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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

No pain relief?

37 replies

Chloris33 · 29/07/2017 13:42

Don't get me wrong, I am all for making it easier on myself, but just not sure there's an option that suits me. Would like to try to avoid epidural this time (if I feel up to it) as last time I was immobile for whole (induced) labour, first with fetal monitor then epidural. I had severe nausea & vomiting throughout and I didn't like gas & air as it made me feel more sick (1st half of my labour was just gas & air). Not keen on pethidine as that can also cause sickness & I am so sickness prone. Which leaves me with, erm, nothing. This is 2nd birth so I'm hoping it will be a bit faster. Anyone managed it without even gas & air? Or I guess one option would just be to leave the gas and air until near the end when things feel toughest, then hopefully it won't make me feel as sick if I haven't been having it throughout...

OP posts:

OneOfTheGrundys · 29/07/2017 13:48

I vomited with both mine and asked for an anti emetic with the 2nd. He was so fast in the end that it was pointless though.

Both of mine were delivered without pain relief but for very different reasons, neither planned ones iykwim. Gas and air made me sicker and I was past the point of epidural so no drugs were given.

Honestly, it was my yoga breathing that got me through. I say that as someone who was begging for drugs and would have welcomed them with open arms. Pain relief is great but I couldn't have it. The breathing calmed me a lot and brought some power and some relief to the situation.

angelopal · 29/07/2017 13:56

No pain relief in first labour. It was only 6hrs long and nobody realised how far along I was. There was mention of gas and air but then there was shift change so never got any.

Had gas and air second time round. Shorter labour but really intense.

DancingLedge · 29/07/2017 14:00

Tens machine

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 29/07/2017 14:00

Gas and air just knocked me out. Between each contraction, I was literally passing out. Helped not a jot with the pain and made the whole thing very unpleasant.

I asked for an epidural but it was given too late. No benefit during labour but I did at least get some relief afterwards. Was nice to be able to enjoy the first few hours of my new DD without feeling like I'd been hit by a bus.

Were you not offered anti sickness tablets or something?

BasedOnTrueEvents · 29/07/2017 14:01

I've had 2 babies without any pain relief at all apart from TENS. With DD1 the pain actually wasn't that bad and I didn't feel the need for any pain relief. I knew I could have gas and air if I was feeling I couldn't cope but she was born before I got to that point! With DD2, the pain was much more intense but it was also very, very quick. By the time I got to hospital she was crowning and there wasn't time for any drugs - much as I would have liked them!

kel1234 · 29/07/2017 14:01

I was in labour for 4 days (started contractions on the Tuesday afternoon, and they continued for the rest of the week. I had a sweep at 3om on the Friday, then went to the birth centre at 9pm on the Friday night. I had my waters broken by the midwife at 3am, and gave birth at 6.58am on the Saturday morning.
I wanted as natural a birth as possible, with as little drugs as possible. I managed with nothing from when the contractions started until I got home after the sweep. After that I used my tens machine. I know they don't work for everyone, but it really helped me. I took it off to go to the hospital, and put it back on in the birth centre, once I was changed and settled on the bed. I used that, along with a birth ball until before my waters were broken. After that, I got in the birthing pool for an hour. The water really helped me relax. I did try a tiny bit of gas and air but it made me feel so sick and gave me such a headache that I said I didn't want it. Around 4, I had no energy (I'd been awake for 4 nights with contractions), and could hardly keep my eyes open. So I was given a pethadine injection. I didn't feel sick at all, but I did appreciate the rest.
I think next time I will cope better because I hopefully won't be as exhausted from a long early labour. My plan for next time is tens machine as long as possible, birth ball for a while. Then the pool when I need something extra. I would even consider a water birth.

Mycarsmellsoflavender · 29/07/2017 14:09

What about a water birth, OP? The warm water helps with pain relief.

Had my first with gas and air which I felt didn't do anything to relieve the pain. 2nd was an unattended birth at home ( too quick!) and I can honestly say it felt less traumatic than the first, despite not having a midwife present. I just focussed on my breathing. 3rd was a water birth - I really noticed the difference when I got into the warm water. 4th time around I didn't bother with any pain relief as I knew I had managed it before and there wasn't much time anyway.

You can do it. I would recommend practicing your breathing exercises beforehand as that really helped me get through the contractions.

Sluttybartfast · 29/07/2017 14:14

I had no pain relief, other than TENS for the first phase and the water, for my first birth. I was offered gas and air but didn't like it so only ever took one puff. I was able to cope just by being in my own head and breathing through each contraction without thinking ahead of that. It was actually a great birth. OTOH when I was on my back hooked up to a foetal monitor earlier in the labour the contractions were MUCH harder to deal with.

Original poster

Chloris33 · 29/07/2017 15:10

Thanks all. Yes birthing pool a good idea, if there's one available at the birthing centre. Working on the breathing!

OP posts:

Gunpowder · 29/07/2017 15:24

YY to tens and water! Had both of those for my second labour. I honestly only found it painful for about 15 mins (baby coming down the birth canal and then the crowning but that's more of an ouchy pain I think) and by then I was in the water. Before then my contractions were uncomfortable but enjoyable too. I know that makes me sound like a weirdo.

DD1 I had gas and air but it made me feel drunk rather than took the pain away so I didn't even ask with DD2.

