Who is planning on going "all natural" - no meds?

[Pixie]

I've got a tens machine and would like to think I can survive with that and gas and air, although as I have never experienced that kind of pain before I don't know whether I will need more (I have said in my birth plan I don't want an epi unless a c section is needed). The most important thing to me is that the baby is born safely and I want to be able to enjoy the experience!!!

 

[cs22]

Im terrified of needles but when the time comes if i need them im gonna take them. I just dont wanna be shown any needles because i would freak out if i saw them. Im such a wimp lol

 

[Pink_Witch]

drug free for me too!! i had pethedine and G&A in my 1st 2 labours and hated the way it made me feel so the next 2 i had no pain relief at all, then with the last one i had awful back pain so tried an epidural,but he was unable to do it right so i didnt have it done in the end,but he caused a dural tap which is where some of the spinal fluid leaks (happens in about 1 in 100 cases) and casued THE worst headaches i have ever had in my life-and it lasted a week so i am having nothing this time!!! just the support of my hubby and my metallica cd!

 

[Kitten]

I'm scared of hospitals and needles (so you can imagine how much fun I've had already!!) so I'm planning on a homebirth with as little intervention as possible, purely because if they put me in a hospital bed I'd probably have a panic attack!

However, I'm well aware that 1001 things can go wrong and am fully prepared for the midwife to turn round and say "we need to go in". I'm trying to read up on complications as much as possible so I don't feel so helpless if something does happen and have some kind of idea of what is being done to me if I do end up in hospital.

 

[Dani33]

I am going to try natural too. I heard about those headaches. I don't want any of that. Also, because of my tattoo - lower back (I live in Ontario, Canada - apparently they don't care in Britain) they don't want to give me anything like a spinal or epi unless I have a c section. It would than be done higher on the vertebrae.

I have talked to a number of women who have had/done both and they all say that recovery was much easier when they didn't have anything. I hope that I am ok. Who knows. I defo don't want narcotics either. If I have to have anything I'll try gas and air. I just don't like the idea of a mask and puking.

 

[Plus2]

I went all natural.
It wasn't that bad tbh, as soon as you've got the head out, the rest easy!
I had to do it twice

 

[Dukechick]

I'm Pro-Drugs when it comes to labour! This is my first baby, but I don't really want to experience pain! lol....... I don't really have a birth plan, but I'm high risk because of my bleeding disorder, and still have a low lying placenta, so I don't know how it's gonna work out, but if I can take drugs, or have an epi to help me out, I'm all for it!!

xx

 

[NoSpringChick]

Me hopefully.
I've avoided drugs this far I don't want to reply on them for the end bit, plus I've heard babies can be a bit dopey and I also want to go home asap and feel I'd have a better chance if I don't have anything. Also heard bad things about epidurals that youre more likely to tear because you arent feeling everything.
Hoping for a waterbirth and all they'll offer as far as I know is gas and air (which I don't want either). So will use water and a bit of self hypnosis.

Plus I can't beleive it hurts anyworse than some BM's I've experienced lately


eta it's like if you dont have a pre med before an operation you recover faster and better than those who did. this is the way I see it - I want to be 'all there' and in charge of me.

 

[Janisdkh]

Hi everyone!

I am trying to find out who is planning on going au naturale (no epidural or gas). I know I am and am just curious who is planning to and who already has (with another child).

My DH is not thrilled with the idea - is afraid I'll be in too much pain, but the idea of a needle going in my back and the sometimes lingering pain afterwards bother me more than the idea of letting my body do what it was built to do.

I would love to hear from others!

Jeannie

Lingering pain after? No way you feel great after an epi. I had one three times. Tried to go natural last time but umm went to 6 cm and cried sooo much. I could not do it. It hurts! I could not get enough rest also and was too tired to take care of my lil one Well for me it hurt bad. Whoever goes through with it props to you. Good luck!

