Wondering if anyone has managed an induced labour without an epidural?

[LovelyBertha]

I'm pregnant with dc2, and for medical reasons, I know I will have to be induced at 37-38 weeks. dc1 was induced at 37 weeks too. Went something like this: Very short stage 1/ Epidural/ very long stage 2/ ventouse delivery.
When I've discussed this with people (friends, hv, midwife) since, and I've been told this is fairly typical of an induced delivery. I've even heard that it's actually pretty rare to do it without an epidural. Is this really true? Should I just resign myself to the fact that it'll probably be the same this time round?

I'd love to hear from anyone who knows differently.

I did 12 hours of sytocin drip without pain relief (yes please I'd love a medal).

I used hypnobirthing - has anyone mentioned that yet? Worked for me, but the last two hours were mind bending pain.

Didn't work, I didn't dilate at all so ds was emergency c-section. I was at St Thomas' in London and they were great. The c-section was fine and coz of the hypnobirthing I was calm and not in distress.

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I was induced without an epidural and to be honest it was hell. I had had small contractions for about 24 hours and was induced at 7pm. As soon as the put the gel on, the contractions speeded up and were inredibly painful. I asked them at about 10pm if I could have an epi if I needed one later as I knew it was going to get worse and they said they would arrange one when I went up to the deliery suite if necessary. However there were no beds free until 1.30 so I was on the (packed) maternity ward until then pacing up and down, having warm showers etc.
When I got to the delivery suite they were clearly very short staffed and the midwife was flitting between me and another labouring woman. I had gas and air but it made me vomit and the only other option was pethedine, but my mum had it when having my brother and wouldnt remember giving birth so I really didnt want it! I was pretty much left for the majority of my labour and kept sending oh to get her to ask for pain relief. I asked her for the epidural as the pain was excruciating and she said she would call for one. At about 3am I was strapped to the monitors so wasnt allowed to move about which I feel is the worst thing you can do in labour. By 4.30 am still no epi despite repeatly asking for one and then the drip was put in which made it 10 times worse. When asked again for the epidural she said there was no anaesthetist now as he was in surgery.I had only been asking for 6 hours! Anyway, (sorry didnt mean it to be so long!) I agreed to have pethedine as midwife didnt believe that I needed to push but when she checked I was fully dilated and it was too late to give me it. I actually enjoyed pushing werdly, and only had a slight tear as baby was small, but there was a problem with the placenta coming out. They tried for ages (with the use of g&a) and I was told I might need an epi and to go to theatre! It came out eventually thank god!
I suppose the main thing to consider is that nothing can go fully to plan. I wanted a water birth! I do think that if I hadnt vomited up the gas and air, and been able to continue being upright I ould have been fine. Also I was already in the mindset that I wanted an epidural. I had changed my mind about having one after speaking to the lady in the next bed who said they were lush! I am actually glad I didnt have one now as I recovered very quickly after the birth. If I have another baby I would not want an epi as I know I can do it without. Good luck I am sure you will be fine whatever you choose to do!

i was induced at 39 weeks with dd1 and things went very fast i kept asking for pain relief but they just gave me cocodamol tablets and told me to get a bath 2 hours later waters broke and asked for more pain relief as pain was unbearable by now, they took ages getting gas and air set up and dh kept chasing them up, eventually mw told me labour ward was very busy and my labour was gonna be another several hours so get back into bath however i knew different i told her the baby was coming very soon,(even though it was my first labour i just knew),i asked her to examine me as i got the feeling she just thought i was moaning and she hurried off saying she was ringing labour ward as i was nearing 9cm dialated, i was rushed round to another room as i was stuck on the ward and just got onto bed and delivered right away. mw couldnt appologise more.very painful but over very quickly with just gas and air.

I was induced at 41+wks. They pratically forced an epidural on me (sent various people in to persuade me) also the prostagladin, ARM and the drip. Failed to progress in 2nd stage, then episiotomy and ventouse. When cleaning me up a grinning midwife held the little bit that goes in your back up and told me I hadnt been getting my "top ups" as it had "dislodged"!

i was indcued both times at 36wks for medical reasons, didnt have an epi either time. 1st labour was awful, but second time round i was alot more informed and until the last hr i walked and laughed my way through it. It can be done! Im certainly no hero when it comes to 'pain' and cry if i stub my toe - but i knew with every ctx i was one step closer to my baby and it was worth hanging on for xx

i was put on a syntocinon drip to speed things up when my contractions slowed down...don't recall actually being offered an epidural!

DS2 was OP and induced at 41+3 (actually all my DCs were OP) I had my waters broken, and then the drip. I coped with G&A for around 3.5 hours, but when they said it would be another 4/5 hours at least, I asked for pethadine. They gave me the shot (which takes around 20 minutes to work) and actually gave birth.......20 minutes later. DS2 came out asleep, and I was very chilled for the next few hours If the MWs hadn't been mistaken about the length of labour, I wouldn't have bothered asking. It was very intense, and yes, painful but not that much worse than having DS1.

