Did anyone doit naturally?

Question

did anyone have their babys with absoutely no pain relief? i've read about all the options and all of them scare me with their risks and etc! so i was wondering if anyone out there managed it with nothing and how they coped with it? or has anyone said their not going to but then decided to actually in labour? im 38 weeks and obv dreading it but i wouldnt want anything to go wrong just because im a wimp!:|...can anyoone actually put their hand on their heart and say it wasnt as bad as made to beleive?...

Answer 1

Women birth without pain relief all the time.  It is absolutely possible, and better in the long run.  I suggest you pick up Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.  In the first half of the book is a collection of empowering, positive birth stories - most are home births, and therefore natural.  It's a good example that it is possible to birth without pain medication.

Answer 2

i was in labour for 3 days in total.

I asked for pain relief but all they would give me was paracetamol.

I begged and begged and begged but they would not give me anyhtng.

Im sorry to be so honest but i have to labour for me was the worst 3 days of my life! it was unbearable!!!

so make sure you get pain relief!!

Answer 3

My old Ma told me that any pain during childbirth was "productive" pain...she was right...it ain't all that bad...you know you'll have a super baby at the end of it!

Answer 4

I have had four natural births using the Bradley method.  The Bradley method uses total relaxation to prevent uterine cramps.  What causes the greatest pain in most people is the uterus cramping.  Prevent the cramping and the main pain is just the cervix stretching.  I did not have severe pain with contractions.  It was perhaps 5 1/2 on a scale of 1-10.

Answer 5

I am unlucky one to have 3 absolutely with no pain relief. Get something! Even i think it wasn;t that bad.

Answer 6

Hi I have 2 kids, on my first I had all the drugs that they would give me (pethidine, epidural and gas and air) and in the end my son needed to be delivered using vontose because I could not feel when I needed to push and my son was very drugged up from all the drugs I took. But it all still hurt even with the drugs!!! On my second I went drug free until the last stage and then had some gas and air, and that birth was so much nicer than the first and allot less pain!!! In my opinion don't be scared and tense or your body will be tense and it will hurt more!! I'm pregnant on my 3rd now and I'm having this one at home with no pain relief drugs, I'm going to try using "self help". I bought a cd from e-bay called Easy Natural Childbirth, it cost about £3. And its all about relaxing and welcoming your baby, not being scared of the labour. Good luck hun, I hope you have a really memorable birth. xx

Answer 7

I'm sorry :(

I've heard it's worse than made to beleive...

Answer 8

i had no pain relief and it only took 3.45 hrs, it was great. and i can say hand on heart it was not as bad (for me) as it was made out, good luck, it was more tiring than painful, tho only painful part for me was the final push when the head comes out,but by the time that happens your adrenaline has kicked in and you just do it x x

Answer 9

Everyone, as everyone has said, is different and has different levels of tolerance.  My first: I was in labor for 13 hours... I had epi.  I tried not to, but when I hit 6, the cramps were like menstrual craps times ten (and my sister-in-law was there reminding me saying, "why does that number get so high!" haha!)  However, I asked my doctor (praying for baby #2 now) what options because the epi in my back scared me and don't want that again...and he said there are other things that aren't as bad to help curb the pain-so ask your doc, if they haven't shared already.

  If you have a high tolerance to pain, you may be good w/out, I have changed in 10 yrs & want to try nothing this time.  But, w/ pain relief it would be nice to be in a better state of mind, however, like someone above said, without pain relief, you are in more control of your body during labor.

  So, sum it up, if you feel you have a high tolerance for pain, go for it natural, or a little help.  If you can't stand a pin prick, you better get some drugs, girl!

  Oh, the penny-pincher in me asks-how's your insurance, will you be out of that money in the long run for the anesthesialogist bill & the pain relief drug?  If insurance is limited (as mine is) then the pain from deliverying your wonderful new baby will be minor compared to what you may be paying off when baby is walking around! haha, that factors into my reasonings this time, too!

Congrats, good luck & hope we all helped!!!!! :o)

Answer 10

I'm truely hoping that I'll do it naturally. I guess I'll give it a go and wimp out of needs be.

Answer 11

i dont think it was as bad as i thought.  It hurt like h**l but it was pain i could manage.  Only had gas and air when i was pushing.  I was in a right state before going in to labour, but i can honestly say it wasnt as bad as i imagined, but everyone is different.  Good luck

Answer 12

Hey there!

This is my first, and my goal is to give birth naturally. I, too, have been unattracted to the pain meds available, it seems selfish to put the baby through trauma to alleviate pain that we were built to endure. My sister has gone through 3 births naturally, absolutely no interventions. She said it isn't as bad once you're enduring it...then again, we've been programmed to "forget" the pain, otherwise, we wouldn't dare endure having another and another!

I've come to the realization there will be pain, can't avoid it, and I'm going to do the best I can to endure to the end to see my precious gift.

Whatever you decide, don't panic over the decision, feel confident this is the right choice for you and your baby.

You're almost there! I wish you the best!

Answer 13

Hi I am currently 38 weeks pregnant and I might sound weird but I am looking forward into going into labour lol I know it odd but I want to experiance it, but I am not going to say no to any pain relief if I obviously need it, I will be wanting gas and air if I cannot cope, but as for pethadine and an epidural I would rather not have it as I dont want to be drugged up to the eye balls and I dont like the idea of an epi myself, obviously if I need to have one for a c-section then I will, but if I can cope then I wont have anything, as I want to remember my baby being born. I have been told that contrations are bearable as they come and go and its only in the last stage when pushing etc they get really unbreable but then your baby is here then then it all goes away.

My mum said its not as bad as people make it out to be and contrations are not as bad and where she says you see people screaming in pain, she said she didnt do any of that. I suppose it depends on your body itself and how you cope with pain.

Me and you will do it and we will be fine so stop worrying we have to go though it and it will be a fantastic experiance, congraturaltions and good luck.  

Answer 14

i did i had a c-section with my first so loads of drugs but i wasn't going to have any

2nd not even so much as a paracetamol, i won't lie and say it was a walk in the park but it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be

i think don't be too rigid every birth is different, reseach your options so when you are advised on somethibg you know the risks and what it is

good luck  

Answer 15

I did it naturally.  I'm small statured, and had an 8 pound, 6 ounce baby.  Lots of tearing and stitches (and pain for weeks because of the tearing)... but no drugs.  

My whole pregnancy, I said I wanted to TRY to do it naturally, but that I wasn't going to insist on anything until I felt the pain.  When I got to the hospital and was filling out the papers, they asked me if I was going to want an epidural, and I said, "I'd like to have one ready, and I'd like you to ask me again when it's time, but I can't say yes or no yet."  Well, my labor progressed VERY quickly, and by the time I asked for the epidural (yeah, I wanted it), they laughed and said, "Honey, you're going so fast, your baby's gonna be here before the drugs will be."  So, I bucked down and did it.  (My water broke, I immediately started having contractions 2 minutes apart, it took an hour and a half to get to the hospital and checked in and everything, and then the baby came two hours after that.)

For me, the contractions were the worst pain.  I don't know if it was because they came on so hard and fast with nothing leading up to them, or what, but the contractions were bad enough that the nurses said I was drifting in and out of consciousness as my body's defense mechanism for the pain.  The pushing was VERY difficult, but there's nothing you can do BUT push.  I do remember one time, the doctor was concerned with the baby's heart rate, and I was thinking, "Oh god.  PLEASE say you want to do an emergency c-section, because I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE."

Honestly, and I don't mean to scare you, but I think all those people that say "Oh, it's not that bad," or "Oh, as soon as you see your baby, you forget all about it," are lying to the rest of us.  For weeks, it made me sick to my stomach to even THINK about having another baby.  It was a horrible, horrible experience.  But... it goes.  I mean, whether you have an 18 hour labor like some or a 4 hour labor like mine, it happens and then it's over and then you have some recuperation time, and then... then it's all better, and you have a gorgeous baby that changes everything you believe about life.  

Just remember that everyone's different, and everyone copes with pain differently, and there's no telling what will happen until you're there.  Yes, it's the most painful thing I can imagine, and it was WAY worse than I expected it to be... but 5 weeks later, I'm almost entirely healed up, feel better, am working out again, and have the most amazing little baby to wake up to every day.  And, no matter how hard and painful it is, it IS do-able without meds if you're really worried about it.  And think how great it will be to say afterwards, "h**l yes, I did it with no drugs.  I am woman, hear me roar!"

Answer 16

Yes, I can say that.  I had no pain relief, and no pain.  The contractions were the most uncomfortable part, but not painful, and the rest was a breeze.  I always read and heard about what the experience would be like, and mine was nothing like any of what I had heard before.  And yes, I am also usually a wimp when it comes to pain.  

Answer 17

I had my third child with out any pain relief or gas and air. It was made easier by the fantastic support i had from the midwives and my husband. I was induced at 12pm and had my son at 2.39pm. So it was very quick. Of course it does hurt but it was nothing unbearable. I was in control of my labour which made it a much better experience than I had with my first two. I went home 3 hours after giving birth.

Answer 18

I did my first two with no pain relief. Was it as bad as they made it out to be. yes it was. But I found that if you have something to focus on during your contractions it really is not as terrible.

I had Demerol injections with my third child and all they did was make me sick. they did not help with the pain at all. so there I was trying not to puke and feeling the full force of my contractions. Not something I will do again

I am 30 weeks with my fourth child and no I do not plan on having any pain medication this time. it was not worth it the last time. so I will be going all natural again..

Answer 19

I had my first naturally at a birthing center. I am happy to be able to say I tried it. I had the next three at the hospital and my husband made sure everyone was aware that I wanted the epidural ASAP!