Did you have a birth without pain relief - talk to me!

[babyignoramus]

This is a long way off yet but I'm one of those people who likes to investigate things thoroughly beforehand...! At the moment I'm considering attempting birth without pain relief - I'm not trying to be a hero, it's just that I can't think of anything I'd actually want. I don't like the idea of pethidine, I HATE the idea of an epidural and I have a feeling that gas and air are likely to make me feel sick. However, I'm keeping a very open mind and may well end up having the lot!

I'd appreciate hearing your stories.

Ta!

I pretty much gave birth without pain relief when I had dd2.

She was a VBAC so I had ruled out an epidural early on, as epidurals can mask unusual pain from the caesarean scar.

I definitely didn't want pethidine because I had had a morphine injection after I had dd1 (elective section) and hated it. I was told it would make me feel 'nicely drunk' but it didn't, it made me feel panicky and I couldn't remember what we'd called our baby which made me panic even more! I also wanted to be compos mentis as much as possible so that I could make informed decisions as to how the labour was going (in case I needed to make a decision about having a second section).

I went into labour at 38+5 when my waters broke (slowly, not in a big rush, so wasn't sure whether or not this was 'it' for a while). Sat in the bath at home for a couple of hours to let dh sleep (started at about midnight). Then got out and decided to put TENS machine on. I think that did take the edge off the pain a bit, but I'm not really sure. I quite liked the
sensation anyway! Phoned the hospital, waiting for friend to come over to look after dd1 and then went in at about 6.00. Was briefly examined and monitored for about 20 mins (still with the TENS on, I think) and they confirmed I was in labour (I was still in denial!). I wanted to use the pool, but there was someone in it, so they suggested I get in the bath instead. I sat/wallowed in a lovely deep bath (obviously the TENS had to come off for that) for about an hour or so, then things were getting quite painful and I asked for some gas and air. I had a few sucks on it, but never really got the hang of it. Then I felt sick (I don't think that the G&A made me sick, I think I'd have been sick anyway, but having something in my mouth made me feel worse, so I gave up on that). Was sick once (in transition) then started to feel need to push. They got me out of the bath, confirmed I was fully dilated and transferred me to a delivery room (for some reason they insisted on putting me in a wheelchair even though I insisted I could walk!). The G&A was left behind in the bathroom. I had a long second stage (about 2 hours) which I did kneeling at the head of the bed holding onto the rail. During all that time I didn't have any pain relief and it didn't occur to me to ask for any. It was painful and with hindsight maybe I should have asked for the G&A, but tbh I wasn't really thinking about anything except what my body was doing and what my baby was doing. I got quite irritated with dh and the midwives if they spoke to me (or to each other!) and just sort of 'went inside myself' and got on with it.

After dd was born I had local anaesthetic in order to be stitched, and I think I was in shock or something, because after giving birth with no pain relief to speak of, I then totally wimped out and remember complaining that the stitches were 'really hurting me'.

So it wasn't totally without pain relief as I used TENS and a bit of G&A, but it was almost without pain relief and I certainly don't regret it. It was the most amazing experience and I'd do it all again tomorrow (if dh would let me... which he won't ).

I used tens machine,thought it was great. Used G&A when I was told I was 9cm but made me sick. So left it alone then used it again for being stitched up.

Trying for Home Water birth this time.(no luck last time)

I strongly reccomend learning/practicing breathing techniques, I believe this worked for me.

I watched a dvd a bit dated and cheesy but the information and techniques worked for me.
Think the lady is Betty Parsons she has helped thousands of women in labour including 2 generations of the royal family and the Queen.

Ellbell- after my first birth I had stitches and they were agony - I remember the doctor telling me off for complaining about the pain. I don't think she used local aneasthetic, the doctor probably assumed I had an epidural. It was awful.

I also 'went inside myself' for both births. Almost like a self hynoptic state.

Just want to add I am not against other pain relief.
I am allergic to morphine so was told I couldnt have Pethidine.
Also have back problems and was referred for epidural cortisone injections but couldnt face it, s0 I knew I could never have an epidural.

Belgo how awful for you, I sympathise as the tearing/stitching scenario was the worst part for me. I would ahve gladly delivered another than go through all that again.(My only fear this time is tearing)

I also know what you mean about going inside yourself. Thats what I did just focused on breathing and shut everything out.

