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 gave birth without an epidural because on the NHS I was point blank refused one. I never got over it.

@DarkBlueStocking I would reply- but your "faintly pitying" line pissed me off so much I'm not going to.

very fast delivery, wasn’t time for drugs. Not going to lie, it was painful but wasn’t a lot I could do about it the time.

My labours ramp up very quickly so they are very painful towards the end but it’s such a short period of time that I’m actually in a lot of pain that it’s bearable! I can imagine if you were in labour for a long time it must be a lot different!

The gas and air kicked in properly (for some reason I couldn’t work it with my first) as my second baby was coming out and it felt amazing to just feel everything and all the pressure instantly leave my body tbh, I’d go through that experience again!

I had no choice twice! It was horrific, I am never having another child.

Twins and a single with only gas and air. By the time anyone realised the twins were about to arrive it was too late for pain relief. And then wasn’t going to give in and have it for a single. Definitely have a high pain threshold and a horror of general anaesthetic.

I didn't ask for an epidural during my first birth, and it felt like by bits were going to split in half, I didn't even tear!

Second birth I asked for an epidural, when they came to put he injection in, baby came flying out, with about 10 medical staff in the room haha.

You have no choice sometimes

Everyone and every birth is different. The thought of an epidural is very frightening to me.

Well, I mean, 800,000 women die doing it every year. Not sure mindset is all there is to it.

No choice, midwife didn't believe I was having contractions and by the time they actually checked me I was 10cm dilated and too late for anya drugs! Gave birth to a 9lb baby on 2a paracetamol and wouldn't do it again for all the money in the world

I think different pain tolerances, and also the size of the baby. All mine were 7lbs -7lb 12.

My first was the smallest and also the closest feeling of being to death I will probably ever be. It was all going so well until they broke my water and the pain was INSANE, the gas and air was was only just touching the pain. Had about 4 hours of death defying pain and I did want an epidural but no one ever became free to do it, then it got to the pushing stage and the pain subsided.

Second was emergency c section with forceps and I hated it and has ptsd towards births for over a year after, me and little one had bruises all over us.

The rest all just gas and air, I refused everything after the ordeal of no.2.

I think so long as baby stays the same size, I can safely say it gets more manageable. I also found counting when the contractions started really helped me feel in more control of the pain. I knew seconds 20-40 might be the worst then it would ease off and I could relax again.

Also, I refused to have my waters broken with my other children, which I think helped create less intense contractions, they all popped right at the end. Did delayed cord cutting and no injection for the placenta. Although I did need it for my last as I had retained placenta and still hadn't stopped bleeding so needed it manually removed which was another little bonus after going through the joys of childbirth.

I go through all this and my husband is still too afraid to get a vasectomy. Men don't know they've been born, women are warriors!

That isn’t due to lack of pain relief though, so respectfully I feel your comment is just to be antagonistic ✌🏼

It’s only a temporary pain. You know it ends eventually. Don’t like lack of control. Would rather feel what is going on. Gas and air was more than enough.

I was fortunate and had a fairly quick water birth with just gas and air earlier this year. I was very naive and for some reason didn't think that giving birth would be too painful as I have a high pain threshold and therefore wanted the most natural birth I could get so I didn't spend much of my pregnancy thinking about the pain. Well I was wrong! the contraction pains I felt were horrendous, a sharp searing pain that would gradually get worse. I was in so much pain I felt like I wanted to flee my own body and didn't know what to do with myself. I remember just pacing the room in agony then going to the bathroom wanting to be left alone! Looking back on it, I can't believe I managed it and am still amazed that I managed to get through it all, I felt like a warrior. Funnily enough once I reached 10cm the pushing and the actual birth were not that painful at all and it felt amazing, almost euphoric giving birth and meeting my baby for the first time. Like everyone else is saying here, every woman and birth is different. I think everyone should do what they feel is best for them whether it be natural, epidural, home birth/water etc there is no right or wrong and as long as baby is born healthy and Mum is well that is all that matters.

Ditto.

Forceps birth with just gas and air.

Ouch.

I just had gas and air, it was fine.

BUT everyone is different, my pregnancy was awful, so much so I'd rather give birth everyday for 9 months rather than. Spend 9 months pregnant again!

Epi very needed with first, not even a paracetamol with second and both very long labours (24hrs+). Second I did hypnobirthing.

Birth no 1 was so intense I wasn't thinking property but only 12 hours from start of induction. Birth no 2 I only knew I was in labour when I was sent for induction and only had gas and air so I had something to do. Birth no 3 no reaction to days of trying to induce me,once it started I was in labour for less than 2 hours.

I've had worse period cramps. Maybe my periods are so bad, giving birth just didn't seem something I couldn't manage.

I think everyone is very different.

My birth plan basically said give me all the drugs...hospital to stock pile drugs in prep for me as I'm gonna need them, all, as much as im possibly allowed. I don't do pain.

In the end I actually only had gas an air (would still take that home if they let me lol) mainly because by the time I convinced someone I was in pain I was 7cm.
I would deff say be loud & out spoken - I was too polite with my 1st, hence no good drugs....paracetamol that I threw up don't count.

My 2nd came really quick, but I knew I would be ok with gas and air....or at least I thought I would be....he got stuck & I had a consultant wear me like a glove trying to get him out....really could have done with the epidural that time.
A lot of swear words were said.

I'm still an utter wuss with pain though, general injuries, cuts/bruises but never felt traumatised from either labour or that I couldn't handle it.
I think it helps knowing giving birth ends, so the pain will stop.

All of the women posting here are my heroes.

I had an epidural with my first and second (back labour and turned) while in America.

home birth with no pain peds with my third. He was born with his hand by his face. It was the stitching that absolutely sucked. Otherwise I handled the contractions okay.

everyone is different and every labour different. If I had another I might spring for another epidural just so I don’t have to endure the stitching again 😩

Hypnobirthed 2 beautiful babies. Both with complications and one with a 6hour syntocinon drip at full blast as I’d been in labour for 3 days!
it worked for me, but I believed in it and so did DH.

I had three fast labours and didn’t want or need any drugs except to make the afterbirth come out.
With each labour I don’t have any pain until 7 cms dilated and then things start happening really quickly.

gas and air is becoming less commonly used for a couple of reasons - partly to do with the risks to staff of long term exposure to nitrous oxide (higher risk of miscarriage and of the neurological sequelae of nitrous use); partly due to the fact is a terrible greenhouse gas. The phasing out is not just in obstetrics - it's throughout the hospital (ED, theatres, etc).

Sheer grit, determination, and utter terror of the procedure.

2 labours
1st labour, back to back, was 14hrs, 2nd was 16hrs. Both with no pain relief. I hated the feeling of gas and air. Couldn't risk pethidine because they told me I'd feel the same as I did on the gas. And I was utterly terrified of an epidural.

I was in so much pain the midwives were begging me to reconsider, and at one point during my second labour I was almost passing out at the peak of each contraction, but the fear was too great.
I did eventually agree to it during my second labour but I'd left it too long and had to continue without.