No pain relief??

[K1999]

So I'm adamant at this stage that I do not want any pain relief. Gas and air at the absolute most. Any comments on this? 'You're absolutely crazy', 'don't be a hero' comments are all welcome, I just want to know how realistic this is as this is my first baby and have no idea what to expect other than excruciating pain..

There's no prizes for giving birth without pain relief. I gave birth with nothing because my LO arrived very quickly. I wouldn't have chosen to do it like that and I'm still scarred from the experience.

Ultimately it's each to their own; your body, your choice. Just be mentally prepared to be flexible in your stance if things don't go according to plan.

Only my opinion, but I would really be asking myself why I had such fixed views in advance of such an unpredictable event. That's not always helpful and can lead to lots of unintended emotions. My experiences:

1. Protracted labour, went on drip. Then got gas and air. Baby born 6hrs after drip started. Hurt like fuck, frankly, and I begged anyone who would listen for the good drugs.

1. Quick labour, midwives wouldn't believe how far along I was. Got gas and air after head and shoulders were delivered (pointless). Still hurt like fuck, still begged for the good drugs.

In short, it HURTS. And no matter how you deliver, or the pain relief you take, you've delivered a baby. And you ROCK

My only word of advice is not be too definite about what you do and don't want. The pain depends on so many things, you may have a long labour and be tired and want more, or it may be so quick it doesn't really matter anyway, or obviously there might be difficulties. I had an epidural for my first as it took five painful days at home to get to 4 cm - he was at a funny angle. With the other two you'd have had to pay me to take pain relief, totally different experience and can honestly say it didn't hurt.

I didn't have any with mine, it wasn't that painful, breaking my arm was far worse pain wise. A ball to rock on is the key. I think I have a decent pain threshold admittedly but it's only a few hours anyway

I had gas and air with both. It was good and took the edge off the pain.

You'll do yourself no favours with making statements like that. There are so many curveballs that can be thrown at you- my waters went at home and there was meconium in there so even though I was contracting I had to be induced on a hormone drip. I took the decision to take diamorphine at that stage to try and get some rest. DD was back to back and it soon became so agonising I vomited between the diamorphine wearing off and getting an epidural.

That ended in a EMCS due to failure to progress, but I'm still proud of some of the choices I made that I feel made sure DD and I were in the best shape we could be at the end of it all, and that included taking pain relief. If you can do it without pain relief great, but don't be creating a potential source of disappointment or shame if circumstances mean you can't do it.

Keep an open mind. I had 3 totally drug free, and there I was feeling a bit pleased with myself and along came no4 who by rights should have been a 2 hour walk in the park. Instead a 22 hour back to back marathon and I wanted all the drugs. The pain and the lack of progress was utterly horrific and I was surprised how much I felt I couldn't cope. It was fabulous (after all the drugs) and I'm so pleased I got over myself and asked for help when I needed it. So, proud of 3 drug free, very proud of my 4th hardcore but ultimately very successful birth. She's so squishy!

I had both of mine with gas and air. Second time I was entirely up for pain relief but didn’t get it in time. Then I had third degree tearing and ended up in theatre with a spinal for the first two hours of my DD’s life anyway.

Do you research and make a birthing plan but try to be flexible.

Gas and air at the absolute most

That was my intention. I’m still mad with DH as seemingly the MW had mentioned some pain relief & he has just said “no, no she said she doesn’t want any”. I was unaware of that conversation.

32 hours with a back to back baby, contractions that stopped and needed a drip to restart, ventouse delivery, episiotomy......all on fucking gas and air.

At one point I was praying for Emergency section just so I could be knocked out and make the pain stop. I had started to beg for an epidural and was told it was too late- he wasn’t born for another 6 hours so I think there was plenty of time myself

Anyhow, it’s fine to think you just want gas and air but do accept that, if you start to think that actually, a bit of pain relief wouldn’t go amis, it is perfectly okay to change your mind.

Go with the flow.

I personally didn't find it that bad. But I did not have long labours.

Gas and Air both times for contractions (although 2nd time I didn't get it until I got to delivery suite and he was born about 30 mins later)

I found it good for contractions and helped me focus but not for the actual pushing. I was better not using it then.

I was never against an epidural (didn't want pethidine) but I was nowhere near needing one.

It is what it is. Things can take a while, things can go wrong and a safe delivery is the most important thing.

@Namesgonenow

I've had a few medical procedures without pain relief, it means you can drive yourself and leave immediately (they make you stay at the hospital for hours if you have sedation!)

