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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

No pain medication - tell me your stories?

27 replies

Futterby · 07/07/2013 00:22

I'm planning on a natural labour with my first baby (due in November) and I was wondering if anyone had anything positive to tell me about it? Really worrying about the pain, although I have a really high pain threshold. Has anyone been in a similar situation? If I'm going to be anything like my mum and gran, I'll be in labour for days so I don't know if I'll be able to endure it.

TIA :)

OP posts:
LoveBeingUpAt4InTheMorning · 07/07/2013 04:49

I've had two although used g&a with dd for a few hours and for the short pushing part with ds.

Didn't ask or want anything else with either of them however do have fairly quick lavours and births.

My advice is go with the flow, see how you feel and put pressure on yourself.

kiwigirl42 · 07/07/2013 07:05

see how it goes - I'd planned for all the painkillers invented but when I told the midwife that it was starting to hurt and could I have some, I was already fully dilated so got rushed to delivery.
Had some gas and air but meh! didn't really need it. Last hour was sore as I tore a bit but otherwise ok.
I get really bad migraines and found that most of the pain except last bit was mild compared to them. If you get bad period pains, initial labour pains are similar.
I would definitely get a TENS machine - I didn't but I've since used one for back pain and they are wonderful so would have got one if I'd ever been pregnant again.

Airfryer · 07/07/2013 08:40

Got to hospital having argued with oh that I'd be 2cm and sent home. I was 9cm! But ds was back to back and took 4 hours for him to turn :/ had gas and air. They offered me diamorphine near the end but I declined. I think the key is to keep calm, find a coping mechanism to get through each pain. For me it was concentrating on breathing. That being said, if I hadn't have been able to cope if have taken the drugs!!! Good luck! Am currently 37 weeks pg with dd, hoping for a water birth

insancerre · 07/07/2013 08:46

I only had gas and air with ds and nothing with dd.
I just concentrated on my breathing- I too have a high pain threshold. It did help that I hade evry quick births

Pascha · 07/07/2013 08:55

I had diamorphine with DS1 and I really really wish I didn't - it actually did bugger all for the pain and he was sleepy afterwards and refused to feed for ages. I felt spaced out for at least a day afterwards too.

DS2 was water and some G&A. That was perfect. Much more in control and totally compos mentis straight afterwards. I had a second degree tear but I really didn't notice it. The water made a huge difference to my ability to just get on with it.

VelvetStrider · 07/07/2013 09:00

Just gas and air and tens for both, although they did a local anaesthetic injection before the episiotomy with DC1. Both 10lb+ babies.

I'd advise you to do a pregnancy yoga course and learn breathing techniques as they really do help with coping with the contractions. Also a birthing ball is good to sit and bounce on during early labour!

Janek · 07/07/2013 09:21

I had tens and gas and air for dd1 and just tens for 9lb10, above-98th-centile-head dd2 (apparently the midwife had gas and air in the other room, but didn't want to offer it in case i thought she thought i wasn't coping. Or something). I didn't think i had a particularly high pain threshold, but maybe i do, i've no idea.

Agree that a lot of early labour is not as bad as period pain (but feels the same iyswim).

And i would stop telling yourself it will last two or three days, the way some one else gave birth has no bearing on how you will do it. My mum couldn't countenance the idea that labour could last longer than 6 hours when my sil was in labour - that's how long it took for me to be born (induced) and my brother was even quicker. But both of my labours lasted 15 hours. Which I would say was on the lower side of average (although i'm willing to be corrected).

Good luck, you'll be surprised what you can do/cope with when you have to!

jimblejambles · 07/07/2013 09:28

I used gas and air and a TENS machine for all 3 dc. I found the thing that helped me the most with both ds was the midwife would say things like the baby will be here by lunchtime and that gave me focus.

CheeseFondueRocks · 07/07/2013 09:53

I had no pain medication. Well, I had 1 paracetamol at the start and used TENS for a few hours. It was my first. It was painful but I never got to the point where I thought I can't handle this. Not because of pain anyway. The only time I thought I can't go on was because I was getting so tired towards the end. 18 hours of labour.

What made it possible was to think of the hours ahead but just to concentrate on one contraction at a time, a wonderful wonderful midwife who rubbed my back for hours and Ina May Gaskin's guide to childbirth , which I had practically memorized before.

CheeseFondueRocks · 07/07/2013 09:55

The thing I noticed was that the other midwives (not the wonderful one) were literally trying to convince me to accept Diamorphine while I was on the heart trace machine, just because I said contractions were getting quite strong. I really felt like I had to defend myself why I didn't want it.

Hashtagwhatever · 07/07/2013 10:06

I had no pain relief at all. Didn't feel I needed it wasnt enjoyable pain but also wasn't unbearable.

iwillsleepagainsomeday · 07/07/2013 10:09

3dc, no pain medication. (was in another country). I coped, well I had to anyway. I'm still here to tell the story Smile

I concentrated on each pain wave, breathed like a steamship and kept repeating to myself that this wave will pass and never come back again. Also each wave has peaks and lows so I could grasp for air between each contraction.

TotallyEggFlipped · 07/07/2013 10:14

I had a local anaesthetic injection for the episiotomy & forceps with DD1 and nothing at all with DD2, but both were pretty quick labours.
I used a ball with DD2, stayed relaxed and just breathed through the contractions. I really didn't feel I needed anything else until the very last minute, when it was too late anyway. I don't have a high pain threshold.
I think the thing to remember is that every labour is different. Stay positive and relaxed and keep an open mind about what you may or may not want to try and when. Use simple things early on - don't wait for the pain to escalate. Use a ball, water, massage, positioning, TENS etc and see how you go. There are no prizes for being completely drug free.

bruffin · 07/07/2013 10:21

after a bit of a nightmare with DS ie 7 weeks in hospital, 3 days inducing, 24 hour labour and an epidural that slowed everything down I ended up in theatre for emergency cs if forceps didnt work, but thankfully they did.

