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?

DS was over 9lb and I was in labour for about 20 hours with just gas and air. It wasn’t a walk in the park but it was a much better experience than the epidural I was given (against my wishes) with my first - I had a very bad reaction and things looked pretty bad for a while.

Childbirth is HORRIBLE - but look what you get at the end…. 💕

A four-hour induced labour with pethidine and gas &air.Totally out of it😂.

I refused an epidural with dd1 as I have a bad back and didn't want to make it worse so I had diamorphine and gas and air. Was 8hrs total.

With dd2 I had approx 10 mins of gas and air when the paramedics arrived as I was in labour for about 30 mins. Lost bloody show at 3.20pm and she arrived at 3.55pm on my living room floor. Dh had called an ambulance as hospital was 30 mins away and it just went from a few contractions to having her.

I’m way more terrified of someone sticking a needle in my back than I am of actual pain. Like I’m so phobic there is no physical way I could lie still enough for them to put it in. Luckily I didn’t have terrible labours (dc3 was the worst.. 13 hours and he came out with his hand over his face!)

I didn't feel encouraged to have any interventions with either of mine. I was ignored and patronised and ended up giving birth to my second child in the car because of that and delivered her myself on the front seat. I also remember screaming terrified out of the window as my ex DP raced to get us to the hospital. Having my first was a marginally less horrific experience but I was also ignored and ended up writhing around screaming in pain on a bed on the ward - don't remember my water's breaking with either child.

With my second I was patronisingly told I should have a home birth if I wanted any more children when that was the opposite of what I wanted. I wanted a hospital birth, supported by medical professionals. Instead I was turned away from the hospital despite begging them to admit me because I wasn't dilated enough. I knew my own body and was completely ignored.

I was just left for hours with my first because apparently again I wasn't dilated enough despite trying to communicate how much pain I was in. 🙄

I was determined to have a home birth so knew it wasn’t an option. Also find the idea of massive needle in my spine terrifying. Had all three at home with pool and gas and air. Suspect being at home is more relaxing.

I chose a drug free birth. Honestly, if a surgeon had walked in I would have told him to take the baby! 😆 it was MADDD painful, but somehow I managed. I also had a home birth, so there were no drugs available. It was amazing once she was born though!

Really quick labours.

First one was about 6hrs from first pain to birth and I would have definitely had an epidural if it had been longer.

Second was about 3 hours so barely time to get to the hospital. Second stage was about a minute.

I don't know how people manage through long labours. Mine were very intense but over before it got too overwhelming.

I just didn't need it, don't know why, didn't find it that painful, didn't have any pain relief in the end as two puffs of gas and air and I hated it.

It's different for everyone though isn't it.

I had a water birth plus gas&air. I got out of the water at one point to go to the loo, and by god did I feel the difference!

I don’t think it is primarily about attitude or pain tolerance. It’s that different births are differently painful. One of mine was so painful I truly felt I would rather have died than continue. I literally could not cope at all and when the epidural came I would cheerfully have sold my DH or kid in exchange. It was absolutely unendurably horrific - like medieval torture. Another one was absolutely fine. Painful of course but no painkilling needed. Just good breathing and a hand squeeze.

it is not you. It is not your worth or your strength or your plan. It is luck.

I just didn't feel like I needed one. I don't mean that to sound like I think it's superior in any way because I don't. I was prepared to have one - in fact with DD2 I was induced and if I'd needed the drip I'd have refused to give them consent to start it unless I had the epidural already administered (not promised, or told to wait and see, but actually done). As it turned out I didn't need the drip.

I actually didn't have any pain relief at all with either DC as the gas and air made me feel sick and I didn't like it. But if I'd felt like I needed an epidural I'd have asked for one.

This made me chuckle, because I can totally relate. You’d do anything for the pain to end. I was begging then to let me pay for a c-section to get DC out!

Both my dc I was induced through a drip. My 1st dc my waters broke and labour did not progress so nearly 48hrs later they induced me using syntocinon (I think) I said no epidural but changed my mind as labour was back to back as well. In a way I wish I hadn't as couldn't feel the urge to.push so delivery was traumatic. I then badly tore and hemorrhaged, I was in and out of it, not a great experience.
2nd dc was meant to be c section due to baby's positioning. Gowned up ready to go they did a bedside scan and dd had turned so was sent to labour ward where they broke my waters and straight on the drip. I refused epidural that time and had gas and air. I managed, as honestly had no choice by the time it got really bad due to not enough time to get anaesthetist. But it went better in terms of a lot less tearing and no haemorrhage and I could feel when to push.
To be honest both ways were awful but in different ways.

My labours have been fast. Simply no choice to have an epidural, it wasn't an option.

I think (though I haven't experienced a long labour) being in tremendous pain for a short, productive time (like my labours) is a very different experience psychologically than being in tremendous pain for a much longer time and with no clear end in sight. Kind of like how people break under torture.

I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have had fast "easy" labours.

Some of us are just luckier than others.
i didn't have gas and air either, I didn't have any pain relief whatsoever, it was too late by thr time i got to the hospital, I gave birth 18 minutes after we parked the car.

I certainly felt absolutely amazing after labour as there was nothing interfering with the natural surge of hormones. I was on a completely different plane, I felt so alive and alert. Plus the sense of achievement was 👍

I was offered before having my waters broken and declined. Then things progressed too fast because of my PET. How did I cope? By screaming. Constantly. For 2 hours 🤣

This sounds incredible 💪I had two births with lots of interference ( I was a young, not very assertive mum) and really regret not having control over the process . Not ungrateful as I have two healthy children but wish it had been less traumatic and medicalised.

No epidural on second birth. It was painful but managed. Think I had progressed so quickly that I couldn't have one.

Very similar. Had a water birth with my 2nd and I still look back fondly at what a pleasant experience it was and how much the hot water helped with the pain

I was induced with my 3rd and when they offered me an epidural I very naively said "no thank you, it's my 3rd, I think I'll be okay"

I begged for that epidural after 20 minutes 🤣🤣🤣 I will never forget how awful the pain was and that was just the contractions. Nothing like my 1st or 2nd.

I did two births without. For the first one I just thought I wouldn’t need it as I have a very high pain tolerance (my doctor has commented on it) and I just didn’t like the thought of an epidural. Second time round I knew I didn’t need one.

Didn't have a choice as the hospital was short staffed the night I gave birth. You just get on with it.

Everyone is different and has different tolerances and that’s ok. I found my first two labours awful and needed gas and air. I was too afraid of the needle for epidural. With my 3rd I realised the more I tensed with the pain worse it felt, I had to learn to trust my body and that it knew what it was doing. Lots of breathing and concentration on relaxing my muscles when the pain came, yes it still hurt but no where near as much as my first two where I was fighting and tensing with every contraction.