I'm certainly not a hero, and I am not an ideologue, I just enjoy drug free births.
I had pethidine with my first, but apart from that, I've had the odd whiff of gas and air and that's it. That was over five babies. I didn't like the pethidine at all.
My major way of coping with the physical sensations of labour is to avoid thinking about them as "pain" as much as possible and for as long as possible. We're conditioned to think of labour "pains", labour preparation consists of a lot of information about "pain relief" and the fear we have with labour and delivery enhances our predisposition to experience strong sensations as "pain". With my first baby, I certainly did, and to a lesser extent with #2.
But in the first stage of labour, I have learned to feel and identify stretching, pulling, burning, pressure, all sorts of sensations that I can actually think about and experience now without feeling them as "pain". By the time transition comes around, yeah, it's pain... but fortunately transition for me is quite brief. When the baby is coming down the birth canal and crowning, it often feels like my hips are being pulled apart - but honestly, by that stage the overwhelming pushing urge just overshadows that.
The other thing I do a lot of is positive vocalisation and visualisations. While I'm breathing through contractions, I'll say the word "open," or "okay," or "yes," or "that's good," and breathe those words out long and slow. Those words also help relax your mouth and your chest if you breathe them.
Doing all this releases a heck of a lot of endorphins, and I am honestly quite high for much of my labour. The adrenaline kick of transition sort of cancels that out but I recognise that's necessary too!
Most of all for me it is confidence - I know that my body births well and easily, and I've no reason to suspect that it will be any different this time. And if things do go awry and I can't cope, I've got people there to give me what I need.
I hope this is encouraging for you!
#1 - induction at 38 weeks, 8 hours, NVD
#2 - induction at 42 weeks, 3 hours, NVD
#3 - induction at 39 weeks, 5 hours, NVD
#4 - spontaneous at term, 2-3 hours active labour, NVD
#5 - induction at term, 4 hours, NVD
2 out of my 3 labours i have had natural drug-free vaginal births..... (1st i had pethadine).
My labours are verrrrrrrrrrrry quick. So much so i got to hossi with DD#2 and there was no time to go upstairs to maternity ward - i had to deliver in emergency - i still had my shoes on during birth. I was 7cm when i arrived. 2 pushes and she was out.
3rd labour....i got to hossi at 3am...had her at 5am. This was by far the most painful labour, and most exhausting, but i have it in my head the whole time 'i can do this'.....each contraction is bringing you closer to baby...and as painful and tear jerking are these contractions, they dont last forever. Its bliss when the midwife says 'you can start pushing now'....ahh how i love those words. But if you believe in yourself, believe your body can do this, reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally concentrate on your breathing, then you will do it.....
I was induced 9 days over, and had a very positive birth. I went in all prepared to have an epidural that just "never came". I later learnt and thank her for it today that my mum told the nurses i was coping really well and to just wait. I went into it trusting that my body knew what to do and just took everything as it came. Every time i had a contraction i tapped my heels on the ground and breathed through my mouth and thought yes every contraction is helping push this baby out. It is totally in your head. I found a position i was comfortable in (bending over a chair in the shower with the hottest water running over my back with dh massaging in hard circles my lower back) and i stayed there for 5 hours lol. I then got the urge to push, its like your body overtakes. I tried to go to the toilet obviously nothing came out! So i got in the bath for like 5 mins but wasnt liking it. Then it was time to push i just stayed on the bed with my legs up and went for it. I too felt like i was "high" and was actually asleep during contractions when i was pushing. All up my labour was 7 hours and i didnt think the contractions were the hardest part. For me that was right at the end when i was just so tired and felt like i couldnt do it anymore. that was my low point but the midwives whipped me into line and then i think it was like 3 pushes and he was out.
Think positive. its all over once the heads out. Good luck.
Harry was the only one that would be mostly considered as truly natural. I didnt let them put the synto drip in until after I had delivered the placenta, so by all accounts, it was all over and done before there was any kind of intervention (and thats a JIC measure basically). The other 4 were all AROMed - I have tough membranes. Hehe.
