Has anyone out there had a natural birthing experience w/o the use of drugs to control pain? If so, would you do it again and was it worth it?
I never thought I’d ever contemplate birthing w/o an epidural, but a lot of the reading I’ve been doing and stories I’ve heard have left me w. second thoughts. It sounds like in a lot of instances drugs can slow down labor, stress the baby, and eventually lead to a C-section, all things I’d really like to avoid if possible. But of course I can’t rule out the likelihood that the pain will be so unbearable that I will need drugs. Anyhow, I’d love to hear others’ insights.
well i did it withouth drugs, but the thing that i did is i didn't go to the hospital once my contractions started i didn't want to lay in bed waiting to be dilated until 10 so i tried breathing and timing my contractions so by the time i went to the doctor i was already open 8 so by the time i was admitted and changed i was ready to push. i feel that i was able to control more of the pain because i was at home verses at the hospital just laying there on my side makes it hurt even more
I did it without drugs too and Im 14 weeks now and Im thinking I will have drugs this time.
I was in labor for 16 hours and lordy I thought I was dieing!!!
I guess everyone has different opions about them but I have had lots of friends that used the epidural and everything went fine so Im leaning more towards that this time!!!!
I labored for 31 hours without drugs. For the last 5-6 hours of that, I had a fever which left me freezing cold and partly delirious. I had the nurse check me because I was so exhausted that I had made up my mind I would get an epidural if I hadn't progressed much. She said I was 6 cm, so I asked for the epi. It really wasn't the pain that made me want it, I just needed a break. Well, we all think the nurse was wrong. I got the epi right away and I was 9 cm. The worse part was that it only worked on the left side of my body so I thought my right side would burst.
I had every intention of going natural and probably would have if I didn't have that fever. DD was born an hour after the non-working epi. I plan to go natural this time and have a water birth. I know many disagree, but I don't know why women go into labor saying, "I'm definitely having drugs." It's such a natural process. Women are strong and have been doing it for centuries. In my opinion, your body can't figure out what needs to happen when it's numb with drugs, therefore increasing the risk of pitocin and c-sections.
this is my first pregnancy and i thank god that we arent in ancient times anymore and have drugs to relieve the pain!!! we go through so much already. i do not think i will want any drugs that would alter my mind, but the epidural is numbing not mind altering (from what i hear) im FINE with that... and wen u are in SOOOO MUCH PAIN you can go delirious in my opinion anyway!! my s-i-l had a water birth and had complications and the midwives decided not to consider it an emergency, they didnt realize she was borderline gestational diabetes, and they couldnt get the baby out!! the baby almost lost its life and so did the mother ( i know this isnt the norm!!!) the midwives should have done the right thing and when they saw there were complications they should have brought her straight to the hospital for the care she needed. Needless to say, she is pregnant again 3 years later, now refuses to see a midwife (the ones she had made her lose her faith in them!!) and she will have the baby in a hospital.. the decision is yours tho, everyone is going to have stories and opinions, and NO MATTER WHAT you do, dont let anyone judge you. if it comes outta my body it is NATURAL!!! good luck..
I had my first 2 children with the epidurals, then my 3rd without, there was not enough time to get it because I progressed so fast, she was coming out no matter who was down there to catch her lol. I was happy both ways, with or without the epi., with the epi you are more relaxed to concentrate on pushing, I had no problems with it either time. without the epi, I was only in hard labor for maybe 4 hours at the longest and I was very happy delivering her w/out any drugs because it is just so natural and you feel it all, the pain is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be, IMO! There is one thing, I was sooooooo much more sore after the birth w/out the epi than I was with it, but it was all good and we got through it. It's just that the epi is still in your system to keep you from hurting for a couple days I think. Plus, my doc did this thing called a saddle block (I don't recommend it) it was supposed to kinda numb me a little so they could sew me up, the actual Saddle Block was worse than the whole labor and delivery!!!! I will NEVER get that again.
