If you’re reading this post, you’re probably pregnant. Congratulations! I know you’re excited to meet your little one. But maybe you’re a little scared too. The arrival of your baby is always a big event, whether you choose to have an epidural or a natural birth.
Maybe you’re interested in an unmedicated birth because you’ve heard it’s better for your baby or that you’re less likely to end up with a c-section, but you’re scared to pull the trigger. Or perhaps you’re just like, “Nope! Pain hurts. Give me the drugs.”
Either way, I’d love to help you make your decision! I’ve had three children myself, and while all three were born vaginally, they were all very different experiences. I can tell you the pros and cons of an epidural vs a “natural” birth from the perspective of a mom who has been through both.
Side note: All births are natural. However, most people who say “natural” child birth are referring to unmedicated, vaginal birth, so that’s how I’m using the term here. No matter what your birth story(ies), you are a freaking valiant warrior princess.
Table of Contents
My birth stories
Before I get into all the positives and negatives of a drug-free birth, I’d like to share my own birthing experiences. Each story can help you figure out what to expect.
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Baby number one: Traditional epidural birth
Before I had my daughter, I was terrified of birth. It was literally one of my biggest fears, short of maybe death itself. In fact, that was probably a large reason why I didn’t really want to have kids!
My husband and I went to a birthing class at the local hospital. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure it was helpful. The information was really more scary than empowering. My husband said that as he looked around, he saw some women who were white as a sheet, others who were grey, and then there was me, with tears silently streaming down my cheeks (BTW, I’m sure there are several excellent birthing classes held at hospitals. This was just not one of them).
I have always been someone who has lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions, so when I woke up at 2AM, three days before my due date, with contractions, I wasn’t really alarmed yet. I remembered hearing that you couldn’t eat once you got to the hospital, so I had a big bowl of soup just in case (because I knew hospitals don’t let you eat during labor) before waking up my husband.
We had read that taking a hot shower or bath could stop contractions if it was false labor. I took a shower, but they still kept coming. By about 5:45 AM, we were convinced that it was go time, so we went to the hospital.
When I got to the hospital, I hung out in a chair for a while in a hospital room. I think the nurses forgot about me. By the time they came back, it had been about an hour and a half and I had decided I definitely wanted an epidural. I was fighting contractions (they hurt!), and they were getting more intense.
I was given the epidural, and immediately felt more relaxed. Interestingly, I had one place at my left groin crease where I could still feel contractions, but it was more of a slight twinge than pain. The anesthesiologist offered to deliver more drugs to numb that spot too, but I told him I actually preferred it because it let me sense what was going on still.
A few hours later, a nurse came in and said that the midwife wanted to put me on Pitocin (the drug used to induce labor). I was confused, because I really hadn’t been in labor very long, especially for a first birth, and nothing was wrong. But she checked, and it turned out that I was already fully dilated. No Pitocin for me!
Pushing was a little difficult because I couldn’t sense when I was “supposed” to push. But still, it worked out, and my daughter was born around an hour later!
Baby number two: Really fast unmedicated birth!
For baby number two, I liked the idea of having a drug-free birth (especially after the recovery complications I had after giving birth to my oldest – more on that later). But at the same time, I was too scared to commit. I read a few natural birth stories, but I didn’t do any “prep” for labor.
Despite being pregnant, I was still nursing my daughter. I had heard that breastfeeding near your due date could kick-start labor, so I had been nursing her as long as I could stand it in the morning (before Braxton-Hicks contractions got too intense).
But three days before my due date, I was nursing Leia, and the contractions were way more intense. I realized I was in labor for real! We had just enough time to get my daughter dropped off to daycare and travel to the hospital (My vivid memory of getting preparing her for school? Cutting up strawberries for her breakfast between contractions).
When we got there, labor was already really intense. At that point, all the desire for an unmedicated birth went out the window. I wanted an epidural like yesterday!
The problem was, it was too late! My water broke, and suddenly I was pretty much in one big constant contraction, with almost no time in-between. The anesthesiologist was trying to get an epidural needle in me, but I was in transition and was too busy writhing and screaming to stay still.
The nurse had to get my attention to get me to calm down. She told me I had to do this. I don’t know her name, but I’m still grateful to the nurse who made me get my stuff together so I could birth my baby.
Soon thereafter, my second daughter came (in front of a crowd of medical students whom I have no recollection of). It was 45 minutes from when I hit the hospital door until when she was born in dramatic but safe fashion.
Baby number three: Natural birth that I prepared for
After my second child came, I knew I was able to “survive” a natural birth. After all, the part that I was yelling and screaming and freaking out about really was the hardest part – it didn’t get worse than that! I knew that a lot of the pain simply came from fear.
I knew that if I wanted to have a better birth experience, I needed to plan for it from the beginning. I joined a yoga class with an instructor certified to work with pregnant women soon after my first trimester.
