Can I get through labour with no drugs?

[Dreamcatcher34]

I’m on my third baby. The previous two weren’t great births. The first I lost control, didn’t react well to pethadine and had extremely bad prostin pains. Baby was also turned a little, so didn’t come out by the crown.

Second baby was a section, when I had been planning a home birth.

Third baby, I’m open to anything so that I can feel in control and focused. I am worried about gas and air or pethadine making me feel ‘out of it’. Can I get through with no pain relief? How likely is it? I realise it’s an impossible question to answer, but I suppose I’m looking for opinions and experiences.

Thanks.

I’ve done it twice and it was fine for me but only possible because of hypnobirthing, a TENS machine and a birthing pool. I couldn’t have done it without these and would recommend them to anyone but surely it depends on your circumstances, mine were straightforward pregnancies and uncomplicated births (although second was an induction). It sounds like your history is a bit more complex so would depend on the situation? Also I think having 25th centile babies with small heads helped.

I've had 3 without pain relief but I would recommend active birthing if you don't want pain relief. Not as energetic as it sounds - just stay in a position that allows gravity to help. I kneeled or all 4's. I found this book brilliant www.amazon.co.uk/New-Active-Birth-Concise-Childbirth/dp/0722525664/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+new+active+birth&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1595858272&sr=8-1.

I also did pregnancy yoga where I learned some great breathing techniques. I still use the breathing for the dentist, injections, blood taking etc.

Depends. It’s less about your ability to cope and more about how much pain you experience. If you have a well positioned baby, your cervix dilates properly, your contractions are regular and spaced out, and everything goes to plan in a reasonable timescale - then yes, your pain won’t be that bad and you can give birth without drugs. But if things start going wrong you can suffer much more severe pain and will struggle without drugs.

Yes you can, but it completely depends on the birth and the mothers pain threshold. I was induced with my first and couldn't have managed the induced contractions without pain relief and given petadine ( but they didn't believe I needed to push) do it was given late and ds was born very sleepy.
Dd first contraction at 420 born at 522 no pain meds much easier labour due to natural contractions and her being ready to come out.

I’ve done it twice with no issues and the second was relatively painless too - but then my babies were well positioned and came out easily.

It doesn’t sound like that’s what tends to happen with yours, though, so while you could start out without pain relief I would keep an open mind as to what you will choose once you are in labour.

I had no drugs at all for either of mine - not for want of asking with DS1, but they kept saying I was having a ‘storming’ labour and disappearing. I tried one puff of gas and air but it made me feel suffocated. DS2 was so quick I didn’t have time and the pain was very manageable.

Worth adding that both were early births and small babies ( 6 pounders) which may have made a difference!

I’ve had two children, one at home in water and one in hospital, induced but only needed the (two) pessaries: I found hypnobirthing very helpful with each and still use the techniques for things like dental treatment. It taught me how to stay calm, and when calm the pain is so much less, it’s amazing the difference it makes. I did practice a lot before my first baby, listening to the CD every night as I went to sleep, and my husband was very supportive, which was hugely helpful.
As to why one would forgo painkillers - to enable you to stay home/in a birthing centre, to reduce the chances of an instrumental birth, to remove the risk of drugs affecting the baby. And to not be depending on a midwife to get you the pain relief you want; that dependency is a source of worry in a busy hospital: I am very grateful I wasn’t relying on this as I would have gone without! And that hope/expectation being unanswered would have been so stressful and increased the pain hugely.

I gave birth with no drugs. It wasn’t the plan, I just dilated too quickly and by the time I asked it was too late. My hospital didn’t have gas and air (I’m not in the UK). Anyway I pushed for four hours and ended up with the vacuum and an episiotomy. My DS is the only person I would ever go through that pain for.

So my answer is yes you absolutely can but I’d keep an open mind. If you need something then take it.

DS1 I took some paracetamol, threw it up, and then asked for gas and air when they were stitching me up afterwards.
DS2 was a surprise home birth. The second paramedic came up the stairs with the entanox and I'd already got a baby in my arms.
So, yes. Depending on baby, labour and you, its totally possible. I wouldnt be a martyr to it tho. And gas and air is worth a go, as its effects are very short lived.

