In Their Words is a regular segment of the Florida Birth Source presenting real-life experiences in the world of labor, delivery, birth and beyond.


Birth Story: Delivering Without an Epidural

By Trevor MacLaren

For the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy, I planned on having a “normal” hospital birth with an epidural.  I knew that some women opted to have a natural delivery, but I thought that they were a little “granola” and perhaps a bit crazy, too.  Why deal with all that pain if you don’t have to?  Then I read The Birth Book by Dr. William Sears and my education began.  I came to understand the benefits of a natural, drug-free delivery.  Other books and Bradley birthing classes followed and as my due date approached, I was determined and prepared to deliver my daughter without drugs or unnecessary procedures.  My next step was to decide where I wanted to have my baby.


I had looked into using a birth center initially but decided it wasn’t the right option for me.  Because I am a pediatric physical therapist, I felt more comfortable having my first baby in a hospital.  So, I found a midwife with hospital privileges and hired a doula to assist my husband and me with the delivery.  


After nine long months, my big day finally arrived. My contractions began around 4:00 a.m.  By 5:30 a.m., they were waking me every 10 minutes. So I got up, drank two glasses of water, and lay back down to see if they would subside. Ten days earlier, I had experienced false labor, so I wanted to be sure this was the real thing.  


The contractions didn't stop, so I just went on with my day: I went for a walk, prepared the house and ran an errand.  The contractions kept coming and were definitely stronger than Braxton-Hicks.  They started near my back and wrapped around to my front.  As the day went on, they timed closer together and stronger, but they were not very regular.  At my appointment with my midwife the day before, I was only one centimeter dilated and hadn't experienced any bloody show, so my doula suggested that things might go fairly slowly.  However, by 2:00 p.m., my contractions were three minutes apart and lasting about one minute. I knew it was the real thing when I couldn't walk or talk through the contractions any more.  


My husband, Joe, called the midwife's office and the nurse told him to bring me to the hospital right away.  That proved a bit difficult for Joe, as I was laboring in our pool (the warm water felt great, and I could squat off the side of a raft during the contractions), and I didn't want to get out.  Plus, I was no longer amused by anything Joe said. I finally admitted that it was probably time to go. 


He made me a "nest" in the back seat of his truck and I found a comfy position for the ride to the hospital.


We arrived at Winnie Palmer Hospital around 4:00 p.m.  At triage, my contractions were still coming every two to three minutes, but they were not as strong as they were at home.  I was five centimeters dilated, so the nurses sent me upstairs to Labor & Delivery.  Unfortunately, I was hooked up to an IV immediately and the telemetry monitor wasn't working so I wasn’t able to walk around.  However, I could stand up and move into different positions near the bed. I spent most of my time straddling a chair with a pillow on the back for my head, which helped me relax because my legs were shaking when I stood.   


Before I knew it, I was in transition with long, very strong contractions that came very regularly.  I am so glad that I realized it was transition because the contractions were overwhelming.  I can understand why some women scream for drugs at that point.  Of all of the natural relaxation techniques that I practiced during my pregnancy, it surprised me to realize that moaning helped get me through transition.  I'm usually a pretty quiet person and I didn't think I'd be one of "those people".  When I got to eight centimeters, the nurses put me into my labor bed in a sitting position.  My contractions were very difficult and within minutes, I was fully dilated.  I thought I would be relieved when I started pushing, but it proved more difficult than I anticipated.  The contractions were very strong and pushing didn't relieve my pain as much as I had hoped.  


And then it happened.  After 19 1/2 hours of labor and 30 minutes of pushing, my midwife told me to reach down, pull my daughter’s legs out and bring her to my chest. It was the most amazing experience of my life!   I was absolutely elated to have successfully delivered my perfect baby girl without any drugs (and without even wanting any).  It was the hardest thing I have ever done and I have never been more proud of any accomplishment.  


Knowing that a drug-free birth was the best thing for my daughter made the decision for natural childbirth an easy one.  It proved a more difficult decision for my husband, however.  Although Joe was wonderfully supportive throughout the entire experience, he admits he wasn’t entirely convinced of the importance of a natural delivery until he visited a friend who had delivered her baby at Winnie Palmer the same day Avery was born. She had delivered with an epidural and Pitocin and had a totally different birth and recovery experience.  While our bright-eyed newborn was eagerly taking in her new world and nursing with vigor, our friend and her new baby were sedated and lethargic.  That was proof enough for Joe.In the end.


Although I did experience pain during labor, I never lost faith in my ability to handle it and I never wanted drugs.  I feel that the Bradley classes and my reading were absolutely essential to our positive birth experience.  Birth is hard work and I can understand why so many people opt for an epidural, but I'm convinced that our decision to have a natural delivery was best for my baby and me and I would do it again without a second thought.  v


Trevor MacLaren is a new Mom to Avery, who celebrated her first birthday on September 5th, 2008. We chose their birth story for this edition of In Their Words to illustrate one family’s reflection on the process of conscious choice, education and empowerment through birth.  The MacLarens currently reside in Winter Springs, Florida.