In addition, I bought this book about a technique called Hypnobirthing towards the end of my second trimester. Hypnobirthing sounds a little crazy, I know, but the premise is that the pain you experience during birth comes from fear, and that if you can allow yourself to drift into a state of deep relaxation, birth will be a calm, peaceful experience.
I read the Hypnobirthing book probably four or five times. There weren’t any courses in hypnobirthing offered in our area, so I relied on the book heavily.
One version of the Hypnobirthing book comes with two guided relaxation tracks. I fell asleep to these tracks every night before my birth, and they made a huge difference. (BTW: Some people report not enjoying the author’s voice. I didn’t have a problem with it, but if it doesn’t work for you, here’s a different collection of guided mediation for labor and birth).
Suffice it to say, my birth experience was completely different the third time around! I was able to go through a twenty hour labor drug free, and with little pain until literally the last few minutes. In fact, I was even able to move around to get my little guy in position (his head was stuck behind my left hip), something I couldn’t have possibly done with an epidural.
Natural birth vs epidural pros and cons
If I had a fourth baby (no plans there!) I would hands-down choose to go drug free again.
UPDATE: I found out I was pregnant about two weeks after writing the sentence above. Yep, I was pregnant when I wrote about how I had no plans for another baby. (Wo)man plans, God laughs. I stand by my plans to do a natural birth again.
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Baby number 4 arrived early January 2020! And yes, that birth ended up natural as well. And once again, that labor was a whole ‘nother experience, with a stalled-out labor. Here’s my advice about stalled labor – what it means, and how to start it back up.
I can tell you that this tool was a game-changer for the experience.
Does that sound crazy? I don’t blame you for thinking so. But let me share why I think unmedicated birth is the way to go:
1. Natural birth makes it easier for you to move and adjust
As I mentioned before, Budrow was not positioned correctly for his birth. He wasn’t quite transverse (side-lying), but he was diagonal in my womb with his head tucked behind my hip. Needless to say, he wasn’t going anywhere in that position.
Once we realized the problem, I asked the nurse what I could do. She suggested I get up on my knees, leaned against the head of the hospital bed. I swear to you, I felt that child turn into the correct position within minutes of me getting upright. I immediately went into transition, and he was out like nine minutes later.
Could I have made this adjustment with an epidural? Maybe, but it would have required other people to hold me up, and it would have been difficult. Depending on the doctor (and my commitment), I could imagine the health care team calling it right there and making me have a c-section.
I’m so grateful I could move around during those last, crucial moments of my son’s delivery.
2. Natural birth makes for easier recovery for baby
Despite what you may have heard, some of the epidural drug gets to the baby during birth. Babies whose mother have an epidural during birth are more likely to undergo respiratory distress.
In addition, newborns born under an epidural tend to be sleepier and have a harder time latching and establishing breastfeeding. This definitely happened for my oldest, as I couldn’t get her to nurse for most of her second day.
RELATED: Newborn breastfeeding – 12 tips
My younger daughter, on the other hand, latched within ten minutes of birth! The doctor had come in to sing Happy Birthday to her, and she latched as he was singing. Such a sweet moment.
Even my third, who chose to come almost three weeks early, had zero problems latching within an hour of his natural birth! I appreciated how easy things started with these two.
3. Easier recovery for you after unmedicated birth
After my first baby was born, I was ravenously hungry. The hospital offered me a turkey sandwich, and you better believe I ate it!
A few hours later, once I started getting feeling back into my legs, I decided I needed to go to the bathroom. This was my first time getting up since the birth. When I got up, my blood pressure bottomed out.
I immediately was super nauseated. And I’ll be honest, it made me so mad! I had dealt with nausea for the last nine months; I was ready for it to be over! (On a related note, I held onto that turkey sandwich because I was determined not to lose it, but it was hard.)
I continued to feel awful for twenty minutes, and all I could do was lie there. I didn’t care that I had a new baby; I was just miserable.
On top of that, I had a much more difficult postpartum recovery weeks and even months after getting home from the hospital. I had a harder time walking or doing other physical activity.
3. Drug-free labor is empowering
This is the best reasons to have a natural birth, in my opinion. My third labor, where I was prepared and in charge of what happened, was an incredible experience.
As I like to say, my first two births happened to me, but I accomplished my third birth. It was the most empowering experience I have ever had.
