to those who gave birth without the epidural UPDATE!

Handymammy · by **Handymammy** » Sat Aug 28, 2022 4:33 pm

I had my little boy 12 days ago without an epi and found the pain very manageable. I had always thought that I would try not to have the epi but was fully prepared to change my mind if the pain became unbearable.
My preparation was mostly pregnancy yoga and trying to inform myself as much as possible (found that watching One Born Every Minute was good as could see how people were able to manage without an epi). I also think it is important to keep yourself calm throughout as this helps a lot. I found that I would have one very tough contraction but that would be followed by a few that were totally manageable! My yoga teacher said "once a contraction is over say goodbye to it and don't focus on it anymore" and I found this to be very good advice. I also kept one mantra in my head which was that I put up with anything for 1 minute because at their worst the contractions would never last longer than one minute.
I was brought to the labour suite at 3pm (waters had started to leak 24 hours before) and started on the gas and air and was 4cm. The midwife offered pethidine and I thought that I would be about 8pm before pushing started so took the pethidine to relax my muscles a bit. I got back onto the exercise ball (which is amazing) with gas in one hand and my hubbie's hand in my other incase I needed to squeeze the bits out of it for the tough contractions. At half four I had 3 bad contractions in a row which was unusual and then I had two contractions where I felt like my body was convulsing and trying to push. Said to midwife and she checked me and I was fully dilated. So I could not have had epi even if I wanted to as I went so quickly.
Hopefully with the next baby I will be able to go without an epi again but will not think twice about having one if I could not cope with the pain.

seans missus · by **seans missus** » Wed Nov 03, 2021 3:50 pm

I just noticed this thread now.
I had my baby girl nearly 17 weeks ago and didnt have an epidural. I had read 'The Better Birth Book' and found it quite helpful. I had also heard Nadia Sawalha talking on TV about 'breathing her baby out'. I also watched 'One Born every minute' on Channel 4. Each of these helped me.
I had been getting pains from the night before but they were just like bad period pains so I had warm baths and a hot water bottle. I had been moving furniture around and thought I had pulled a muscle or something. It wasnt the pain that I was expecting to have. In the middle of the night it got a bit worse but I just thought it was the baby moving into position. My friend had told me that I would definitely know I was in labour so I just thought it was muscle pains. I used a heat pack with lavender for my back and a TENS machine the next day when the pain was sorer.

Nadia Sawalha talked about having an easy birth because she breathed her baby out. She said that with every contraction, she took a deep breath in through her nose and exhaled slowly and steadily out through her mouth. I did this and I found it really easy to do.
I went to hospital at 6 and was examined at 6:40 and I was 4cm dilated. I had some gas and air but it was making me feel a bit sick so I just ended up a TENS machine for a bit and then I used the birthing pool and the breathing techniques. In the birthing pool I just concentrated on each contraction when it came. I didnt think about it before or after.The midwives were great and when I felt like I just wanted to give up, they kept reassuring me. I had to get out of the pool at 10 because it was time to push. I used the breathing techniques and I had my baby at 11:08. I think being relaxed really helped.

It definitely was not as bad as I had thought and I had expected. I always thought about the worst pain it could be and then it could only be better. I hope for my future children, if Im lucky enough to have any, that I can do it naturally again.

by **delgirl** » Mon Dec 20, 2021 12:17 pm

Just thought would add my pennies worth to this useful thread.

I had my baby girl caitlin on the 11th December weighing 6lbs 11ozs, she arrived five days early. I already had a son and had the epidural for him. I found the recovery very tough - epidural didn't wear off for a day so was stuck in bed and could not get to DS to feed him etc which I found quite distressing. This was my motivation for not having the epidural this time and it really kept me focused.

