Looking for positive stories/encouragement to go ahead with unmedicated labour

[Lalarosex]

hi mamas

FTM here 38 weeks. I really want to give birth in water unmedicated and have read hypnobirthing book and this is my plan. However every birth video/story that I hear makes me doubt my abilities to do it as women describe the excruciating pain of unmedicated birth or are absolutely screaming in videos. I have terrified myself

I am of course open to needing an epidural at the time but would like some encouragement and positive stories of unmedicated birth. Wishful thinking but can anyone tell me it’s not that bad haha!

Thank you 🙏🏻

I’ve had 3 births without pain relief. It really wasn’t that painful, except for about 5 minutes with each one, in transition stage.
What helped: focusing on breathing- if you’ve done yoga or even just controlled, counted breaths, you’ll find that helps.
Also visual imaging, picturing unfolding , smiling, doing what you can to relax the pelvic area. Positioning, using gravity as much as you can, so as upright as you can manage. For the first birth, I found hanging on to DH physically and psychologically good, but with number 3,born at home, I just wanted to focus silently and alone, with the midwife hovering.
It’s about getting into the zone.
But I m aware that I was fortunate in that I didn’t need to be induced , or need any other interventions. That’s just luck, and you can’t foresee how it will go.
It can be a positive, enjoyable experience.
Hope it goes well for you.

I’ve had two unmediated inductions. For me it was totally doable but I was open to pain relief had I needed it. To be honest the first time I was waiting for the screaming and swearing part (as you see on tv!) as I didn’t want to take anything too early but this didn’t happen so managed without. Second time I knew I’d already done it once but I was again prepared if needed but he was here in 13 mins. It helped me to walk around a lot, I delivered my second standing up. Also remembering that the pressure just comes in waves so breathing through it. Birth was nothing like I’d built it up to be beforehand though!

I had only gas and air with my first, in a pool. I absolutely thought I was going to die. I had flashbacks and PTSD which I received treatment for. Im

Second and third time round I also had just gas but wasn’t allowed in the pool due to complications from birth 1, and it was painful but manageable. TBH personally I didn’t find the pool very helpful.

I’d not make too many plans, take it as it comes and don’t feel guilty if you opt for pain relief. It’s there for a reason and there is no ‘better’ or ‘worse’ way to do it. Best of luck

Thank you for so many replies already! I appreciate your honesty! Sorry I should have mentioned about gas and air - absolutely going to try this along with breathing techniques. Perhaps unmedicated wasn’t the correct word! I suppose in my mind, what I am on the fence with is epidural vs no epidural.
In my birth preferences I have very much left myself very flexible and open to interventions as of course I cannot predict how labour will go!
Did gas and air make much difference to you?

I think gas and air affects people differently. If you listened to my mum describe her experience with it you'd think it was the nectar of the gods. She can't praise it enough.

I had a homebirth and when the midwife arrived with the g&a I was so happy to see her. But it didn't work and made me feel like shit and like I was going to throw up. And I was taking it correctly - slow deep breaths. It just didn't agree with me.

I planned for a water birth. Went 9 days overdue, at home waiting for bed for waters to be broken. My hind waters went at 4:30am (didn't realise thats what it was, thought just mucus plug). By 5:30 started having contractions. By 7am I was having 3 in 10 and was struggling to walk and breathe, shower helped. Went to triage to be told I was only 2cm but because test for waters positive needed to keep me. Did remark I was not getting any break between contractions by this point and baby was getting stressed out by it. I was struggling to cope also and contractions meant I couldn't feel baby moving.

Went up to labour ward and they didn't want me in water until babies heart stabilised, but I was really struggling with the pain to lie still enough to get CTG on to monitor it. They wanted to break my waters and said it would get more intense afterwards. Being FTM and thinking I can't do hours upon hours of his, only 2cm I said epidural first. Rest of waters went while putting epidural in, was 9cm less than 2 hours later, blood and meconium in waters, baby in severe distress due to hypercontractions AND was back to back and got head stuck as tilted. Ended up with baby being pushed back up and EMCS. Was never ending any other way, just didn't know it from the start.

You could have a textbook labour and delivery, but remember that pregnancy and childbirth is the most dangerous thing a woman has done since the beginning of our species. You want yourself and baby alive and healthy as possible. All else is a bonus. Go into it with an open mind and accept what you need when you need it. Could be nothing, could be everything in the book. There is no prize for the type of birth you have.

Gas and air made a phenomenal difference IF you breathe it properly. Suck it in to every tiny corner of your lungs, you basically want to get as much of it into your bloodstream as you can. Also, depending how you react to it, I'd recommend experimenting with more breaths than the midwife says. Some people feel sick or 'out of it' so obviously wouldn't want more than absolutely necessary, but if you don't, breathe more! There's no limit safety wise. If they say to take four breaths per contraction, try six and see if it's better.

Two home births, 2nd no gas and air. I was very capable and so are you. Don't listen to the horror stories. I have friends who had very medicated births with lots of interventions who were low key unsupportive when they found out what I had planned and barely asked how it went when they found out I managed to have the home births. I shut out all the noise and was very proud of myself.

I was the opposite to you @Lalarosex before I had my first. My birth plan was give me all the drugs please. What happened was I had a quite quick labour of 4 hours, so there was no time for anything other and gas & air. I then had my other 2 DC at home as I knew I could do it with just G&A. My labours also got quicker, so getting to hospital would have been tricky.

Good luck, but be open, birth plans are really just hopes and you can never know what will happen.

Go into it with an open mind. I read a hypnobirthing book and was hoping for a spontaneous labour with only gas and air (who in their right mind would say no to unlimited laughing gas? It was Glastonbury weekend after all).

