Girls if epidural was banned, would you have vaginal birth or c-section?

Question

Scenario:

If hypothetically speaking, a law has been passed and epidural has been banned. You're pregnant and close to your due date. The only two options are either a painful, traditional vaginal birth or a C-section.

What would you rather have? I think I would go for a C-section in that case. I feel bad for the woman that had to go through natural childbirth when epidural wasn't invented yet.

Screenwriter · Accepted Answer

I've had an epidural for an operation. You can't feel to push, pee or ANYTHING. It's a terrible option if you're in good health and are having a normal birth.

I had my first child and had pain for a few hours. I was 39. When I say a few, labor started at 7 am and he was born at 1 pm. Labor pains come in waves. You are not in pain all the time. With the Bradley breathing method pain is manageable. Some people prefer LaMaze. I checked out both.

Additionally, epidural anesthesia crosses the placenta and drugs the infant somewhat. What's the point of that? Also, you have to wait hours before the drugs wear off and usually have to be catheterized in order for urine to be captured.

These are all complications that are completely avoided when you go through some pain for a short time. My son wasn't drugged and neither was I. I was aware and able to push when it was called for.

After he was delivered the pain was done. I got up, took an herbal bath, changed my clothes and begin recovery. He was ready to suckle, drug free.

Also, epidurals are expensive. You need an anesthesiologist to administer one and that doctor has to remain present to control your drugunner level and to manage your health while you are under anesthesia. You're awake and conscious, but the bottom half of your body is completely numb. Unless you've gone through this, you can't have any idea of how unnerving it feels.

Luckily, I had a foot surgery where I was persuaded to have an epidural. I couldn't feel a thing, was catherized and had to remain on my back until the anesthesia wore off. Today, I'm sure it's more fine-tuned, but after looking up the details, most of it remains the same.

Numbing the bottom half of your body when IT has to do all the work of labor and delivery makes no sense unless labor carries on too long and the woman is exhausted.

I had an easy labor and delivery with my first child, so saying a first child will be difficult is incorrect. It might be a longer labor, it might not.

I took into account that my mother, aunts and grandmothers all had healthy labors and deliveries and, none had caesarians. So, since I was related to all these women, I figured my chances of having a good labor and delivery were strong. It worked out as I expected.

There is no need for drugged labor and deliveries unless there is a problem. Most deliveries, about 80 percent, are ordinary and basic with no need for drugging the mother, and therefore, the baby.

Choosing a caesarian means you're choosing MAJOR SURGERY during a process that is regular and normal for most women. IT takes 9 months to create a child. If it takes 10 hours to deliver one, that's a reasonable amount of time. And labor pains start out small with long breaks between them. They're only really painful right before delivery.

Makes no sense to choose EITHER of these options because, in general, they are unnecessary. Recovery from a caesarian is very painful. Surgeons cut through layers of muscle to access the uterus AND they cut through the uterus. Sometimes, once cut, the only option may be that a woman needs to have caesarians for all future births.

Vesuvius87 · Accepted Answer

Honestly I'm kind of in that position at this moment. My due date is between June 8-12. Even though epidural is available, it's quite expensive in my country. I would have to be transferred to an outpatient hospital to get an epidural and my insurance isn't covering it.

So in my prenatal clinic, they'll either tell me whether it'll be natural birth or c-section. I guess if I can avoid another surgery in my stomach (I already had one to remove a benign stomach tumor in March 2019 and the scar is visible), I guess vaginal birth would be the better option. There is a quicker recovery time when it's vaginal birth vs c-section. I guess in that case I have other option but just bear the childbirth pain. I'm a bit nervous to be honest.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Accepted Answer

Are we sure that Cesarean sections can be made on mother's wish?  I'm seriously doubting that, at least where I am, I view it as a medical decision, absolutely not based on personal comfort.

7Phoenix7 · Answer

I'd go with natural childbirth without the epidural. I have a high pain tolerance and I'd prefer that pain over the risks of surgery.

Flower7 · Answer

I do not know. Both are bad. Surgery is scary.

Bonnaroo · Answer

I actually recently had a baby refused to get the epidural, and had a vaginal birth

PBandJ_Nerd · Answer

You'd go through pain either way.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Answer

I would rather abort

Girls if epidural was banned, would you have vaginal birth or c-section?

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Girls if epidural was banned, would you have vaginal birth or c-section?

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