I always wanted to do it naturally but like you was still open minded coz I obviously didn't know what to expect! The fact that people would laugh when I told them my plans made me even more determined! Lol!

My waters went at 1:30am and labour was 12 hours from then until my little girl was born. I went to hospital after I had a shower and put a few more bits in my bag! Got there and was checked, 5cms. I began to feel contractions so I put my TENS machine on. It was amazing! Eased contractions a lot. The midwife kept telling me I was no where near because I was smiling throughout! An hour later I was sent to labour ward! Lol! Because they kept telling me this, I requested some gas and air just to take edge off contractions, again best thing ever!lol! But just with ten minutes of using it I was ready to push. All the pain goes when your at pushing stage, three pushes and my gorgeous girl was born!
I am determined to do it naturally again. The biggest bit of advice I could give you is to stay calm. I know that is easier said them done but honestly I had the slightest panic at one point and I felt the contractions ten times more! As soon as I got in the zone again and breathed steady and deeply I was fine.
Before and after birth I felt great, I think it was the excitement of everything. The next day I was out, my husband and baby were sleeping whilst I cleaned the house! Lol xx

Oh, I loved your story! It's hilarious how you were up cleaning the next day while hubby and baby were sleeping!
I'm really calm in scary/panicky situations usually. You wouldn't think it by meeting me, hehe, but I do like to pride myself on the ability to stay calm and eased in stressful situations. I have no idea how labor will be whatsoever but I THINK ill be able to pick a focus point and just concentrate and breathe through the contractions. I have heard that the more you panic the harder it is. My hubby might be deployed but if he's not I think ill be the one trying to calm him down! Lol lol.
I honestly can't wait until the day I go into labor. I'm not scared, just excited. (:
I know its not going to be easy but I have a great support system behind me!

You sound exactly how I was Hun so I have every bit of confidence in you! I was just excited too and even more excited this time coz I don't have that feeling of not knowing what to expect.
You can do it hun! Xx

I had a natural drug free water birth. It is what I hoped to do and I am really glad I was able to achieve it. I didn't do hypno birthing, have a TENS machine or any other such prep, just a very stubborn mind I guess

Contractions hurt but if I am honest I would not say I was delarious with pain. When my contractions began I think my body just took over cos I cannot say I had a plan that I was following I just did what made it bareable, which tended to be leaning forwards on all fours (even in the car on the drive to the birth centre )
My labour (Thank God) was 6hrs from 1st contraction to meeting my son. I didn't once get a vaginal exam so couldn't tell you how quickly I dialated or when I started pushing (my records have it down as 8mins) my body was just dealing with it, the MW barely told me what to do, any talking was just between themselves organising filling the tub etc.

Getting in the water was the most amazing feeling and helped a whole lot. I was able to nap between contractions (I had had a very active day and contractions began just as I got into bed to sleep, so was very tired)

After I felt a little bruised, but that's to be expected but otherwise I was up fussing around in my usual manner once my son had fed and was asleep.

I am hoping I am able to do it drug free again, and that my body will take over and do what is needed

Good luck to you, just believe you can do it, and stay as calm as you can.

Did it hurt? Yes it did.
How long was your labor? Got at the hospital at 1am maybe a bit later. Had my son at 4:23am
How did you feel when it came time for pushing? I felt like i was never going to get this baby out. But i did it after an hour of pushing. Which felt like 10min. I had no idea i had been pushing for that long.
How did you feel after? Going pee hurted but i was okay.
Do you plan on doing it again? Yes i plan this baby coming in the end of may to be natrual. I do not want any needles near my back. Unless its for my baby life. I also do not want to be induced. THose are my two worse things that can happen to me.... I pray to god that i at least dont have to go threw that. More power to those who wouldnt mind going threw it... =)

I had my first with no pain relief.

I got to 5cm with barely any pain just bh type tightening.
It did get to a point where I said to my husband I can't believe my sister went through this and then voluntarily did it again. It hurt, but not as much as I expected.

My labor was relatively short with only about 2 hours of pain.

When it was time to push... The only thing I can compare it to is needing to urgently go to the bathroom for a bowel movement, but it wasn't quite the same as that. You will know for sure when you need to push. It was kind of a relief to feel that way because the contractions are worst right before the pushing stage comes. I had to wait through a couple of contractions and try not to push, because the doctor wasn't there and I didn't know if I was fully dilated yet, which was the worst feeling of the entire process. It's really really hard not to push when the urge comes.

I felt shaky after. I had a 2nd degree tear. I didn't feel the stitches even though they didn't give my anything for that either. I was too busy looking at baby. They put me in the shower to try to pee. I wanted to stay in the shower all day but they didn't let me. they tried to get me to eat a sandwich right away and I was hungrier than I thought I'd be.

I plan on doing it again without pain medication. I am going to ask my ob/gyn at my next appointment what we can do to try to reduce tearing this time. Other than that, I was really happy with my natural birth experience.

If I had a really long painful labor then I would probably consider some kind of drugs, but I don't seem to need them. My sister said she tried gas and demerol for her labors but neither of them helped and just made her feel groggy and like she couldn't breathe. This makes me think that for me it just might make labor worse. I like to be focused and in control so I'd rather take the pain.

I had a natural birth with my DD (with gas & air though)

I started contracting early hours of morning. By 10:30 at hospital and hadn't dilated at all so was sent home. Was coping ok by this point and got in the bath. This is when they started coming really strong! My friend rang who'd not long had a natural birth and promised me my body would kick in soon releasing more endorphins and helping with the pain (yeah right! I was thinking!) got out the bath and got on the bed. Found my way of coping was to be very still and concentrate on counting through the contraction as once i got to 30 i knew i was half way through it. Worked really well to stay calm for me.

By 2:30 was back at hospital as pains were very very painful. But with the counting it was taking my mind off them. Turns out i was then 3cm and waters broke. Wave of calm came over me then (probably because id been worrying I'd be sent home again)

Got on the gas and air after that. Had to be monitored as there was meconium in my waters (normally i would have panicked but i was unusually calm!?! It was weird my body just went into 'this is whats halpening so lets deal with it mode' i cant describe it) Went super fast then as an hour and a half later was 10cm. Then they slowed and had to have pitocin drip which made the contractions very strong - gas and air is fantastic!!! I remember saying once 'I can't do this anymore' but when she checked the head was right there.

I did need a ventouse delivery in the end but that was because I'd been on the monitors so long and not active and DD was big! But I still look back and think I had a fab birth experience.

I also took it hour by hour, I'd look at the clock and think wow go you, you've done another hour! And when the pain increased a notch more id say to myself. Let's do another hour and if I'm struggling still I'll ask for something, just kept pushing that hour back and it worked.

Definitely staying calm is the key I think. Trust your body, it's so clever it knows what to do xxxx

I am curiouss to know how things turned out for you ladies with your newborns. I'm not pregnant but this thread made me consider trying natural if I do get pregnant when before I was thinking I'm such a baby and will probably get an epidural right away lol

Good luck x

To update you, I had my little boy naturally too although I did have to be induced.
Labour was longer, 14 and a half hours. I was trying for a home birth and had my tens machine on and got to 5-6 cms dilated. Contractions just stalled so I had to be taken to hospital to be induced to get them going again. Was checked and I was back to square one again! Was put on the drip and it was more intense with my first coz within two and a half hours I had him! It was harder to stay calm but I did, breathed slowly and deeply like the first time and had gas and air again for ten minutes before pushing.
I was discharged 6 hours later and within that time this time my husband fell asleep! Lol xx