I'm still not sure which was 'better' 12 hours in labour with DS1, but a gradual build up, or 4 hours of OMG 0-60 labour with DS2.

i had my waters broken with both babies at 3cm after 15/16 hours of established labour as i wasn't progressing.

i didn't have an epi woith either, or g&a for that matter.... it's not that bad at all. by the time the contractions were piling on top of one another and i was thinking 'oh fuck what have i done?!' it was practically over.

ds was OP and was born still facing the wrong way and dd had the cord around her shoulder and i had to be manually stetched the last 2cm as her heart had practically stopped and she needed to be delivered immedietely. both of them had their arms over their faces too for some bizarre reason!

had labial grazes with both but nothing serious, was up and walking about a few minutes after ds's birth (a few hours with dd as i'd haemorraged and was on a drip and had been ordered to stay in bed)

This is something i am really worried about. With my dd, i went in to be induced and didn't have a clue what they were going to do. I had 3 doses of the prostin, that didn't work so had my waters broken and the drip. The contractions went from 0 - intensly painful almost straight away. 4 hours in they said i was only 3cm so i had the epidural.

It's only now that i am more clued up about the process that i realise the contrations were like that because of the drip. I am very worried and annoyed that labour with this pregnancy hasn't started natrually and i am going in to be induced tommorrow. I really wanted to try and do it without the epidural this time but i know i won't cope if they do the drip again.

Hello. Only read op. I had an induced delivery (broke my waters then put me on the drip) with dd2. One puff of gas and air made me feel sick so I had no pain relief at all . I am certainly not super human so yes it is do-able. I was overdue though and when the drip kicked in it was fast. Dd2 was born almost exactly 2 hours after they started the drip. I had no gaps between my contractions, so couldn't actually speak, so couldn't have asked for an epidural anyway .. and they would never have got it in and working in time.

I was induced with Dd, and got there with TENS and g&a. I tried to keep as mobile as I could. I'd had a sweep two days beforehand so I think i was 'ready' which I think helps with an induction.

Only read Op.

I had two pessaries twelve hours apart. The second one really kicked things off, and I only needed G&A.

However, the midwives kept telling me it was going to be ages yet (implying a drip would be needed), and I insisted that I be given an epidural if that happened.

It didn't, though. Twenty-five minute second stage, and out popped DS with no other intervention.

I was two weeks over-due: don't know if that made a difference with regards to my 'readiness'.

Good luck btw! No shame in having an epidural. It bloody hurts dunnit!

both my dd was induced i had no epidural with either my first i was induced due to waters breaking 3 weeks early but didnt go in labour natualy 2nd dd was 2 weeks late they induced me then told me no room on the delivery suit so had to stay on ward them told i wasnt alound any pain relif on ward but then thanks to my mil got gas and air still on ward and that was all i was aloud then i gave birth to a 10lb 6oz baby with only gas and air .

i had pesserys and drip for my first dd..

Lulumama is right about inductions and no pain relief being out of necessity rather than by choice!

DD was induced (both were) and I went into hyper stimulation -- 0 - 10 inches in about an hour

We were in ther delivery suite for 15 minutes... Didn't have time for pain relief. Didn't bother with gas and air, can't remember why.

The thing with an epidural is that it doesn't block the contractions at the end, by which point you're pushing anyway.

My mum did in 1973 but I don't think she had a lot of choice about it. She was fine though.

I was induced for DS (my 3rd) at 38 weeks and refused an epidural as I'd had relatively quick and easy births with the other 2 and really felt I could cope. The midwives thought I was certifiable (I live in France where 90%+ of women have epidurals anyway and inductions without epidurals are unheard of) but I stood my ground!

Really, honestly, it was fine. No more difficult/painful than a natural labour.

I'd recommend doing what I did and not committing yourself one way or the other, then take it if you need it, and don't if you don't.

Starlightmakenzie, am so with you, in fact after 10 hrs of syntocin without an epidural i was begging for someone to get a gun and shoot me... horendous... and still not forgotten the pain

DS2 was posterior and i was induced with no epi - the babies position DOES matter, but it was no more painful (infact less so) then before, but that was def due to my mental attitude and expectations xx

I was induced (not planned but my waters broke and labour did not establish effectively) and I had gas and air, epidural was never even mentioned - probably could have done with something more at the end as I had a ventouse but it was too late at that point!

I was induced with my third child. My watters had however broke hours before and was induced because nothing was happening, I gave birth with no painkillers within 20 minutes of being induced. very quick and very painfull.

I was induced with my third child. My watters had however broke hours before and was induced because nothing was happening, I gave birth with no painkillers within 20 minutes of being induced. very quick and very painfull.

I was induced without, but was over due. All very smooth and quick, but may be because of overdue ness.

I was induced with dd and it was over in 12 hours from pessary. Gas and air only - they woudl not give mepethidine as she was small and they feared it would make her sleepy. Apart from the 3 hour stage 2 it was all great, lots of walking for first few hours, only got 'hairy' once they broke my waters.

With ds he was born nautrally but very quick - I don't recall how I managed with the almost constant contractions (woke with them at 5am ds born 7.30am, 15mins after arrival at hospital) until I got to hospital and demanded gas & air (which incidentally they took off me as the mw thoguht I wasn't pushing except I was just needed an episiotomy as ds had a big head )

Of the two the first labour was by far the preferable so induction can go well - good luck