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?

I have had four vaginal births, all were progressively bigger babies, first was 6lb 4oz last child was almost 9lbs (she's 21 now!) honestly, I don't know why I wasn't offered anything other than gas and air, I had nothing at all with the last baby, think as was said before, lots of different reasons but I just gritted my teeth and got on with it - not sure if that was the right or wrong attitude on my part as the pain was at times, bloody unbearable! I guess because women are now more willing to speak out, the powers that be (albeit, slowly) are showing a better understanding of the pain women go through in childbirth and beyond..
I really hope that continues!

I think depends on pain threshold, I’ve had 4 kids naturally no epidural just gas & air biggest baby was over 10lb, I was too late for any of them to have an epidural, but the thought of one actually scares me same with a c-section, also I just want to be left alone when in pain too, I go really quiet.

I decided I wanted to not have one after my first was emcs, so didn’t. Regretted it at pushing. 🤣 it was manageable - for me. Everyone is different. However I also sloped around a foreign country for 24hrs with a horrifically broken wrist with just codiene and a sling before flying home, so I think I have a high pain threshold.

I Was told to stay home until I couldn’t bear the pain - arrived 10cm dilated and went straight into delivery room
it genuinely wasn’t that bad ( very high pain threshold). I had a bit of gas and air but that’s all.

On the other hand the two c sections I had subsequently were really painful

Thank you for your perspective on the risks and that women in labour should not be having them without good reason. We really needed a man to explain childbirth to us.

I did all three without epidurals. Two without any pain relief. Hypnobirthing is amazing, you learn breathing techniques and now I’m done having children I’m actually genuinely sad I won’t birth any more babies! I think it’s a lot to do with mindset and believing that women have been birthing babies for centuries before us without anything, so why can’t we. But everyone’s different :)

I knew I didn't want one. I only wanted gas and air. I was lucky, in that both births were big and fast babies. Think 6 hours was the longest And I knew the pain would end. And although I shouted and mooed, it was ok.

To be fair though, it's always hurt. And women were told that was their punishment for being unlucky enough to be descended from Eve. I reckon there were a fair few midwives capable of knocking up some kind of pain relief back in the day too.

I had 3 births without any pain relief and despite what some people say it’s not just a piece of cake, it’s fucking awful but I genuinely think some people’s pain threshold is just higher. Plus some peoples births are quicker etc. Same way some people can stand a headache without pain relief whereas I have to take something immediately otherwise I feel like I’m going to die

Baby was early and small. Honestly didn’t hurt that much and was quick.

Hypnobirthing! Honestly it's amazing. When one of my ear pods fell out I literally felt my heart rate rising and felt immediate calm when it was popped back in. Can't recommend it enough. You just have to put in alot of practice. I didn't have enough time for my second but still felt the benefit of reading the book etc and reframing my view of birth.

I've had two children, the first I had to have a emergency cesarean at 33 week as I got eclampsia, so my second child i desperately wanted to give birth to experience it as I new i only wanted 2 children, well I had to have epidermal as I had large baby and the doctor used forceps. Couldn't sit down for a while after, still glad I could do it nearly naturally.

I had an epidural on my 1st and a 3rd degree tear which took 10 months of intense physio and other treatments and left me with permanent damage ad scarring so opted for nothing but gas and air on my 2nd and id choose that labour everytime.

Were you laid on your back by any chance? Anxious and expecting it to hurt?

Labouring on your back is more painful, and tiring. You're pushing uphill and the weight of your uterus compresses the big veins that run through your abdomen. Every study ever shows that birth is less painful when you are upright and mobile.

Stress/fear also triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol, which makes your body tense up and that makes you feel pain more acutely.

So yes, women who are relaxed and confident and birth upright, do cope without epidurals. I actually enjoyed my labours, there was some pain, but nothing excruciating, and I didn't even need gas & air.

