Is natural labour easier or harder than induced labour?

[Anise3]

I was induced with my first baby, my labour went for 4.5 hours but was so intense for the entire duration. I remember begging for an epi (Missed the timing for it) and a c-section (I must have been desperate!) but ended up only getting a bit of gas for it and just somehow making it through. By far the most painful experience of my life and hardest thing i've ever had to do.

Now that was only 11 months ago and i'm due again in January with our 2nd baby. Needless to say it's all still a bit fresh in my mind and i'm petrified! I know women who have nothing but great things to say about epidurals but have also heard horror stories so have not made up my mind about them as yet.

I guess what I want to know is, does natural labour hurt less than induced? Does it go for longer (much longer?)

Is there anyone that has done both, how did you find the experience comparatively between them?

[onthefly]

I haven't done a natural birth yet, but I'm sure hoping it will be different. As I understand it, the intensity of contractions is much greater on syntocin, and the absence of endorphins (released with natural oxytocins) and absence of a build-up in labour compound this effect. The other complicating factor with a lot of inductions is that because of the greater risk to you and baby, they have to monitor you a lot more carefully, which reduces your mobility and ability to cope.
Every birth experience is different though, so there's really no telling what it will be like this time round. I feel sure it will be better, if only because I will have more freedom to do what I need to through labour.

[Bathsheba]

Have to do the school run but quickly:

Have done both. natural is better, not "easier". During natural labour i got proper rests in between contractions.... with my worst induced labour there was no break... it was just one long exruciating contraction. My third labour had to be induced but my doula helped me argue to keep the syncotin dose as LOW as possible... it helped but if i had the choice i'd go natural natrual natural!

[ss_storm]

I've only had natural, but in my (inexperienced!) opinion, a natural labour is "easier" than an induced one. With an induction your body might not be quite ready to start the labour process so things might not be as loosened up and it all happens so much faster with syntocin being fed into you, rather than your own hormones producing it and making things happen.

Having said that, every birth is different, so it's probably a bit hard to say!

[Anise3]

Maybe "easier" was the wrong word to use.... I don't mean easy in general, I think what I mean is kinder on your body than induced? ( If that makes sense). Going from 0 - 10cm in 4 hours was almost unbearable, and i'm not suggesting that natural labour is "easy" but perhaps hopefully just a bit kinder on the body making it easier to cope?

I think the real reason I want to know about this is because if it's significantly more bearable than last time I might give the epidural a miss and just go the gas again, if it's the same as last time though i'm considering having it despite the associated risks because I honestly don't think I can do it again.

People always say that once you've done it once you know what you're in for and are more prepared, is it normal to be this petrified 2nd time round if the 1st birth wasn't "traumatic"???

[Anise3]

I haven't done a natural birth yet, but I'm sure hoping it will be different. As I understand it, the intensity of contractions is much greater on syntocin, and the absence of endorphins (released with natural oxytocins) and absence of a build-up in labour compound this effect. The other complicating factor with a lot of inductions is that because of the greater risk to you and baby, they have to monitor you a lot more carefully, which reduces your mobility and ability to cope.
Every birth experience is different though, so there's really no telling what it will be like this time round. I feel sure it will be better, if only because I will have more freedom to do what I need to through labour.

I've only had 3 natural births - although the first they came in every few hours and muttered
If you are allowed to move you end up finding a position or rocking or pointing a shower at you or being rubbed or just ANYTHING that hurts less, and being able to choose your own position is nice. I guess that is the 'empowering' bit the natural birth activists keep harping on about. I may have been young and utterly uneducated at my first birth but I got the birthing ball, bath, beanbag etc despite not knowing they were even options and walked out of there with the baby afterwards so it can't have been *that* bad.

It's funny you both say that because besides the odd "check" of my cervix, I was encouraged to labour in the shower, bath, however and wherever I thought might help. I was in the bath for awhile but the last hour or so all I wanted to do was half lie down on the bed and thought there's no way I can possibly move!!!

[deletedit]

I've only had 3 natural births - although the first they came in every few hours and muttered "ifthisdoesn'thappenfasterwe'llhavetoinduceyou " and the second I was supposed to get induced the day I had her, so I've had close calls Had gas for pain relief, so could move around and whatnot, which helps apparently.

I didn't find any of them *that* bad. Bloody painful yes, but not impossible to deal with. And it just magically stops hurting the instant you get given the baby at the end, which is fantastic. Endorphins rock! If you are allowed to move you end up finding a position or rocking or pointing a shower at you or being rubbed or just ANYTHING that hurts less, and being able to choose your own position is nice. I guess that is the 'empowering' bit the natural birth activists keep harping on about. I may have been young and utterly uneducated at my first birth but I got the birthing ball, bath, beanbag etc despite not knowing they were even options and walked out of there with the baby afterwards so it can't have been *that* bad.

Goes to show education helps but hospital policy helps more

[Lana]

I have done both too. My first labour was induced with Syntocinon and took 9 1/2 hrs. I went into labour naturally second time and it took 15 1/2 hrs. I agree with Bathsheba that natural was better even though it was longer I managed to sleep through the first half of my second labour and stay home until the final 3 hours where as I was awake for the whole first labour in hospital so it seemed longer.

Also as Bathsheba said there were more breaks in the natural labour and a slower build up hence the ability to sleep between contractions. I managed both on gas. Both had a similar level of pain towards the end but with the induction I remember the contractions being on top of each other at the end where as there was still some spacing in the natural labour right up until the pushing phase. Interestingly I never got the urge to push when I was induced but I did with the natural so I wonder if that was also affected by it being driven by artificial hormones and my body not quite being as ready.

[Babyluv]

My sis has had both she told me if I can help it not to be induced because she hated it. Her body pretty much went from zero to one hundred contraction wise in no time whereas with natural your body gradually works it's way up In intencity giving you time to get your head around it.