mum2be.ie - Pregnancy and Baby Forums

[soexcited]

Hi mams

Im posting this here because Im looking for advise from anyone who has delivered without epidural.... honestly girls how bad is it??? I would like to not get an epidural but at the same time I dont know what Im in for....

Any tips or breathing techniques that particularly worked?

Also any soon to be mammies, what are you planning on doing???

[mom2djp]

i have asked my sis about this, she had one with and two without. her advice is go without if at all possible. you recover quicker, you are able to change your own pads (her hubby or the midwife had to do it for the frist 24 hours after as she had to stay on the flat of her back for 24 hours after) she also found that getting it slowed down her labour alot.

she said yes it does hurt but she managed to get through it and all she kept thinking was each contraction was one closer to meeting her baby. she use gas and air and she said that even though it was hard for the recovery itself she found it much better, and as she said your in recovery alot longer than your in labour!

my own plan is to ride out the labour as much as possible at home, go in when i feel like i cant take it anymore and hopefully do it on gas and air. but like you i dont know what to expect so this might change but she also adviced listen to your own body and listen to the midwifes.

[soexcited]

Yeh Im hoping to do the same as you.. Its jsut when people ask and I say that they kinda laugh! not at me personally just in a 'yeh rite' kinda way.....

[Bonnie]

I'm hoping to do the same, as in avoid Epidural if possible. But this is my first baby and that could be really niave as I don't really know how bad to expect the pain to get!

What has kindof put me off the epidural was a friend of mine had her first baby 6 weeks ago, and was incontinent for a month after the epidural! apparently this can happen and revert back to normal, but it does sound like the recovery from the epidural might be worse than from the labour!?

...Mind you, I did burst out crying watching the birth scene in Juno the other night, when I just thought I'm not gonna be able for all that!...Very confused really, but not due until Feb 5th, so hopefully I'll have figured out a few things by then

[penwed]

...Mind you, I did burst out crying watching the birth scene in Juno the other night, when I just thought I'm not gonna be able for all that!...Very confused really, but not due until Feb 5th, so hopefully I'll have figured out a few things by then

We were watching Juno too. We're only TTC at the moment but like you I was nearly in tears and hubbie turns to me and says "are you sure you want to do that"!!! Great support lol

[mom2djp]

it does sound like the recovery from the epidural might be worse than from the labour!?

my sis firmly belives this, thats why she had the frist with and the second two without. my thinking is if she really couldnt take the labour pain on the thrid she would have gotten the epidural.

[mom2b3]

I have heard the same, that recovery from epi is awful... and that even though the pain is bad for labour..we were built for it this is what im telling myself anyway. I'm hoping to do the same, labour at home for as long as possible (im only 5 minutes from my hosp) and then gas and air it! I'll let ye know in 10 weeks!!!

[Ruby]

I had both mine without an epi. Hated teh toughts of it on my 1st and on my 2nd didnt ahve time to think about it
On my 1st i had pethidine wont be having that again it made me sleepy and out of it, and Gas and Air, had a 5 hour labour and 3 stitches.
DS2 i had one puff of G&A but it made me feel sick so didnt take any more, didnt want pethidine again so in the end had no pain relief but even though DS2 was bigger than DS1 it was a much faster labour , i had no stitches i was up and about straight away in town shopping 3 days later with him in his pram, labour was 1hr 40mins and about 3 pushes.

This time i would love another labour like i had on DS2 but if not and if i feel the need and am in labour for hours i will ask for an epi. I have read that it can slow labour down and that recovery after can take longer and that having an epi can lead to having to have an assisted delivery using forceps and having to have a episiotomy as you cant tell when you need to push and i really dont fancy any of those.

[soexcited]

Ok glad Im not the only one thinking this way!!!

[soexcited]

Ok so just watching one born every minute and there is a girl SCREAMINNNNGGGGGGG!!!! like I've never seen anyhting like this before!!!!!!!!!
any mammies here think they'd be well able for the labor but actually end up being unble for the pain????

[babyL]

hi hunni, well i had my daughter with no pain relief and hopefully will do the same with this one! i had a brilliant delivery on my daughter i was induced at 9 in the morning went into labour at 3:30pm with little niggly pains, pains did get worse but she was coming so fast that pain relief just wasnt a option, i started pushing her out about 7:45pm and my beautiful daughter arrived in the world at 8:30pm. My sis had epidural on her son and she regrets it now as she went in to labour at 5:30am at home and went to hospital to be told baby will be here in few hours if she keeps going the way she was, but pain got so bad that she asked for a epidural and after it her contractions slowed down and she fell sleep for a while when she woke baby had barley moved, she had a real calm and relaxed birth at 2pm that day but would have had him 6 hours earlier if she hadnt have epidural, my one bit of advice for you is dont make up your mind till baby is on the way and your in actual pain cause hunni its different for everybody!

[soexcited]

Yeh when people ask me now I say I dont want it but Im keeping my options open... a friend recently had a baby and her hubby told my hubby there isnt a hope of me making it without one, but I kinda hate when people say that as I want to keep as much 'mind over matter' going if ya get me.

[sunshine]

I'm like you hun, I'm going to try the mind over matter thing and do my breathing exercises. I'm going to start pregnancy yoga when i'm 12 weeks and try and continue it right up to when I have babes as I heard its great for getting you through the labour with the breathing techniques... My SIL had the epidural as well and it slowed her labour right down. In the end her baby had to be suctioned out as it was making him wrecked she swore she would never get it again...

[TheNewMrs]

I have a friend who had her first just 5 weeks ago, g&A only. She didn't need any stitches at all. her baby was 8lb6oz, she said as long as you listen to your body and the midwife you'll be fine. She said once you keep coaching yourself and dont panic. She did say the contractions were the worst part, and pushing the baby out felt like "burning" down there but once the baby is out the relief is amazing! She said she didnt even notice delivering the after birth. She did have slight grazing and said it stung to pee for the first few days but she'd do it all again no problem!

I am on her team!

[soexcited]

I have a friend who had her first just 5 weeks ago, g&A only. She didn't need any stitches at all. her baby was 8lb6oz, she said as long as you listen to your body and the midwife you'll be fine. She said once you keep coaching yourself and dont panic. She did say the contractions were the worst part, and pushing the baby out felt like "burning" down there but once the baby is out the relief is amazing! She said she didnt even notice delivering the after birth. She did have slight grazing and said it stung to pee for the first few days but she'd do it all again no problem!

I am on her team!

I believe this burn is often called the ring of fire