Good luck with whatever way you go. If you really want to do natural I say go for it, you will be glad you did. I intended on going natural with my first 2 but had to be put on pitocin to be induced and they contractions were just too much to handle. I was also put on pitocin with my 3rd but for some reason just progressed alot faster with her than the first 2. Pitocin is the DEVIL! ( I think someone else has said that before on here lol) I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.
I had every intention of getting the Epi with my first one. I registered for it early at the hospital and everything. However my little guy came so quickly. My entire labor from the first mild contraction to delivery was under 4 hours and I went from 1cm to 10cm in under 45 minutes. So, I had no time to receive anything. I really can't imagine going through that kind of pain again, so again I plan on getting a Epi, but as I learned you can't fully plan for anything when it comes to labor, so many things can happen. I'm really hoping this one will be different and I can get pain meds but I know that if I did it before I can do it again naturally....I just don't want to!
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I Love Being a Mommy to
Justin and Nathan!
The problem is, MANY women (and babies) died in childbirth "before all the drugs" over all the centuries. As a graveyard aficianado, I can directly testify to this even 100 years ago.
Childbirth for humans is much different than for many animals, who do it so much more "naturally" and have much smoother births. Humans are very different, and why I don't know.
I intended on getting the epi, but my labor progressed so quickly, I didn't have time for it. My water broke at 6am, I had full on contractions by 10 am, pushed for about 15 minutes and my son was born 12:19pm.
Honestly, I am proud I did it without any pain meds. Don't get me wrong, it HURT, but it was a pain I could control under the circumstances. I was in the shower for an hour, and the hot water helped so much. What hurts the most are the contractions. I made everyone in the room shut up while I concentrated through them. But when I started to push, it actually made the contractions feel better!
I think you should try without and see if you can handle them--if not, get the epi if you have that option. Giving birth is not a trial endurance and it shouldn't be something you have to exhaust yourself over just because you want to do it a certain way. The important thing is is the healthy baby at the end of the delivery--not wether it hurt or it didn't. *shrug* Anyways, the pain is NOTHING once you see your little baby all swaddled up beside you.
BTW for my next child, I am keeping my options open. I would love to do it again without pain meds--I felt that I had more control over the situation and I could control the pushes efficiently. But if something happens, I would def consider an epi. EVeryone and every situation is different! Keep that in mind ANd Good luck!!!
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He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
i'm a first timer so i have no previous advice. but i wanted to add my two cents. i'm gonna go into this with an open mind. i want to be drug free but i don't know if i'll be a lucky one that labors for 4 hrs or the one who goes on for 24 hrs. so thats what i'm basing my idea on. i'll take it as it comes. dh is gonna be right there with me helpign me through with breathing. good luck with whichever way you chose as it is your choice. i had a friend who just had a baby and tells me everytime that i need to get the epi. then i have my mother on the other side telling me don't you dare!!! i've told them all its my choice i'm the one pushing out the baby! everyones tolerance for pain is different!
My wife did the childbirth with no drugs or epi. She was having contraction for about 36 hours or so, patterned contractions for about 20 hours. She had anticipated getting an epi, but after a false alrm trip left her with bad advice from the nurse (don't come back until your contractions are 2-3 minutes apart) there was no time for anything. She was group B positive and barely got the first round of antibiotics in before our daughter was born. (30 minutes after arriving at the hospital) She did have a first degree tear during birth as well. She says she would do the next one natural again, because she felt better about it and the baby was much more alert than if she had gotten pain medication. I am guessing she will try, but with this munchkin only being 6pounds 6 ounces, if the next one is in that 8.5 range she may be thinking epi.
with my daughter i had everything that was going lol gas and air, diamorphine and an epi plus booster and another epi when it ran out lol and in total i was in labour for 24 and a half hours, but because i had an epi i couldnt feel a thing and i could concentrate on the whole experience (if yano whaddi mean)
with ds i decided to stay at home for as long as possible cause i hated hospitals, i was never in any great pain until about 7pm, we got to the hospital at 7.30 only to be told i was 8cms and too late for an epi, omg,, ive never wanted anything so much in my life lol, but i managed without and just used gas and air. i screamed like a banshee the whole way through and when she took the gas and air away i could have murdered her lol but i did it and he arrived at 9.34pm and actually in my expirience, when i started to push it was alot less painful and he came out at 7lb10 so he wasnt small
when you get to hold your baby in your arms you will soon forget about all the pain, it really is the best expirience in the world and i would do it over and over.