FunkyFantasticFudgeball · 29/07/2017 15:28

I was immobile during my first labour too (flat on my back for 12 hours) and I had the oxytocin drip, it was awful and I couldn't have managed without the epidural 8 hours in. My second was a textbook birth, I was able to walk around for all of it apart from the pushing and I only used a tens. I'd highly recommend getting one, I bought it on Amazon and sold it on afterwards. Statistically your second birth will be much more straightforward and faster.

RubaDubMum89 · 29/07/2017 15:32

I didn't have anything for my labour. Although this definitely wasn't the plan. Long long story short, there was no time. DD needed to come out ASAP and was too far in the birth canal for an emergency section.

Ended up with an episiotomy and forceps. It was hideous. No more babies for me haha! I'd Deffo recommend all the drugs they have! Who cares about being sick when you're on another planet?

FlyingCat · 29/07/2017 15:33

Hypnobirthing can be very successful if you trust it and your birth is fairly uncomplicated (it's nowhere near as woo woo as it sounds)

user1471495191 · 29/07/2017 15:35

Tens was brilliant for me, worth checking out meptid rather than pethadine (I remember them saying the effects are better for you and baby but can't remember exactly why), paracetamol and water birth (not at the same time as the tens 😉)

Yogagirl123 · 29/07/2017 15:40

I had my two by natural delivery, I was very open to pain relief if required, but I coped fine without it, both labours were fairly quick, and I think that helps. I was very fortunate and didn't find labour too bad at all, even the midwives on the ward asked me what my secret was! I wish I knew to pass it on.

Sluttybartfast · 29/07/2017 15:41

I've used yoga breathing through tattoos, dental surgery and birth and it's always helped.

I'm a big believer in science but my experience has also made me believe that how you feel during labour has a real impact on outcomes. I think there's also starting to be some good evidence that bright lights are detrimental to labouring women. Hypnobirthing is also worth exploring.

Okite · 29/07/2017 15:44

I've had two waterbirths with no other pain relief (although one I was only actually in the water for 10 mins before delivery!). It's amazing how effective the water is, its lovely. I'd highly recommend trying it.

SecretFreebirther · 29/07/2017 15:48

Yes! No pain relief, not even water. I can recommend the Daisy birthing classes. The breathing techniques distracted me enough to get through it don't look at my username

LadyPenelope68 · 29/07/2017 15:49

I managed both mine with just paracetamol and TENS, with just some gas and air when I was being sutured! But, mine were both very, very quick births.

affectionincoldclimate · 29/07/2017 15:55

I had 53 hour labour with tens machine and occasional helping of cocodamol for the early stages. I spent most of my labour in the bath as I found water to be the best type of pain relief for me. I planned a water birth with gas and air in the hospital but ended up at home as MW who was due to pop in to assess me was late and by the time she turned up baby was crowning. I had gas and air for the final 10 mins or so. Loved it and refused to give it back to MW who said it hampered pushing

What helped:
Water - bath or pool - I regret not hiring a pool for my home
Tens machine
Hypnobirthing - I practiced it during pregnancy and then listened to affirmations overlaid with plonkety plonk music during labour
Daily 10-20 mins yoga practice which helped me with breathing (Katy Appleton on YouTube is the best)
The fact I used to do high intensity training pre pregnancy and still did some in early pregnancy - it taught me to push through pain barrier. When I was in the fucking painful dilation/transition stage I kept imagining I was doing planks during my training and I could totally do them but I just had to breathe through

Good luck

Blazedandconfused · 29/07/2017 17:03

Water birth was bliss. I loved gas and air too, but the water was what did it for me. I had my own space, I was the first one to hold DS. Really wonderful experience.

Planned a home birth with DS2, pool at the ready, but wasn't to be.

DS2, I was induced, strapped to monitors, gas and air confused me and the mw said I wasn't pushing properly so took it off me anyway. I was begging for a birth pool. They said no because of monitoring. I was in a room with an empty birth pool! I sobbed. I needed that pool more than anything.

So yes, it is very possible to do it without drugs.

mycatloveslego · 29/07/2017 17:18

I gave birth recently unintentionally with no pain relief. It was my second labour. My first was an epic 32 hour job involving every intervention bar a c section.
This recent one was 90 minutes from start to finish. I had intended to try a short acting opiate my hospital offers as an alternative to pethidine. As it turned out, I only got to the hospital 20 minutes before I delivered so there was no time for any pain relief at all! I was hoping for gas and air but by the time I was in the room, examined etc it was time to push and the midwife said it would stop me pushing effectively and baby would be out in 2 pushes anyway. She was right.
I never, ever thought I had it in me to have a totally natural birth but I did, even though it wasn't exactly by choice. It was awesome!

Gunpowder · 29/07/2017 17:23

Just wanted to warn you about afterpains. SO MUCH WORSE with DC2. I had to take ibuprofen and paracetamol for the first two or three days. They were honestly worse than the contractions, so make sure you have pain relief for those.

NameChange30 · 29/07/2017 17:27

I haven't read all the replies so don't know if it's been mentioned, but there is also remifentanil. I don't think every hospital offers it (mine doesn't) but it did look like a good option when I researched it.

However, my preference was (and would be again) for a birthing pool, breathing/relaxation and hypnobirthing. My labour was quick and all my hypnobirthing went out of the window, sadly, but I think if I have another I will get a doula who can do the hypnobirthing techniques on me (rather than me having to play a cd or do it myself).

n0ne · 29/07/2017 18:22

I had a home water birth with no pain relief. I found breathing techniques, walking, sitting on a yoga ball and assuming different positions got me through it. It hurt like a mofo, I won't lie, and I thought I was going to die during transition, but by then it's nearly over. It's totally doable.

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