2 years later DD decided to put in an appearance at 37 weeks. I had just one wiff of gas and air and threw up everywhere so no pain relief whatsoever. Went into labour at 6, went to hospital at 8 and she was born at 10.40.

fanoftheinvisibleman · 07/07/2013 10:26

I laboured at home for the first 18 hours and didn't contact hospital until towards the end so I don't really know how the progression bit went but it was like escalating.period pain (I have endometriosis so it can get bad). I managed that bit on a dose of paracetomol so not drug free but minimal.

I was 9 1/2 cms dialated on arrival and I managed another hour or so but then had gas and air. My labour laster another 7 hours after arring at hospital despite only having 1/2 cm and I ended up agreeing to have pethadine just to have a rest as I was exhausted.

I am a firm believer in being flexible with plans, just in case.

OnTheRunFromTheAcademe · 07/07/2013 10:27

Had no pain relief other than water (four hours in the pool - utterly blissful). It was my first baby and I gave birth at home.

There were one or two moments when I thought "this really hurts", and I had gas and air available, but I never felt it was bad enough that I needed it. Just keep focusing on the breaks between contractions and don't try to think about anything at all. I did some hypnobirthing which was really helpful.

I'm now pregnant again and planning to do it exactly the same way the second time Smile

Good luck!

Shellywelly1973 · 07/07/2013 13:36

With first three just g&a. 4th & 5th nothing. Waterbirths & bit of hypnobirthing. Its about staying calm...your brain & thought process are the most important thing during labour and childbirth.

Ushy · 07/07/2013 16:58

Shelly "With first three just g&a. 4th & 5th nothing. Waterbirths & bit of hypnobirthing. Its about staying calm...your brain & thought process are the most important thing during labour and childbirth"

Not really sure about that, I think it is just luck really. What I would say to the OP is that lots of women do give birth without pain relief and don't find it too painful but they are a minority. If you are unlucky and in the majority category, go with the flow and don't be put off having an epidural or gas and air. They are both safe - although not absolutely risk free - very few medical procedures are - BUT being in indescribable pain is not safe either.

I hope the birth goes as you want but it is best to keep an open mind. If you define success the right way - as giving birth to a healthy baby and ending up fit and well yourself, you'll almost certainly succeed.

Set yourself up to believe that you must do it without pain relief and there's a higher likelihood that you'll fail and emotionally that's not good.

I'd give this some thought and ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. What matters is how you care for the baby after its born.

Hope that doesn't sound negative - its not meant to be. Good luck

Original poster
Futterby · 07/07/2013 17:01

Thanks for the stories and advice everyone, I have an open mind to pain relief but would prefer not to have any. If it comes to it, I will though :)

Thanks again :) Flowers

OP posts:
lilmamma · 08/07/2013 08:30

keep an open mind as it it your first, and then you wont feel too bad if you need a bit of extra help :) my last baby no4, I didn't have anything, until the very end and then just gas and air, as I needed forceps, im not that brave to do that without anything :) I just kept walking around, and focused and breathed through each contraction, it was painfull, but not that bad, I had to scream out or anything, good luck :)

MiaowTheCat · 08/07/2013 09:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

idlevice · 08/07/2013 12:53

Do everything you can to make sure the baby is in the best position if it looks like it may not be. & if it isn't then read up on possible strategies for best positions during labour & make sure your birth partner is clued up too.

Also plan for might happen if you have to be induced/augmented as it could still proceed along a more natural route than entirely medicalised.

Don't forget to look at things after the birth - placenta delivery, cord cutting, skin-to-skin, bf-ing, etc Personally I recommend doing a dedicated bf-ing workshop if possible.

Threetofour · 08/07/2013 14:39

Have had 3 water births with no pain relief, I do think its true that keeping calm helps you to deal with the pain, I don't think it's remarkable to birth with no pain relief.
My 2nd was back to back & didn't turn so that was pretty painful but I think it is. "Useful" pain as it helps to feel like you're achieving something!

Read up a bit on breathing techniques , I definitely think this helps especially letting go during contractions rather than fighting/ tensing up.... Good luck!

WildeRumpus · 08/07/2013 14:56

I had two homebirths. Had gas and air for the first, nothing for the second - but I have a high pain threshold and fast labours... For ds2 I had no expectations, if I ended up delivering with an epi at hospital then that was how it was. For each contraction I concentrated on counting and controlling my breathing so I knew that, for me, breath number 12 was the peak and by 14 it was ok again. This really worked for me.

Good luck and I hope you have a great experience however it happens :)

Guiltismymaster · 08/07/2013 15:44

I was 8cm when I arrived at the birth centre and despite baby being back to back I had no pain relief and didn't tear at all. Just did as I was told and I found the adrenaline was enough. It genuinely was an enjoyable experience despite the pain, not the horror story I always see on TV.

HOWEVER 1) I had a textbook pregnancy and labour (apart from the back to back part)
2) I was never remotely worried about the birth/pain beforehand last time, but I will not feel guilty in the slightest if this time round I have the works! I only did it without pain relief because the thought of the side-effects and the presence of doctors stressed me out more than the idea of pain.