This morning we had another prenatal visit.
I’ve gained two pounds, and all other measurements continue to be fine.
This time she was back to her previous position, head down and back along my left side.
We asked again about medications used in labor and delivery. The midwife said that they could use Nubain instead of Demerol, and that Nubain is not a narcotic. However, everything I’ve found online about Nubain says it IS a narcotic. From what I’ve read, I’d still really prefer to go unmedicated if at all possible.
By October 15, the midwives will all be at a different office — on our side of the lake, virtually across the street from the hospital. So we’ll have one more visit across town at the current office, and the rest will be closer to home, which is nice for me, but not so great for Mark.
If it was me, I think I would be calling my regular doctor and asking advice from them.
This way you get an unbiased opinion. You are right to persue and persist in this issue.
Can you ask the doctors rather then the midwives at the OB-GYN place?
It’s hard to be unmedicated for the first one, have you considered an epidural?
Comment by Mom C — September 28, 2006 @ 7:43 pm
Hi Marcy,
Mom C’s suggestion is a smart one to take into consideration.
I too wanted to go down the path of having my child with no medications. But once those strong contractions hit, my mind changed instantly. I went with the epidural. It is painless to insert (mostly because you are concentrating more on the contractions then the needle in your back). And it will not harm the baby.
I had a natural birth and Blake was 10 pounds 4 ounces. I prey that your child will not be that large…haha. But I say hooray to you for wanting to go the natural route and unmedicated. Do not feel bad if you change your mind half way through delivery about the medication. The experience is just the same and even with an epidural you can feel the contractions, movements, and the baby coming through. In the end, as with me, it will hurt still…but not as bad as it would be with nothing.
Good luck with whatever decision you do decide. I am so excited for you and Mark. The Polen blood is going to live on strong!! haha.
Comment by Sandra — September 28, 2006 @ 8:35 pm
PS- If you decide to go with the epidural they can pump low doses depending on how much pain you are in or how much pain you want to feel I should say. At least with my doctor that was not a problem.
Comment by Sandra — September 28, 2006 @ 8:39 pm
Thanks, both of you.
Actually, the midwives are not at all trying to persuade us to go all-natural; they’re perfectly fine with the idea of any of the medications.
And I don’t really have a regular doctor to ask (we go to the campus health center, shudder) and I didn’t really care for the one doctor we’ve seen at the ob-gyn office.
I haven’t heard too many people say that they could still push effectively and feel really involved when they had an epidural, so your story is helpful, Sandra. I especially like the idea of a lower dosage.
I am trying to stay open-minded, realizing I’ve never done this before and I may decide meds are necessary after all; I just don’t want to go in planning to have them.
Comment by Marcy — September 29, 2006 @ 9:31 am
:o) Every woman is different though. It is just because I had a low dosage and a long labor that I was able to feel so much around the last 3 hours. I was able to feel all the contractions though from start to finish, they just didn’t hurt after the epidural…it was just a tightening of my stomach that I felt. Maybe I was just lucky to feel as much as I did since many of the people you have spoken to say otherwise. Oh, and yes, it does make pushing harder then usual. This bit is true. You really have to concentrate and do get more tired.
Comment by Sandra — September 29, 2006 @ 5:14 pm