medicated vs natural

Ok so the main reason I want a epidural is cause of the side effects I've read. If you had an epidural did you jave an side effects? If you knew you would have had these sode effects would you have done things differently? I keep telling myself I can do it natural & i'll be fine but something in me keeps saying I can't. Also if you had a natural birth what helped you stay strong the most? I know one person who has had a natural birth and she said the only awful part was the contractions? What was the worst for you? I know everyone is different im just curoous & the closer it gets the more I wonder. Now im up watching birthing videos & I don't think its helped much of anything but making me cry lol
Thanks in advance !

When I got my epidural my blood pressure crashed and I felt very faint and weak and they had to inject something into the epi site to fix it. When I felt better the epidural was the best thing ever lol.

I labored for 12 hours, 10 hours without any medication. After my water broke it was awful, I got the epi and had no troubles. About a week or two after DS was born my back was sore but other than that, no troubles. I wanted a natural birth with all my heart but it didn't happen, I'm glad I got the epi though.

I have had 3 medicated birth and 3 natural. My first 2 natural births were just because I progressed so fast I didn't have time for the epidural and the last one was because I wanted my teenage daughter to witness every pain of childbirth. All of my medicated births were due to being induced and the medicine making the contractions sooo much stronger than normal. I never had any bad side affects from my epidurals but I can say I liked??? my natural births better. Yes, labor hurts like hell but I liked that I was able to walk, shower, just move and do what my body was made to do.

My epidurals made me very sick. I throw up throughout and after labor. It also made my blood pressure drop and they had to shut it off.

I got the epi, and it worked pretty well. Though DD is 5 weeks, and i'm still having back trouble. And even with the epi, pushing hurt, a LOT. I couldn't feel my contractions though, and apparently i was having monster ones.

Epidural wasn't and option in my births (litterally). First was pit induced AFTER 6hrs of natural labor, no epi but did nubane (worst ever)... And my 2nd and 3rd were natural from start to finish.. word of advice if you are low risk with no complications, stay home for as long as possible if your dead set on not wanting an epi. I stayed home with My son 4 hrs was 5cm at arrival, DD1 home 4hrs was 5 cm @ arrival to Dr 7cm@ arrival to hosp. DD2 home 6.5hrs and was 7.5cm on arrival to Dr and 8.5 @ hosp..

I had two medicated and one natural. My two medicated were also my smallest babies. I'm not sure why I gave up so easily.
With my youngest, I got to the hospital already at 7 cm, they asked if I wanted pain medication and I said no. Pretty sure that was my window, lol. My husband was great at keeping me on the path I wanted to be on. By the time I thought about giving up and even just getting IV pain meds, the nurse said I was 9 cm and there was nothing they could do, lol. The worst part is DEFINITELY the contractions. The only relief I felt was when I was able to push. The baby crowning wasn't even as bad as the contractions.
Just be prepared for screaming and crying unless you're lucky and have a much higher pain tolerance than I do, lol.

I got an epi with both labors and never got any side effects. I tried going natural with DS but after the 5 minute ling contraction I had I said Smurf that and got an epi

I didn't have any problems with the epi. My water broke and wasn't progressing. I waited until I was 6cm (many hours later) and got the epi. I went from 6cm to 10cm in 15 minutes. If anything, the epidural saved me from having a c-section. They were prepping me for a c-section and I asked them to check one more time and I was ready to push. Thank goodness.

I went 18 hours with nothing, I had the epidural because I had an emergency cesarean and I hated it. I had no control of my body and my back was messed up forever. I can't blame my back problems on it anymore since I broke it when my son was 7 months old lol but it hurt from the epi up un til then.

Honestly, my epidural caused us so many problems. I was so hopped up on meds that I was so slow on the uptake. Then my son was born completely limp and unable to breathe. It took them almost a minute and a half before they could resuscitate him and get him breathing. He was really blue and was clearly in distress. Then after he was born my blood pressure dropped dangerously low and I kept passing out. They had to start me on a new IV and keep me in bed for the first 48 hours... not only that, I got so swollen down under that I literally couldn't pee so they had to cath me for two days. Horrible experience. It was a beautiful experience because I have an amazing little boy, but I knew that if I had gone without the drugs none of that would have happened. So when I had my daughter, I made it a point to read books, watch documentaries, and gain emotional support from others to make it through a natural childbirth. And I did!! I delivered my daughter without ANY medications whatsoever, and she came out a beautiful pink crying bundle of joy. It was the most empowering experience and I can't wait to do it again in September! This time however, I'll be going to a freestanding birth center instead and hopefully delivering in the water. I can't wait.   If you want a great book to read, "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" really got me through my unmedicated delivery. Best of luck to you! You CAN do it!!