I went into labour at about 7pm on the 10th December. Even though I had a DS already it was very early labour pains so was not even sure if was labour. Did the last few bits around the house to get ready and stayed focused - then decided to have a shower and dry my hair. This relaxed me a lot. Then went up to bed for a lie down. At nine things were getting stronger and I knew that babs would be making a show soon. I got up and walked around and at ten we called the hospital. Pains were coming regularly every 3 mins but were painful but not excrutiating. Rang the hospital and they said that the pains should be taking my breath away - I have quite a high pain threshold so not sure about this meter. My DS would not settle - and was finding it hard to concentrate so we decided to head to hospital. Rang my friend aand she cam over to mind DS and off we went. Got there at 11:30.

Was admitted straight to delivery but not checked until 12:00. I was 6cm at this stage and was given gas and air. My waters broke while midwife was doing internal and has a huge contraction at same time. This hurt as having internal and contraction not pleasant. Once waters were gone things starting speeding up. I got changed and got onto bed. I found that kneeling up reasting against upright bed was best. Just made sure I had long sucks on gas and air as soon as I knew contraction was coming to ensure that I had enough in me for the peak - this continued for about 2 hours. I started to feel very sore and pressure was building so I asked hubby to get a midwife to check me. She did and i was ready to push. I think definatley staying relaxed throughout labour and not tensing (even though you want to) helped with the contractions. Also keeping food in me and drinking lots of energy drinks kept my keytones (sp) up and kept the contractions regular. A couples of pushes and baby caitlin was born at 3:15.

My placenta took a while to deliver - even though I opted for injection to help. This was frustrating. I also needed a nice load of stitches and this I found hard and getting the local hurt but with babs sitting on my chest it was easier. I would deffo opt not to have the epi again (although I think we are done now - have my two angels and am happy out).

by **GentleBirth** » Tue Dec 21, 2021 9:15 am

Congratulations delgirl! Great birth story! Having some snacks is so important to keep your energy up and it helps the uterus not to get tired and stop the contractions.

Enjoy your new arrival this Christmas. We're really having fun getting ready for Xmas with 2 this year.

Tracy

theoracle · by **theoracle** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:45 am

Congrats Del on your little baby girl, so happy to hear all went well!!! All the best!!! :o)ll

by **delgirl** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:48 pm

thanks tracy and theoracle - she is a pet.

by **i want one** » Thu Jan 13, 2022 3:54 pm

congrats del girl :o)ll

by **kezmat** » Sun Jan 23, 2022 9:19 pm

Just dont suffer too long then realise you want it!! I delt with the pain for ages then when it got to be too much I asked for it but by the time the anistisiologist got to me I was too far along to get it! remember you dont know how fast you will diolate!!
it was my first baby and the midwife said id probably be waiting from 3 oclock when my water broke till the next day as first babies are uaually slow so I wasnt checked for hours (which freeked me out they cant guess wats going on in there) after about 3 to 4 hours I demanded to be examanaed and I had gone from 2 cm to 8 cm and was quickly brought to the birthing room!! then I said I wanted epidural they said ok but by the time I came to get it it was too late!!! Just gas and air for me then!!
I recommend a epidural I would have loved to be numb cause I couldnt take the pressure from the baby and I just pushed n pushed and couldnt stop hill he was out!! they had to spend 30 min stiching me up :(
I didnt sit right for about 3 weeks!!! I wish I had the epidural to help me not push!!

