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 had all 4 of my children without any pain relief.
My first labour was quite long, around 14hrs but my 2nd was 3hrs, my 3rd only 2hrs and my 4th, which was a home birth, was 3hrs.
I like to walk around while in labour. I also like to stand with hands on hips and sway from side to side. When I give birth I like to kneel up and lean over the headboard of the bed.

After 30 odd hour labour, I had ds first with pethidine (no difference) then epidural (wonderful but struggled pushing and had umm i forgot what it was called the suction cup to pull them out?). H and I were looking terrified at the screams coming from woman in labour in next room.

with dd used a tens machine up until going into hospital. which was from mild pains 5am till about 11amish when I got stroppy and ripped it off. Don't know if it helped too much but it definatly distracted me which worked well enough.

Then eventually had no time for 'proper' pain relief (despite screaming EPIDURAL at midwife a number of times ) and became the screaming dry sobbing woman from next door first labour. I know us ladies have that thing where we manage to forget that pain of labour but proof to me is I bent all my long fingernails backwards at 90 degree angles clawing the bed

Had ds1 with pethidine and gas and air - horrible. The pethidine didn't work for me, it just made me feel really drunk without taking any pain away - so the control I had had was gone and the pain was still there

ds2 I had no pain relief other than homeopathic remedies (to be honest I wanted them for their placebo effect more than anything, I wanted to feel like I was doing something when it hurt IYSWIM), but I did have a birth pool which was lovely.

Admittedly it hurt a lot, but was a lot less traumatic than ds1's birth, and I felt so in control of my own experience. The only part where I felt the pain was too much was the last 5 minutes, and that was over very quickly.

My Tens machine got me to 4cm, then the birthing pool helped loads too.
I was a bit worried about the g&a too - I thought it would be like poppers which I tried once as a teenager and felt very sick. It's actually a very subtle effect though and just made me sleepy.
Another non-invasive pain relief option, which is more commonly used in Australia, is lidocaine gel, which is an anaesthetic gel applied to the appropriate area before pushing. I think it worked (can't be sure because they injected the stronger stuff before using the forceps!!). You can get it from the chemist without prescription.
Also try to keep as calm as you can and remember the pain only lasts for a short while and disappears completely once your wiggler is out.
Good luck!

Agree with Belgo & others on here who suggest going in with 'hopes' maybe rather than a definite plan - although I suspect your IBS experience will bring you closer than many, I do think childbirth is pretty unimaginable pre-childbirth , and as such, it's difficult to know what you'll need.

With my first labour, I had G&A (in late labour) - and loved it - made me feel pleasantly space-y and a bit giggly. But still allowed me to concentrate when I needed to. I did have a fairly short labour for a first timer (about 6 hours from first contraction to birth)

With my second, I honestly forgot about pain relief until I was being stitched up (made sure I got my fair share then!) Completely amazing & transcendental experience - simultaneously utterly out of body and utterly physical. BUT I don't think I could have had that experience for a first birth - part of my calmness was because I knew I'd done it before iykwim.

I did do lots of breathing based and meditative yoga during my first pg, and used the breathing/focus techniques in both labours. Not that I'm saying pg yoga = easy birth....!

I was very keen to approach labour without drugs, and in the end (first baby) I did ask fro an epidural for the eventual ventouse delivery.
But up until then, I really didn't want anythng other than TENS - which I had used from the very first twinge-y contractions, and a pool. With breathing, staying mobile and upright,and just somehow allowing my endorphins to buid up and take over, I didn't want G&A because i felt it would stop me focussing on breathing and keeping calm and sort of 'into myself'. I felt fine through 24 hours of first stage and 3 hours of second stage. In fact it was only lying on my back that made me think 'no, that's enough, epidural for ventouse!' - and having an epidural was fine, too.

