# do you regret it?



## dizzyisacow

for those who had a vaginal birth without drugs, would you do it again? or epidural?
im wondering if i can take the pain


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## pinkmonki

dizzyisacow said:


> for those who had a vaginal birth without drugs, would you do it again? or epidural?
> im wondering if i can take the pain

I had a drug-free home birth 5 years ago and I'm currently planning to do it again. 

It does hurt, but it's a 'good' hurt if that makes sense? It's empowering as a woman to know that your body is bringing this child into the world without medical help. 

Drug-free births aren't for everyone, but I promise you that the feeling afterwards is like nothing else. Very 'I am woman hear me roar!' lol.


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## trumpetbum

I'd do it again in a second. It was hard work but managable. The only thing i'm doing differently is birthing in water and hypnobirthing this time as I want to be as relaxed and free from fear and anxiety as possible.


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## JenStar1976

No question about it! Like the others say - it's amazing how you feel about it afterwards. Yes, it's painful, but it's a positive pain and nature is brilliant at making you forget all about it straight away. xx


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## Blob

I had two puffs of G&A and thats all with both of mine... i would never do it any other way. This time i enjoyed it a lot more but i knew what to expect by then... I would say that pushing in water is SOOOO much better than out of it :thumbup:


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## Mrs Doddy

I had gas and air so not totally drug free but the lowest form that wouldnt effect either of us , yea I would do it again and not change anything- I didn't think I could handle the pain but did and I must be the biggest chicken around !


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## milkmachine

i had a drug free vaginal birth 11 days ago and it was the best thing i have ever done i am so proud of it and if i wanted more children i would do it again right now


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## snagglepat

I can't wait to do it again! It was hard work and it hurt, but I managed and the sense of achievement and satisfaction afterwards is just amazing. I used hypnotherapy which I'm sure helped me cope with the sensations. Bring it on (but not till full term, preferably)! :)

Gina. x


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## emmi26

milkmachine said:


> i had a drug free vaginal birth 11 days ago and it was the best thing i have ever done i am so proud of it and if i wanted more children i would do it again right now

i didnt know you had had yr baby congrats hun !!!! so glad you got yr birth how you wanted x x


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## MandaAnda

I can't wait until I've the chance to do it all over again!


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## dizzyisacow

thanks ladies!! to be honest after my section i hardly even felt like i just had a baby. i didnt feel anything. it was like any other day and i just happened to be a mother. it was weird. i was very apathetic and emotionless through the whole thing and i DONT want to be like that again especially since if i have another section ill probarly never be allowed to have a vaginal.
i would jump at the idea of a water birth but they dont do that here.
ill probarly be stuck to a table with wires and monitors and told to stay still. but i have to try it. its horrible for me NOT knowing what a contraction feels like, or water breaking, loss of mucus plug, pushing, and the accomplishment of actually giving birth. i always joke that i never gave birth to my son, that the doctor did, but deep down thats how i feel.


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## milkmachine

emmi26 said:


> milkmachine said:
> 
> 
> i had a drug free vaginal birth 11 days ago and it was the best thing i have ever done i am so proud of it and if i wanted more children i would do it again right now
> 
> i didnt know you had had yr baby congrats hun !!!! so glad you got yr birth how you wanted x xClick to expand...

I didnt get a home birth but i did get a drug free positive birth :D my story is in the announcements bit :D


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## milkmachine

dizzyisacow said:


> thanks ladies!! to be honest after my section i hardly even felt like i just had a baby. i didnt feel anything. it was like any other day and i just happened to be a mother. it was weird. i was very apathetic and emotionless through the whole thing and i DONT want to be like that again especially since if i have another section ill probarly never be allowed to have a vaginal.
> i would jump at the idea of a water birth but they dont do that here.
> ill probarly be stuck to a table with wires and monitors and told to stay still. but i have to try it. its horrible for me NOT knowing what a contraction feels like, or water breaking, loss of mucus plug, pushing, and the accomplishment of actually giving birth. i always joke that i never gave birth to my son, that the doctor did, but deep down thats how i feel.

:hugs: xxx


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## Cariad_bach

dizzyisacow said:


> thanks ladies!! to be honest after my section i hardly even felt like i just had a baby. i didnt feel anything. it was like any other day and i just happened to be a mother. it was weird. i was very apathetic and emotionless through the whole thing and i DONT want to be like that again especially since if i have another section ill probarly never be allowed to have a vaginal.
> i would jump at the idea of a water birth but they dont do that here.
> ill probarly be stuck to a table with wires and monitors and told to stay still. but i have to try it. its horrible for me NOT knowing what a contraction feels like, or water breaking, loss of mucus plug, pushing, and the accomplishment of actually giving birth. i always joke that i never gave birth to my son, that the doctor did, but deep down thats how i feel.

Aww hugs hun, its a shame you feel like that, just because he came out a diffrent way you still gave birth :hugs:


As to you question i had a drug free home birth with my 3rd and it was brilliant, i felt so 'well' afterwards, Buzzing from the adrenaline, none of the sickness etc you get from the drugs,
My 4th was similar, had to go to hospital as i went 2 weeks over (gutted!!) but drug free and i was out and home after 4 hours so i was happy :)


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## ~RedLily~

I'm so glad I had a drug free birth I feel so proud of myself. I was very lucky that I actually found it all very bearable and it all went brilliantly.