It was amazing, belgo. I am normally a very tense, stressy, easily distracted person, but everything else just disappeared and it was just me and my body and my baby. I'd look into hypnobirthing if I were going to do it again.

Both my births did not include medical pain relief. I got through my induction with ds1 using hypnobirthing. I pretty much slept through most of it.

Ds2 was fast and furious so hypnobirthing techniques were harder for me to use, because I couldn't get my mind into it. Either way I knew what to expect, and it was fine.

My attitude was and will be with this one in Marche: Go with the flow and see how you feel at the time.

When nature works well, it really knows what it's doing and women can cope very well. It's when things start to go wrong that it's far harder to deal with.

Could have done with an epidural from the neck down though for that first week of breatsfeeding!

Yeah, I was lucky, belgo. And I am well aware that an elective section with dd1 saved my life and hers, so definitely not against medical intervention. But dd2 knew what she was doing...

I have 3 DCs.
My first DC was born after Gas/Air, and far too much pethadide. I was so spaced out to the stage of not giving a shit if he lived or died, he nearlly did die and I didn't care.

The second time I vowed to never let that happen again, so I would have nothing at all. I didn't. It was painfull and I tore, but it was childbirth so it would be.

Third time was the same. Hell for a few hours then baby.

I could have completely written your post word for word in 2005! I said: "Gas & air is meant to make you feel drunk, which I don't like (am pretty much teetotal - don't like alcohol taste), pethidine ditto, and an epidural, well you can stay away from my back with a needle thank you very much. But I am keeping my mind open..."

With DD1, (an induction at 39+6) I had co-codamol when I was twingy, to get some sleep on midwife advise, with the TENS Machine, and then I had G&A in the last 45 minutes for pushing. I was told that G&A can make you feel very sick if you take small frequent puffs, but that if you take big long drags it doesn't. I took the breaths of my life (hate feeling sick) and apart from passing out with each set of breaths, due to the G&A, I had no nausea.

With DD2, I started without anything but TENS (another induction this time at 35+4), but I had the urge to push at only 4cms, so was advised to have pethedine to relax me & enable my cervix to move around (it had slipped up behind baby's head, and so she was pushing down on cervix wall instead of os). THAT was wierd, and drunk feeling, but I didn't actually care. I also had G&A. When the time came to push, my head cleared like a thunderbolt, I came out of the pethidine induced haze, and I declared "I've got to push this baby out". She was born 5 minutes later.

Having laboured twice, I would say do keep your mind open. I thought that pethidine would be horrific, but although it did exactly what I thought it would do, and I did vomit after the birth,I coped and it helped my labour progress smoothly. I prefer the control of G&A, because it is out as quickly as it is in, but if you have a fairly laid back approach to your options, you won't be stressed if you end up choosing to have more pain relief than you originally planned.

Message withdrawn

Oh, but I do remember I needed stitches after DD1, and the midwives laughing at me because I was passing out with the G&A as they did it . The reason I say, is that the Supervisor of Midwives was teaching a junior to stitch, and it was a complicated 'v' shape tear. She told the junior that the key to good pain relief for stitches is not just to inject local into the torn area, but to save 2-3 ml and squirt it over the area. She reckoned that was why so many ladies hurt when they are stitched, because they haven't been squirted!!

I had the choice of big foul hospital a very long drive away or the local cottage hospital that has a midwife-led maternity unit. So I opted for the latter, which immediately ruled out epidurals. They could only offer pethidine, which I didn't like the sound of at all, or gas & air, which didn't seem worth the bother.

So I had 2 DCs in birthing pools at the midwife-unit and my last 2 DCs at home in the bath. No pain relief, other than the water (does water really count as pain relief?!).

Pre-birth, I think far too many of us assume that it's almost unbearable pain and will involve much screaming, as portrayed on the TV. For many women it's not like that at all, perhaps this is more obvious to me as all my post-natal friends were from the midwife-led unit and they all managed without any pain relief or just with gas & air (not one opted for pethidine). None of us are extraordinarily tough or committed hippies, we just had the opportunity to try a natural birth.