 

[Lu28]

I'm hoping to manage with a tens machine and gas and air. I definitely don't want pethidine as I've heard so many stories about it not dulling the pain, just spacing you out and making you sick. I also don't like the idea of baby being affected by it. I would like to avoid an epidural if possible because of it slowing things down and increasing the risk of intervention being necessary but having said that, it's my first, I don't know what my pain tolerance is going to be like and I'll just keep my options open.

 

[Pink_Witch]

I definitely don't want pethidine as I've heard so many stories about it not dulling the pain, just spacing you out and making you sick..

no i found it didnt take away the pain-more made it seem distant-almost like you have been drinking- but you could still feel it!! i didnt like feeling sick and not with it didnt like not being in control!!

 

[jenny_wren]

pethedine just made me throw up!!
epidural failed but that was
just bad luck!
gas and air works a treat though!!!
after 20 odd hours i gave up
and begged for drugs LOL


good luck to those
going without anything at all!!!

i'll come shake your hand if you
manage it after a long labour


xx​

 

[codex]

I went without anything with DS and I plan to do the same with DD. I am choosing this because I do not want the drugs in my system and I have gone my entire life (knock on wood) without ever having an i.v. or any surgeries or interventions at all. If I am able to have a vaginal birth again I plan on keeping it that way. I realize that a c-section is always a possibility but if that happens I will deal with it when it happens.

 

[diva4180]

I had an epidural with my first, waited as long as I could until I couldn't take the pain, and I didn't have any lingering pain afterwards I hope to do the same again, wait as long as I can until I can't stand it anymore and hopefully have an epidural...it was also good because my labor was overnight and I was exhausted having not slept during that day, having the epi didn't lessen my contractions, still felt the tightenings and when it was time to push, but was able to rest.

 

[kaykay]

Ill try but I wont refuse painrelief if I really need it. I suppose what ever happens on the day you just can set these things in stone, Good for you if you achieve it..not sure how ill cope to be honest hopefully I can do it.. xx

 

[tiggertea]

i had planned to go with just g&a coz i'm not good with needles, and had been completely against the idea of anything else... ended up taking the epi when consultant recommended it and it's really not bad at all... i've had paper cuts i felt more!

what i'm trying to say is this: keep an open mind. if ur writing a birth plan stateyour intention to go all natural as far as possible but keep the option of tpain relief there "should you feel it is required"

 

[tiggertea]

I definitely don't want pethidine as I've heard so many stories about it not dulling the pain, just spacing you out and making you sick..

no i found it didnt take away the pain-more made it seem distant-almost like you have been drinking- but you could still feel it!! i didnt like feeling sick and not with it didnt like not being in control!!

G&A and pethidine both had that effect on me - like i was more drunk than i had ever been in my life, but definately not pain-killing... just high.

 

[navarababe]

i was planning on going with just gas and air, but i am the same as most people, i keeping my options open as i dont know how painful it will actually be.

 

[ecossaise74]

If you want more infos about birth experiences with or without pain relief, check my thread in the postnatal section it's called "to all the women who already gave birth ", you can also access it through my profil. Have a look, I'm sure you'll find it interesting!!! xxx

 

[aevenstar]

We're planning a hypnobirth - at the moment at home, unless i get desperate to be in a pool in which case we'll head into the midwife unit. Am hiring a TENS machine, but beyond that - don't intend to have anything.

From reading and research I do think that your beliefs about birth are a massive influence on what experience you have - if you believe that it will hurt and you'll need pain relief, then probably you will. The whole principle of hypnobirthing is that fear causes tension in and around the uterus, this then leads to pain because you've got a tense cervix with a baby's head pushing down on it trying to open up which is a self defeating thing. Until you relax, it'll hurt. There's no pain receptors in the uterus - that's why BH don't hurt unless you tense up with them. As for pushing etc - 80% of the work is done by the uterus alone - women in comas give birth so I think I'll let my body do what it's designed to do!

No other animal experiences normal birth as pain like we do - something to think about?

Rachel x