When I tell people I had a completely natural, pain free delivery with my DD they look at me funny! I was skeptical at first too, but I am telling you I did!! This book is amazing and I highly recommend it! It is called "Supernatural Childbirth" by Jackie Mize. It is a Christian book, but anyone can apply the principles in it regardless of beliefs!
Re: A natural, pain free childbirth...yes, pain free!!
My Ovulation Chart
My first thought was pain-free=easy, but obviously that's not the case. I think a lot of it is the way you approach it mentally (along with some luck). After reading your description, I would say that my second birth was basically pain free until pushing. But the pushing really hurt- I can't describe the ring of fire as anything but painful.
My first contractions started around 8:30 am and were imediately 5 minutes apart. I called and let them know that labor had started and Id be in a little later since I wanted to labor for as long as I could at home. We got to the hospital a little after 1 pm where we were put into triage for all the regular questions and put on a monitor. The checked me somewhere around 1:35 and said I was 8 cm dilated, my bag was hanging out, and baby's head was high. My water broke a few minutes later and her head came down quick! I almost immediately could feel my body wanting to push. Around 1:45 they left me on the triage bed and began to wheel me down to the L&D room. They no sooner pushed the bed in the room andasked me to get up and move to the other bed. I told them I couldnt get up and seconds later her head was out. The room was in panic mode and they were rushing around to get a dr and the proper equipment. A random dr was in the room in 30 seconds, got what she needed on, and let me push the rest of her out. The warmer wasnt even on and nothing else was ready for her!! I delivered her at 1:53pm, just over 5 hours after my first contraction completely pain free. Pain free doesnt mean you dont feel anything, you still feel the contractions and pressure, but there is no pain. I wouldnt do it any other way!! It is definitely all about preparing yourself metally and getting rid of any fear you have. The fear is what causes the pain!!
If you want to PM me I can give you my whole birth story. Basically contractions felt like an extreme tightening in my abdomen and towards the end I also felt pressure. It was intense and required all my concentration, but not painful. I think the only time I felt uncomfortable was the car ride (bumps were the worst) and the required 20 minutes of continuous monitoring in triage (they wanted me to lay in bed and that was hard). The only part I would label as painful was the last three pushes, where I could feel that 'ring of fire' and when DD's shoulder got stuck and I tore. But even then, I never felt out of control.
My labor was 17.5 hours from the first contraction I couldn't sleep through until DD was in my arms. I didn't find labor to be exhausting, it was a lot of work don't get me wrong. But there wasn't a point where I thought I couldn't go on or if my labor had been longer I know I could have kept going for quite some time like that. I fact, I was fully dilated for 1.5+ hours but decided to 'labor down' because I just didn't want to waste energy pushing and I was too comfortable in the tub to get out. I'm sure if my energy had been fading, I would have felt the need to start pushing earlier. I think that was one of the benefits to Hypnobirthing. I found that I spent most of my labor in a deep state of relaxation, so I didn't expend a lot of energy.
My Ovulation Chart
This may earn me a flaming, but I think in general, while you can prepare yourself to handle the pain (and yes, I call it pain, not pressure), a lot of this depends on the individual woman and labor.
My mom had 4 med-free labors and said her longest labor (with me) was less intense and less painful (looking) than my 15 hour labor with DD. She's also a doula and says some women just seem to have less pain and intensity regardless of how well prepared they went into labor.
A lot also depends on when a woman's water breaks, how long prodromal labor is, and other factors.
I didn't have a pain-free med-free birth, but I will absolutely be repeating it as the pain was worth it imo!
I'm glad you had a pain-free labor, but I don't think it's possible for every woman no matter how prepared you are. IDK, maybe that's my downfall...
ETA: To clarify, I don't think pain-free labors are easy, but I just don't agree that every woman can have a pain-free delivery. Obviously, every labor is hard work (hence the name!).