I ended up with an induction, gas and air and ultimately an epidural when they told me I needed to go on the hormone drip as things had slowed down at 5cm - I'd read horror stories about the pain from the drip so opted for epidural before they put it in.

I LOVED labour and am genuinely looking forward to doing it again in the future. I'm so glad I went with the flow and listened to my body.

Gas and air didn't make much of a difference for pain, but it made it more fun!

Did hypnobirthing with my first, labored in the bath from 7-9cms - I was definitely in the zone and with every contraction was challenging myself to relax against it as much as possible.

It was pain but pain with a purpose for me, and I had said if the pain becomes suffering is when I'd call in the big drugs. Thankfully it never did but I did have 3 pills on the G&S when I started pushing but it made me too high to push so they took it away.

In my case I had a short labor (about 4 hours from first contraction to baby born) and he was in the optimum position so I never experienced the exhaustion or fear of prolonged labor.

Hand on heart, I loved every second of it and I felt like I could eat nails right after.

Definitely try for it, but keep an open mind for pain relief. Remember pain is ok, suffering is not!

I had 2 out of 3 with no pain relief whatsoever , both induced.
1st was back to back with epidural , 2 and 3 weren't ,gas and air made me feel awful with 1st so i didn't bother with 1 and 2 , just went for it as i had it in my head that pethidine etc may slow things down and wanted to get it over with.
Looking back they were painful yes but i have had worse pain.
3rd one was weirdly pleasant as i felt so much more in control than previous 2, my tip is stay on your feet for as long as possible ,i am convinced this helped me with progression and pain control and remember each contraction is one nearer the ultimate goal .
I agree with a previous poster not to build yourself up to much , if someone had entered the room and said they were going to get the baby out now from my ear hole that would have been fine with me !
As long as all is well in the end that's all that matters , good luck x

I don’t really know why we put ourselves through this natural birthing stuff but I guess some people are masochistic. The pain for the majority of people is excruciating so don’t rule out any pain relief options. I wish I had an epidural for my first and still feel slightly angry that people misled me about the amount of pain you have to suffer. I know a few people seem to manage ok but for me it was hours of agony.

Forgot to say don't listen to horror stories , there is always someone who will tell you one with great relish !
My friend had 2 babies and said both labours felt just like period pain.
There are probably a lot more positive experiences than bad ones .

I have absolutely no idea why anyone would choose to do this.

No one comes round the post natal ward with gold stars for those who did it without drugs.

Would you honestly volunteer to go through any other medical procedure/painful body related procedure. Without pain killer ? When it's available and safe ?

I honestly believe that as women we have done a number on ourselves where this type of thinking is encouraged ! Would you have a tooth out without first having local anaesthetic ? No of course not ! Then why on earth would you want to push another human through your cervix without it ? Where is the benefit ? This is a genuine question. Why is this even a 'thing' ?

I had a completely unmediated second birth. It was agony; the contractions were incredibly painful although I imagine if you were in water that might help a bit. I didn’t have gas and air because I hadn’t liked it the first time but no one really encouraged me to try it again 🧐 On the positive side I was breastfeeding my baby before the placenta was even out and I was high on endorphins (I guess!) for about a week afterwards. It’s only one day - you can do it! But I had an epidural with my first and now, many years later, none of it really matters, only that I have two healthy children and I am in good health too. It’s good to have a plan but the outcome is all that matters in the end, not how you do it 😊

I had 2 unmedicated births. The first was at a birthing centre and the second at home, both times in a pool. I don't even know why I did it. I don't tend to run to get drugs for things so probably an extension of that thinking! It was really sore but, if I had to do it again, I would just go natural again. I do remember the comfort of being in my own bed with the baby pretty soon after birth. My very pain-averse doctor sister was even inspired by my births to have her second one at home.

My second baby was a water birth with gas and air, and it was wonderful, 100% would recommend if it works out for you in the right way. I was induced with number 1 and had an epidural.

This.

Just go into it with an open mind. You may need pain medication and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I had two births with no pain relief but not out of choice. I was too far along with both for an epidural and gas and air made me violently ill so I couldn't have it.

I survived but I would have taken the pain relief if I had had a choice!

Had two unmedicated labours - first with gas and air and the second with nothing..not by choice just v quick and couldn't get the epidural.

If you want to then go for it but just keep an open mind. It's not a failure to use an epidural if you're feeling you need it. Just go with the flow of what happens and don't get too stressed if it doesn't go to plan

Don't know if it counts as unmedicated but I had a TENs machine twice. Wasn't really enough time to use it second time but felt it helped first time.

The pads need to be very precisely placed

I've had two pain relief free water births and it was fine. No gas and air - first time it made me feel sick and second they hadn't set it up in time!
I had horrific pregnancies to the point I nearly wasn't allowed the second water birth (and honestly if I didn't have a history with them they wouldn't have allowed it) and what I think were easy short labors. I feel life made it up to me with the easy short labors after horrible 9 months.
Some women are ok with the pain and some are not. Unfortunately you don't know how you will be until you get there.
My only advise - be relaxed, go with the flow. If you want to try without pain relief then go for it. Don't be afraid to say if you change your mind but also the point at which I thought I couldn't go any further was the point I gave birth.

If you have anxiety you need to re read your hypno birthing steps op 😁 also step away from talking to others about their births as you'll always get someone who want to tell you how awful it is. Be open minded, you'd like an un medicated birth but u til your in the zone you won't know what you'll want. However saying that many many women birth in medicated. I myself did use gas and air so not sure if you call that medicated or not but used my hypno birth knowledge and techniques to manage. What I found really useful was the idea that contractions or surges are positive they're each one more step closer to meeting the baby and once you e done that one you'll never need to repeat that one again. Good luck 😁