Could someone please help me understand what people mean when they say they loved giving birth unmedicated

[Firsttimemumpregnant]

Pregnant with my first baby and am very scared of giving birth. I'm trying to take a more positive view on labour and delivery, so trying to read a bit on positive birth etc. i keep hearing people mentioning how much they loved giving birth unmedicated and they wanted to do it again and again as it was amazing, felt so empowering etc. Could someone please explain to me how that feels and how is it possible even though it hurts like hell? I'm genuinely trying to understand as I have no previous experience and keen on hearing positive stories

Yes. I had over 48 hours of back to back labour which is allegedly one of the most painful kinds. But I coped with it, I was ‘saving’ pain relief for when it felt unmanageable or I wasn’t coping. But that point never happened, so I ended up giving birth without any. Didn’t set out to, it was just manageable for me. Others don’t find it manageable, we’re all different. None is better than any other, we all just have to find our own way through it.

My quote (which I think is what you’re disagreeing with) was taken slightly out of context by PP here and if you look at my original post you might see that I meant something slightly different.

Im glad you found a system that worked better for you. My experience was the opposite to yours - my midwives were super, women centred, listened to me, treated me like an adult. The obstetricians I saw patronised me, told me things were ‘too risky’ or ‘dangerous’ without any evidence (I’m talking here about a medication they wouldn’t prescribe despite me being so sick I couldn’t eat or drink and had to be on a drip), made sweeping statements which when you drilled down into the detail, weren’t nearly as scary or dramatic as they made it sound - all things which thankfully have been addressed by the updated NICE and RCOG guidelines.

Different practitioners might be good or bad at informing women - I think what we all agree on is that informed us best - all women should get proper, balanced and evidence based information so they can make the best informed decision for them.

I didn't have an epidural but I did have gas and air and pethidine earlier in labour . I gave birth on gas and air . I was induced and my contractions were back to back ended up being rushed down and baby was born 15-20 minutes later whole thing was about 14 hours start to finish. I'd do it again tbh I wouldn't feel the need for an epidural if I had a birth like that again purely as it was so fast if it was going on for longer though I would as it's a lot of pain and you need to rest and keep your strength for the birth in my opinion, the worst part for me was the pain of the contractions but I think I zoned out to cope with the pain also the drugs as I don't remember lots of it but the actual birth itself was a breeze .

I have friends who had ‘beautiful’ water births and are completely behind hypnobirthing. But I had a water birth first time round in the midwife led unit, and an epidural second time round on the labour ward, and the latter was a far better experience for me. Seems to vary so much. As others have said just go with the flow and try not to be too set on a specific birthing plan if possible.

@Codlingmoths "I disliked the uk system of only seeing a midwife who largely dismissed you as a person and was critical of my desire to give birth in the labour ward."

It sounds like you had a crap and unprofessional midwife. There are very many who wouldn't have treated you like this, and very many consultants who would.

Same. The midwives I saw in the community antenatally were lovely and supportive. The ones I saw in the hospital were wonderful. Even before my pregnancies went tits up I'd always said I wanted to deliver in the hospital and it was accepted without question.

Neither of mine were unmedicated (gas+air for both, diamorphine with my first, epidural with my second), but then they were drip labours. It was always my "plan" to be on minimal pain relief and increase it as and when I felt like it. I stuck to said plan and had two good experiences, even if on paper they don't sound great.

Exactly this for me too. Though even with my difficult, and highly medicated, birth you still feel an amazing sense of pride for growing and birthing your baby no matter how you do it. That being said, if I could choose again for a third birth, I would do it unmedicated again if possible.