I’ve had 2 babies without any medication at all. With DD1, it actually didn’t hurt as much as I was expecting and it was a very positive experience. DD2 was a precipitous delivery and there was no time or opportunity for pain relief. It was dreadful. I would have done anything for something to take the edge off.

Bottom line? You don’t get a badge for doing it without pain relief and I wouldn’t risk having an experience like I had with DD2 again. It traumatised me. In the vanishingly unlikely event I have another baby, I will get an epidural as soon as possible.

I don't think you can decide now as at the moment you are calm and out of pain but once you are in labour you don't know how you will feel and I can tell you I had just gas and air for both births, one was back to back labour and too late for epidurals and I have forgot about the pain now but I do know it was horrendous pain! During my second labour the midwife said she thought I was traumatised by my first birth from the pain it literally takes you out of a normal world and it no a world of uncontrollable pain. Sorry I know some people don't find it bad but just judge it at the time

Gas and air did nothing. I had a back to back baby and an epidural was amazing! Went from screaming to an enjoyable experience . Why don’t you want pain relief?

I had hoped to not have any pain relief in my labours; the reason being (and this is absolutely not judging anyone else, it was purely what I felt was right for me), I didn’t want to feel “out of it” once I’d given birth, and I was very worried about sustaining a tear from having an epidural and not knowing how hard I was pushing.

I managed to go without in both labours (and my first was an induction). If it’s what you want, go for it.

You don’t know what your experience will be like. You could have a nice short easy labour or one that almost kills you. Obviously the level of pain in each case will be different.

Until dd turned back to back it was painful but maneagble. After she turned it was awful. I’ve broken bones and carried on with dinner parties without realising so I think I have a high Pain threshold

I didnt have anything, first baby. Not against it at all, just didnt need it, i have a high pain threshold though when i need too!

@Furloughrefusedconfused oh my births sounded like yours!! First baby back to back, ventouse, cut, stitches, all on gas and air as it was too late for pain relief. God it was out of this world pain

I had no Pain relief. It was fine.

It's fine to have a preference, and it's absolutely best to have the mindset of wanting nothing but build up as your labour progresses if necessary because pain relief can slow you down. Learn about all the different types, and your birth partner, so you can make an informed choice when the time comes.

BUT manage your expectations, you could be in labour for 30+ hours, baby could get stuck, you could get tired, you don't want to feel like you failed just because you needed pain relief. Gauge how you cope at the time.

I only had gas and air for my first and nothing for my second, BUT I was only in labour for 5 hours for both labours combined, I didn't need (or have time) for pain relief, if it had of gone on longer I would have increased it I can guarantee you, and happily so. I'd have taken more with my first but there wasn't time (water was a god send for me).

So it's possible, but be open minded and see how your own labour progresses.

I would say the best thing you can do is to have an open mind and keep it like that and go with the flow.

I was absolutely terrified of giving birth and was open minded that i would have whatever i needed to get me through it.

I was fortunate to be lucky enough to manage this twice by staying calm, practising yoga breathing (learned at a beginners yoga course nearly 20 years previous) and knowing that if i kept calm i was more likely to have control of the proceedings. Also as well as being terrified of childbirth i didn't like the sound of any of the forms of pain relief either.

Being adamant about anything related to parenthood is illogical. It isn't only you involved and there are myriad scenarios that may happen. Being a parent means you need to be adaptable so start now and wait and see how things go. It is really awful for those women who through no fault of their own struggle through exhausting hours of a painful back to back labour only to end up with epidural and forceps or even worse failed forceps and Caesarian . If their expectation was an analgesia free delivery they can feel terribly disappointed and let down as well as shattered physically and so reduce their chances of successful breast feeding and increase their chances of pnd. I'm not saying that this is likely to happen to you; far from it. Most women have low intervention deliveries and pnd is a hormonal condition that can happen to anyone but childbirth is a physiological process over which one has little control so although ambitions for low interventions are fine I wouldn't advise 'being adamant'.

Gas and air did nothing. I had a back to back baby and an epidural was amazing! Went from screaming to an enjoyable experience .

Yes this was me and I only ever got to 3cm after 25 hours but I was a state. Loved my epidural. I have nothing to compare it to but my experience of back to back labour was that it was very long, and very painful with little progress. Just felt brutal.

With my first I had diamorphine and gas and air... I was very sick and had a long active labour (10 hours).

With number 2 I had a water birth, I refused even had and air until half an hour before he was born as I was so afraid of being sick again. Birth was much easier and much quicker at 2 hours active labour. Was a much more positive experience.

If I were to have a third I'd do a water birth again and would just have gas and air towards the end.