is like holding water up to a man who has walked through a desert, especially when you haven’t slept for 24 hours.
2. A nurse made the stupid mistake of telling me at my most painful moments “Oh, looks like you will be getting into transition soon!”

The thought that it could get any worse than I felt was just too much for me to handle.

I screamed for help. And they gave me the epidural shot and I entered into the drug euphoria where everything seems peaceful…

But boy was that a mistake as the contractions majorly slowed down and the dilation almost stopped. They then had to lower the dosage of the epidural so that I could contract more.

Finally, I reached 10 cm and it was time to push, except that I couldn’t feel my legs, I couldn’t feel my stomach and I certainly couldn’t tell if I was even using the right muscles.

I ended up pushing with the nurse for an hour waiting for the doctor to come from God knows where and apparently my poor baby was stuck somewhere up there.

I felt that I had the worst body for this and that I would never get my angel out.

When the doctor finally did show up, she threatened me with a C-Section.

But how the heck was I supposed to do my job when I couldn’t even feel where I was pushing?

I looked to my husband so freaked and he just kept reassuring me everything was going to be 100% okay. That is really the best thing you can hear from someone when you are mid this.

Note to husbands out there. No matter how freaked you may feel on the inside, you must, must, must keep your cool for your wife. She needs to know that you are with her and that you know she can get through. 

The doctor then offered the vacuum suction as a solution.

At that point, anything to get my baby out, I didn’t care. So with the help of the vacuum and somehow pushing with who knows what muscles, my sweet baby Liam was born and tears and tears of so much happiness came with him from my husband, my mom, and my dad.

He was a healthy 5 pounds 12 ounces and to this day my other OBGYN on my next pregnancy could not believe that this doctor was so incompetent that she couldn’t get me to get a 5-pound baby out!

On top of that, I got a second-degree perineum tear which she horribly stitched back together, causing me pain for months afterward.

Instead of six weeks of healing, it turned into six months. I went back to her to get corrected and she used colloidal silver on it which was more painful than any contraction EVER. And this did NOTHING to heal it.

I then had to go to another doctor who said she did a full botch job with one look at the perennial area. And he had to do a whole repair surgery! I had to actually go unconscious with the full surgical procedure 3 months postpartum.

So I feel this all was the result of me giving in to the pain.

Lauren’s Second Birth: All Natural

The next pregnancy was unbelievably smooth, with my daughter having zero complications.

The same thing happened where my induction was scheduled a week after my due date, just because it was time to get her out and I got my membranes swept (no pain this time).

Just like her big brother, in the middle of the night, the day before the induction was supposed to take place, the contractions came on.

They woke me at 1:38AM and I waited until 2:00AM to wake my husband and we ensured after an hour consistency that it was, in fact, the real deal.

We got in the car and arrived to the birthing center by 3:15AM. They took me to triage where I refused to even change into a gown as I was in such intense pain.

A side note here is that I had tested positive for Group B Strep, so I was supposed to get antibiotics 4 hours before delivery. Well, in triage the nurses could not get a needle in me to save their lives and so after literally 20 pokes later, it was determined it ain’t gonna happen.

I then started having excruciating back labor pains, so I walked to the labor room and seemed to swap her around in there as the pain went back to the front.

I told the nurse I needed to go to the bathroom as I felt this incredible urge to push, but she nailed it when she said “No, that is the baby coming…let’s get the doctor in here now.”

And not 2 minutes later I was pushing and pushing and at 4:38AM my beautiful Ella Rose arrived in my arms.

It was the most intense, incredible, empowering experience.

I will admit I was screaming, but the pain gave me a vigor, a drive, an almost superhero power to do what I needed to do to get that baby out.

I could feel every muscle and knew where every push was needed, with the guidance of an awesome doctor and my amazing husband (whose hand was very sore afterwards from my squeezing).

That was what it meant to be a mother. I felt this incredible sense of accomplishment at the end as I held this miracle in my arms.

The only downside is I did get shingles after my second labor, which lasted 6 weeks. I really believe it was from all of the needle poking and the fact that I refused to sleep for 48 hours afterwards as I wanted to hold my daughter the whole time.