I’ve had 4 children - pethidine with the 1st which made me feel so ill I never had it again. Gas and air only for the other 3. I have the lowest pain threshold and a phobia of hypodermic needles but thankfully relatively short labours and no stitches required. I just think everyone is different, every body, every baby, every brain and it’s very difficult to understand what it must be like for someone else to experience what you have experienced but in a different way

Can you imagine the outrage about a dentist whipping your tooth out and there not being any anesthetic? Ffs.

Didn't get one as it was too late by the time a doctor was available. It was pretty medieval, I won't lie. But the baby is coming out one way or another regardless of how much pain you're in

@LoafofSellotape a very good point

Nobody was getting near me with a needle, not that I was offered.

8 hrs Labour before delivery room and 6 stitches for the first, second was about the same 3 stitches, last one 90 mins from first pain till babe in arms..the most painful, though I remember telling the midwife with #2 I’d changed my mind 🤣 . No pain relief of any kind for any of them. I just told myself, there was an end to it, just had to keep going . I reckoned, every other mammal copes, women coped for millennia and natural was best. It’s supposed to hurt. But, when they make us lie down to give birth it’s time to argue. Gravity works so be upright. Oh, and I found out why cows lie down stand up turn round lie down stand up lol..I found myself doing the same. Apparently that speeded it up, or so they told me…better than lying down in the ward, getting back stroked by OH…which was just as well because he was at home

3 births, 1 with epidural, 2 without.
Both really good experiences, 3rd was the best. I wanted to use gravity as much as possible so I stood / swayed / rocked for most of the time.
The first with the epidural is such a numb experience. The difference when your body is able to push properly & the absolute relief the moment baby is out 😅

I didn't want to use any gas or air either so I was very focused on the task at hand!

It's interesting other people's accounts and how everyone is different / has different experiences.
I don't know if what I experienced was 'pain'. I feel like I went to a different space altogether. For every contraction I was in a totally difference space to everyone else in the room. I'd only return when the contraction was over.
This sounds mad as I type it 🙈

I'm quite religious so I'd say it's all with God's grace that I was able to have my 4 without any pain relief. My eldest came out the quickest and I didn't even have a chance for anything let alone being able to deliver in the delivery suite!
With 2nd 3rd and 4th I focused on prayer and breathing. I believe your mind is as strong as you make it. I'm a weakling in all other aspects, hate even the tiniest paper cut and can be a real wimp at times so I'm quite surprised at myself when I think back on my deliveries.
I never did want epidural as I heard a lot of negative things about it. My sister in law took it and her back has never recovered from it since. But in no way do I think those who have had it are any less of a woman or mother. You are still a warrior and we are all in the same boat - going through undeniable pain to bring a life into this world. How amazing is that!

Absolutely no judgement here about anyone else's choices. I didn't have one because I didn't like the idea of not being able to be up & about afterwards straight away. Also I wanted to avoid anything but gas & air because of the chances that some makes its way to the baby & they can be sleep which hinders bf at the start.

I had no choice as it wasn’t available in Turkey when I had my kids. It was pretty awful, but I had to just get in with it. I was mostly scared something had happened to the baby, as I didn’t speak the language and didn’t know what was going on.
Still all forgotten when I saw my lovely little son’s face!

And can you imagine people being proud of having had a tooth out with no anaesthetic, and saying faintly pityingly that the time they had a tooth out with a shot was ‘such a numb experience’ and thank heavens they saw the light with their next tooth?

I had epidural first time, it was bliss. A midwife had to tell me when to push as I didn't feel any contractions, I could have blissfully read a magazine... my second pregnancy I was too late for a epidural. I only had gas and air which didn't take any pain away. It was horrendous, awful. Struggled to push because the pain was so intense. I was like that for at least 4 hours,as the pethidine I had didn't work, and I was told I wasn't allowed anything else as i was past the stage of having it.
I'll never complain about having period pain again.
Labour (and dislocating my knee, close second) are by far the worst pains I've ever had to experience.
I think your adrenaline takes over, you have no option but to push through it. God we're amazing aren't we?