I wasn't afraid of labour - I expected it to hurt more than it did, but thought, 'well, it won't last more than 24hours...and if i don't like it, what's the problem, I will have an epidural'. And I thought about climbing a big mountain - slogging up the killer strtches of some of the lake district fells, and i thought that however tough slogging uphill is, it doesn't make you stop and turn back - you know you are on your route.

Oh - and I was at home until it was clear hat DS was OP, stuck, and we needed help - but went in after a couple of hours of pushing.

I also wrote pain relief in order of preference in my birth plan and said I'd prefer to not use any but may change my mind as labour progressed!

I found the pain went from uncomfortable, to unpleasant, and then for a very short while I thought it was unbearable and asked for pain relief because I thought I still must have hours left, and the MW told me it was far too late for that because the head was just about out!

So I didn't have anything - tried G&A and it made me feel horrible. I mainly tried to concentrate on my breathing which really helped - and I found trying to breathe in gas and air stopped me concentrating and made me feel worse.

It's interesting the number of people on here who didnt use any pain relief, or only minimal pain relief, until the stitching up. I think this really sums up how labour is different from other pain. Although labour pains hurt like f!, there is this real feeling that it's productive pain - you are moving towards your goal. In comparison, having stitches in your fanjo is nothing (honestly!) but because you've gone through labour, and produced your baby, your entire perception of pain alters and you're suddenly back in real life. I know I forgot to suck in on the gas and air for one stitch, and I felt the entire thing! I yelled at the doctor, and then thought, this is ridiculous, I've just gone through labour! That's why I don't think it necessarily follows that women with a lower pain threshold will find labour really hard, and women with a high threshold will cope fine. Labour takes you into a different zone. I would never have said that I had a high pain threshold - there were other women in my antenatal classes who were far more determined to have a natural birth than I was, although only two of us ended up with just gas and air. I think it's about believing in your body as much as anything.

Hiya

Sorry but i haven't read all the threads but wanted to reassure you about a no pain relief birth!

I opted for a home water birth and went into labour on the Tuesday morning. "Proper" labour kicked in around 12.30 i think. I only wanted gas and air as i also hated the idea of pethedine and no way was i going to have an epidural! So anyway, i was waiting for the pain to get really bad before i got into the pool and didn't want to hit the G&A too early in case it made me feel sick. I ended up not being able to get into the pool due to meconium in my waters so had to give birth on dry land instead. I can honestly say the pain wasn't that bad and i remember thinking that i would hang on for the gas and air for when it got REALLY bad, but i never got round to it! So basically i had DD without any pain relief whatsoever. I had to have a couple of stitches and i had the gas and air for that, but i think that was probably more for comedy value than anything else!

HTH

findtheriver - well said! Very true!

Findtheriver - I'd completely forgotten about the stitches afterwards - I was the same, gave birth with no pain relief and then when the midwife said I'd need a couple of stitches the first thing I said was 'will it hurt?'! Definitely true about labour feeling like productive pain and it builds up gradually, and your body produces its own pain relief - DP said I was high as a kite as if I'd taken loads of drugs but it must have been my body's natural pain relief.

I had far too much G and A to make up for not having a drink for 9 months (OK & cos I didn't know I was preg!!!) but no other pain relief and no G and A at the end cos they were trying to get me more awake to push. Don't remember too much...I was dreaming about all the course work I hadn't marked before I went on Mat leave!!! Contractions weren't long enough to push much and I had to have a ventouse. Even before the G and A the pain wasn't as bad as some periods I have had. I wish I'd tried to go without the G & A but I liked it and once I'd started wouldn't stop! Maybe I could have pushed more if I wasn't so stoned?
Anyway, was very pleased with myself cos I didn't have any other pain relief....then had to have an epidural to be repaired!!!! That was quite nice in a way!

I didn't have anything for my 3, but I am lucky in regards to birthing - all three were short (6hrs, 3 hrs and 3 hrs) and straightforward. They were all homebirths, so I didn't have certain options like epidural anyway. I thought for the first I would have g&a, but I was rather sick anyway, so I just did without. For the other 2 I thought I would just ride it out for as long as I could.
I hoped to be able to do with as little as possible. I think being relatively relaxed (being at home really helped with this!) was the most helpful thing.

babyig loads of women do it every minute without pain relief! But we are not culturally brought up to expect it imo.

