Just watched "The Business of Being Born" and it freaked me out a little. I was planning on having an epidural if I needed it but now I'm not so sure. How many of you ladies were giving pitocin, had c-sections, epidurals? Any additional drugs?

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You should have an option for haven't given birth before so we can see the poll. I loved that documentary because it reaffirmed everything I had been researching. I want to go natural for sure. It has prepared me to question everything the doctor tells me I HAVE to do, instead of trusting them and following them blindly. I hate when people tell me to just listen to the doctor because they know what they're doing.

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That documentary is the reason I changed my birth plan. I was open to an epidural before but now it's a big no. Also, thenover use of pitocin and c sections scares me.

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Don't get all freaked out over one documentary. Documentaries in general tend to be very one sided. I haven't actually seen it and part of the reason why not is I have read a lot of criticism that it is very anti-hospital/medical intervention and sometimes those things are very necessary. When I had my son I was in labor for hours with no progress so I was given pitocin, which put the baby in distress. I then received an epidural which put me at ease because I was in so much pain I was crying and hyperventilating (and I tolerate pain pretty well in my opinion). The remainder of my labor was comfortable and peaceful until they were able to get me in for a c-section. My son's umbilical cord was around his neck and his poor head had a ring indented around it from trying to get through my pelvis which was too narrow for him. So for me, delivering my son would have been impossible without a hospital and medical intervention. And even if it wasn't an emergency situation, there is nothing wrong with wanting pain relief and all the resources a hospital has to offer.

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Was induced due to cholestasis (sp) & I requested an epi. I felt literally nothing..I didn't even know my baby came out til they said "he's here!"

I'm going to get another epi this time around..it just went so smooth & easy. I was able to enjoy everything. 💖

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You'll want the epidural... trust me! I went into it thinking I would see if I needed it or not, I was begging for it after 5 cm. Don't watch things like that, they will just freak you out. It's going to go how it will go, and as long as you and baby are healthy at the end of the whole thing, nothing else matters. Good luck honey. You will be fine!

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I love that documentary.

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My plan was to go in and get an epidural too but I watched that movie last night and now I'm wondering if I should do it natural :/ 
Ugh! Stupid movie

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I had the epidural and pitocin, but it was not at all forced on me. I found this documentary to be very one-sided, and my experience was NOTHING like how hospitals are portrayed in that film. All of the doctor's and nurses asked me how I wanted the day to go, and I got medications on my terms. They explained why pitocin would help, and let me get the epidural when I wanted. They actually encouraged me to try to progress more naturally before starting medication. The pitocin was a last resort. In the end, everything went very smoothly, and I had a great experience.

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Baby 1: I was given pitocin and epidural, had her vaginally, the dr cut me so i wouldnt rip. took forever to recover from the epidural and my baby was in the Nic-U for 11 days, she was a premie born 4 weeks early. I noticed she was as sluggish as I was durring recovery. Couldnt get up and walk for an hour or so after delivery due to my legs still being numb. She was only 5lbs 5oz 18" long.

Baby 2: I was given pitocin and had her naturally, no pain meds at all. Once I went into pushing labor my adrenaline kicked in and all I felt was pressure, no pain, until she ripped me then I felt a burn. I was awake and aware right after delivery. I could get up and walk right away. She was wide awake and aware of everything, very interactive and not sluggish at all.

I'm currently in pregnancy #3, 1st boy, I plan to have him naturally. It was a better experience all the way around.

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Well they aren't exactly against epidurals, pitocin and c-sections (like a lot of people think). They are there for a good reason and they acknowledged that. What they are against is pitocin being used unnecessarily and epidurals used too soon in the labor, thus slowing it down and then giving them an excuse to use pitocin and it being pressured on women who don't want one. They are also against all this fear people put into us about labor and birth like its the worst possible thing that can happen to a woman. Where i'm from, labor is nothing to be afraid of and meds are only used if necessary, and no one is pressured into them. Luckily the system is not as bad as back then. I started my pregnancy with an OB but wanted to move on to a midwife and they highly recommend an out of hospital midwife! A few years back, an ob recommending one was inconceivable. But that documentary did shine a light on a lot of corruption that was very real and doctors are now much more open to unmedicated births, birth centers and home births because they are now educated on them better.

Just watched "The Business of Being Born" and it freaked me out a little. I was planning on having an epidural if I needed it but now I'm not so sure. How many of you ladies were giving pitocin, had c-sections, epidurals? Any additional drugs?

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