Victoria's Secret Model on Having a Natural Birth: "I didn't want to drug my baby.".

I think that it's up to the mother really... To each their own kwim? I had an epidural and have no complaints. Even without one my son wouldn't have been able to just come straight to me.... Once he was all checked out and clear, we had no problem bonding.

I disagree, I had and epidural with both my kids and both were really awake, the last one even nursed right there and it was great she was really awake and hungry and i also got nubain with both which is supposed to make the baby sleepy.

I do agree. I had 2 wonderfully "normal" hospital birth with drugs. I felt good, baby nursed well in my eyes and I felt they were successful.
THEN, I started to have a gut change and went with it, I felt there was better out there and ended up having a home birth with our 3rd. I can say without a doubt that was a better pregnancy, birth, recovery for both baby and I. I thought I felt good after the epi birth but after natural it was AMAZING. I thought my babies were alert and nursed well but my last was wide awake, on the breast and nursing like crazy the moment he was born, my milk can in a full day and a half sooner than with my other 2 , my bleeding was weeks shorter, I was shaving my legs in the shower 30 mins after he was born (I wanted to before getting into bed)
I saw a very clear different in care, education and health for both of us..
I will never choice a hospital or medicated with again, I am rather sad I like so many women honestly thought the hospital experiance was good:(( its laughable to me now even though I was lucky enough to have their version of normal.

I want an epidural. I think I'd be a little pissed at the thing that just ripped me from asshole to elbow, and would probably need a moment otherwise.

she didn't...i did whats your point? I'm beginning to think you just like to argue with me

Quoting doulala:

I thought I'd missed where she'd mentioned a cesarean-- I didn't see that mentioned.  
 

Quoting JocelynsMama1:

no why? im assuming if the dr. couldnt turn the baby a vaginal wouldnt be possible.....what are you getting at? are you saying she should have got the epi so she could stand them turning the baby?

Quoting doulala:

I've had two epi's, 2 c sections ,and one very long complicated labor (that ended in an emergency c section).  My babies nursed almost immediately and had to be made to wean (the youngest is still nursing at 2 years 11 months).

What is troubling is this is information by a model, not a midwife whose studied all aspects of birthing or a medical doctor.  I've noticed, too, that people will talk about not wanting to drug their newborns are sometimes the ones who will advocate it is okay for a glass of wine or two while pregnant.   So much of the information we get as pregnant women and moms is half developed or spread like that telephone game, where the information gets distorted by its tellers.

Despite all our research pregnancy and birth is still very mysterious and some babies whose moms had epis may end up groggy.  It is not true though that a baby whose mom had an epidural will always show affects of being drugged or that those are long term or long lasting.

Some births are relatively pain free.  That is great for those women and families.  Many more women do experience pain and distress and should not be made to feel guilty for taking control of their pain or their birthing experience.  

Thats exactly why I went all natural. :)

I had the exact opposite experience. I had a long labor(over 36 hours) w/ my first and was given this excuse, the docs forced me into an epi, which completely stopped my labor and then I was given pitocin to restart labor which caused my dd's heartrate to drop. She was born in fetal distress w/ a whole team of perinatoligists in the room ready to rush her off to the nicu for fear her heart would stop completely due to interventions. Luckily she was ok but I would never do it again. My other 2 were born all natural and labor, delivery and recovery were much easier on myself and my babies when done naturally. This baby will be born all natural and at home unless there is some sort of major complication.

Quoting BeAmour:

 Not my vagina, not my baby, not my boobs, not my decision.

For me, I'm 100% for epidural. A lot of births that attempt at "natural" have a hard time progressing because the mother is having a hard time dealing with the pain which gives excess stress on an already stressed body. This then decreases the contraction effectiveness, resulting in a stalled labor then resulting sometimes in a c-section. Sometimes, the mom needs the epi to relax and let her body work.

 

Epidurals are different in that they stay in the mothers spinal column, and do not have a drug affect on the blood stream. I was told this by my nurse at the time of delivery when I refused drugs as well. She said the baby would not be medicated because it would not bypass the placenta. It stays in your spine, doesn't reach the bloodstream and go to baby. I still did not get one because I wanted to avoid the spinal headache I have heard about after getting an epidural. 

I agree with her in making an informed decision that works best for her body and her baby. However, I have had three perfectly healthy and reactive epi born babies. I want to try an epi free delivery for the fact that I know I can do it, I just have been too scared or pressured into the epi.