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 laboured on 2 paracetamol, midwives didn’t rage me seriously, when they finally listened to me abd did an examination I was 9 cm. So not allowed an epidural

I was petrified of having an epidural 😂 literally put it in my birth plan, in capitals, NO EPIDURAL.

I had 2 births with only gas and air, 1 with an epidural but had a c section so didn't really have much choice.

Preferred the first 2 births, painful but I have a high pain threshold and told myself repeatedly it was only temporary.

Think @MonsieurBlobby has nailed it. I managed with gas and air but a friend of mine really struggled with pain and needed an epidural, her baby’s back was aligned with her back which is apparently a more painful position. Not saying it didn’t hurt for me, I was throwing up with the pain, but I did try to manage without. But for some women it will be more painful for different reasons. Horrible to hear that some pp’s wanted an epidural and were told they couldn’t as they’d not been listened to earlier when they were in pain

Active birthing. Basically, being upright (kneeling) to allow gravity do its bit and allowing the perenium to stretch fully in all directions rather than being in the semi-seated type position that blocks expansion. I ended up in that position briefly to be checked and the pain increased ten fold. Also, maternity yoga that gave me multiple very useful breathing techniques.

Add to that being lucky to have quick and fairly easy labours meant I managed them all (3 of them) without feeling the need for any pain relief.

However, it's not a competition or a measure of you in any way. I have friends who had dreadfully long labours and having an epidural was a very sensible decision for them.

Seems to vary massively. I actively enjoyed giving birth was just really lucky. Had achy pains down my thighs and not much else except a load of pressure.

Everyone is different and births are all
different. I conceptualised it that each pain was bringing my baby closer to me and I could tolerate then - they weren’t long though. I am pretty determined when I decide upon something and I didn’t want epidural, wanted to be up and about quickly and smaller risk of tearing etc. also endorphins kick in pretty quickly and make you forget the pain until closer to the next time! I also didn't focus too much before hand on the scare stories!

Lick, speed, lack of choice, different pain thresholds? I was birth partner for my friend’s two home births, and she was walking around, pretty composed till pretty much close to crowning. She described labour pains as manageable, different to the pain of injury or illness and said ‘It just feels like your body is doing something. However, when I was in labour, I felt as if it were being attacked by scalding knives, and it wasn’t ‘manageable’ at all. My birth wasn’t straightforward and ended up in a CS, so I will never know whether her finding labour manageable was because she has a higher pain threshold or because her births were both straightforward.

I didn't have one, when I got to hospital a midwife told me the least drugs you have the quicker this will be (I'm not sure if this is correct for everyone but worked for me)
4 hours start to finish and only 37 seconds of pushing.. It was horrendous though because you feel everything.

Both my labours were too fast to get an epidural. I'm not hardcore - it was fucking excruciating and I screamed the place down, especially with my first, but it's not like I had a choice at that point 😅

Ive given birth 3 times. Each time I’ve requested an epidural but there was no anaesthetist available to give me one. So 3 births on just gas and air. Honestly the most extreme pain I’ve ever gone through in my life X3! I would have paid every pound in my bank account in exchange for an epidural!

I had a long, slow first labour and by the time I got to hospital was practically begging for an epidural. It was blissfully painless after that, but slowed everything down and led to a forceps delivery.

The next two times I didn't feel I needed an epidural. Both labours were much quicker and gas & air was enough for pain management.

No option for one for first two labours. One in midwife lead unit with no pain relief and one extremely quickly on way to hospital so no option. I requested one for third baby but the doctor knocked on the door just as baby was being delivered as was another very quick labour

I don't think everyone suffers the same level of pain, you know. It's different for everyone. For some it's excruciating, I know.

I just remember feeling hideously uncomfortable and very stretched but no pain per se. Gas and air. I had a section with my first so I had every drug going.

They induced me quickly on just gas and air and a tens machine. I hadn’t read the induction leaflet advising me of my right to an epidural for an induction. Really glad I hadn’t as I would have been shitting myself with the worry. Ignorance was a sort of bliss.

It was painful during the end of stage 1, but I survived.

I have to say, I didn't really experience it as painful per se. More like a physical endurance test you couldn't stop. Like running a marathon.

I didn’t cope with the pain. I wanted to die there and then. It was horrific.

They didn't believe I was in labour so no one bloody came to my house ( planned homebirth) so I birthed alone just breathing through it. Luckily very quick 2 hours. It was intense but not exactly painful I think my body does a great job of dishing out hormones to me I felt euphoric (annoying as fuck monthly when I feel like shite but helped in labour)

My longest labour was 5 hours so give me a longer labour being tired I'd be saying it was very very painful and unbearable. I'd be asking for all the drugs and interventions in the world.

We are just all different I don't think any of us can compare.

I imagine it’s much more difficult giving birth without an epidural if you’ve had one previously. If you’ve never had one, you don’t really know what it would be like so it’s just normal.

I was adamant from early pregnancy I didn’t want one, as the thought of it made feel ill and I was worried about a cascade of interventions. In the event I had two home births so it wasn’t an option anyway. I managed both times with TENS and gas and air, even though both were back to back. It wasn’t particularly empowering though, just bloody excruciating 😂.

Childbirth is not the same for everyone
Just as period pains, menopause etc are different for different women so is childbirth.
Some women feel a searing pain. Others more in the back. Others like crippling period cramps but bigger.

It's not the same so no one should feel bad for needing pain relief and no one should feel smug for not.

I was induced at 42 weeks and had a 20 hour labour. Induced is usually more painful as there is no natural build up. It was also then complicated more by DD being in a back to back position throughout and also asynclintic (head tipped to shoulder). They lost her heartbeat so put a trace on her early on meaning I had to lie flat on my back throughout wearing a sensors on a band strapped around my tummy. I started with pethidine and later ended up with an epidural but it only worked down one side. The whole thing was a bit of a nightmare ending in a forceps delivery with a 4th degree tear requiring surgery and a blood transfusion. I felt like I’d been hit by a bus. Luckily I was in a full maternity unit so they had all the facilities to deal with it. My sister had her first baby in 5 hours, just gas and air no complications.

Kind of this. I was also traumatised for some time afterwards.

Had an epidural the first time but the anaesthetist was too busy the second time. By the time he came round I was pushing.
Worst pain of my life but absolutely worth it.

Some people can hold it together better with pain. Some people don’t have the option of an epidural or find it even more unappealing than the pain.

The only failing, though, is on the part of an NHS that does not / cannot ensure that people in labour get the pain relief that is right for them.

This ^ I'm still waiting for the painkillers I was promised when I arrived and my son is now at school. 😅

Neither approach is good.

I gave birth in Ireland. Eldest is 26 so it may have changed since then but the midwife was really pushing an epidural despite me insisting I didn't want one. I had a chat with the midwife when I arrived for the other two and they were happy to go with an active, upright delivery and take my lead if I felt I needed pain relief.

Pain relief should not be pushed and it should not be denied. The woman in labour is the only one who knows if it's required.