Did you give birth without epidural?

[SunnySideUp2020]

Please tell me about it!!!!

How was it honestly? How was the labor?

Had my first last year and although I had planned a natural birth, when active labor hit I begged for an epidural. It was a low dose one but I felt like I was dying without.

Expecting the second this October. Am I crazy for considering trying without epidural?

The reason is where I want to give birth they don't do epidural. It's not in the UK. It's a birth house in swizterland where I live. The other option is hospital...

No pain relief here...and not because I am a "warrior mother" it's because apparently I'm like Mike Tyson on any strong painkillers 😳 gas and air was even taken away from me as it made me "aggressive"

It hurt like fuck, I hated it, I thought I was going to die and I thought my vagina was going to tear in half.

I'm one and done 🤣

Sorry it's not a positive feedback. But yeah, fuck me that hurt.

I had an epidural with my first and nothing with my second and third. They were faster labours. Second was very easy and not very painful. Third was awful but I guess couldn't have been that bad or I would have asked for the epidural.

FOr No1 I just had a TENS machine - I found that pressing the button and counting through the contractions helped as I had some feel for when it would disappear. No2 was a bit harder as she didn't want to come out so I had gas and air as well as TENS for her.

I didn't have anything with DS1 and it was manageable - I wasn't against having any kind of pain relief, but.I was in the pool for most of it and just seemed to go into a bit of a zone where I was out of it, although aware of what was happening.

Saying that, DS2 was induced with the drip and I NEEDED the epidural - it was great! Kind of regret not having one for DS1 to be honest...

I had no drugs at all with my second. Didn’t have time as she was crowning when we arrived at the hospital. Actually it was a much easier birth than my first ( with every drug available to me, including epidural) probably because it happened so quickly I barely had time to think about it! Yes it hurt, but it was over pretty quickly. The worst bit was the stitches 😱

I was petrified of epidural before no.1 but once labour kicked it I rapidly changed my mind and very much wanted it when I delivered no.2. Sadly by the time I was in labour ward it was too late and I had no. 2 with gas and air and late dose of pethidine which kicked in fully after delivery, it was fine. No. 2 was significantly larger than no. 1 and, with hindsight, I couldn't managed without pethidine.

Both induced.

One with epidural.

One with just gas and air.

I found the one with gas and air a much more positive experience, the pain was manageable and felt on a complete high afterwards.

After the epidural birth I was bedridden for a few hours and couldn't even have a shower. The second stage took too long as I couldn't feel a thing, had an episiotomy and I was minutes away from a forceps delivery. It was not great really.

Yes, 3 times.
The idea of an epidural has always freaked me out a bit, so it wasn’t something I’d have chosen unless it was medically necessary.
DC1 was a hospital induction - a very fast one. So my only option really was gas and air, and that made me vomit horrendously, so I stopped using it.
DC2 was a home birth, and I tried the gas again, felt sick so stopped using it.
DC3 was another home birth, and by the time the midwives arrived, there wasn’t time to set up the gas and air even if I’d have wanted it - DC3 practically flew into the world!
The only thing I will say is there was a stark difference in the pain of induction to the pain of spontaneous labour. Looking back, the midwife told me “we recommend an epidural at the same time as starting the drip” and now I completely understand why. The pain of induced contractions was a billion times worse than the ebb and flow of natural labour contractions. I found the pain so much more manageable during my home births.

2x vaginal births. No epidurals.

I can honestly say I thought the first bit was worse. The not in active labour part was awful.

DD1 - 15hours of labour, being sent home lots.. 2 hours more before waters went. At this point I was 3cm but stretched to 5. 2 hours later baby was born. I personally found the last 2 hours easier. I felt the pain changed. It wasn't the same sensation.

DD2 - first contraction at 4pm. Admitted at 7pm baby born at 7:50pm.

I found both times the transition period was the hardest. Once I was through that stage. The pain changed. Felt more manageable. My body just took over.

Only had gas/air. Ahahahaha. never again. Actually hurt so bad that I was delirious. Then when things went tits up and I was cut and forceps came out I actually thought I was going to die from the pain, I begged them to take the pain away crying my eyes out, so ended up in theatre with forceps and a spinal. Next time I will gladly get the epidural.

Just a TENS machine for both of mine.
And the second labour was twice as long as the first (which everyone assured me wouldn't happen) and he was a 10 pounder.
Gas and air makes me vomit on the first breath and no-one was coming near me with a needle.
So....painful but do-able.

1st birth with epidural. I would NOT have done wo it!!

2nd birth was much easier and quicker. I had a water birth, gas and air and that's it.