Good luck!

hey - i had no pain relief because i have a massive needle phobia so that ruled out various options (included anything when i was sewn up after!!!). i would say that you do, as with parenting, what you can cope with. and - with hindsight (because the whole pregnancy is leading up to this birth crescendo which, after, is such a tiny period of time in comparison to the parenting!) - making it the best experience for you both, in whatever way that may be, is the most important thing. one way or another, everyone has war wounds and stories, and one way or another, it will be your own personal miracle.

i would also say that, had someone been able to describe the nature of the pain to me, i would have felt much more empowered - i was imagining a cutting sensation when, for me anyway, it was more like constipation and period pains - just to the max.

also - for what its worth, my dd shot out and it was only and hour or two of proper pain. i cant imagine what i would have done had it been a 48 hour-er

good luck.
x

I had a bit of gas and air with both of mine.

I didn't exactly plan to not use pain relief, but the labours went faster than expected so there wasn't really any time tbh.

Lots of breathing helped (plus lower back massage from a student nurse) but it was still incredibly painful to tell the truth.

Wow, thanks for all the quick responses. I think I'm just going to write down pain relief in order of preference and see how I go.

I'm a bit of a pain wimp too, but having suffered with IBS since I was a kid, (am not comparing IBS with labour here by the way - I'm not that delusional!), I know what it's like to suffer with severe stomach cramps, inevitably getting worse and leading to, ahem, 'relief'. Sorry, TMI . Horrid, but I think it's probably good prep.

i was induced both times and had pethidine with my first and some g&a and with sescond jsut g&a before pushing. i certainly wasnt a hero - jsut the way things worked out.

I was quite convinced that I wouldn't need pain relief, and that breathing and the TENS machine would do the trick (the fact that DS was supposed to be a HB helped here - meptid was available, but I'm too phobic about vomiting to take any drugs... ). In fact, I did get to the point where DS's head was clearly visible without having had any pain relief - but once it came to the emergency transfer to hospital, hours and hours into an agonising back-to-back labour, they brought out the gas and air, for which I am still grateful six years on (and no, it didn't make me sick, even though I was sure it would - in fact, it was marvellous). I am even more grateful to the inventors of spinal blocks and epidurals!

All that said, if DS hadn't got stuck, I would have managed fine without pain relief. Yes, it does hurt, but the pain is manageable if you stay focussed on your breathing, and in control.

Above all, though, keep an open mind - if it works without pain relief, fab; if it doesn't, then that's fine too. What you want is the best possible outcome for both of you. Without pain relief and every possible medical intervention, DS and I would probably not be here to tell the tale!

I've given birth three times. The first time in hospital with pethedine followed by an epidural. The second time, at home with a TENS machine and lots of G&A which helped a lot, and the third time, at home with nothing because I found the TENS and the G&A did nothing for me that time. It basically taught me that every single birth is different, and you have to go into it with a completely open mind, because you just don't know how it's going to pan out. Pain relief is wonderful if you feel you need it and it works, but it's perfectly possible to give birth without.

I had my daughter with just gas and air. It was bloody painfull. Afterwards I felt fantastic and full of energy. If you have loads of drugs you won't feel the same afterwards. I think it's good to do it naturally if you can. Good luck.

Couldn't get on with G&A during labour - DH predicted this as I am useless with anything that requires me to breath through my mouth eg snorkelling, scuba diving - so effectively had no pain relief other than tens. Quite quick births but so painful - but no regrets. Did use G&A for stiches afterwards, with a shot of local - by then it was the only thing I needed to focus on ie no contractions, pain could manage the breathing - it was lovely.

I haven't personally had one I had an ECS. But my mum had my brother and my twin sisters with no pain relief as the labours progressed to quickly because she had all of them in under twon hours. She said it's well worth it in the end as with me she had Pethadine and felt wasted after she had me whereas she did both labours with DB and sisters without and felt fine afterwards and was up and about pretty much straight after. She didn't even have G&A with the twins as she thought it was useless and ended up just biting down on the tube thing LOL. I know she said it was really hard and she does seem to have a high pain threshhold so I couldnt do it, I'm a complete woose LOL.
Good luck to you.

You may not be far of the mark with your comparison with IBS pains, I certainly found the experience pretty similar. I had DD1 with no pain relief by 'accident'. They insisted I had hours to go as not dilated and would save pethidine till nearer the time. They did give me gas and air but failed to connect it to the tank, so the wonderfully soothing effect was entirely down to BIG breaths of air only. DD1 shot out in one giant push and dangled off the end of the bed on her cord. Apparantly, I had a rat trap pelvis which does not dilate but opens and shuts again very quickly when pressed. DD2 also eventually shot out like a human cannon ball but that was after a long and painful labour where I had too much G&A and totally lost the place.