You can absolutely get through labour without drugs if it is what you want.

I used gas for about an hour of my labour. It was about 90minutes since i'd been examined (and found to be 50% effaced, 2-3cm dilated) and i was having a "premature" pushing urge so they gave me the gas to help me handle it. After an hour of breathing gas and roaring through peaks to avoid pushing, her head crowned. I had been fully dilated afterall. I pushed once and she was born ears to toes in that one push.

"They" might not hand out medals for going drug free but "I" give me a medal. I am INCREDIBLY proud of myself, of my body and of my beautiful baby. An unmedicated homebirth was what i wanted and given the "active" phase of my labour was under 4 hours and very intense, i COULD NOT be more proud of myself. I cannot WAIT to birth again (next time i'm going to have a 2nd stage! LOL) and i won't bother with the gas now i know i can truly trust my body (i.e. push when it tells me to).

Yes, it hurt, but it wasn't the worst pain of my life (that was twisting my ankle and tearing the ligaments) and in between contractions it completely went away. I never felt pain anywhere on my belly, just at my cervix. My midwives commented how relaxed i seemed in between contractions (i was concentrating REALLY hard on relaxing fully to get the best rest possible between contractions) and they later said that would have helped me feel less pain as i was welcoming the contractions consciously and not fighting them. If you fight you tense up and tight muscles ache more, especially when there's a straining uterus contracting underneath them.

I'm a survivor of sexual abuse, and learned as a small child to "shut down" or disassociate from any pain, especially anything to do with my sexual organs. It took ALL of my concentration to stay in the moment and keep focused and relaxed while my body laboured and it was SO worth it. It healed me in many ways, after things being done to me for all those years, birth was something I did, and i did not allow my past to interfere. I am changed since my birth, for the better.

For me having as natural a birth as possible was incredibly important, and for that reason i am deeply proud of my achievments. I absolutely feel i have a medal, heck i have the World Cup! For me it isn't about comparison with another woman. I loved every minute of birth, even the tougher bits, and i can't wait to do it again. If another woman had the same feelings of joy and desire to do it again from having an epidural then good on her. A good labour is one where mum and baby are healthy and mum feels empowered in her abilities as a birther and a mother.

If you feel it is very important to go drug free, don't let others tell you it isn't and if you feel that for you it isn't, don't let people make you go through anything you don't want to.

Bx