For those of you who went natural...

bsmerelda@yahoo.com

How was it? Are you glad you did? Was the pain REALLY painful? I really want to go All Natural but I'm soooooo scared of the pain! Any advice? TIA!

designgrl7

ihad an epidural with my first and went natural with my second two weeks ago.  the pain was bad, but not unbearable until the last ten/fifteen minutes, it was worth it becuase i  felt so much better so much more quickly.  i tore both times but it was about the same, i would say practice visualization, have a series of pain manangement techniques ( i.e. i started by walking and leaning on dh, then went to the shower, then on the birthing ball, rocking chair, back to ball and then had baby)

for me i had back labor both times and it was really painful but that is unusual,pushing was harder this time and i defintely screamed to my doctor that i didn't want to do it, but she came out in the next push and it was over

 

Estes

I couldn't have an epi for medical reasons...so I had to go natural. Ill be honest with you.....I thought I was going to die. I don't know why anyone would choose to do that when an epi is available.

kpt

i agree exactly with pp. except i didnt have back labor this time. was definitely worth it for the healing part.

Krisx2

My labor was only four hours long. So by the time I got to the hospital I was ready to push. Luckily I had been hoping for a natural labor all along. The contractions were like the worst period cramps ever. The giving birth part didn't phase me at all. But I was totally in labor land and out of it. I tore pretty badly and the stitching process is what made me cuss at the doctor. So all in all, I thought going natural wasn't that bad.

Brewtowngrl

My epi didn't work till I was pushing.  I went through transition without it working.  It was not something I want to experience again, but I know I could do it again if need be.  I have heard that if you make it through transition then delivery is not a big deal.  The really hard part was my body wanted to push, but the OB was not there yet and the nurse was making me stop. My labor was under 3 hours.  I could not have made it much longer, but i was not prepared to make it at all without the epi.  I think it would have helped to be prepared to go natural.   

kate930

I labored 46 hours naturally then had to have an emergency c-section. I wish I could have done the whole thing. I made it to pushing, and it was difficult, but I had bad back labor.

lesalia217

kate930:

I labored 46 hours naturally then had to have an emergency c-section. I wish I could have done the whole thing. I made it to pushing, and it was difficult, but I had bad back labor.

i labored naturally and pushed for 6 hrs b4 my emergency c/s.  not fun, but i could do it again.  I had bad back labor and a baby that never turned the right way.  you need a good support team who will help you through the contractions.  I don't think i could have done it without them at my side.

hollykhenry

Just so you aren't totally scared - I am a total wimp and I survived it! I had a doula who helped us with positioning and did relaxation techniques, pressure points and massage and it really wasn't that horrible. Contractions are tough but they peak fairly quickly and she had me focus on the feeling of relief as they subsided, in between was not so bad. I think the hard part is that it is hard work when you are pushing - you feel a ton of pressure - for me it felt like the most intense urge. I was also induced - pitocin starting at 6am that didn't take - water broken at 10am - baby at 630pm. I'd say the pain was intense enough that I kept my eyes closed starting at about 4pm, but I didn't ever feel like I couldn't do it. When the doctor came in to check me and I was at 10cm I screamed, however, because I felt like if I was only at a 6 or so I would beg for meds Hope this helps!

knedell

I labored naturally for 40 hours before having a c section.  I had bad back labor due to his position but I would do it again in a heartbeat, because I couldn't stand the epi and pain meds they gave me for the c.  I highly recommend having a doula.  We would not have made it as far as we did without her. 

Meli0604

I am glad I did it, and I plan to do it again next time I'm pregnant. But yes, it was very painful.

The contractions weren't bad at all in the beginning. But once they became more frequent and much stronger, I wanted to cry. Moving around helped so much, but my blood pressure was climbing so I eventually had to stay still in the bed (that's when the pain was worse). My OB was amazing. She helped me breathe and focus through my contractions. When I would start contracting & the pain would hit, I would think "I can't do this!" but then the contraction would pass and the pain would stop and I realized I could do it. My best advice is take it one contraction at a time.