This is definitely true! Everyone feels things differently and yes, even from labor to labor. I used to nanny for a woman who was pregnant with twins. At 39w she kind of felt not like herself all day and kept feeling pressure like she had to use the bathroom but couldn't. Finally, after feeling like this all day the hospital said for her to come in just to be checked. I was there right before she left for the hospital she was calm, talking, etc. We get a call an hour and a half later. Both twins had been born 45 min after arriving at the hospital! Now this woman I am talking about does not get med-free births, I'm sure if it had been an option to have two epis going at the same time she would have done it. But she went med-free with the twins because she really had very little choice, she had no clue she was in labor until it was almost time to push! So you are 100% correct when you say everyone feels things differently. Now I still think being prepared is a way to ensure a more comfortable birth, but not a guarantee of a pain-free birth.
My Ovulation Chart
I actually don't think the goal of a pain free birth should be pushed.
It makes failures of women that feel pain. And I don't think I failed at anything.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
Hmmm... replace "pain free birth" with "med free birth" and "feel pain" with "get an epi"... maybe tack on something about not getting a medal... and this turns into a very familiar statement
In all seriousness, though. I agree, in a way. I don't think that the goal of a pain-free birth should be pushed. Nor do I think that the goal of a med-free birth should be pushed! My goal is not to have a med-free birth. My goal is to be well-educated on my options, and choose the ones that are right for me and my baby. As of right now, for me, that means homebirth. If, say, a c-section becomes the right option, I will not see that as a "failure." The only way I could "fail" would be if I stubbornly insisted on homebirth when a c-section was clearly the right option.
Similarly, my goal is not to have a pain-free birth, but to go into labor anticipating a positive and enjoyable experience. If that means I feel no pain, great. If I do feel pain, I will not see that as a "failure," because my goal was not to avoid pain but to avoid the anticipation of pain.
I do consider both of my births to be pain-free. I describe them very similarly to how the other posters already have. I like to share those experiences with others, not to make pain-free birth their goal or to make them feel like failures if they do/did feel pain, but to let them know that giving birth doesn't have to suck. I see so many women psych themselves out before they even feel the first contraction. I hope to counteract that. I always add the disclaimer that these were my experiences, and I have no way of knowing how another woman will experience labor... but at least I can show that giving birth doesn't suck for everyone. Because it doesn't suck for me.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
I would say the only pain I felt was the 'ring of fire' and that only lasted for a minute. The rest of my labour was pretty easy (compared to what I hear/read). Water broke at 7:30 a.m. then period-like cramps (contractions) started. Nothing I couldn't handle. I gave DD1 breakfast, chated with my dad and step-mom, finalised my hospital bag etc. Drove to the hospital for 9:30 am. Ate an egg sandwich and listened to the news with my DH and midwives. Was pretty happy and laughing between contractions. At about 11 a.m. they started ot get 'intense' so I had to breathe and focus a little. I got in the tub at 11:30 and that helped. Got out at 12 pm and got onto the bed and my body started pushing on its own. Pushed 3 times and DD2 was out.
I would say my time in the tub (transition) was the most difficult and I asked for an epidural then (which my midwives completely ignored - lol) but I was getting 2-3 minutes between contractions so I was able to rest and prepare for the next one.
The ring of fire was... umm... the most painful thing I have experienced. But, I've never broken a bone or had surgery of any kind (I don't even have cavities) so I have no reference point for pain, kwim? And, it was over in a minute.
I didn't tear so no stitches.
I also didn't do any hypnobirthing classes or anything. But, I did do tons of reading and I believed in my heart that I could do it. That if millions of other women could do it, so could I. And I had FANTASTIC midwives who encouraged me the whole way.
But yeah, in retrospect, it was nowhere near as painful as I thought it was going to be and really, the only part of it that I would even describe as painful was the crowning.
Eleanor Noelle - 18/05/12 Claire Elisabeth - 16/-5/10
My birth was painful.
But it didn't suck.
This just comes across as another d!ck measuring contest. I'm totally content with my birth and don't need it to be better than anyone elses.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
Huh? A d!ck measuring contest? All I see in this post are women sharing our birth experiences. I don't know what you want us to do, lie about how we felt?
I never said that painful births suck. I said that I like to discuss my birth experiences to show people that birth doesn't suck, at least not for everyone. I'm guessing you do the same, no? Or do you lie and say that your birth did suck, just so that you don't make anyone who had a sucky birth feel like a failure?
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
The OP clearly implied that a pain free birth is attainable and desirable for most women. All I need to do is read a book!
I disagree. That's all.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet