Exploring Choices: Epidural

Hey Tranquility Tribe! In the mama-to-be world, there’s always tons of focus on medication-free childbirth and avoiding an epidural at all costs. However, there are plenty of women who get an epidural and make the choice to do so from the start. Today, we’re going to explore some of the reasons that a woman may want to get an epidural - it’s as valid of a choice as the one some women make to avoid an epidural at all costs!

Fear

While childbirth is a natural part of life, it can still feel so unknown and simply be scary as heck! The pain of labor can be a huge cause of anxiety and the numbing of that pain can help relax a woman and calm those anxious thoughts.

Feeling in control

With the pain of birth, it can be nearly impossible to focus on anything besides either the grips of a contraction or bracing for the next one. This can leave some women with a feeling of loss of control over themselves, which can be even more anxiety-producing. With an epidural, some women may feel that they are the one in control of their body, not their uterus’ pain.

No desire to feel sensations

For some women, they simply have no desire to feel the sensations of childbirth - and that’s okay! We live in the age of modern medicine and the opportunity to numb pain is a huge advantage of that. Some view the pain of labor as empowering - for others, it’s something that they would really rather avoid if possible. Some want to bask in the experience of birth without the pain distracting them from it, while others consider the pain to be the center of the experience. It is really a matter of preference!

At the end of the day, it’s about choice. If you want that epidural from the second you enter that hospital parking lot, that is your choice and you shouldn’t let others shame you into thinking less of yourself for it! Inform yourself of the risks and benefits long before you begin labor, make an informed choice, and advocate for yourself and that choice when you enter that hospital room.

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