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Mia-Louise jan '04
Jacob april '07
I have gone without an epidural or any type of drugs for both of my prior pregnancies and plan to do it with this one also. My husband and I chose to go the natural route and so far, I always had an easy time recovering. Pushing the baby out also came very easy for me and I delivered them both with in 5 to 10 mins. of going into the delivery room. I have also been told by other women who have have delivered both ways that it was easier to push without the epidural than with it, but the labor was harder to bare. However, in the past I didn't feel any contractions until the head was half way out, and was told that this was not the norm, so I don't know if I am actually being of any help here. I just like going natural because I am more in control but if I start having the type of labor and contractions that I have read about on this message board, I not sure if I could if I can tough it out without intervention. However, I still plan to go all natural though. Besides, I am actually more in fear of a needle being put in my back that I can't see than the actual delivery process.I think I would move or be too nervous or shaky for an epidural, or may cause the anethesiologist to make a mistake. That's just me.
I also believe that women who get epidurals are really brave and strong. To be able to sit still an have that done and all the while not be able to see what is going on behind you, is truly amazing to me. As for me, I am chicken about it.
Last edited by mamatbg; 08-29-2007 at 01:21 PM.
Reason: incorrect grammar
My intention throughout my pregnancy was to go natural. I had him preterm at 31 weeks and he came so fast that I had no choice anyway except to go natural. He was a four pound baby, but apparently shot out like a cannon (according to DH). The pain was intense, but gone as soon as he came out. Then they gave me Pit to help expel the placenta, now that hurt!!! I would have taken an epidural for that....yeeeeouch!
If I ever have any more children, I would go natural again. It was not as bad as I anticipated, but I didn't go through a long labor either.
I have had 3 babies without any drugs! Not by choice though. I have very quick labors and also have a pretty high tolerance for pain. I waited a little too long to go in to the hospital and by the time I got there I had a baby within the hour! With this baby I am planning to go in earlier and get the epidural. I just want to experience the birth without the pain this time. With my other 3 I was so pooped out by the time the babies were born I just wanted to be left alone and go to sleep!! Also, with all three for the last half hour I was soooooo regretting not getting the epidural, I have to admit though afterwards I was pretty proud of myself for making it through it...
I had my son naturally, which I was now told was a mistake and I should have had a C section. He was 9lbs (my prepregnancy weight is about 110). I was in labor for over 24 hours, but I was determined that I wanted a shower immediately afterwards and did not want to have to lay around in all of the gunk and mess of labor for 2-3 hours while the epi wore off.
So the labor part was hard, but I didn't have any trouble with pushing (I hear that sometimes the epi makes pushing difficult). The good news was that I got my shower within 10 minutes of having him!
I have very quick labors and with my first one I didn't even know I was in labor. I thought I was constipated. I was sitting on the toilet for about 2 hours (in between pacing because I couldn't sit down) trying to go to the bathroom. I finally was taken to the hospital when to my surprise the nurse told me I was in full active labor.
I had a hard time pushing the baby out (because I was exhausted from the pacing all night) and the dr. was going to do an emergency C-section when all of a sudden I gave one last push and he was out!!!
He did swallow merconium so he had to be brought to another hospital for 2 days. He was in the ICU and I didn't get to see him at all during that time. When I was discharged he had to stay at the hospital for another week.
Anyone have natural childbirth w/o drugs? 
