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?

My first birth in another country I was more or less forced to have one, because apparently '99% of women have epidurals'. I was utterly horrified by the reality of it and it completely confirmed my desire to never have another. It only numbed one side of my body anyway, but having one leg that was like a lump of meat that I could prod and not feel disgusted me. Second birth was in this country and really quick so there wouldn't have been time, but I'd have walked over hot coals before I agreed to have another one anyway! It really wasn't that painful and the joy of having a fully functioning body immediately afterwards was well worth any pain.

They tried this with me too. Tried to get me using gas and air etc I insisted on an epidural.

It’s awful how some can be trying to deny you pain relief.

My labour was 3 hours and 7 minutes from start to finish. Gas and air. Managed about 2.5 hours before needing pain relief but I found the crowning the worst part

He had a huge head though. With that and his length and weight he was between the 95th and 99th percentile for most of his first year

Gas and air was fine for me. A bit like giving birth after a couple of large G&Ts, I should think. But I think it's being phased out/stopped, because of the effects on the midwives.

I didn’t feel like I needed one either time and didn’t want one anyway due to the associated risks. So used a tens machine and gas and air

Every labour is different. With my second, I could just breathe through the contractions. Later used gas and air in the pool. It was as empowering and amazing as social media wants you to believe. But I don't think the majority of births are or can be like that. My first was brutal and I'm forever grateful to the epidural guy. What a saviour.

Whilst I wouldn’t describe labour as enjoyable, I planned to work my way up the pain relief ladder as needed with both babies. I didn’t ever get to the point where I needed to ask for anything, and they didn’t offer. They did offer gas and air for my stitches but I didn’t feel it was needed then as I was distracted by the baby.

Exactly. I did not have any urge to push. The midwife did not force me either. She told me in the very very end to push and the baby came within 40 min

12 h active labour otherwise

Genuinely didn't feel pain in labour. DD1 had no pain relief, DD2 had gas&air for stitches but didn't like it so had one puff.

Both labours quite quick. (Dd1... unattended birth but in hospital, DD2 planned homebirth)

Pain and the perception of it is an incredibly complex and poorly understood thing. There is tons of research available if you want to look into it. Also, I agree some women just have easier births. I was lucky and had 4 straightforward ones and at no point did I even consider anything more than gas and air. Ultimately, it might be a 10/10 pain but it's only for maybe 90 seconds at a time, and only towards the end. The better supported you are and the better informed you are, the better you feel able to manage. That and having worked in maternity and emergency care, I have seen some of the complications of epidural and wanted to avoid the risk.

I would have liked epidurals for my 3 births but despite asking for them it was always too late

Had an epidural with my first, very long labour. Swore I'd ask for one again but when it came to it there was simply no time - my 2nd was born 45 minutes after my first contraction and my 3rd was very similar, about an hour and half after my first contraction.
Got through a LOT of gas and air but they were over so quickly it was manageable I guess.

What’s being phased out, epidurals? What do you mean due to the affect on midwives? Sorry for the questions, I’m genuinely curious

I had two fairly quick labours. 3 hrs 50, and 2 hours respectively. I asked for an epidural with dc1, but high on gas and air, I changed my mind when the anesthetist arrived. 🤣
I guess I was just lucky that I was able to manage pain with just gas and air.

I had a difficult birth first time (back to back, 3rd degree tear) but no epidural, there wasn't time.

Second time I managed by standing up and jumping in the pool at the very last moment. (No tear).

It was extremely painful but I don't like to make a fuss and hate inconveniencing people

Me too. Arrived at midnight, an hour later gave birth, checked out 8 hours later 😁

I gave birth 4 times without any form of pain relief (including 1 back to back labour).

In all honesty I feared an escalation of interventions more than I feared the pain, the idea of not knowing when to push and my life long fear of tearing/episiotomy was enough to carry me through!

Plus I’m as stubborn as a mule, so if I get an idea, I’m all but immovable!

First was a home birth, so obviously no epidural, but gas and air. Painful but mercifully temporary -5 hours.
Second at hospital and he, ten pounds, decided to emergency from the world in a superman pose with his arm alongside his head - ridiculously painful, took the pethidine, thanks very much.
Third, I arrived most of the way through labour, born about twenty minutes after making it to the maternity ward.

I agree op. Epidurals are standard in the US and the twig between your teeth approach of the NHS is just to save money - why waste it on women for expensive epidurals when they can just grunt through the pain sucking a bit of cheap gas? Barbaric imo.

I loved my epidural births - chilled, controlled, relaxed and happy labour. Complete contrast to the one it was too late to have one!

Everything happened very quickly with DC1, so by the time the midwives realised I was in active labour, I was fully dilated and it was far too late for an epidural.

Things moved a bit slower with DC2, but even so, they went quickly enough that DC2 arrived before the anaesthetist did after I’d asked for an epidural. And the anaesthetist didn’t take an unreasonably long time to show up.

But a lot of it’s down to luck. Mine were fast labours, which I’m sure made dealing with the labour pains more manageable.

Could be age, I had both daughters in my 20's and had no epidural. Then I had my DS in my late 30's and I was screaming for the epidural this time round.

The hospital didn’t offer them. Fucking barbaric.

Same 🤷🏼‍♀️

I had a pool at home with my first, gave birth there. It hurt but I wanted to experience it? Which sounds weird, but I'd come that far so I wanted to be fully "there". Easy birth though, no tearing or anything and all tucked up in bed with pizza an hour or so later.

Second birth, DD was stuck back-to-back, shoulder wedged, and I got taken to hospital after two days in agony. The epidural didn't really work, so I felt the episiotomy and subsequent birth and forceps. I'd have given anything for a proper epidural then.

The idea of not being able to feel my legs freaks me out a lot more than being in pain does.