Levi's mum - When I was pg with my first, I read too many bad things about drugs and had a phobia of them, I was mainly scared of them causing a migraine more than anything, and also hindering BFing, so I resolved to not have them.

With my first, I had no drugs and even no gas (as I was afraid of the gas causing a migraine, I'm very prone to migraines). I had a posterior labour and it was induced at 37 weeks. Ds was born with a few problems which would have been way worse if I had have had an epi or peth. This strenghtened my resolve to never have drugs. Total 'heavy' labour time was 8 hours.

With my second, same deal. I went into spontaneous labour, although 6 hours in did require a membrane rupture. I had a posterior labour and birth, and refused all drugs. Total time was 10 hours.

The way I handled it was concentrating during the contraction on the end of the contraction. I counted very slowly through each one, picturing the numbers in my head and everytime I saw this number zoom away it was a victory as it was one second closer to the end of the contraction. I don't know if that makes sense lol.

Transition stage with both was very hard to get through. For me it helped to be on my knees, leaning on a big gym ball with the shower on my back. Also a lot of pressure applied to my back helped, but I had a posterior labour and the back pain is much worse than contractions (that's how it felt anyway). Also having a rolled up hand towel clamped in my mouth to bite on when the pain was really bad really really helped, I'm not sure why.

I found with both births, I felt really spaced out and in the last 2 hours like I was on the roof looking down at myself. The midwives explained to me this was my endorphins, one big plus to not having pain relief is that the natural endorphins take over and kind of separate you from the pain....I think it's like adrenalin, a hormone of sorts? It only happens if you don't have drugs.

Big thing too is that I was totally mobile after both births, walked back to the ward, was very very alert and on a 'high' of sorts.

This time around I'm planning on doing natural again and I'm just requesting my big ball and a shower. Also I want to try a big bath this time as apparently they have one in the birth centre, and I'm hoping to be allowed to deliver there instead of the delivery suite.

Definately worth it. I was aged just turned 19 with my first, and just turned 21 with my second. If I could do it then, anyone can give it a whack.