Wanting to try a pain relief free delivery

[Raerae336]

SO with my first daughter I was induced and in labor for 28 hours and my daughter was face up so needless to say I couldn't manage the pain.. with my second I had a serious infection and basically required the epidural. I have a very long torso so with both epidurals they had trouble placing the cath in which both times resulted in bruising and discomfort for weeks. With this pregnancy I want to try and to deliver all on my own. I'm only 7 weeks now but i want to prepare myself all that i can. the small town i live in doesn't offer much for classes. i would really enjoy hearing your birth stories and any advice to help me reach this goal.. thank you!:)

[Raerae336]

Thank you all for your posts.:) I am Recording all these birth shows.. Trying to study up!:)

[mikaleen]

I had a much quicker and less complicated recovery with my second birth that was all natural.  My first birth with the epi was great for the pain, but I couldn't walk for a couple hours, my eye had all sorts of problems for the next day and I was sent home with a catheter because I couldn't urinate on my own for 4 days.
My second I knew i wanted to go drug free, maybe a little in the IV, but no epi.  I never got anything in the IV for pain, and I was certainly in the boat with LosingMyMindInGa, it wasn't a quiet delivery, but I was able to get up and walk around with my daughter and get back and forth to the bathroom, walk up the hall to the snacks and shower, all things I wasn't able to do with how the epi affected me. As soon as labor was over I felt great.  I was screaming fr drugs at the end but the nurse and DH were great and they were a big help.  Even though I was screaming for the epi, at the same time I was hoping they would get me through without it.  It just felt better to yell for it. =)
If you are prepared mentally and have a good support in place (and a fairly short labor) it makes it much easier.  If you go in with the mindset of no drugs it makes it a little easier, but you can always get them if you feel you need to. Good luck!

[Raerae336]

Thank you. As far as supportive people, my sister has already agreed to be my birthing coach she's taking the position very seriously and is reading up on ''hypnobirth'' DH isn't too fond of the idea of pain relief free yet... he jokes that he will be a mile down the road if i am not getting any pain relief. I think that the epi really prevented me from bonding because I was unable to walk around. My midwife says, other than bragging rights you don't get much out of a pain relief free delivery.. which I thought midwives were more for all natural.. thanks for your posts ladies. I don't know why but i am very nervous about delivery with this one. I just had a friend who passed away one week after giving birth.. she had extreme headaches which the doctors contributed to being a complication from the epi but actually was a blood clot that traveled to her brain.. IDK I have 33 weeks to go.. so we'll see.:) Also, anyone with three kids.. was your third much faster than your others?

[mamaofonetrying42]

With my 1st I was induced and had an Epi. my L&D was great very little pain, I was in labor for just over 8-9hours and I did tear. My 2nd again I was induced and had an epi. But the epi only worked on one side the pain was there but not as bad as with my 3rd. And again I did tear as well, L&D was about 9hr again. With my 3rd I wasnt planning on doing it on my own, I was induced, but my L&D went by so fast only 4hr. and by the time I got my epi baby was out in less then 5min. So epi never worked. I went from 7 to 10 in 15min. All I can say is it HURT and if I ever have another baby I would not do it on my own again and make sure I get my epi in time. The pro's about this l&d was I did not tear, and I was able to get up a walk around, I didnt have to wait for the epi die down. The con's of this l&d was that because I was in so much pain I couldnt really enjoy it....  It was painfull I do feel good that I did do it on my own but the pain was just So much! Im thinking now that maybe if I had someone there coaching me, someone just there for me. Maybe it would have not been so bad...IDK Good Luck and Congrats

[LosingMyMindInGA]

It is extrememyl important to have supportive nurses and others around you.  I did it with my youngest daughter.  My nurses talked me through the contractions and told me how to breath, they stayed with me when i needed them too.  I was able to go completely drug free.  I wasn't very QUIET about it, but was able to do it LOL.

[Ashelen]

Hey girl! You can TOTALLY do it!!! I'm thinking about going pain-free with this one too....but I tore so bad last time that I almost died from blood loss, and because I had an epidural they were able to crank up the dose and wheel me right into the OR without having to inject locals or anything....and I realize that generally an epidural can increase the risk of tearing, but I don't know whether to avoid the epidural and lower the chance of tearing or to get the epidural so if I DO tear (doctor said that my anatomy makes it likely) the pain is instantly manageable....idk, but I would like to try pain-free just to say I did it, lol.

I'm interested to see what stories and advice you get on this thread too...but all I can add is...you can do it!! hehe :)