Anyone manage a hospital birth without water or epidural in last year?

[Jane7]

I must confess a motive here. I'm writing an article about 'what labour really feels like' and I'm looking to chat to someone (for five mins) who managed to have a natural birth in hospital, perhaps even induced, without epidural or water. Pethidine/gas and air is fine. Surprisingly hard to find. Seems that most people either go down medicalised route, having epidural and the works, or they rely on water to fend off need for epidural. Would love to hear from anyone who managed a normal hospital birth in the last year and wouldn't mind telling me about it for five mins.

I had my baby on the 8th January with just Peth initially for back ache and then G&A. It was actually a really posisitve experience and although initially I did intend on having an epi I'm so glad I managed without one and I'd deffo do it again.

Mine should have been in past year but DD2 arrived 5 weeks early on Xmas Eve 2008 so is now 13 months old -

had only gas and air - nothing else: no TENS, pethidine, yoga or breathing!

There was some shouting, I think!

I did, 12 days ago. Just a bit of gas and air - and not much either as it made me sick. It was a VBAC so I wasn't "allowed" in the pool.

So pleased that his time I had the birth I wanted and am happy to discuss.

My ds is just over two weeks old, I was induced, nothing at all, got afew mouthfuls of gas and air whilst pushing and finally got quite a bit for my stitches - I was SCREAMING for an epidural (induced for dd and knew how much it hurt!!) no-one listened and both were OP and quite big babies! Whilst I am pleased with myself in a way for doing it, it was not from flippin choice!!!

I did, last January. Only arrived at the hospital 40mins before DD was born. I managed the contractions just with breathing and only used the gas and air afterwards to calm me down as I was so shocked! I had fully expected to have an epidural like I did the first time round.

I had a birth without anything (apart from TENS) in September. (Also had an induced birth with just G and Air 2 years ago)

i had ds2 7 weeks ago with just gas & air, i went into hospital @ the last minute so not really time for epidural, although i coped fine without it so didn't really need it. was surprised actually because i had ds1 with an epidural and i really thought that i will need an epidural but it was fine, and he was quite a big baby (9 and a half lb) but it actually went much easier than my 1st, so next time i wouldn't automatically think that i'll need epidural but just wait and see. ds1 was back to back and induced, so i think those are major factors as to why that was more painful.
i cant wait to have another one, so i guess thats a proof that it wasnt too bad at all

I am lol-ing slightly at the idea of a pool being put in the same category as an epidural, yet g&a and pethidine don't count.

daisy, apparently water is the 2nd most effective form of pain relief in labour, behind only epidural, so I guess that's why...

Right, I'm not disputing that it's an effective method of pain relief, but for most women it is still worlds away from having an effective epidural on board. Just seems an odd way to classify pain relief, when it's more normal to classify it as pharmacological and non-pharmacological.