any tips for pain relief free labour

[1dilemma]

Obv if I need it I will have it and this would only be or those lucky enough for a smooth ride

but does anyone have any tips for a pain relief free labour? what worked for you? what didn't? how about a water birth? (is the pool very hot?)

urm anything else useful?

thanks

Nothing beats an epidural for a painless birth IME...

Yup...I'm there with the epidural vote. Did a drug free home birth and an epidural hospital birth and loved the hospital one. No pain, very quick, up and about again within minutes.

lol Sally did you read the thread title?

Ahhh...I went for pain free not pain relief...ermmm...well, depends on definition of pain relief I suppose...warm water, massage..all forms of pain relief! (and to be honest, it was only the merest tickle of anaesthetic and it made all the difference , so hardly counts! )

Have a water birth

i had DD 2 weeks ago - was brill.

you can get the water as warm as you like

also, a birth partner who can really support you is very important IME

Yup very true all different forms of pain relief.

Mind you I feel like I need G&A just to haul myself off the sofa ATM

1dilemma, I have quick births too. Before my second birth I did a 2 hour breathing course in London (based on hypnobirthing) which was fantastic, basically you practise 3 types of breathing, all were useful.

1. Relaxation breathing: for in-between contractions. Breathe in through your nose, then let it out through your mouth, out breath is longer than in breath.
2. Contraction: breath in for a count of 20, then out for a count of 20. I found I couldn't get to 20, but each contraction lasted 3-4 of these 20-20 breaths.
3. breath the baby out: tilt your head down, breath down (out of mouth) in a long big breath, it makes everything push down (try it while pooing!)

There was also lots of visualising, so each contraction (which I experience a bit like food poisoning) is all the muscles helping pull the cervix open, imagine it opening, imagine the baby moving down etc. As it's not your first you might be more aware of these things anyway (don't know your history though).

I felt so in control (especially with the 2nd type of breathing as I could tell when each contraction would end), I really felt I was working at it. Knowing it would be quick helped too - I knew I was working to a definite and immediate (as in shortly to happen) end.

I should add that the whole childbirth thing seems to be a bit of a lottery, I'm lucky to have had quick labours that have been straightforward, I have nothing against women wanting epidurals etc and am full of respect for women who go through much more demanding labours than me.

hi! i had a home birth three weeks ago and ended up not using any gas and air or pain relief, it wasn't the easiest thing i've ever done but good fun!

I gave birth in a birth pool in a box (great as my husband could get in with me) and them temp is about 37 degrees, we filled it up in the morning and i got in when the midwives arrived and i was 5cm. we had a heat retaining cover to keep it warm when i wasn't using it. but once i got in there, wow i was panicking before hand as it was getting intense and once i jumped in the pool.....i can't even describe the relief! the warmth, and pressure of the water and being able to float and be weightless just took the edge of everything.

i then used hypnobirthing techniques to go into deep relaxation and breathe through the contractions, this was only possible when the room was quiet and i didn't have any distractions, so i kind of went in and out of the deep relaxation a bit! my husband massaged my back and stroked my arms etc which helped too.

i think doing the hypnobirthing classes helped me prepare so much mentally for the birth, i didn't feel scared about things going wrong and believed that my body could birth my baby and that mindset i think had a lot of answer for in me getting on with the birth and letting it flow,

there were a couple of moments were i had tears and said i couldn't do it, but then you have to let your mind go and your body take over, my phrase during labour was 'i just want a break for a bit!!) but as manummum says a firm midwife is good! mine told me to breathe etc when i panicked during transition and i did what she said haha!

my mum is a hypnobirthing teacher and doula so i had her to help me along the way and during the birth, i do reccomend having as much support as you can get! doula's are ace!!

Good Luck hun! Sure your birth will be fab!