question for the experienced ladies

[Tigerlily01]

I'm a lurker here since I'm still wtt, but I have a question for those of you who have done this more than once!

I know every delivery is different, but from what I hear it seems that the first time you go through childbirth is usually the longest/most painful. I've read a lot on here from women who had their first birth in hospital, or used pain medications...and had a better experience the second time around at home, in water, with hypnobirthing techniques, etc (ie. without drugs). Has anyone done the natural method first, and taken drugs the second time? How did it compare if you did it this way? Did you still prefer going natural, even though it was your first time? I'm just curious how much of peoples' positive experiences with natural childbirth is because the second time around was faster anyway? Or is it really better without all the drugs regardless?

I'd like to think I could go natural, since I hate the idea of epidurals (I already have back problems, so don't need any more complications) but the idea of no pain relief totally freaks me out! I am in the US, so likely a waterbirth wouldn't be possible for me, but I do like the idea (maybe a hospital would at least let me labor in a bath?? Beats me!).

Thanks ladies! =)

 

[Bournefree]

I had a home water birth for my first. I wasn't worried about it being longer.. afterall it is advised that you stay at home for as much as you can, even if you are going into a birthing centre or a hospital - this is because you free room space, and you labour better at home. I also wasn't worried about not having access to an epidural.. I really didn't want one, as it would have increased my chances of having an instrumental delivery.. just for the fact that it is so difficult to feel what is ahpping with your contractions and you are invaribley laid on your back - not the best position to getting baby down and minimising pain.

I'm expecting my second - i'm also going to have this baby at home. I wasn't totally pain relief free for my first; I had TENS (in early labour), water and gas and air (used it pretty sparingly) for the birth... I plan to have the same things on hand this time.. but I might not even take a puff of gas.. as I made me very thirsty.

I can honestly say that I didn't experience any pain - Don't get me wrong it was totally physical and you are using your whole body, all encompassing, but amazing..You body just gets on a does it.. you don't have to do anything.. and certainly don't think about it too much (just let go to it). I just wouldn't ever discribe it as pain, no way near. It was enjoyable and I can't wait to do it all again.

I haven't and I hope I don't have too, have a hospital birth with induction or augmentation of labour.. I agree that more women would describe that as painful.

Wishing you the best for your birth. There is nothing to be worried about, and certianly nothing to be afraid of! So if you want to do "au natural" for your first don't let that stop you! Honestly your body is blo*dy amazing!
XxX

 

[lynnikins]

neither of my births has been completely uncomplicated, with my first i laboured with Tens and oral pain relief at home then when i did go to hospital i carried on the same way till about 4cm dilated when they let me use the pool , unfortunatly i didnt birth in the pool as he had his arm up and got stuck and the combination of that with the 56 hours of labour to that point with no sleep ment i didnt have energy left and he was a ventouse assisted birth.
with my second i was induced but only with one gel prostin pessary and that kicked off my labour nicely i laboured on my own ( it was night and i sent hubby home )with my tens to 7cm then we called hubby in i moved rooms and by the time hubby arrived i was fully dilated and ready to push,7 pushes later EJ arrived to the MW still putting her gloves on into the hands of a student MW id not even been introduced to lol, even though i was induced i trusted my body and let my body labour alot more naturally the second time than the first because id been through it before i knew more what to expect painwise and allowed myself not to fight the pain which i think is so much of what first timers do end up doing hence the high rate of interventions caus they feel like they cant cope with the contractions leading to epidurals etc.....

I would if i were you go for it with a natural birth first time, water is great pain relief and so is keeping moving , i used a method of relaxing my body head to toe with deep breathing to get through the contractions when they got more than my TENS could handle on its own. Good luck hunni if you trust in your body enough you can do it.

 

[canadabear]

I am planning a completely natural birth, this is my first baby. Though I will probably end up having birth in the hospital here (in Spain, still working on the whole homebirth, fingers crossed), the labour ward is completely midwife lead.
Though I have not given birth before, I have been doing a lot of research and I fully believe in my body's ability to give birth. I would recommend reading Ina May's Guide To Childbirth! It has opened my eyes to just how wonderful our bodies truely are when left to do what is natural for us in a calm, supportive environment.

 

[ambreen359]

you should take a look at the ricki lake documentary the business of being born there mostly if not all 1st time labourers they have babies at home its amazing it really enforces the idea that it is def doable
my 1st was in hosp alot of intervention actually everything bar a c-sec i was in agony 4 months from the epidural
second i left it till the last minute to go to hosp and basically pushed her out while being lead to a waiting area(they thought i was 2 calm to be far along)
my third will be at home assisted by an independant midwife and her colleague am not planning on any pain relief just hypnobirthing technique and water