Natural birth pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Much better ability to move | You feel everything |
| Faster recovery after birth | Labor might be lengthened if mom is stressed |
| Less risk of tearing | Might not be an option for high-risk pregnancies |
| Decreased risk of induction or C-section | Often requires more preparation before birth |
| Baby is more alert and ready to bond and breastfeed | You might want to change your mind but it’s too late |
| For many women, greater sense of control and empowerment |
RELATED: Advantages of breastfeeding
Pros and cons of epidural
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Pain is significantly or completely decreased | Occasionally doesn’t work |
| If emergency C-section is required, you’re already numbed | Greater risk of interventions, including forcep extraction |
| Allows mom to rest during extended labor | Pushing is more difficult |
| Allows mom to be awake and aware during labor | Greater risk of tearing |
| Usually still available if you changed your mind during labor | Drop in blood pressure can cause severe headaches or nausea |
| Makes induction much more manageable | Time is needed to complete an IV before epidural is placed |
| Baby often comes out sleepier and may have more difficult time breastfeeding |
What should you not do for your labor?
Whatever you do, please don’t go into birth thinking, “I’ll try to have a natural labor…” but not do anything to prepare. If you do that, you’re putting yourself in a bad situation.
Learn pain management strategies (like in this book) and make sure you’re ready. Meditations are also a huge help during both pregnancy and labor. Otherwise, the experience can be really overwhelming (like with my second child).
If you have the opportunity, a doula can be a great investment to help you with your natural birth. There wasn’t one in my area, so I’ve never tried one, but my friend Emily has written a great article about the benefits of a doula.
With that said, you can do it! Don’t be afraid to go natural, just make sure you get ready for it.
And if you prepare for a natural labor but things don’t work out? That’s okay too. You didn’t fail; there was no test! You still brought your baby into the world, and that’s amazing, regardless of how it happens.
Which type of birth will you choose?
If this post has convinced you to go natural with your birth, I invite you to get access to our FREE Perfect Natural Birth toolkit. You’ll get a birth plan template, tips I’ve never seen anywhere else to keep you calm and relaxed, birthing mantras, and more!
Whichever way you go, or even if things don’t go as planned in your birthing experience, you still get to see your new baby at the end. That’s the most important thing!
I’d love to hear more from you! Let me know what you think is the best choice for your birth experience in the comments below!
I am #teamnaturalbirth.
When I talk to first time mothers I always tell them that just because you have the choice to numb your pain with epidural and everyone does it, you don’t have to do it. Our body is meant for this. Unless you have to go through a C-section then I totally understand. I try to describe what it feels like going natural in a way they will understand and not get scared because it’s not scary at all.
If you already have contractions and know how it feels then you can do it til the end because when you get to push you actually relax and it feels good. It’s like every time you contract and it’s time to push it relaxes you completely. And the best thing is that after birth you feel like new, almost like nothing happened, just a little sore but nothing big. It’s really the best experience ever. Going on my third child and have never gone through the epidural thanks be to God. And yes all births are different because it was harder for me on my second baby but I don’t have the after problems of an epidural so that’s what counts.
Thank you for sharing your experience and congrats on your natural birth.
Thanks for sharing Andrea! You’re right, the pushing phase is easier than the rest of labor (in many ways).
I had an epidural for the birth of my now toddler. I did not enjoy my hospital birth experience, and am planning on having Baby 2 (due in October) at a birth center, where epidural will not be an option. I am excited to experience a different type of birth, which I think will be much more relaxing and a better atmosphere, but part of me is also scared because I felt like I wimped out last time and I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this. I have been doing a lot of reading on different coping techniques, and am excited to labor and hopefully give birth in the water.
You can do it Heidi! You didn’t “wimp out” the first time, but I do know you’re strong enough for this.
I wanted to go natural, but the pain got real, really quick. Luckily I was still in time for the drugs. However, I would want to go natural for my second. For my first, docs had to use forceps to get baby out and my husband said he snipped something down there and blood was gushing… of course I didn’t feel a thing, but I wonder how women who go natural endure that part? Any thoughts?
Oh my goodness, that sounds awful! I will say, it makes a huge difference to prepare for labor like I did with the birth hypnosis. And another thing is that forceps are much less likely to be needed when you go natural (because you’re not numb and have an easier time pushing), so it shouldn’t be a problem!
Samantha,
This article is awesome. I have a recent post about some of the risks involved with epidurals, but never even touched upon the harder labor recovery. As a hypnobirthing fanatic, I am 100% for preparing for a natural birth – whether you plan on having one or not. I know many women who have an experience like your second birth who simply do not have the tools to remain calm and expect the best outcome (and not the worst). Great post!
Thank you! You’re right, there’s all sorts of risks associated with epidurals that I really didn’t even discuss. I will say I am grateful that I had at least read a little bit about natural labor (just in case) the day before my second came, so I knew that the “ring of fire” was actually a good thing!