What are they proposing re pain relief in Switzerland? I know in france water birth are seen as dangerous an weird. Gas and air is a no-no.
Im not sure what is Switzerland position on that.

Yup, I do not recommend.

Epidural with first as I was induced, and the whole experience was pretty grim. No terrible outcomes, just hard going, because didn't feel in control.

Second baby, several years later, gas and air only. Very quick birth, couple of hours from waking up. Baby was back to back, and even so, everything was so much better than first time. Knew what I was doing, knew what to expect, could feel what was needed, delivered really quickly, all well, went home!!

Btw I didnt feel that the 2nd bitrh with no eidural was horrible and painful. Overwheleming in some ways and all encompassing but not extremely painful.

Both my children were born early, I had them at home before the paramedics arrived so no pain relief at all 🙈.
I did have gas and air at the hospital when I delivered the placenta 😂

I have had 4 births, no epidurals. First 2 I had diamorphine and second 2 just gas and air. Birth number 3 was relatively easy and I coped well with the pain (I had read a book called Childbirth WIthout Fear and I think it really helped). Last birth was difficult as I had to be induced but I didn't want anything that would take my control away which was something I found with my first 2.

Just had gas & air with both mine. Also used a birthing pool with my first but no time for that with my second as she was born pretty fast. I think every birth is different so it’s important to go with the flow on the day & see how you feel. Both mine were born at a birthing centre where an epidural wasn’t an option.

Me. It was ok. I couldn’t have done it without the water tank though which helped massively with lower back pain.

After the birth the midwife insisted on giving me gas and air and a thigh injection (pethadine??) so she could do stiches. Didn’t feel these achieved much but happily didn’t care much by then.

I hear second labours are faster so maybe you’ll be in luck 🤷‍♀️

Hi Op,
Yes, I did 3 time - gas and air for all 3, but I had some pethidine for the last one too as I thought I might as well to see what it was like as I wasn't planning to do it again :) The pethidine was great btw.

Maybe you had a very painful labour as your baby was back to back? I spent the last few weeks of my pregnancies obsessively keeping my knees below my hips when sitting down, never sitting with my feet up, resting on my hands and knees swaying my bum in the air and sitting cross legged (not all at the same time obviously) These are all things that are supposed to encourage the baby into the correct position for birth apparently.

It still hurt but it was a bearable agony 😁

Back to back baby on just gas & air.

I was begging for an epidural at one point and told it was too late. Baby wasn’t born for another 9 hours! I was praying for an emergency section in the end just so I could be knocked out out and get relief from the pain. Not the magical birth experience I had been hoping for!

What pain relief do they offer in the birth house btw? Is it like a midwife led birthing centre in the UK?

I don't think you're mad at all. I didn't have an epidural with DC1. Induced on the drip, but was doing OK on gas+air up until 5cm. Opted for diamorphine over an epidural after that. I work in obstetric theatres (so see lots), yet the thought of me having one freaked me out. Plus wasn't keen on an additional risk factor for an assisted birth. Had an unassisted vaginal birth in the end.

Had an epidural with DC2. Induced, but again, did ok with just gas+air in the early stages of labour. After that is a long story of a badly positioned baby who wasn't coming out any other way than the sunroof. Nothing but good to say about the epidural. Yet if I was to go for DC3, I would still try without the epidural first.

Can't comment on the no epidural, because I had one, loved it and could not have managed without.

But I second those who got on badly with pethidine. Horrible stuff, I was still in pain, but completely doolally. I actually didn't want it, because I'd heard horror stories. But I got desperate because the not very nice midwife who was looking after me said I wouldn't be able to have an epidural for ages. Thankfully that turned out not to be true.

I used hypnobirthing strategies for pain relief and I really bought into it and practised lots. I also went into the labour with a strong belief it would work and that I wouldn't need anything else and I think that made a difference for me personally. Also, I was able to get into a bit of a hypnotic state which speeds time up. Probably sounds a bit strange but might be worth looking into?! Was able to get through them both without any other form of pain relief - although to be fair the pool helped too the first time! It wasn't easy or blissful or anything but I would say manageable and worked for me. Hope your birth goes smoothly. Best wishes.

I had gas and air and one of those tens machines.

I didn't find the pain too bad but my labour was very long, 40 hours by which time I was so tired I don't really remember much.
Then ds (50 percentile baby with 95 percentile head) got stuck in my pelvis, they lost his heartbeat, stuck a needle in my hand, and then delivered him with ventouse.
All ok in the end but I don't remember him being born so I can't tell how bad the pain would have got at the end.

I think you'll be calmer this time, maybe more relaxed, so just see how you feel at the time.