So - those of you who DIDN'T have an epidural

[Cleofartra]

.... and are OK about not having had one, and don't feel cheated or traumatised, what do you think made it possible for you to cope without one?

Given the comments on the other thread about giving birth being similar to the pain of a catastrophic injury or having surgery without anaesthesia, women who haven't given birth might be surprised that ANYONE manages without an epidural and comes out the other side with their mental health intact.

So - what made it possible for you to do without an epidural and feel ok about it afterwards?

Short, uncomplicated labour?

High pain thresh-hold?

Good care?

Other pain relief worked well for you?

DC1 - short labour (very painful as was back to back). I had seen an epidural needle in our classes before hand, and the pain wasn't THAT bad.

DC2 - labour quick and pain not that bad

DC3 - ditto

PS: probably depends on your shape too. I am tall but have small babies.

I asked for epi both times and didnt get it but ultimately am pleased about that.

First time it was the fact that the pain just went on and on and on that made me ask rather than the pain. It was the mad transition stage that made me ask and my MW was skilled to notice that.

Second time also denied. Was induced and asked because they wouldnt let me in the labour ward and kept me in the bloody ante natal ward. Also pleased as I delievered DS2 shortly after. But they were crap but I dont feel a problem with not having had it.

I had pethidine both times which was good for a rest first time and wish I hadnt the second time as they gave it to me telling me I was 3cm (I gave birth 20 mins later) so was almost asleep when they handed DS2 to me.

This time I am going to try and go it alone and I def dont want an epi as the sensation of being able to feel a baby coming out for me was just lifechanging and I cant wait to do it for the (last) time and I want to feel everything.

I didn't have an epidural because I found I didn't need one. I would have asked for one if I had felt I had needed it, and would do so in the future.

However, I was lucky with an 8-10 hour labour and, although the pushing for 2 hours was really painful, by then it really was too late to have one.

In my case I think it was a combination of fairly short labour (just over 12 hours from induction to delivery) and the fact that gas worked ok for me. Didn't feel the need to ask for either epidural or pethidine. Don't think it was anything particularly clever that I did, though I'm sure having a supportive birth partner was a great help.

i had an epidural with my 1st birth and loved it as it was hard work - i had a great experience with 1-1 care throughout. With my second i asked for an epidural but they said no as they only had 1 midwife for 3 women and you need 1-1 care apparently with an epidural (or so they said). I was gutted! Anyway i had pethodine instead and found the experience sooooo much better. If i have another i will not have an epidural as i actually felt like i gave birth the second time and felt the urge to push etc which was a great experience!

I wanted quick recoveries, I didn't want all the problems I've heard about associated with epidurals, and I opted for homebirths where epidurals aren't available, anyway.

Labours were unbelievably painful, I don't blame women for wanting every pain relief going, I just don't think an epidural guarantees good pain relief without too many other problems & risks that I don't like.

my epidural was fine - i was lucky that i was able to get up and about within the hour- they give a much lower dose these days so that women feel the urge to push - saying that i never felt it! I preferred the birth without it but then i only laboured for 4 hours - i would never have gotten through my first 30 hour labour without an epidural!!! I definitely wouldn't suffer in pain as noone gives you a medal at the end it. With my epidural the whole experience was calm - even watched tv right until the end! I tell all my friends - don't decide on a plan until you are in labour as you don't know how it will feel and the last thing you need it to feel like a failure.

I was at home for the whole of my labour, not by choice but when i called the midwives they told me i wasn't in labour and to wait!! I managed the pain very well although when i did later notice bruises on my arm where i had bitten myself during the bad contractions. For me the thought of being in control (natural birth) was preferable over epidural which scared the hell out of me (not being able to feel my legs etc)so i would choose this every time. everyone is different though

DS 1 I was in labour for 5 1/2 hours had failed ventouse, episiotomy and forceps with just gas and air. It never crossed my mind that the pain was too much to bear. I am lucky to have a high pain thresh hold though. I also do alot of fell running and believe that helped. I am used to trying to push my body to the point it hurts, for fun, LOL!
DS 2 very quick labout 42 mins (unexpected homebirth) no pain relief again I don't remember it being that bad at all, but I think I was in shock!

sorry... late to this, so haven't read it all (10 pages!!)

was given pethidine for DS1, even though I said I didn't want it, because I was alone and unable to 'fight' for myself (was induced and DH sent home), and I was told "nothing will happen til the morning" (6hrs later, there he was in my arms! )

hated the pethidine so much!!

DS2, just gas and air, and in the end they took that away (with my consent!) as it seemed to be putting me off rather than helping.
I really enjoyed 2nd labour (as much as you can "enjoy" something so painful) despite being induced, some minor complications and DS being shoulder dystocia (so lots of pointless pushing!)

it just never crossed my mind to ask for pain relief after first time.
i preferred being in control (albeit in pain) to being out of control and not giving a toss.

I've had three labours without epidural(my choice),first was 28 hours back to back, next 6 3/4 hours, last one 3 hours. I think what got me through was knowing that there was an end in sight, no labour goes on for ever so it was unlike say, back pain, where you don't know if it will ever end.
Had gas and air though, wonderful stuff after nine months without a drink!

I have regular blood tests and give blood. I don't enjoy it, but it's okay. The Epidural needle does not come into the same class as that at all. It's bloody huge and it goes into your spine Too vulnerable!

