Epidural. Yes or no?

Hey mama, really need to say this: Find out what the effects of an epidural are, the pros and cons and ask yourself if you’re okay with it. It’s better taking an epidural knowing full well what to expect than being taken by surprise at the after effects. I’ve know mothers who did better after the epi because it helped them relax and baby was out in no time too! Also, do note that a natural delivery with an epi is still a natural delivery :) While some may say that an epidural isn’t a good thing, it really is about your limits and what you’re open to so that you have the positive experience and you own your birth. I had an experience where a mum I was supporting at first was dead against an epidural. But labour was long and she was tired. Her labour stalled and she wondered why. When I asked her if she was anxious or worried about something, she mentioned that she worried that if she took an epidural, she would have failed at birthing her baby naturally. When I assured her that sometimes, it’s good to have a little help and that she was doing great, epi or no epi, and she started being open to choices and possibilities, including being okay with an epidural if she needed one, her labour continued and she pushed out her baby boy! Without the epidural! She just needed to know that there was no guilt in it and that she now had a choice! My message is that you need to love yourself and be gentle with yourself and know that whatever you choose is what’s best for you. Maybe you want to labour for as long as you want and see if you need an epi, maybe you’re dead against it...whatever the case, don’t compare. Your birth is unique to you. If you take the epidural, it was because you needed it. That’s all. Nothing wrong in it. No shame. No guilt. Birth is challenging enough as it is. We shouldn’t be trying to make it harder. Hope this helps.