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## KandyKinz

I went drug free with my last birth! It was an amazing experience and I'm definitly intending on going drug free again this time around. It hurts... But I think the best description of how bad it was is that it was the most amount of pain that I could potential handle.... no more then that... And afterwards the adrenalin rush is AMAZING! The best natural high of my life! And the rush gave me so much energy! I swear I could had enough ooomph in me to run an entire marathon immediately afterwards. I've never experienced anything like and I felt so in tune with what was happening.... It just made the moment of birth and immediate time right after so special... I was right out of it and drugged and unconnected with my surroundings... I was actually living the moment and it was surreal!!!!

With my first I received Demoral (a narcotic) approximately 1 1/2 hours prior to the birth. I felt so drugged! The whole expereince felt like a dream! Baby was born and I was too drugged to care... I remember staring at the wall and it felt like the whole room was moving back and forth and it looked like there were two clocks on the wall (there was just one!) and they kept moving back and forth.... It was awful! Completely terrible! Once my son was born they placed him on the baby bed on the other side of the room... And I didn't even have it in me to ask to hold him... I just needed to sleep. It wasn't a pleasant experience. And then the breastfeeding experience was quite difficult as well as he was quite sleepy and didn't want to latch... just sleep...


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## Ju_bubbs

I had G&A on my first 2, then went drug free on my last one, in hospital tho. I'm definately going down the drug free route again this time, and looking forward to it being at home rathe than hospital, so hopefully a lot more relaxed too!

I'm having G&A on stand by, just incase but doubt i'll have it as I enjoyed the non G&A birth a lot more, and can remember the whole experience more than I can with my G&A labours. I'd never even consider an epidural, it's never even been an option right from day 1 of my first prenancy, theres something about not being able to feel tho whole experience that feels wrong to me.. yes, it might hurt but its a pain that is bringing my baby into the world and i wanna exerience it!!

After re-reading that, I dont mean to caue offence to anyone that has had an epidural.. I dont mean its wrong to have one full stop, just wrong for me :)


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## disneyfan1984

I used hypnobirthing and went drug-free with my little girl, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I could definately feel the pain, but being able to fully relax between each contraaction made it manageable. 

I had SPD and was still able to do it!


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## Caezzybe

I had an 8 hour labour/birth with only TENS and paracetemol (not bad for a first baby!) Despite planning to have gas and air I didn't need it (or indeed didn't have time as the second stage/hospital bit was over and done with in half an hour after labouring at home)! Yes I would definitely do it all over again :)


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## ablacketer

Ive had two pitocin babies with no pain relief and I plan on a (hopefully pitocin free) drug free birth with this one as well :)


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## Pyrrhic

After my drug free birth I told the midwife 20mins later I would do it all again that night. I'd still do it all again in a heartbeat.


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## NIfirsttimer

id do it again in a heartbeat! the only thing id do differently would be to give birth at home, rather than in the midwife unit i did... dont get me wrong, it was amazing, i just didnt have the confidence to do it at home first time!
i used gas and air for a while, around the middle of my labour, but towards the end i needed to concentrate and it was hindering that, so i chucked it away... the pool was the key tho, it was amazing 
The pain is hard, it really hurts, but as long as you can stay focused, i think you will be fine! im not brave, but i did it!!


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## ~RedLily~

NIfirsttimer said:


> id do it again in a heartbeat! the only thing id do differently would be to give birth at home, rather than in the midwife unit i did... dont get me wrong, it was amazing, i just didnt have the confidence to do it at home first time!
> i used gas and air for a while, around the middle of my labour, but towards the end i needed to concentrate and it was hindering that, so i chucked it away... *the pool was the key tho*, it was amazing
> The pain is hard, it really hurts, but as long as you can stay focused, i think you will be fine! im not brave, but i did it!!

My hospital only has one pool that was being used, at the time I wasn't that bothered but I am soo disappointed about it now because my labour was great but it would have been so much better in the pool.


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## Rebecca_B

just a tens and a birthing ball

it does give you a high after, just look at my eyes lol!!!!!


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## NIfirsttimer

Kirsty90 said:


> NIfirsttimer said:
> 
> 
> id do it again in a heartbeat! the only thing id do differently would be to give birth at home, rather than in the midwife unit i did... dont get me wrong, it was amazing, i just didnt have the confidence to do it at home first time!
> i used gas and air for a while, around the middle of my labour, but towards the end i needed to concentrate and it was hindering that, so i chucked it away... *the pool was the key tho*, it was amazing
> The pain is hard, it really hurts, but as long as you can stay focused, i think you will be fine! im not brave, but i did it!!
> 
> My hospital only has one pool that was being used, at the time I wasn't that bothered but I am soo disappointed about it now because my labour was great but it would have been so much better in the pool.Click to expand...

yes we were very lucky, our MLU has a pool in every room, im VERY grateful for that!


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## SwissMiss

The only 'drugs' I had with Linds was the 1/4 pessary needed to get me started 
I was induced but from the minute contractions started on I didn't take a thing and I LOVED IT! I'm planning on doin' it the same way this time, hopefully minus the induction. It was hard work and I guess I know it hurt but the pain was completely manageable and no more than I could handle for sure! I can't wait, the feeling afterward is just AWESOME!! 
:hugs:


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