"Active" labour times would be 12h, 8h, 18h(staff got too involved - then got "too busy"), 5h and 4h.
Pain wise - well I know it *looks* bad there, and I am not going to pretend it ain't painful. But its not a traumatic painful. I've said to a few people before that you and your body would be more traumatised by surgery than natural labour (not singling out c-sections at all. I get over labour and birth faster than my husband has got over endoscopic keyhole surgery on his wrists where he felt nothing of the process - its just how it is). Although I am going to qualify that now with uninterfered with labour.
Ironically, I fear needles more than the pain of labour. I like to look at it like the band-aid treatment. Once its done, its done. Wish I could tell you more - but instinct is pretty hard to explain.
I expected to have to really be resisting drugs, I was pretty sure I didn't want any, but thought they would be really tempting - it never occurred to me once to ask for drugs. I just went into this 'zone', but hormones kicked in, I was unaware of what was happening around me, I was in the bath and then I had a baby! It hurt, but I just breathed through the pain, the water relaxed me and I told myself it would be over soon.
With my second, I wished I had drugs for a moment, but no chance of that cos I was at home, and in hindsight I was in the transition stage of a very short intense labour, and I had my baby not long after that! With the same focus and breathing and a shower on my back.
So it definitely can be done! Work on your breathing and read about what others say contractions feel like so you have a rough idea of what to expect. It's not like normal pain though, it's not like stubbing your toe or having a headache - your body is filled with hormones to help you birth and focus, and you know the pain is productive.
(I highly recommend warm water as great pain relief though)
My labour was 17 hours. I laboured at home till about the last 4 hours at the birth centre. I just kept active and moved how my body told me too- for me that was standing, swaying my hips and squatting through contractions. I spent a lot of time in a hot shower which felt great on my back. I was aware of the drugs and did think about them during labour but I was well informed of their effects and didn't actually want them- I was happier with the pain which was natural than to add an unnatural sensation. It's an awsome experience and you can do it!
Thank you all you gorgeous girls for those lovely stories Wow! you girls are really brave. I hope I can be at least a fraction of that
My ob is really supportive of natural birth so am looking forward to a special experience. I asked him if he had a problem with DH "catching" the baby and he said "I actually get the mothers to deliver their own babies, so you'll be doing the catching"! I have partial placenta praevia though, so am keeping my fingers crossed that it moves and I don't have to get a c-section. Please pray for me girls.
I had a semi drug free birth. Why semi? Well I had to be induced so there was some drugs and about 3pm the ob said i could have a peth shot now or it would be too late (7cm). Thinking it had to get worse i took the shot. Bad idea. The only thing it did was distract me cause i was throwing up so much! After the throwing up i did manage to rest a little but i am not sure if the peth actually helped with that.
Baby came out about 5:10pm with no further drugs or even trying the gas. Despite the induction medication i didn't find the pain too bad. Though the ob didn't give me a local anisthetic for my two stiches and they absolutely killed! I think he did give me suppostries as well but who knows. In the morning they gave me more suppostries and then the next day they tracked me down and made me take some painkillers (my prem dd was in the nursery by this stage so i was never in my room for them to moniter me). So while everyone consentrates on drugs during labour not too many people mention drugs after labour. I know my after labour drugs were on the light side as i wasn't even happy about the painkillers but was told i had to take them. After that i just refused any offer of drugs since i had my own panadol i took if required and they gave up asking. That was the best thing about a relatevely natural birth the recovery was so easy for me which i really appreciated since i had other things to worry about.
I hope it works out for you. I want a completely natural birth this time, not that i am against drugs and i am usually quite happy to take them. What i really don't want is to be induced again.
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Wow! you girls are really brave. I hope I can be at least a fraction of that
I have partial placenta praevia though, so am keeping my fingers crossed that it moves and I don't have to get a c-section. Please pray for me girls.
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