Would I have an all-natural birth again with no epidural to mask the pain?

Absolutely! I don’t like feeling out of control and that is what the epidural made me feel like. The first labor paves the way for the rest and it goes SO fast that there really isn’t any time for even thinking about getting drugs with the second.

I would imagine the 3rd would be just as speedy too, if not more so. I wish all mothers the absolute best and I truly respect your choices. No two labors are the same and you need to be prepared for all scenarios, being willing to experience anything.

But no matter which way you go, the end result is the same: a beautiful baby that YOU created and brought into this world.

These heartfelt birth stories (which I can incredibly relate to) were shared by Lauren Gonzalez. Check out Lauren’s blog and the company she created to help moms: Nena and Nene!

2. Karen’s Epidural Vs. Natural Birth Stories

It seems everyone starts out with having an epidural with their first birth. None of us seem to endure a natural birth and then switch to an epidural the second time.

This is the story from a mama who had four epidural births before then switching to attempting a natural labor and delivery.

Karen’s Epidural Birth Experience

I remember with my first pregnancy my birth plan was natural labor.

I was convinced that I had a high enough pain threshold that I would not need an epidural and would be able to labor naturally.

Well, of course, that didn’t happen. As soon as I got to the hospital and was confirmed to be actively in labor I requested an epidural- the pain was too strong and when my doctor told me I could be in labor for many hours up to a couple of days I knew I needed the epidural.

Once I got it the pain greatly decreased, of course, I could still feel the contractions but not nearly as bad.

The actual delivery was uncomfortable and tiring but not painful.

I naturally assumed that I would need epidurals for all of my other pregnancies as well.

With my second delivery, I noticed that the only pain I had following delivery was in my back at the epidural site and that I could not lay down properly or sit for a few days following.

With my third, I got to the hospital at 8 cm dilated and still requested an epidural.

As a nursery nurse, I was shocked that they gave one to me that far along, but they did.

I just remember how scared I was having to sit still during those intense contractions while they were inserting that huge needle into my back and unfortunately it did not take effect before delivering.

I survived the delivery but it was very painful and I hated that I was confined to the bed and couldn’t move around during those intense contractions.

Then I promised myself that I wouldn’t make that same mistake with my fourth and made sure to get to the hospital with enough time to receive my epidural.

My thoughts about the epidural for the last three pregnancies was that the epidural was worth the trade-off of taking away the really intense contractions and dealing with the really bad back pain afterwards.

How Karen’s Labor Story Changed: Her 5th and All-Natural Labor

When I found out that I was pregnant with my fifth baby, I switched from my usual Ob-gyn to a group of midwives, because I wanted a more natural pregnancy overall.

When my midwife explained the water birth process to me I decided I wanted to try that this time around.

My husband was convinced I would not be able to handle labor without an epidural but I wanted to prove to him and to myself that I could. And more importantly, I didn’t want that back pain for the following three days while caring for an infant, again.

This labor and delivery was better than my four prior.

I went in with the mindset that I was just going to be in intense pain for just a few hours-after all it was a fifth baby, it couldn’t last that long anyway.

Of course, the contractions were intense, but once I got into the water they eased up for a little while and I was so relaxed.

Until they started up again and they got intense real fast. I told my midwife at that point “I think I made a mistake, I need the epidural!”  But she reassured me that I could handle it and when she examined me it turned out that it was time for me to push.

In an effort to make the pain stop I pushed as strong as I could.

All I can say with regards to the pain is they don’t call it the “ring of fire” for nothing, but after two pushes he was out. I just felt so relieved and proud of myself for accomplishing my goal of a natural birth and I loved the fact that I had no recovery pain at all.

In Another Labor Would I Choose Natural or an Epidural Birth?

Chances are I will have to do this again sometime in the future, and when I do, I would do it epidural free again.

It is such an empowering feeling to allow your body to do what it is designed to do without any intervention and without any unnecessary recovery pain.

This wonderful contribution from a truly experienced mama came from Karen at Crafty Organic Mama.

Megan’s Natural Birth vs. her Epidural Birth

Another strikingly different set of experiences for one woman and her two labors.