by **Veruca-Salt** » Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:30 pm

Great stories here, thank you! Would love to hear more :thnk

by **Wife09** » Sun Jul 03, 2022 9:14 pm

I think that with induction (oxytocin) its very hard not to have an epi, the contractions are way more intense and it really just depends anyway on how things are going. I did brilliant on my own and then got oxytocin a 3cm, I went from 3cm to 10cm in less than an hour. I was begging for an epi and they would not give it to me. They were serioulsy intense contractions, I did not have gaps or a contraction with a build as I had been having. It was constant most intense pain. The midwives ignored my requests for epi and help. Id nothing other than Gas and Air at the very last few minutes. No pethadine or even a paracetamol. I had my tens on and found it great till I got the drip thing just intensified too quickly it was impossible to get control. The heart monitor for abab was going mad and the nurses ignoring it despite my requests and concern. Well I got this overwhelming urge to push and I told them, they said there was no way I could go so quickly. Anyway I got really thick and told them I going pushing anyway as I knew it was what I was supposed to be doing and I knew there was something wrong with the baby. They checked me and I was 10cm and then rang cons to come in. He was highly alaramed at the state me and baba were in and I had forceps and extended episiotomy. The cord had entirely detached from the placenta and was wrapped around her neck twice and was choking her. He did not have time even to section me or give me pain relief so felt every bit of the episiotomy and forceps. I know that if I had of had that epi I probably would not have felt that urge to push her out and there is no way she would be here with out my urges as those nurses didnt give a hoot!

Now there was more that happened in delivery and post delivery which I wont go into and I will be having a section this time. So the epi thing doesnt come into it for me. But to be honest with you what I went through is extreme and Im not anti-epi as the pain I went through was ridiculous. The best thing I can say to you is to listen to your gut and take it as it comes. Do your birth plan by all means but things dont always work out that way. I never actually showed my cons birth plan as I had pre eclampsi and I know at that stage anything could happen but I had on it no foceps, the forceps saved her life! Go with an open mind about it all!

by **GentleBirth** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:08 am

Just a reminder that this thread is also for Mums who medically don't have the option of having an epidural as well as those Mums who prefer not to have one. So keeping an open mind isn't relevant to some Mums. O-O

Induction usually needs more focus but it can definitely be managable without an epi. I've had lots of GB Mums find it manageable (they'd nothing to compare it to). So it's definitely not game over if you have to be induced but I would have a few strategies thought out beforehand to help you manage if you're finding it challenging.

Tracy

by **Wife09** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:47 pm

Thanks for your offer of help but Ill be having a section this time for medical reasons.
Just sharing my experience. Some people dont have good experiences and plans change during birth and thats the way it is. As long as you and baby are ok that is the most important thing.
I said 'keep an open mind about it all ' Im very sorry if that wasnt obvious and Ill be very PC and clarify 'keep an open mind about it all'' -as long as its medically viable.

by **GentleBirth** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 2:22 pm

Hi Wife09,

This thread was started by a Mum who couldn't have an epi for medical reasons and has evolved from there to offer support and information to those Mums who prefer not to have one. Of course things can change during labour but we'd like to keep this thread for positive non-epidural experiences - there are more than enough threads about great epidural experiences.

Tracy

Momof2 · by **Momof2** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 3:04 pm

Never noticed this thread before but here my recent story. I had a failed epidural on my first pregnancy (induction at 10days over) I was lucky that my labour progressed quite quickly following ARM & Syntocin. But mentally I was petrified when the epidural didn't take and it made the last 2hrs of labour quite fraught. I had always assumed all pain relief would work so was all geared up for an epidural

I decided this time I didn't want an epidural as I'd managed on my last labour. I was induced again 11daysover and 2gels later baby was a little unhappy so we went the syntocin and ARM things went very fast and in 2hrs + I was told I was 5cms I went into that desperate second stage time then where you really feel you can't cope and asked for an epidural (The midwife knew I didn't want it and tbh there wasn't time) but within 10 mins I was at 8 and 15mins later I was at 10. I gave birth to a 10lb 8 baby with gas and air (which I had dismissed on 1st labour as it made me feel quite nauseous but it really was brilliant it just removed you slightly for those v intense pains but you were still in the moment if that makes sense)

I was so happy I managed it again this time I guess I decided that it was right for me and afterall its what we were designed to do. I personally wanted to be more in control this labour & I was despite my temporary wavering. It was great to be able to hop into the shower straight after and I got home before she was 24hrs old a really great experience.

by **Wife09** » Mon Jul 04, 2022 4:48 pm

Gentlebirth I didnt have an epidural and Im neither pro nor anti an epi, people were posting their stories and I posted mine. Thought it was an open discussion. Thats all!

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