Thinking of a birth centre birth, minimal pain relief.

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I would love to know people’s experiences with giving birth in a birth centre rather than a labour ward.
I’m aware in a birth centre that epidurals are not given.
My first baby is due in 9 weeks and I’m depending and trying to tell myself I can do this without an epidural.
My reason being that I want to be mobile and feel more in control. The thought of a needle in my spine also freaks me out.
I know all births are different but would love to hear experiences of birth centres and or non epidural births.

Thank you all for your comments.
This has helped a lot. 🤍

As a HVP no way would I have laboured in a stand alone unit, the risk of needing to be bluelighted in an emergency situation was too high.

I had 2 completely non medicalised birth at a general hospital, but was reassured to have everything on site should I have needed it.

It’s good you’re open minded. Labour didn’t feel anything like how I thought it would. My first child came so quick there was no time for any pain relief but I coped. Although for some reason I absolutely had to be completely naked?! Whatever works I guess! With my second child it was a hundred times more painful and I begged for the epidural as soon as I got to hospital. Labour pain is as variable for people as any other type of pain is. She ended up getting stuck sideways and needing an emergency c-section. It’s lovely to have a plan but definitely the best thing to be open minded.

You don't need to make any decisions on pain relief - remember that pain relief is a spectrum, and you just climb the ladder in strength.

Not in a stand alone centre, never. Id want all options on site.

I'm genuinely going to print this out and have it on the wall in the birthing room for my next labour. What a fabulous statement!

The first time I planned a birth centre (in a hospital) but ended up having her at home before the ambulance arrived. I didn’t want an epidural till what turned out to be the transition point which is where most people go “omg I can’t do this”, if I had had a midwife and hadn’t been told I was nowhere near and to go home it wouldn’t have been so mentally awful. The second and third times I have planned home births with a birth pool and a midwife to myself for active(ish) labour and a second for the last bit, I had G&A for the second and just forgot it for the third til the after birth stuff. I took dihydrocodeine with the third early enough for it to wear off, just as well as I hated the feeling.

Clearly I liked my births generally because they were all pretty similar.

I gave birth time both time in a delivery suite. Both times with only gas and air. I was petrified about needing an epidural and having to have a cs. Yet I have friends who wanted an epidural from the first contraction and wanted cs. There's no right or wrong way. You honestly don't know how you'll cope with labour until it happens. Just go into it with an open mind.

Forgot to mention. With the birth centre near me it is attached to the hospital.
I have heard recent stories off people I know about the hospital/labour ward where I am and them not having great experiences and some having to actually give birth in a room with others in labour and some midwives (not all) not taking them seriously. But those who have given birth in the birth centre having a really positive birth. And if they did need to be transferred they were already on hospital grounds.
I originally was steering more towards labour ward to make sure I was in the perfect place if for any reason intervention was needed.
But the thought of the birth centre does cross my mind and that is why I am asking for others experiences. Also in the labour ward where I am going, there is only one room with a birth pool.

I’ve had 3 births, first was birth centre, second home birth, third was water birth on Labour ward. I haven’t used pain relief during any of them, it was part of my birth plan to use gas and air, but I don’t think I would have accepted epidural. But I just never needed it, I coped well with labour and just didn’t feel like I needed any pain relief. I did the positive birth company online course of hypnobirthing and it was all I needed, breathing and my focus. I found births empowering and an all round amazing experience. It’s very possible to have a great experience even if you are feeling nervous about it now.

I have degenerative discs in my lower back and knew 100% i wouldn't get getting an epidural no matter how bad it got - it wasnt worth the risk to me of making my back pain worse long term

First birth was in birth center. He was back to back and it was tough but I got through it. Used gas and air but it sent me absolutely loopy

Second was a home birth in water. I did a hypnobirthing course and did loads of practice and found it incredibly helpful. Was such a great experience overall (I mean obviously it HURT but loved being in my own space and loved being in water

I had one epidural and hated it. The other 2 births were at home. I didn’t like gas and air so did it with no pain killers. I do have an unusually high pain threshold tho (as in I don’t feel pain rather than being “brave”)

another woman in my ante natal class had horrific period pain and was dreading labour expecting it to be like period pain x 10 but said it wasn’t really much worse.

every labour is different.

Hi OP, I am a midwife. I hope this information is helpful.

In my trust, our birth centre is attached to our labour suite. So any women in there are only attended to by midwives but Doctors are available if needed.

In my birth centre you can have entonox, paracetamol and codeine or morphine sulphate injection into your thigh as pain relief. Midwives can give this without needing a doctor to prescribe. Any opiates however would mean you couldn’t use the pool for a couple of hours after administration.

if that isn’t working for you and you’d like an epidural then we’d move you round to labour suite where that would be sited. I must say I have never given a morphine injection on the birth centre or had anyone want an epidural. It’s common to ask in transition when things are intense but it’s usually too late by that point. I would always try and facilitate this for you if that’s what you wanted.

Even round on labour suite, you don’t need to see doctors and doctors wouldn’t ever come in unless there was something I wanted them to look at or in case of an emergency.

epidurals in my trust are mobile. That means women can still stand and move around. I had a woman on my last shift who, other than to get the epidural sited, never sat down! She was walking, hands and knees, bouncing in the ball etc and completely comfortable. You can go to the toilet etc as normal too and we wouldn’t catheterise unless clinically required.

Have a chat with your midwife about how things work in your trust and what your options are. Labour is a journey and we can change direction at any point to make it the experience you want.

