I’ve debated long and hard what to write in this post, as well as if I should write it at all. You see I’m far from a naturopath mama, my views on epidurals were  alway pretty simplistic: Childbirth = pain, epidurals help with the pain so I’m all in. I have given birth to two children, I have had an epidural both times, and having lived through it sometimes I feel the true pros and cons are lost in the natural birth vs medicated birth debate. So, while I don’t want to fear monger, I hope I can help you be more prepared than I was and help you think about a few things you really need to before making this particular decision.

The Loss of Mobility

One thing few talk about when it comes to having an epidural, is the nitty gritty of what having to be confined to your bed post-epidural actually means. After receiving that oh so stylish fall risk wristband, you can’t get up AT ALL. A catheter is inserted since you can’t get up to use the restroom (I’ll be honest I don’t remember this occurring with my first, but I’m sure it did).

Repositioning your legs to help your labor progress becomes a struggle. Switching from one side to the other required my husband’s help, as well as that of a nurse, since my legs felt like they weighed a few tons each. Not that any of this should sway you from receiving an epidural, but not being confined to a bed may be worth delaying it until to you absolutely need it.

Problems Can Arise

An Epidural is a medical procedure and, no matter how routine it is today, there are always risks involved. I’m pretty sure I fell into “that would never happen to me” camp until the birth of my second son when that changed.

You see during the birth of my second son I finally opted for the epidural after my nurse and doctor let me know “there was no prize for being in pain the longest.”  My husband agreed and I requested to be put on the anesthesiologist’s list. For some reason I got very nervous during the procedure and as a result my blood pressure and heart rate skyrocketed. I remained hunched over my pillow holding my husband’s hand and just focused on breathing until it was over.

I was told I could relax and it was in place, as soon as laid down my blood pressure tanked, monitor alarms started blaring, and the nurse began calling for assistance to my room. My bed was lowered, meds were injected into my IV line, more faces appeared by my bedside and, as the nurse continued to monitor me, I remember telling my husband I was freezing (teeth chattering and all). I felt lightheaded, I couldn’t think straight, and I was scared.

Luckily, once the counteractive medicines took effect, I stabilized. All in all, that one part of my birth was maybe 5-10 minutes, but it is the part I remember the most clearly. I remember looking at the concerned urgent faces of the medical staff and going from it being a joyous day to being legitimately worried about mine and my baby’s lives.

I know as a pregnant woman this kind of story is the LAST thing you want to read, and I’m not telling this to scare you, I’m telling you this so you can be prepared for the possibility because I was NOT. Ignorance may be bliss in some things but knowing that there is the even a remote chance for something to go wrong is important.

It’s Scary

Both times I got epidurals I had a mini freak out just before with “if you move you could end up paralyzed” playing through my head on repeat. They have you sit up on the edge of a bed, hunch over a pillow, and you can only imagine the size of the needle (here’s a hint DON’T look at the needle). I personally found the whole thing kind of terrifying, so practice those deep breaths and finding your happy place.

It May Not Eliminate All Pain

During my first labor the epidural worked really well until my son entered the dreaded “ring of fire” and then it HURT. As I was waiting for my doctor to arrive I remember thinking that pain like that shouldn’t exist. So while you will hopefully get to skip the majority of labor pains, be prepared that even an epidural doesn’t guarantee a completely pain-free birthing experience.

Of course now that I’ve terrified you with everything that can go wrong, why would you get one? The answer is simple. Even with the risks and trade-offs involved, you can save yourself a fair amount of pain by opting for one. Unfortunately in the US epidurals are the pain management method of choice but there ARE other options if your hospital and doctor allow them. In the UK Nitrous Oxide has been the staple labor pain management method for decades, so, while not every hospital supports this option, it’s worth asking what other options they do provide.

So if I ever have a third will I personally get an epidural? I can honestly say I’m not sure. My last birth brought home a lot of my unspoken fears and brought to light new ones. What I can tell you is that I will look into other options more seriously before automatically resorting to an epidural. At the end of the day you need to make this decision for yourself, but be educated (preferably more so than I was) and be prepared! I wish you the best labor possible no matter your choice and congratulations on your precious baby to be!