Getting through the inevitable pain

[SarahBear]

What was your perception of the pain like?

What was your most important tool or strategy for getting yourself through it?

Was there anything about the pain that surprised you?

What advice would you give to a first-time-mom who will birth (by choice) in an environment where pain medications are not an option? (I am planning for a home birth)

What other questions should I be asking you and what are the answers to those questions?

 

[Lollycake]

What was your perception of the pain like?
I felt really constipated with on/off pains, as labour progressed it felt like I kept getting the urge to poo. Wasn't much like period pains for me (which I thought it might be). I think most people say the pushing was the easier bit, but for me I 'preferred' (not really sure the word prefer is appropriate!!) contractions.

What was your most important tool or strategy for getting yourself through it?
I kept reminding myself that the contractions were doing something productive, it wasn't a injured type of pain. Reminding myself that this was what my body was made for and millions of women have done this before me. Positive thinking/self belief - I think if you go into it expecting it to be awful and that you won't cope then it will be painful and you won't cope! Also breathing and making ridiculous deep moo-ing type noises. Read Ina May Gaskin's book, I found it a bit hippy-ish for me personally, but it's very positive and a lot of good tips for strategies to get through it.

Was there anything about the pain that surprised you?
It wasn't half as bad as I expected!! Everyone builds it up to be the most unimaginable terrible painful thing that will ever happen. It's very intense, but I'd take labour over a root-canal at the dentist anyday!

What advice would you give to a first-time-mom who will birth (by choice) in an environment where pain medications are not an option? (I am planning for a home birth)
Again, positive mindset, I bought lots of stuff like aromatherapy, homoeopathic remedies etc, made playlists on spotify, dvds...I didn't use much of it, but feeling like I had lots of things I could use helped. Don't use gas & air early, use it as a last resort (I thought of it as my homebirth equivalent of an epidural!). Research and read about natural labours and make a birth plan - but don't be devastated if not everything on it goes how you imagined/wanted.

What other questions should I be asking you and what are the answers to those questions?
Not sure...
I would deffo do it again if I have another baby.
My only 2 things I would change are I would get more skin to skin before LO was dressed etc (I think I had about 20mins - my placenta came out fairly quickly and he was dressed after it was out)...and I would like to have had pics of him when he just out. My first pic of him was after he was dressed and fed and was asleep, I think he was about 3 or 4hrs old then.

Hope that helps

 

[fides]

What was your perception of the pain like?
more extreme than I could have imagined, and went on and on with short breaks between contractions; the "ring of fire" that i'd heard of was an apt description. while i was in labor, the pain seemed unending, but it does end at some point - it was less than 10 hours for me, and that sounds like a lot, but you just take the pain one contraction at a time and deal with the next one as it comes.

What was your most important tool or strategy for getting yourself through it? prayer

Was there anything about the pain that surprised you? how intense it was - how much it hurt, lol! my mom had 3 natural births and didn't even scream - i thought my hips are bigger so it won't be too bad for me either - i really wasn't expecting it to hurt so much, especially since we used a birth pool - i screamed - a lot.

What advice would you give to a first-time-mom who will birth (by choice) in an environment where pain medications are not an option? (I am planning for a home birth) it won't last forever, and since you are home, you have no choice but to hang in there and stick it out - baby has to come out some time! :}

What other questions should I be asking you and what are the answers to those questions? i have no idea, lol. oh, if you are going for a home birth, i did find the birth pool a bit helpful as a first-timer - i was able to move around a bit, so i'm glad i had that option. some people i know ended up not using their pool, but it might be nice to have there as an option.

Good luck - you will be great!!!

 

[solitaire89]

What was your perception of the pain like?
I didn't have any pain at all... I was aware of the contractions, but never felt any pain at all. It felt more like a sensation of pressure and warmth.

What was your most important tool or strategy for getting yourself through it?
I used Natal Hypnotherapy cds in the leadup to the birth. I used the Home Birth Birth Preparation set of 4 cds. The first cd was general pregnancy relaxation (including reducing common pregnancy bug-bears like morning sickness. I didn't have any problems in pregnancy). Second is Birth Preparation. Third is relaxing birth music, for use during labour, but I didn't! 4th is fast post natal recovery. The basic premise of it is that it is fear in childbirth that leads to the extreme pain experienced by many women. I was amongst the hundreds of women terrified by birth - I even went to my doctor in tears before even TTC because I was so scared of birth. I had a home birth with no pain or pain relief - not even a paracetamol! I also used lavender oil for relaxation in the preparation, but didn't need it during birth. Natal Hypnotherapy gives lots of info about making the right environment to birth in. ETA: I also did their 2 day course, which was worth every penny! It was also great for OH and preparing him for birth!

Was there anything about the pain that surprised you?
Yes, there wasn't any

What advice would you give to a first-time-mom who will birth (by choice) in an environment where pain medications are not an option? (I am planning for a home birth)
Make sure your birthing partner is totally onside with your wishes, especially if you choose to do Natal Hypnotherapy. Without a good partner, it's more difficult - you want to be able to forget everything, and get on with birthing your baby. Let your birth partner deal with the other things.

What other questions should I be asking you and what are the answers to those questions?
Don't know exactly! But what I would say is, know what your "rights" are. I'm not one of these "let's all bang the table to get exactly what I want, against advice or common sense", but I do think it's important to know what the common arguments against HB are, so that you and your birth partner don't have to worry about things like that during labour.

if you have anymore questions about the Natal Hypnotherapy, give me a shout - Happy to answer any questions!

 

[NaturalMomma]

What was your perception of the pain like? The pain wasn't that bad, and it wasn't really painful. Intense yes, but not a pain. Most of my labor was menstraul like cramps, the intense stuff came at the end.

What was your most important tool or strategy for getting yourself through it? Being on my feet. I loved swaying and doing squats.

Was there anything about the pain that surprised you? Yes, that it wasn't the worst pain I had ever felt

What advice would you give to a first-time-mom who will birth (by choice) in an environment where pain medications are not an option? (I am planning for a home birth) To not spend the rest of your pregnancy worried about pain. Women have a strong sense to cope with labor pain, and that is why it's women who give birth Once you are in labor and experience pain or intenseness, do not think about it in that moment, think of it as one more step closer to your baby. Remember to breathe. Also remember that there will be 100s of women giving birth with you all around the world, in all different enviroments, and many at home as well.

 

[Mathmagican]

What was your perception of the pain like?
The intensity of the pain was similar to when I have broken bones (my labor was only 2.5 hours & incredibly intense).

What was your most important tool or strategy for getting yourself through it? Cussing & extreme profanity

Was there anything about the pain that surprised you?
I was surprised that there is really no pain when there are no contractions

What advice would you give to a first-time-mom who will birth (by choice) in an environment where pain medications are not an option? (I am planning for a home birth)
Remind yourself that you are in control of your labor. If you focus with the contractions during the pushing it will be over faster (I am not saying 2.5 hours fast, but faster than it would have been).