I had both in hospital as they were higher risk. First one I was induced so labour was rapid and painful but not unbearable with gas and air. I had done a lot of yoga so did a huge amount of steady breathing.
also My antenatal yoga teacher was really strident and kept saying try to be upright, try to keep some control and use gravity to help your labour - so I was never ever going to accept being on my back if I could help it.

In preparing for my second I did a hypnobirthing audio thing which I fell asleep to for months before. It engrained a message of relaxation and calm in facing the coming labour. I really felt so much better facing this birth because of it. I went into hospital pretty determined to manage the pain myself and I didn’t do badly but the staff did get annoyed at me as I didn’t want to move into the delivery room when they told me to.

Being on my knees on those horrible ridged birthing beds was really painful but I had dd upright which felt powerful and logical. Bearing down with control is much easier from your knees.

My hypnobirthing course had trained me to think of contractions as pressure not pain and to breath into them. The second birth did not feel as painful as the first but both were just manageable with gas and air and breathing and mentally not panicking.

I was determined to do what I could unless the risks were too great. I really wanted to be in charge and I was for my second. That felt great for me but I know I was lucky that it went well and I was reluctantly supported.

Why wouldn’t you want an epidural? I didn’t see the point of risking being in pain. They are amazing. I had an early one - had lots of sleep, watched Wimbledon final and was totally relaxed and without a pain or discomfort. Giving birth was a piece of cake!

Hi.
I am not necessarily saying I do not want one. I am not completely set on not having one.
I would just like to know the different experiences people have had.
I have known a couple of people to have lasting effects of the epidural, such as chronic back pain, everyone is different.

If you're interested in epidurals it's worth looking at the labourpains.org website - run by the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association. There is still no evidence that labour epidurals cause chronic back pain. Have hopefully linked their patient info sheet with risks/side effects. There's a lot more info on the site about alternative pain relief (and anaesthetics if your interested in reading about that too)
epidural-infographics2025.pdf

I have 3 DC, each one was planned to be born on the alongside midwifery led unit at my local hospital.
The first 2 were born on the labour ward there instead and the third one was born at home whilst I was trying to get ready to go to the hospital.
I've never had an epidural, although I did ask for one during transition in my first labour, but there was no anaestheist available to do it.
My first two births were both ventouse.
I think all women, babies, labours and births are different, can't really plan for them.

All my births were in a (lovely) NHS birth centre within a full maternity unit. I used a TENS machine and hypobirthing techniques and took all the meds available in the centre (paracetamol, pethidine, gas and air). I had a private, ensuite room from being admitted to being discharged which meant I was totally relaxed and had my own space throughout the births and afterwards when getting to grips with breastfeeding etc. My husband was able to stay with me throughout. Following difficulties with one birth the midwives were able to call for immediate emergency back up which arrived almost instantly but the midwives had everything under control and baby arrived safely without further intervention. As long as you have a clear idea of what extra support is available if needed and take an open minded approach to how things develop then I think that is the best way. Strangely though I realised that I am pretty much the only one of my immediate circle who had vaginal births - I'm not sure how common this is but I didn't think the birthing centre would be that unusual when I ended up with that option.

I have had two births with just gas and air, but they were on labour ward each time rather than birth centre (DD1 as there was no space in the birth centre and DD2 as i had preeclampsia). Neither were inductions - I would not accept an induction without an epidural. The first birth was a challenge for me but by the time I changed my mind about an epidural, I was already 9cm. For the second birth, I was adamant I wanted an epidural and she was born in under an hour so there was really no time. Both times, I responded well to the gas and air, which helped a lot. The midwives let me move around, dim the lights, maintain an open / forward position, never made me get on the bed to lie on my back etc. I was very supported to have a positive birth. And yes it bloody hurt, but it was a different kind of pain i guess is the only way to describe it? Obviously, if labour is going on a long time or baby is back to back, i definitely recommend remaining open to options. Its important to look after yourself as well and an epidural can provide an important chance to rest.

Definitely go for it OP given how close the delivery unit is. I was in the birth centre initially, had to be transferred but wouldn't change it, didn't have an epidural at any point and didn't need one.

In your position I would 100% go to the birth centre knowing that if medical intervention is necessary you can be moved to the labour ward.

I gave birth twice with just gas and air. I really didn't want an epidural, as far as I'm aware you then have to give birth on your back, which I believe is the worst position to be in for birth. Your tail bone will move out to allow room for baby to pass through. Why choose to be on your back unless it's totally necessary? Gravity is a wonderful thing so use it, be mobile, kneel up on the bed and enjoy the experience.

First birth I had a water birth with gas and air and it was absolutely fine, no need for epidural, we were up and around very soon after. There was some pain obviously but it was totally manageable and you got used to the rhythm of it really quickly

I had four children three without pain relief
Yes, you can do it
But why the fuck should you?
There’s no medals handed out at the end for bravery
take all of the pain relief is my advice. I really regret not accepting more help.
It affected my bonding with at least two of the children. I was just so broken afterwards physically and emotionally.
And it’s all just so unnecessary

I wanted an epidural but couldn't get one in time as I had a precipitous labour (where it all happens really fast). The pain was that bad I think you could have chopped a leg off and I'd not have realised as I was already in agony. I've got a high pain threshold so it surprised me, but I've also read with extremely fast labours it can be more painful because everytbing is compressed and starts off strong as opposed to gradually. My sister had a drug free labour and although painful, said it was pushing that she found the worst, the contractions were manageable. We're all different.