Question for those who didn't have any pain medication during labour...

[clarsair]

I've been thinking about different experiences of labour and was wondering how those of you who didn't have any form of pain killer came to have an unmedicated birth.

Did you decide beforehand that you didn't want any and then grit your teeth and resist asking? Did you feel you didn't need it? Or did you ask for it couldn't have it for some reason?

Sorry for being nosy by the way!

 

[vikirose]

Hiya, I've had 2 such births. I had HB and asked midwife to keep gas n air in her car but not to bring it in. I knew it was there if I wanted it. I also asked in my birthplan to not be reminded of pain relief...again I could ask if I wanted it. Just thought that once you start on the way to pain relief it may open the door to other things. I found the bath was amazing. I'm considering a tens machine this time but still undecided on that.
I just had a supportive birth partner who kept telling me I was doing great etc...that's all I needed. Just remind yourself that once the contraction passes it's gone and you get relief. ALso the minute that baby is out you can't feel anything except joy!! (and a bruised feeling ladybit!!) I took arnica in labour to help with the bruising afterwards...you do feel a bit like someone kicked you a bit hard!!

 

[FeistyMom]

With my first, I planned on having an epi but I managed to be in such denial over my active labor that I didn't get to the hospital until I was in full on transition and it was much too late. I don't regret not having it at all though!

So with my second, I planned on not having anything. Labor lasted longer with #2, or at least it seemed to because I was at the hospital longer. I stupidly did not take advantage of the non-medicated methods available to me that time either - tub, birthing ball... I spent a large part of it kind of curled up on the bed, which is one of the worst positions possible.

So, in effect, I was just gritting my teeth and bearing it. This time around, I am going to take full advantage of things like water, birthing ball, different positions but do not plan on any other pain relief.

 

[Greta Chick]

Hi

With my first 2 births I had only a little bit of gas and air and nothing at all with my third. My second I did grin and bear it, despite being in the birth pool (it gave me NO relief whatsoever, my body completely took over and pushed without me doing anything which I didn't like as I had no control over it at all). My first I kind of also grinned and beared it, on dry land in a squatting position this time.

With my third I'd decided right from the beginning that I wouldn't be having any pain relief at all. I'd said I didn't want to be asked if I wanted pain relief, I would ask if I wanted it or dh would ask on my behalf. I had a homebirth and as it turned out I was absolutely fine with just my natal hypnotherapy and aromatherapy. The midwives brought the gas and air into the house but I was totally unaware they had. I don't feel that I grinned and beared it at all, it was an absolute dream

All three births were positive I feel, but my third was absolutely the most amazing experience of my life (you can read my birth story in the link in my sig).

hth

xx

 

[Meredith2010]

I fully expected/wanted to have an epidural but the way my labour went it just wasn't possible - it was 1 hour 56 minutes from start to finish! It was totally not what I expected having heard all the stories about first labours taking 18 hours and things like that. I certainly didn't plan to go pain relief free, and would have really appreciated something! My problem was that I had all my contractions - every 2 to 3 minutes lasting nearly a minute - before I was technically in labour (i.e. not 4 cms) so wasn't allowed any pain relief. When I got to 4 cms I requested an epidural but when they came to set it up, only about 20 minutes after being at 4 cms, I was 8cms and it was too late.

I certainly didn't plan on a pain relief free labour, as I have absolutely no qualms with having it (I view it the same way as going to the dentist - I would never expect to have a tooth removed with no pain relief so why would I want to have a baby with no pain relief!!) but it was just the way it worked out in the end.

 

[Pramaholic86]

Hi,
Mine is kind of similar to Meredith my waters went so I went to hospital, they hooked me up to the machine to check for contractions and I wasn't having any.. As soon as the nurse took the machine off I had my first contraction but the midwife told me it was just braxton hicks.. I was sobbing in the car on the way home thinking what am I in for if what I'm feeling isn't even labour!
Long story short, 6 hours later my daughter was born I sort of zoned out from the pain and let me body get on with it, usually I am rubbish with pain so it was really strange, I felt really relaxed and confident that my body would do what it needed to do, hard to explain. Then I had gas and air to push. The whole experience was absolutely amazing and nowhere near as bad as I thought, and I said that at the time not just in hindsight I had planned an epidural but it just happened to quick, I was fully dilated by the time I got to hospital.
If I have any more babies I'd love a water birth to help with the pain

 

[5ara]

I always knew I wouldn't want any pain relief. My mom had me all-natural, and if she could do it then so could I. I just went into it feeling like there was no other option for me.
And when labor started, I didn't even think about it. I was totally "in the zone" and tuned into my body. It was kind of an automatic process, very primal. Even though my labor was about 12 hours, start to finish, I didn't notice the passing of time at all. It felt like a blur.
It certainly wasn't painless, but I didn't think about asking for pain relief. I just let everything happen.

 

[sun]

I didn't plan or want any pain relief, but since it was my first I decided to plan for not having any and see what happened - especially since I had no idea what kind of labour I would have or how I would react to it. I do have a fear of not being about to move/walk around so the idea of an epi was scary. With this LO I also don't plan on having any pain relief, but I am going to approach it the same way. My first labour started back to back and that was quite painful until he turned. Every pregnancy is different, and I don't want to set myself up for feeling like a failure if I am strict about my birth plan and something doesn't work out. But I have done it once and I know I can do it again.

Something I didn't know though is that my blood pressure (which is normally very low) went even lower during labour. So later my MW said it was a good thing I didn't want an epi as they probably wouldn't have given me one because of my BP (epis lower BP even further apparently). I'm glad they didn't mention it at the time - I didn't want or plan for one, but knowing you can't get one - yikes! Will try not to think of that this time around!

