Did you have a 'Painless Labour'?

[Pruners]

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hello, im a bit of a fraud being here,
i had a total pain free labour with ds, knew i has to have a cs after having them both times with my daughters, but i am so bloody scared of hospitals, and operating theaters especially, that i asked for a general,(midwife and dr left the room, then came back and said yes,
i think they had read my notes from my previous birth,with dd2 when i freaked out so so much that they had to "knock me out" in the middle of the cs)
so in i went had a needle in my hand, then woke up and there was my gorgeous ds!!! perfect.
downside, hurt like hell after though.
i seriously take my hat off to all you mums who have gone through natural childbirth, hand on heart, i really dont think i could do it.

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well, not exactly totally pain free, but ds2 didn't really hurt very much, mind you it was all over in about 5 contractions so not alot of scope for pain.
but OMG the after pains in the following days!

Are you on drugs?

Surely the only way to have a pain free labour is if you have that syndrome where you cannot feel pain at all?

Agonisingly, excrutiatingly, indescribably {sp?} hallucinogenically painful

• until the epidural

Yes, I did. I remember it being hard work, and a small amount of stinging/burning when the head was crowning, but all in all, it didn't hurt.

I had DD1 in hospital, I laboured upright and mobile for two days, the contractions were distracting and intense, but not painful, until the Dr decided I needed help and stuckme on a drip and put me on my back with my legs in stirrups. Then it Bloody F*cking hurt. A lot.

I had DD2 at home, again I laboured upright and mobile, and gave birth on my knees leaning on a birthing ball. It didn't hurt at all really.

As far as I'm concerned there is a lot to be said for the Tension-Pain thing that Grantly Dick-Read talks about in "Childbirth without Fear" and the position you are in is crucial. Labouring/delivering upright is not only easier, it hurts a lot less too!!!

The sooner women relax about birth (and knowledge is power so the more you understand what you are doing the better, as you become confident in your body and it's ability to birth your baby) and get off thier backs the sooner the classic "Screaming Agony" childbirth stories will become a thing of the past.

Monkies

Given birth 3 times to large babies (and no I'm not one of those 20 stone women on Britains biggest babies - don't start me!). Gas and air only (not coz I;ve a high pain threshold but great support first time talked me out of other pain relief and no time for anything else with number two). GOD it hurt! Especially with number two, first thing I said after that birth was that if I get pregnant again I'll throw myself under bus - for the record no 3 unplanned). So tried hypnobirthing for no 3 - what enlightenment, why the hell are we not taught it at anti-natal. Antenatal such a waste of time, infact it just scared the sh*t out of me! Would definitely reccomend hypnobirthing - it's not as hippyish as it sounds - alot of it is just common sense but arms you with tools to relax and let your body do the work for you.

Not painful as such - the memory is of a huge effort, a bit like lifting a really big stone 1,478 times, but not so much pain. In between contractions I was able to relax quite a lot.

I was totally 'in the zone' though, and can't remember anything that was going on around me, just what happened inside the birth pool!

Someone I know has had 2 painfree births, so it does happen. She told me she just felt different on the day and knew the baby was coming, but she didn't feel any pain or tightening or anything. 1st time around the mw obviously didn't believe her. 2nd time she choose for a home birth due to her history.
Mine weren't painfree, but not agonising either, funnily enough I rather enjoyed the whole experience with baby no2 and wouldn't mind doing it all over again. I know, I'm not quite normal .

I was pain free until 20 minutes before dd2 was born - I was 7 cms when we got to hospital and I had had very mild cramps. I remember looking at the midwife and saying why isn't it hurting yet? The last 20 minutes were very intense though - and they are what I am remembering now I am pregnant again!

ds 1 was horrible. 3 days, back to back, the contractions were horrific.

dd after was side on, my pain was more that she was gonna fall out as she was really on my bladder. docs refused to believe i was in established labour till i freaked out that i was gonna have her in the loo.

once examined said i was only 5 cm, but broke my waters anyway. she popped out in 2 pushes, wether or not the nurses were ready. i couldn't stop it.

wasn't the contractions that were sore. was just really uncomfortable.

and both kids were juge,

9lbs 15oz
9 lbs 13oz

With number one i was in excruciating pain, i managed with a tens machine and gas and air for nearly 12 hours and then caved in and asked for an epidural. Unfortunately i was 9cm dilated by that point and obviously refused one! Number two was a 3 hour labour and didnt get really painful until the last 30 mins. Maybe i coped better because i knew what to expect...with my first i think fear made the pain much worse.