I was induced so my ds's birth was very rapid. So I had a tens machine and gas and air. Both helped but just as effective is the constant presence of a woman who you trust. My sis is a former mw and when she was with me I could cope with far more than when she had to pop out briefly.

Also some people swear by hypnobirth self hypnosis techniques. But I haven't tried them.

Fear and panic have a huge influence on perceptions of pain. If you think of some of the labour as pressure and really really relax then some of the pain is more bearable. But being in a panic I think is what makes many women feel the pain more intensely than if they were calm enough to manage it a little bit.

Women who have home births don't seem to mention the pain as much as women in hospital. That must have something to do with state of mind/expectations/calm etc. good luck with whatever you decide. I think you should follow your instincts but be prepared to throw it all out the window if you need to!

Oh god I'd forgotten, the stitches were FAR MORE painful than the birth!

I just didn't have anything for that psycho bastard obstetrician who sewed me up without waiting for the anaesthetic to work.

I tried gas and air with DS1 but it didn't seem to have any effect, so I ended up delivering him without pain relief. Not for want of asking for every drug going mind you - midwives kept shaking their heads and smiling at me and telling me I was having a 'storming labour' .

DS2 was very quick and I didn't feel I needed pain relief at all (because it was SO much less painful than with DS1).

I used TENS machine with both though - think that really helped - and DH enjoyed pressing the buttons...

I was aiming to do all the moving around, birthing pool, squatting stuff but ended up like a beached whale flat on my back on the bed both times .

I just wanted to be on my knees and the hospital bed thing was so uncomfortable. Why can't they just have lovely soft mats on the floor. I guess it just makes it too hard for the staff.

I did with my first because it was premature (doesn't make it any easier) and I didn't realise (actually A&E said it was a UTI) I was in labour until the very end. I did have G&A for the last half hour and it was great, especially with afterbirth contractions (until they realised they'd left it there!) Why don't you ask if you can try some either before you get to term (although they may say no as you're not supposed to give it to pregnant women) or just try it early on? It leaves your system as soon as you're not using it.

It didn't hurt that much I thought, look into ways to cope with the pain and labour - read The Water Birth Book, even if you don't plan on having one! I sat on the toilet during each contraction (I thought I had a UTI remember) and that helped me relax enough and took pressure from my underneath to help. I also psyched myself out of pain, if you think it doesn't hurt, I'm OK etc your brain won't respond to it hurting by tensing up and stressing you out which makes the pain worse. Listen to your body, if it's telling you to move into a position, do it. I spent my contractions at the hospital on my back with my weight on my shoulders and feet with my hips in the air!

It is doable, look into the things I said, ask others what their coping strategies were, make sure everyone knows your plans. But of course always be ready for some change in plan, my second daughter got to fully dilated and her foot started to descend so I had to be rushed for a GA and a CS. Until then I'd only had a codeine tablet the night before.

My contractions started at 6am and made it to about 7pm when they started getting stronger to use my TENS. I went to hospital at 9pm and one of the midwives asked what number i had the tens machine on and told me I should have it at 9 by then (I had it at 3 and was 6cm) but I didn't feel I needed it. No other pain relief until stitching then I had the lidocane (sp?) jab and a bit of g&a. I have a fairly low pain threshold so didn't expect it to go like this despite not wanting pethadine or epidural. I did use hypnotherapy cd during last month of pregnancy - I don't know if this helped.

hiya truthfully?

go for it the thing I found was once the fear of the pain was gone it hurt but not as much as you'd be made to believe people look at you as though you are nuts and tell you allsorts of scaremongering stories

I had my first child 7lb 2oz on the sofa unintended I was terrified but once the paramedics had me safe I felt it a lot less