I had np pain relief for my dd, i would avoid pethedin, as my friend said it made her feel drunk and didn't help with the pain anyway!

I had hoped tp use gas and air, but took too long to get dilated enough that by the time i was allowed it i didn't need it anymore. I didn't want an epidural unless medically necessary

I am certain you can!

Learn about the birthing process, look at breathing and pain control options (I used a tens machine and birthing pool).

You know how it feels and that the process does end.

I did. I didnt even have gas an air. I puked up the panadol they gave me. It's of course doable but I am not going to say it was calm or a nice experience. I had a 52 hour labour. I had a pretty extreme fear of birth for the next year or so. I am due DC2 in 14 weeks and I am planning on getting more info on drugs.

Do you have any uterine abnormalities?

They're usually detected in early scans, much harder to find in later scans, though can also be missed in early scans depending on what kind of abnormality it is, eg. Septate, bicornuate, unicornuate etc.

If you have been diagnosed with any, or if you suspect you may have, then I don't recommend birthing without pain relief as it causes the uterus to not be able to contract properly, and it won't effectively help your baby come out.

If you know for a fact you don't have any uterine abnormalities then talk to your midwife about your birth plan and ask for their opinion.

I did with ds1. It's hard to describe but I kind of went into myself and just closed my eyes. I felt quite out of it even though I hadn't taken anything. With ds2 and ds3 I had has and air and with ds3 I was a lot more aware and in control. With ds2 I was a bit out of it but that was more to do with being up all night than the gas and air.

Had gas & air until I got the epidural. Was induced and in agony with the pains - doctor left pessary in and gave me the gel alongside (in spite of fact that I was adamant pessary hadn't fallen out), so contractions came very strongly given I was on a double dose of hormone!
I was as high as a kite on the gas & air but once epidural was administered, I felt utterly calm and far more in control. Before labour started, I had planned to avoid epidural if possible. Am really glad the option to have it was open to me as it made my labour very manageable in spite of the episiotomy, assisted delivery and massive postpartum haemorrhage.
Best of luck, whatever you decide.

Thanks so much for the responses. All very different, but a great insight. I think the use of pethadine in my first labour has maybe given me a distorted perspective on pain relief and made me think it’s a bad thing when it’s probably not. I know I don’t want that again, so I’m going to start with paracetamol, move on to gas and air, diamorphine if I need it and open to an epidural. But I’ll cope as long as I can without and I’m going to do a hypnobirthing course.

I will be really upset if I end up with another c section, but as long as baby arrives safely, that’s all that matters.

I wouldnt recommend drug free by choice. I was induced with an unfavourable tight cervix, had a mass reaction and over contracted and had contractions that ramped up from 0-100 in minutes after the pessary. They sorted that and then i got an epidural and then the drip. The epidural failed and wore off meaning I went through the majority of huge awful contractions ramped up with a syntocin drug free. They redid the epidural but by the time that happened it meant I only had pain relief minutes before the baby was born through a rapid delivery. If I had have had an epidural that worked I would have had a much better experience. The only saving grace was the rapid delivery as I I wouldn't have had the energy to push the baby out by that point.

Oh and I didnt feel the stitches as the epidural was in full swing by then and consequently weeded in the midwifes face

DS1 I had an epidural (it partially worked) after induction and it was fairly calm. Ended up with ventouse intervention though, although only during the last two pushes.

DS2 I had a tens and gas and air. I asked for an epidural but by that point baby was crowing and the midwife kindly pointed out that it was a bit late.

I had an episiotomy with DS1, and a tear with DS2. Stitches with both, and recovery was similar.

You can defiantly do it without pain relief. Apart from the panic during transition I actually found my second labour easier.

OP, nobody else’s experience of labour is at all relevant to your own circumstances. You have had a previous C section, so your next labour will be a VBAC trial.
There is a small risk of complications such as rupture of your uterine scar, and you will need careful monitoring.
I’d advise keeping an open mind and listening to your obstetric consultant on the day. Be prepared that you may need another C section if you run into problems.