Seems from what I've read and experienced is that often the pain really starts when the waters break. It's like someone removed the airbag and suddenly this thing is hammering on your cervix!

Also depends on how baby is lying - ie where you are getting bashed.

My waters broke when contractions started. At first pain was intense, but not sharp, and had to grip onto bed. By the end I would have killed anyone who took the G&A off me!

I don't believe it's coincidential that as my fear levels have lowered, with each birth, the pain has lessened.

Birth #1 I was terrified and confused and it was agony.

Birth #2 Less scary, less confusing and less painful.

Birth #3 Was pain free until transition, when I became scared (and confused!). Took about 10mins for me to get a grip then I was fine.

Birth #4 Plan to not get caught out by transition again!

I was ok with the early contractions but for the last 6 hours I was distincty uncomfortable, despite the hypnobirthing (although that certaily seemed to help in the earlier stages). I know I was pretty out of it for the last 2 hours, rousing every 3 minutes to wind up like an air raid siren ("make it stop, please shoot me now, I can't bear it") and sleeeeep. Stage 2 was only half an hour and I nearly delivered by myself as I and DH were in the observation room, not a delivery suite (when they checked at 11:30pm I was only 1cm dilated - delivered at 2am) and I had to tell him to go fetch a MW when I felt the baby "move down" - didn't realise he had actually crowned, and then it was only 2 more pushes (5 minutes) until he was out - so I hate to say it, but although the later contractions had me wailing like a banshee, the actual delivery I don't really think hurt (no tear, no cut) and they reeled the placenta out 3 minutes later with no effort from me (I did have the release injection). Perhaps this was because I had been left on my own and was lying on my side throughout with no one telling me when to do anything until the last 2 contractions, which got DS out.

I have to say, I was very impressed at the speed MWs can move when they have to

Dd is now 4 and I haven't been brave enough to have another, purely so I don't have to go through labour again and

I was in manageable pain until I went into hospital and they discovered I was nearly 9 cm. They decided to break my waters and 'it'll all be over very fast'. Ha ha ha. The pain trebled (at least) and 8 hours of agony followed with 3 hours of pushing. All on G & A because there wasn't an anaesthetist available for an epidural. I had a double, extended episiotomy to get dd out. Fortunately she was beautiful and healthy, but I had nightmares for 6 months after.

I am at the idea of a pain free labour and slightly interested in hypnobirthing. Haven't heard of it before.

Hmm, I am reading lots of "I was fine until I went to Hospital and they started fiddling with me/telling me what to do" stories here, is it me or is there a pattern emerging!?!! LOL!!

Monkies

I don't think hospital necessarily equals painful birth but I think actually moving to the hospital in childbirth and various professionals interfering is a sure fired was of working people up into a tense state and being tense = pain and being relaxed = nice happy hormones.

Hypnobirthing is just all about relaxing.

www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk

True for me, Greenmonkies.
Making me get on my back (even after repeatedly telling the m/ws that was the last thing I wanted) sent the pain off the scale, where previously it had been perfectly bearable.

I had my ninth 3 months ago, so I guess that says it all! With every labour I always say never again as the pain can be intense but at least you know it will end eventually. Look at the prize you get at the end! I must admit I wouldn't want to do it without diamorphine and the gas and air helps you to concentrate.

I had my ninth 3 months ago, so I guess that says it all! With every labour I always say never again as the pain can be intense but at least you know it will end eventually. Look at the prize you get at the end! I must admit I wouldn't want to do it without diamorphine and the gas and air helps you to concentrate.

up to 5 cm, no problem as was out and about, then at home and in control. I just ignored it a carried on as normal until evening and only felt pain when I decided to put my feet up for 5 minutes.

I don't remember pain, I think we're designed not to, but I do remember wanting to be left alone to die!

i had a fair bit of pain the first time (5 hr labour)
a short burst of it second time (45 minute labour)
and about a minute the third time, (50-odd minute labour). i pushed hard, the waters broke, head came down, i pushed hard again and he was born. i dont fuck around, me.
i quite enjoy labour tbh. almost worth doing it again i think... wish it would last a bit longer mind. ho hum.

I had quite a lot of pain with my first, but it didn't last that long, less than an hour of "I can't do this agony", but with ds, I had some pain, very sort of okay pain, in that it was bloody sore but for a much shorter time, home birth, and dh remarked to my mil, when he phoned her, just after ds was born"it was much easier this time"

labour was easier with ds but the after pains were pretty painful, do they get worse with subsequent births?

I want another baby.... sigh.

yes they do aefond.