Megan’s Medicated Epidural Birth Story

When I was pregnant with my first son, I was on a mission to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. I worked out every day, ate healthy, and was doing everything in my mind to have my dream delivery.

My birth plan was to go into labor naturally, go med-free, and avoid any pain relievers at all costs.

However, due to preeclampsia, I ended up being induced at 38 weeks. My body was not ready.

It took nearly 24 hours for my body to progress and the back labor was awful! In the middle of the night, after having been on the induction meds for almost 12 hours, I decided for an epidural.

Laboring with an epidural was an interesting experience.

I was not in pain for most of it however my epidural kept “failing” on one side of my body which grew exhausting, confusing, and a pain.

This was the start of what I knew would be an emotionally frustrating delivery.

As I proceeded and it became time to deliver my son I felt completely out of control.

They would tell me to push on my next contraction but I couldn’t feel anything so I had no idea how to “listen to my body” and push when it was needed. I remember feeling frustrated and angry because I wanted so badly to be able to do this on my own but my mind and body were so disconnected.

Thankfully, throughout this entire process, he was fine and was born a beautiful and healthy little boy.

Recovering from a medicated delivery was painful. I had to continue on medications because as I weaned off of them, the pains were extreme.

My entire body hurt. Every muscle. Thankfully my body recovered pretty quickly and I was back to my normal self in a few days.

 

Megan’s Completely Different Experience with an Unmedicated Natural Birth

My second pregnancy, just a year after my first, I knew would be different.I felt different (better) through the entire thing and gained significantly less weight.My birth plan this time around was all natural and hopefully not to be induced.

I had lower expectations and my delivery blew all my expectations out of the water.

I went into labor at 40 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

It was a very subtle experience. Not painful just uncomfortable.

I woke up at 1 am and felt like something was changing so I called my doctor. He told me to go into the hospital just to see. We got to the hospital a few hours later (again, I barely felt like I was in labor) and as we were in triage they checked to see how dilated I was.

As the nurse checked me she mentioned that my waters were bulging, and then she accidentally broke it! I laughed because it was a flood for the next 20 minutes. SO MUCH WATER.

Because of my waters breaking so quickly the nurse was worried the baby would fall and get the cord around his neck or the cord would come out first so she kept her hand inside.

Yup. The nurse kept her hand inside to hold the baby up while the waters flowed out.

Finally, I was ready to go to the delivery room. We went up to the room, feeling contractions the entire time. I decided to stand and walk around in the room, as that felt best for my body.

The nurses encouraged me to sit but I declined. After about 10 minutes, I knew baby was coming.

Problem was, there was no doctor. So the nurses kept “encouraging me” not to push.

Oh boy. I remember turning to the nurse and saying “then what do you want me to do?! The baby is coming!”

Everyone moved around but nobody expected me to deliver right then and there. I turned, threw up in the sink, my mom said “the baby is coming” so she threw towels on the ground and was ready to catch the baby.

Yes, my MOM caught the baby ON THE FLOOR because the nurses were waiting for the doctor.

After a few pushes our son was born, perfect as can be. Moments later the doctor came in and asked who delivered the baby, and nobody said anything.

I said, “I did!”

He was born at 9lbs and was healthy and happy. Just perfect!

 

If Pregnant Again, Which Birth Experience Would Megan Choose?

Wrapping Up This Collection of Natural vs. Unmedicated Birth Stories

I find it striking how similar this collection of unique birth stories were.

Not one mom went into her first labor planning on getting an epidural. Yet they all caved to that overwhelmingly intense pain for the relief that it seems hospitals are waving in front of you like “a glass of water to a man who just walked through a desert” as Lauren so cleverly explained it.

I also noticed in each story, the mothers relaying to the difference between recovery from an epidural birth vs. that of a natural birth. It seems quite often epidural births have a more difficult recovery.

The last striking similarity I noticed was that every one of these women would choose a natural birth if given the opportunity again!

It is amazing that so many women would choose to feel such intense pain after having both experiences.

What will you choose? Are you planning on giving an epidural a try? Are you completely set on an all-natural birth? I’d love to know more about your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Epidural vs. Natural Birth 3 Women Share Their Stories appeared first on The Perfect Pregnancy Plan.