How on earth do women give birth without epidurals?

[Begaydocrime94]

genuine question, for those of you who have given birth without epidurals, how?? Just gave birth for the second time and was hoping for no epidural this time but caved pretty much immediately. How do women cope without? Do some women just cope better with pain etc?

Dd2 was too quick. Dd1 I didn't want one and as painful as it was I think I made the right choice. I had to have one for the placenta removal and hated the feeling of it, I wouldn't have wanted that in labour.

I don’t buy anything re pain tolerance, hypno birthing etc. Some labours are harder than others and hurt more.

Nailed it

No choice. I had an epidural for my first and was glad I did - prior to it being put in place, labour was incredibly painful (induction). With my second baby, labour was quite painful (spontaneous labour this time) and I'd have had an epidural if I could, however I was already 8.5cm dilated on admission so it was too late. I was actually fine without it (I had a bit of gas and air 🙂). If I were to have a third absolutely no way I'd not bother with an epidural unless I was in agony. We're better at it than we think we'll be!

I think it depends on the birth. Like PP saying the pain only lasts 90 seconds at a time- I had back to back full on contractions that I’ve since learned was hyperstimulation - and that was unbearable. I was dead set against the epidural, but that was when I expected to get some kind of relief in between contractions and be able to breathe, instead I went into full panic (particularly as the midwives I ended up with were not that kind or supportive) and begged for some relief, the anaesthetist was amazing, so friendly and reassuring in a way that the midwives hadn’t been. Once the epidural kicked in I calmed down and felt ready and happy to give birth, but unfortunately by then DD was in severe distress and I needed an EMCS.

Weekend birth and both anaesthetics in theatre, begged but no one available to administer , so no choice. I did refuse pethidine cause I thought it would make me sick, pretty horrendous really , but beautiful baby was the result, all healthy, so I mended and got over it x wouldn’t choose it though x

I didn't want one. I had 80 hours of labour. DS was back to back. Had no pain relief until hour 79 as midwife suggested it. No gas an air as made me feel nauseous at 6 months when I tried it.

The thought of an epidural made me feel sick. I hate cannulas with a passion and wanted to avoid one if I could. I also wanted out of there asap and get into my own bed so I just knew I had to get on with it! I did scream the place down though. I do think I have a high pain threshold and I’m very stubborn so that probably helped, alongside quick labours.

Ive had 3 now, 2 with gas and air and one with pethadine which made it worse. It was manageable without for me.

Oh and the experience was such that I will never be doing it again. There are other reasons I’m one and done but another birth will not be happening, it was horrific and left me with trauma and flashbacks for quite a long time that I only recognised much later.

I has two water births and genuinely feel that helped hugely. Have a relatively high pain threshold also.

I never wanted anything other than gas and air with my first... until 16 hours of back labour became unbearable... gas and air just gave me panic attacks! Had epidural, followed by a traumatic/messy delivery with baby ending up in NICU & me staying in the hospital for nearly 2 weeks. I couldn't feel anything from the waist down and it all just felt so wrong to me. Though glad was already numb for the episiotomy and stitches 😬

My second time, with just gas and air was brilliant! I could feel and trust my body to do what it needed to. By the time it was getting too much pain-wise, it was time to push. Much easier recovery too.

I don't regret having the epidural first time, but I wouldn't have chosen it unless it was absolutely necessary.

Din't need one either time. In fact, I didn't even need gas and air. Not all births are painful. Mine certainly weren't, uncomfortable and intense but never painful.

Re above I have absolutely no feelings about what is right for other people. I just really hate how I feel with sedative type drugs.

Pain is hormonal in childbirth and is supposed to build gradually over a long time which is what makes it manageable. But you can have situations like mine where I didn’t realise I was giving birth until I was 10cm dilated because the pain wasn’t ‘worse than my period’ and so by the time I needed an epidural it became difficult to get one. Thankfully, for me, I did get one but it was more because ds’ heart rate was wonky so they wanted to delay the birth.

I had pethidine which, other than a brief spell of nausea, really helped take the edge off. I could still feel the contractions but nowhere near as intense. When it wore off they got really bad with lots of pressure and I said ‘if it’s going to be like this then get me an epidural’ but I was fully dilated. I actually found (other than the ring of fire!) that pushing against the contractions really helped me manage the pain from then on.

Both my births were quick so didn't really get the chance. I was grateful after as I literally immediately jumped out of bed afterwards. I do have a high pain threshold in general though.

My friend is a midwife and once said to me that the woman that cope best in labour are the ones that don’t waste energy screaming and wailing. I appreciate it’s whatever gets you through, but this stayed with me.

Instinctively, I went into myself and said nothing throughout. It’s was a primitive experience for me and intensely empowering. I’m someone that would’ve thought I’d be on a epidural from the start as all 3 of my sisters had implied there’s no other way. But I simply didn’t need one.

Gas and air worked a treat for me. I’d spent so long in pain that it was a welcome relief but it never really entered my head to have one.

I’d had pain from the balloon induction for 13hours before it changed to labour pains for 17 hours on 1 paracetamol because 1 particular midwife was an utter wanker!! then baby arrived another 5.5hrs later by ventouse so I was numbed locally for the episiotomy.

I’d be happy to go down that route again, but if that particular midwife even tries to enter the room I’ll tell her where to go!! I’d been signed off for oral morph by the night dr so why she decided to overrule I don’t bloody know. There were other issues with her so I don’t ever want her again. However, the other 6 I encountered prior to having DD, the one who was then with me in the delivery suite and then the drs and 10+ other professionals who were in room once baby was delivered were INCREDIBLE and it’s not put me off.

I didn’t want an epidural because I have a severe needle phobia (seen by the prenatal mental health team during pregnancy as it’s that bad). BUT I hadn’t ruled it out if needed for me and baby and if I couldn’t cope with the pain. On the day, it was never a conscious decision not to have one, I just never got to the point of needing to ask for it. I though about it once and decided in my own head it was too late (it probably was and there’s a potential for resistance to the anaesthetic for me so could have been quite a drawn out process). I wanted to know what Labour felt like, I had no intention of doing the whole thing on gas and air, that was never planned. I wanted everything oral possible and fully expected to ask for stronger stuff to be injected!

I think this is what I did as well. I was also told by family and friends I’d never cope without one!

I think it depends on lots of different factors. Position of baby, strength of contractions, your response to pain etc.

DD - needed an epidural. It was horrendous without one.

DS - very quick birth . Didn't need an epidural at all.

I had an epidural but when it came to pushing 11 hours later it had worn off. So I was nice and relaxed until push time. Then pushed for 40 minutes and my god did I feel it wow 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The thought of an epidural scared the shit out of me. More so than giving birth. So I got through it on gas and air and paracetamol! Not offered anything else.
It was painful and traumatic.

Mine were both fast deliveries, in water, with no time for any pain relief. It was actually ok and I didn’t even feel the need to ask for any meds, it was intense, but other than crowning, i found it manageable. But the I wasn’t in pain for days and moved along at pace so I didn’t get exhausted. Like the PP says I gave birth pretty much silently (I’d have been great in Quiet Place), no screaming or moaning. Just breathing.

I just think every labour is different and there’ll be extremes at either end of the spectrum.

I was induced and agreed to an epidural fairly quickly, it didn't work. It numbed me to my knees and that was it. Another anaesthetist came and did a re-site and it still didn't work so I had no choice but to do it with just gas and air but it was horrific 😂

Also so many heroes on this thread 🙄🙄🙄🙄

by the time they’d got the cannula in I was 10cm and had to go without!