So as soon as I was admitted, the midwife asked me if I wanted the epidural right away (apparently everyone in France gets the epidural).
I had mixed feelings about the epidural. Ideally of course I wanted a completely "natural" birth and I wasn't exactly keen on a long needle being inserted near my spine. Then again I had no delusions about my ability to deal with a lot of pain.
Still at this point, although painful, I could still deal so I decided to wait.
Then I got to 4 centimeters and the contractions came much harder and much faster and my coping ability was wearing thin. In between contractions (which seemed to be coming 3 minutes apart) I considered all I had read about labor. How I had a good 6 centimeters to go. How on average it's one centimeter per hour. How at the end contractions are so close a part that one feels there's no break in between them at all. How if I did choose to have the epidural the needle would be inserted in between contractions because you are under no circumstances suppose to move.
Short version: It f-in hurt. It was only going to get worse. I had a long way to go. Staying still while needle is being inserted near spine is probably easier now than later.
I asked for the epidural.
It honestly really wasn't that bad. The worse part is the anticipation and fear that you're going to freak out during the injection but it was fine. Didn't hurt at all.
And afterwards active labor is a piece of cake. You almost get bored.
At midnight we welcomed 2015 just the two of us in the labor room, Husband and I, knowing the big change awaiting us in this new year.
I had mixed feelings about the epidural. Ideally of course I wanted a completely "natural" birth and I wasn't exactly keen on a long needle being inserted near my spine. Then again I had no delusions about my ability to deal with a lot of pain.
Still at this point, although painful, I could still deal so I decided to wait.
Then I got to 4 centimeters and the contractions came much harder and much faster and my coping ability was wearing thin. In between contractions (which seemed to be coming 3 minutes apart) I considered all I had read about labor. How I had a good 6 centimeters to go. How on average it's one centimeter per hour. How at the end contractions are so close a part that one feels there's no break in between them at all. How if I did choose to have the epidural the needle would be inserted in between contractions because you are under no circumstances suppose to move.
Short version: It f-in hurt. It was only going to get worse. I had a long way to go. Staying still while needle is being inserted near spine is probably easier now than later.
I asked for the epidural.
It honestly really wasn't that bad. The worse part is the anticipation and fear that you're going to freak out during the injection but it was fine. Didn't hurt at all.
And afterwards active labor is a piece of cake. You almost get bored.
At midnight we welcomed 2015 just the two of us in the labor room, Husband and I, knowing the big change awaiting us in this new year.
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