Opted for homebirth, so knew an epidural wasn't an option from early on in pregnancy. Don't like hospitals and was lucky enough to have private midwives who I knew well and trusted completely. Read Janet Balaskas' New Active Birth from cover to cover about 5 times so I knew what was happening at every stage. The book is full of positive birth stories and I think this was an enormous help in assisting my pain management and taking away any fear.

I had two paracetamol and a hot water bottle for the pains and DH distracted me with conversation during the contractions. I don't actually remember the pain - I was totally 'in the zone' - and DS was born after only 5 hours. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had such a wonderful birth and hope I get another in two months time when DD is ready to come out! Like some other posters, it was the bit after the birth that I struggled with - terrible time trying to breastfeed, PND, cried for weeks and weeks and had quite a bad tear that took ages to heal. Swings and roundabouts...

Was in a birthing centre 20 mins from hospital so epidural wasn't an option and I knew I had to do without. Just gas & air, tens and water for me! Excellent care, fantastic midwifes, lovely facility, determination, high pain threshold.

Was in labour for 48 hours followed by severe PPH. And yes, it was very painful.

For me it was short uncomplicated labour with gas and air.

I did not have an epidural because, as other posters, the thought of something in my back was scarier for me than the thought of labour pain for some reason. UI donate blood without a second thought though but I do not see the two as being comparable.

I had short labours, the longest was about 4 hours.

I only had gas and air to help me through stiching tears (which I dud every time)
I had great moose babies (around 9 lbs each) and it fucking hurt. But it was like the worlds worst workout - such hard work that just concentrating on what I was doing distracted me from the pain.

I never considered an epidural but I was always an idiot about such things, just turning up and playing it by ear.
If I had felt I needed one I would have had one. I am not sure why I was able to cope with nothing at all as I am generally a huge jessie. Just one of those things. You do what you feel you need to do.

I can only imagine the trauma of a hideous birth experience. But I think aside from real, deep problems with a delivery, I do think we angst about this too much. As with feeding and sleeping and everything else.

Not sure I count, but I only had a spinal with DS as I sat in the OR waiting for an emcs 19 hours in.
I think I lasted so well before that without an epi despite a complicated labour and mahoosive stuck baby in an unbirthable position after two hours of failed pushing, because I was well supported. But then I made sure I was well supported because I bloody well expected it to hurt and to be hard work, the name labour being a hint, so had prepared ways that I thought would help me cope. Here I'll name drop the best ever birth book Birth Skills - it is just amazing. It got me to 7cms on just cocodamol and a birth pool, and mooing. I second what someone said about leaving all forms of pain relief til you're right at the end of your tether so they actually help when you need them to help. Next time I'd like to try tens so I don't get in the pool too early as I was amazed how much help that was so would like to save it (if they let a vbacer use one) til I needed it. My initial care was also great, but it got crappy with a change in midwife. I think the biggest thing was expecting it to hurt and trying to find ways in advance to cope.

Poppet - second your vote for Birth Skills!

here

I am a complete wuss with a ridiculously low pain threshold but a positive non-fear attitude and gave birth just on G&A.

First contraction to 1.5cm on the Tens machine and using meditation was 8.5 hours. As they took me into the delivery room (it was a quiet night) I said I'd probably quite like an epidural. The midwife smiled and said "Let's just try the gas and air first".

First puff of G&A made me throw up everywhere. After getting cleaned up I got on the bed for a rest. Midwife told me I couldn't lie there all night and she wanted me up and about. I said to give me five minutes.

Can't remember much else until 3:30am ish when I started feeling the urge to push. I got on the G&A about 9:30pm. I remember asking DH what time it was (11:30), I remember throwing up again and my waters breaking (1:00-ish) and I remember the midwife telling DH I was using too much G&A and that I needed to save it for pushing which resulted in him trying to wrestle it off me and me telling him where to go.

Other than that, the whole of labour after G&A is a total blank - not blurry, just not there - it is like I slept through my labour (which doesn't surprise anyone who knows me ).

It was great (for me - DH, who expected me to be a total nightmare says up until DD was actually born it was the most boring night of his life 'cause he couldn't go to sleep but had nothing to do either).

Being knocked out also had the benefit of speeding the labour up - I was progressing so slowly prior to G&A my lovely midwife didn't think DD would be born before she went off shift at 7:30 but being in a total state of relaxation meant she was born at 4am.

I didn't have an epidural with either of my 2. I'd read a lot about how it can slow things down and i really didn't like the idea of having a cathether (completely mad reason i know but as a nurse i just couldn't bear the thought!).

First labour was just over 24 hours in hospital. I kept mobile and used visualisation (my own made up version rather than having done a workshop or anything) to get through the contractions. I also had g&a and TENS throughout the labour. Even though it was a long labour i never felt like i couldn't cope and just kept in mind that it wouldn't last forever.

2nd labour was a home water birth so an epidural was obviously not an option. Just had the birthing pool for pain relief this time and labour lasted just under 6 hours so much less of a marathon. Again i used the same strategies as last time.

After both births i felt completely exhilerated and certainly not traumatised. I think the important thing for me was that i'd read up quite a bit on childbirth so i was quite informed and that helped me keep in control. I can easily see how you could lose control and for the pain to completely overwhelm you, particularly if the birth becomes complicated. I would never judge anyone for having an epidural, i didn't have one because i really didn't want one and didn't feel the need for one, but if an epidural helps you cope then go for it!