Childbirth: Why I Chose to Do It Without an Epidural
Hannah was a young mom of 5 children. For each child’s birth, she elected for an epidural to ‘get through’ the birth, never considering any other option. During her 6th pregnancy, a friend referred her to my doula Julie, and she decided to educate herself and find out more about her options. Hannah didn’t think she had it in her to birth her children naturally, without an epidural anesthetic, but with Julie’s encouragement and assistance, she had her first-ever anesthetic-free birth. Hannah was elated after her experience and felt empowered in her role as a life-giving woman.
Numerous studies have shown that women who use doula services have lower rates of cesarean births, feel more satisfied after birth, and have better newborn Apgar scores. Women using doulas also have fewer preterm births, less use of instruments including a vacuum or forceps; are less likely to use pain medications, and are more likely to have slightly shorter deliveries. In addition to the quantifiable pros of using a birth coach or doula, these individuals often help educate pregnant women about the birthing process and empower them to make informed decisions. With the support of a doula, women can give birth without an epidural and avoid the health risks associated with the process. Epidurals impose physiologic risks to the mother including acute and persistent problems such as numbness, tingling, dizziness, respiratory paralysis, cardiac arrest, nerve injury, abscess, and death. In a 2008 CDC report, women who used an epidural had use of forceps 84% of the time, and vacuums in 77% of cases. Doulas employ alternative pain relief, guided imagery, breathing techniques, and encouragement to assist birthing women, as I’ll illustrate in the following story of the birth of my daughter.
My husband and I were living alone in a foreign country where I planned to give birth to our first child. I participated in childbirth classes during my pregnancy, and one big takeaway was the need for a birth coach or doula to optimize my birth experience. After doing my research, I settled on Julie to accompany me at my birth. She came to meet me at my house and we hit it off immediately, so I knew I would feel comfortable around her during my most vulnerable moments of labor.
I went into labor at around 9 pm. The contractions continued through the night, and I dozed on the couch with my husband in between each one. I called my doula a few times during the night to update her and get her encouragement.
“Let me know when you want me to come; I’m at your beck and call,” was Julie’s assured response. By morning, I felt bushed and I wanted to know if I had made any progress. Julie gave me a number of a midwife who would come to the house to check how far I’d dilated, and I contacted her promptly.
I was almost completely effaced and open one centimeter, which isn’t very far into labor. I felt despondent. The midwife offered to strip the membranes from the uterus to speed up the contractions, and after consulting with Julie I agreed to let her do it. I told Julie I needed her presence and she made her way over to my home.
Julie’s arrival eased my anxiety immediately; I knew that she would do her best to make me feel comfortable and help me get through the waves of contractions. She pushed a vibrating pillow against my back during each contraction, gave me herbal drops to speed up labor, and offered words of encouragement. “You’re doing amazingly, you’re so strong. Tell your baby you’re ready to greet him! Say ‘I’m opening up for my baby’!” These statements got me into the right frame of mind and ‘psyched me up’ to bring my baby out.
After a few hours of this with no let-up, I felt like I could not go on without some sort of pain relief. Julie listened to my concerns and called a taxi. As we rode to the hospital, I leaned over the back seat to ease the contractions and prayed that we not get pulled over by a cop.
At the hospital, Julie suggested I start by going into the shower. The nurses measured my perineum first and I was almost at 3 centimeters. “That’s it?!” I cried. I stood in the shower for a bit until I felt desperate for a break from the pain. “Why don’t you try laughing gas (nitrous gas)?” was her next suggestion. I was exhausted from my sleepless night and I felt like I couldn’t complete the delivery without some rest. I donned a mask that was pumped with nitrous gas, and I felt some relief. While using the gas, I rested between contractions and regained my strength. During the contractions, Julie pushed the vibrating pillow onto my back and soothingly rubbed my back. She was my ray of light and positivity; she showed her belief in me and pushed me to keep going.
3 hours after we got to the hospital, I triumphantly pushed out my baby girl! I celebrated my achievement with Julie and my husband; I felt like I had conquered Mount Everest! And without an epidural or any other invasive medical procedures!
Julie helped me latch my baby onto my breast and I experienced one of the most beautiful moments of my life.
Getting a doula was one of the best decisions of my life, and I am forever thankful to Julie for being there for me. I birthed a baby with the help of my doula, and I felt like superwoman!