Hi there! Labor and delivery nurse here…definitely pros and cons to both epidural and natural labor. Pros to epidural would be rest for those exhausted moms who have been laboring for hours and hours and are basically stalled due to their stress and pain. Sometimes we get the epidural and get them settled, they are complete very quickly and then it is time to have the baby! Repairing torn tissue down below is also a LOT easier with an epidural, and if you end up in a C section, having the epidural makes the process a lot smoother. If its an emergency, we don’t have to put you under general anesthesia…
Pros to natural labor are as you outline of course. I see moms spring out of bed to use the restroom and shower, a general sense of control over the situation which is so nice. The trick is, the only successful natural labors I’ve seen the mom is VERY prepared, took classes, in good shape, has a will of iron and so does their partner. In the thick of labor those first time moms who “want to go as natural as possible” but have no idea how to breathe from their diaphragm and just sit still in bed, we always end up getting medical pain relief.
On a personal note, I’m 27 weeks pregnant and hoping to go without the epidural, just knowing that if I’m in agony early on, it is always a viable option and not a failure to go that route. Thanks for sharing your experiences!!!
Hi Caroline, I absolutely agree, I was blessed to have relatively short labors (9 hours, 3(!) hours, and 20 hours with the first 12-14 not being bad at all), but when you have long, really exhausting labors, an epidural can make a huge difference. And you’re right, preparation is key.
And typically, it’s not the beginning that’s the problem. Labor tends to be most intense during transition (as I’m sure you know as an L&D nurse). But as you also know, it’s sort of too late to back out by then! In fact, I had a moment with my third where I decided that I was ready to throw in the towel, but I knew it was transition and that A. it would be better soon and B. it was too late anyways, so I powered through.
Seriously, try out the hypnobirthing method, it makes a huge difference. Best of luck!
I had an epidural for both of my births and it was a wonderful experience. With my firstborn I was trying to go natural but I got stuck at 4cm for hours and was in so much pain I finally decided to get the epidural. I went from a 4 to a 7 within 30 minutes and then an hour later it was time to push! Same with my second. The epidural allowed me to relax and let my body do what it needed to do. Pushing was a bit harder the first time, I had to have an episiotomy, but my second baby was the easiest thing ever! Barely pushed and she came right out, no tears or anything. The recovery for me was also easy, no pain whatsoever. If I had another baby I would totally get another epidural.
Hi Christa,
Thanks for your input! You’re right, everyone is different. I have heard that if you’re in so much pain that your “fight or flight” response really kicks in, labor can sometimes stall out like you described. And just like you said, in these cases an epidural can allow you to calm down (and rest) enough to finish labor strong.
I personally hate feeling nauseated, and the twenty minutes of sickness after my first daughter was born was enough of a trade-off for me that I’d rather cope with labor pain instead! I’m glad you’ve found what worked best for you.
Great read. I had a natural birth and it was the most amazing experience! I pushed for under 30 minutes and had NO tearing whatsoever. I think alot of women get scared into having an epidural and don’t even consider the benefits and experience of having a natural birth. I am so glad I chose to have an unmedicated birth and will do so again if I ever have another child.
Thanks so much! I’m glad to hear you had such a beautiful experience!
Forgive me, but I have to wonder if your unmedicated birth experiences were better than your medicated first birth since your body had already experienced it and was definitely more prepped for the task?
That’s a good question Koi! I don’t think that first births are more intense than subsequent ones (although I’m sure there’s more fear of the unknown). If anything, my second was the most intense because it was so fast. I will say that I know several first time mamas have satisfying unmedicated births. Thanks for asking!
I had an epidural with both my babies. I had a 38 hour labor with the first, and a very HARD 12 hour labor with the second, I’m talking no rest from contractions, back to back to back contractions that left me breathless. I’m now pregnant with my 3rd (complete surprise) I’d like to try an unmedicated birth. I didn’t have any negative impact from my 2 epidural, and with the second I was walking around and able to move freely with it!
That’s really cool Jackie! I was numb and unable to move from the legs down with my epidural, like, my husband was holding my legs up for me during pushing. Best of luck with your third birth and let me know if I can do anything!
This is really helpful information! And I always love reading birth stories.
I have only had one birth so far, but I did it natural and loved it. I will definitely go natural again next time.
In my preparation, I mostly focused on creating a mindset that would promote natural birth.
Ive done both as well, 4 babies back to back. I didnt find the epidural recovery to be a negative experience at all. At the time of delivery it actually relaxed my body so much that the baby was out within an hour after stalling for 12hours. Ive also experienced epidurals where I was still able to move my legs and feel contractions but just not the intense pain. Delivering epidural free is a great experience too with its shares of cons. I do feel there is a sense for women that if they choose an epidural they have failed in some capacity and that just is not true. As a healthcare provider who has seen worst case scenarios, its always about a healthy mom and healthy baby.
I’m glad you had a better time recovering from your epidural than I did! And I agree, there’s no failure because you have an epidural. There’s no gold star at the end either way. Thanks for telling us about your experience!