 

[Mrs Treacle]

I had my little boy 3 weeks ago with just a few sucks on the gas and air. This was the way I had intended it to be but before I went into labour I was scared that I wouldn't be able to cope with the pain and be begging for an epidural!

I don't think I really would have had time for any other pain relief even if I wanted it because I had left it a bit long before we left for the hospital. As soon as I arrived, I wanted to push.

I'm not really sure how I coped with the pain. I think I kind of 'zoned out' when I was having contractions. I think it hurt but as someone else had said, as soon as your baby is born, the pain is forgotten and I genuinely would do it again tomorrow with no hesitation!

The pain in my tailbone after the labour hurt much more than labour itself.

Just trust your body, it knows what to do!

 

[paperz]

I gave birth at home in the Netherlands, where no pain relief is available, so it wasn't an option for me. It is possible to request a transfer to the hospital at any point along the line, where pain relief is available, but I didn't feel that was an option. Also, once active labour had begun the though of having to get in a vehicle and go to the hospital was much worse than just dealing with the pain on my own. I had a very long labour and was definitely gritting my teeth throughout... the sorest parts on my body afterward were my teeth/jaw and throat (from all the deep groaning!). I have to say it was very painful and very hard, but at no point did I feel scared or like I couldn't handle it or that something was wrong - it all felt very normal and natural.

 

[Linzi]

With my first baby, I had pethedine and I found it really effective and thought I would probably use it again second time. Fortunately my Drs surgery wont support homebirth and refused to prescribe it. I also had a bad reaction to gas & air when I had my son, so even though I thought I might give it a go I wasn't convinced they'd let me or it would be a good idea...

Anyway, as it happened, Molly came far too quickly as the G&A hadn't even arrived by the time she was born so I didn't use anything. But I didn't feel like I had to anyway, the labour was so calm & relaxed, the pain was very very minimal, contractions just felt 'intense' rather than painful & I used a lot of natal hypnotherapy techniques, so even though I begged for drugs during transition I didn't actually need anything at all and it was the best feeling No funny after effects, nothing.

xxx

 

[NaturalMomma]

I had a homebirth so there was no option for pain medications (unless I wanted to go to the hospital). I knew long before I was even pregnant that pain medications weren't for me. I had them with ds1 and it was horrible, so I knew it was best to leave it alone. The pain really wasn't that bad and didn't last very long. I think some people think that you'll be in pain from the start of labor until the end, and that's not true. You're usually only in labor during transition and that is at the end of labor.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I knew I didn't want any of the pain relief options due to their disadvantages.

 

[nov_mum]

I recommend TENs and hypnobirthing. All good alternatives to medications and create natural hormones and natural pain relievers in your body. I think eliminating fear and resistance is a huge factor despite it sounding quite hippy. Your muscles are going to work and recover better if you are relaxed and working with them and the uterus is a big set of muscles to relax and let work. Hypnobirthing is based on physiological processes so not all airy fairy but is all about controlling your breathing and relaxing your body to let it work the way it was intended to.

 

[Brookey]

I was induced and managed to get to 9cm without anything at all (and entirely on my own as OH had gone home and midwifes didnt beleive i was having contractions!) and then just had a bit of gas and air when i was pushing xxxx

 

[Ju_bubbs]

My first pain relief free labour was my 3rd, it was totally by accident, purely because by the time I made it to hospital, LO was already crowning!

On my 4th I opted for no pain relief and will be opting for the same this time also!

Why? Because I had G&A on my 1st two, and it made me feel sick, dizzy, and so far 'out of it' that I had no idea what was going on around me! When I had my accidental unmedicated labour, I really regretted ever having G&A!

 

[heaven]

Planning on having an acupuncturist there to help w/ pain this time around and a water birth at a birthing center.(there are no midwives for two hours, so we have to make the drive to a birthing center and once there we are having a water birth) Good luck!

 

[violetsky]

I decided right from the start that I didn't want to put my unborn baby through the stress of having their little system flooded with drugs just for my own comfort, iyswim.
I spent the whole pregnancy worrying over every last thing - not eating pate, or too much tuna, not drinking or smoking, not even taking ibruprofen or lemsip when illl, taking vitamins and generally being as healthy as possible, so why ruin all of that right at the end!! My grandma had breech twins naturally back in the 60s after 42 hours of labour without any pain relief - she's a tough old lady and I just kept thinking if she can do that, I can easy manage one baby head first

It was VERY painful, we had back to back labour and I tore very badly as she came out, but I'm so very proud of myself for it all. I was right there with my baby every second, conscious, feeling every contraction, through blood and sweat and tears I gave birth to her, she wasn't taken from my body while I lay there feeling numb. It was an amazing experience & I would 100% do it the same again, even though at the time I honeslty did think at parts oh my god this hurts too much I can't do it, I just kept thinking one more contraction, then we reached transition and that was that really!

 

[xxembobxx]

My first pain relief free labour was my 3rd, it was totally by accident, purely because by the time I made it to hospital, LO was already crowning!
I had G&A on my 1st two, and it made me feel sick, dizzy

I feel queasy in labour so G&A is a no-no for me too

I had an unplanned home birth with my 2nd as it was such a quick labour. Had 2 pain-free labours after as I knew I had done it once and survived

As I know my labour will only be a few hours from first contraction I concentrated on the time, it made me feel better knowing it would all be over soon!
I had an amazing MW with my last DD who helped me breathe properly and it really made a huge difference.
Next labour I'm hoping being relaxed will help with the pain and I will be birthing in any position I feel most comfortable NOT what the MW finds more convenient for herself!