TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Ineffective Pain Management A1 - Aristizabal, Michelle PY - 2018 T2 - Natural Labor and Birth: An Evidence-Based Guide to the Natural Birth Plan AB - The first twelve hours of my labor were easy. I had prepared well for my labor and all the tools I learned were really effective. However, at a certain point, I felt like I hit a wall and just couldn’t do it anymore. I just wanted to be done. I didn’t care about anything anymore, I was so tired and so uncomfortable. I told my nurse I was really having trouble and asked what else I could do and she didn’t pause for a moment before saying, “get an epidural.” In my state, I couldn’t come up with any of my own alternatives and my husband was half-asleep on his feet by this point, so I just went with it. But it didn’t feel good, it felt like I was weak or was just giving up or something. In the end, my baby was healthy and I know there are no prizes for having a natural birth, but I really did want that experience and was bummed it didn’t go that way. I wish someone had been able to help me in some other way besides just: here, take the drugs.—M. V., new mother SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/12/11 UR - obgyn.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1159260820 ER -