I had G&A and tore slightly but getting a focal point up , concentrating and listening to my body

I did it again!!

my son 9 weeks now 6 lb 11oz was born on my bed - intended!
the labour ached but I paced round ran a bath that I never managed to get in!!
knelt on my bed over a bean bag through major contactions , rang the labour ward about an hour before he was born , spoke to the community midwife who luckily lived over the road he arrived said hello to my bum
asked if I was ready to push I said yes!!

he set up G&A just in case rubbed my back asked me to hang on a mo and he guided him out gave him to daddy rubbed my back again asked if I wanted my placenta naturally and out that came too in one piece
he put it in a bucket and helped me to lie down
after that I had minor grazes felt a bit sore obviously but within days was happily walking my oldest to school

however things happen so list what pain relief you'd happily go with
so gas and air is good to give you a boost
my next choice mainly because I was having a home birth was meptid
screaming is a good relief learning to breathe properly and learning to trust your body focal points to lift you almost away and visulising your baby are all very good ways to have a better birth

still fresh in my mind, I'd happily do mine again right now

unintentionally - twice. short labours and so on, dc#2 & 3. these were so much more preferable to dc1 who i had an epidural with, and mostly to shut the medical staff up, i was 5cm when it went in and it was a complete waste of time. The two with no pain relief for labour and birth, a bit with ds2 to have the one stitch done was my lot
I recommend it, but have a few options open just in case.

hey!

I had a birth plan and all that jazz but it didnt happen!
My labour went too fast and i didnt get time for pain relief. But i had planned on it.

I started off having back pains at 3pm, i had an amaaazing bath and called the hosp at 5, my waters hadnt broke but they asked me to come in and get checked over. i did. at 8pm they told me i wasnt in labour and i was to go back home, soo i get dressed stand up, walk along the ward ans woooosh waters went. Sat back on my bed waiting on MW to wheel me down to labour suit. I started pushing ( couldnt help it!) and she said i shouldnt be ready to push. Checked me and was shocked to see that i was. Sooo noah was born at 10.57pm.

My whole body was shaking afterwards for hours! and i spewed my toast and tea up .
Imagine how it would have ended up if i had headed back home 3 hours before! AHHH.

I would say write in your birth plan what your real intention is and if you think you are coping stick to it. With my first i was only 23. I had been in labour from 8am spent day at home bathing and using tens before going into labour ward at 3pm 6cm dilated. They seemed genuinely shocked i hadn't rushed in to get my epidural but i said i didnt want one. Anyway i proceeded to get into another bath when the midwifes anounced id done really well but they thought i should have something stronger (gas and air made me retch so not an option). Bear in mind i didnt ask for anything and i hadnt been screaming the place down, but i felt inexperienced and like i wsa being told what to do. So eventually i had pethadine which was horrible. It lessened the pain slightly but lengthened the contraction so it felt like a permanent presence. My dd was born at 6.25pm so i was only actually in the labour room for 3 hrs 25 minutes before delivery which annoys me even more as it wasnt like a slow labour where i would need to mask the pain for a long time.

After that experience for dc2 i knew i would not touch gas and air or pethadine. I have always said no to an epidural (long story but had one for pain relief for back condition years ago and it was a truly horrific experience). So i knew my only option would be water and tens again. Anyway with both ds1 and ds2 my labours came on too quickly and too intensely (sp) to get relief so just went with the flow!

dc4 due in dec and again planning no pain relief HOWEVER none of my labours have ever been over 10 hours, if they were i dont know if i could go on for 24-48 hours that some women endure with nothing
.. I just know this is going to be the one to get stuck or take his/her time just to get me back!!

i did'nt have any either. i knew that i wanted to & could do it without & i think if you think positive like that then your half way there.
having a home birth helped imo as i could do what i wanted & move about.
dh thinks because i did'nt have any it could'nt have been that painful, if only men could have babies!
good luck i'm sure your be fine. as i told my friend who recently had a baby, if you need t have it thats what its there for

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