For me, pushing was the best part. I only pushed for less than 15 minutes before my DD was born. I didn't experience the "ring of fire" and I didn't have any tearing. My OB massaged and stretched my perineum between pushes and I think that really contributed to me not tearing. I was in labor a total of 11 hours. 

GL!

sarahmae8

I had wanted to go natural and then ended up with the most redic back labor. I could hardly breath, was nearly passing out on O2, could not stand or sit or anything that made it somewhat better. Come to find out later baby was posterior which made pushing harder and created the back labor. After 12 hours I had to get the epi and within 20 min i went from 4cm to 8cm. It was great. If I don't have back labor next time, I am certain I can do it naturally.

briannaj

I loved it and would do it again tomorrow.  I didn't have any back labor and I would say my contractions were very mild period cramps.  I had a dream delivery!  I was very focused through each contraction...I relaxed and visualized my baby descending every time.  I was happy and smiling and talking all the way to 10 cm.  It was honestly the most amazing experience!  I never even thought about getting an epi during the process.

jilicious

I labored 25 hours naturally, had an epi for five hours and then it wore off while I was pushing for 3.5 hours and I was able to deliver without meds and could feel everything so I consider that to be natural.

Anyways, I have a pretty good tolerance for pain and the pain of contractions is absolutely unreal. It blows your mind, lol! I lost control of my labor when we got to the hospital and I found out I had labored Friday night into Saturday afternoon and was only at 4cm. I was exhausted, had not eaten since Friday night and not really slept since Thursday and the pain was so unreal I swore I was in transition.

Alas, it was not so. I got the epidural so I could rest and I'm SO glad I did, it still took 5 hours to dilate fully. We let it where off when I started pushing and I'm SO glad because TBH I have no clue how women push all numbed up. I needed to feel the pain to know how to push. The ring of fire was not that bad, the worst part was when she crowned and the doctor made me wait and push really slowly and steadily so I wouldn't tear. Nothing like a small football wedged in your vag, only to have someone tell you to NOT push it out, ha!

Anyways, I'd do it natural all over again, except THIS time I'd eat and go to bed earlier to try and sleep. I was so depleted, I'm sure that if I had not gotten the epidural I would have gotten a c-section due to not having the strength to go on.

will'sbeachprincess

I went natural, prepared with the Bradley Method classes beforehand.  I am glad I had the Bradley classes-I didn't get to use a lot of the techniques because my labor was only 4 hours, but the mental, emotional, and physical preparation helped me immensely when it came to transition and pushing.  I wasn't scared because I knew what was happening and why and how to deal with it. 

I didn't have abdominal contractions until about 2 hours after my water broke so I wasn't in bad pain but for about 2 hours total.  I was ready to push but the doctor wasn't there yet so I had to hold back for about 30 minutes.  Once the doc got there I pushed for about 5 or 10 minutes before he was born.  Yeah, crowning/ring of fire is absolutely the worst pain I've had in my life, but it was for such a short amount of time.  And as soon as his head was out, the pain was GONE.  All the hormones and endorphins then took over and it was like nothing had happened.  DH said it was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen- me go from excrutiating pain to exhilarating joy that quickly.

I'd do it again for sure.  Good luck to you!

izziebee

I didn't go natural however I wanted to and probably could have if I knew how quick my labor/delivery was going to be. That said, I'm so happy I got the epi! I started contractions around 430am, they got bad around 7am and we got the hospital at 945am. At that point I was only 3 cm and my water hadn't broken. They thought I was going to be there all day and by the time I got into my room the pain was so bad I wanted that epi NOW! Once I had it, I felt such HUGE relief and could enjoy every moment. Within an hour I went from 3cm to 8 then to 10 and was ready to push. I pushed maybe 20 minutes before DS was born at 1236pm. During that time I could really enjoy the moment, I was able to talk to my DH and the Dr's/Nurses and really focus on what was going on. I seriously don't feel like the epi hindered by experience whatsoever and would do it again in a heartbeat. I do think that had I known somehow how quick it would go I may have opted out but I also don't think I would have enjoyed it as much.

My advice to you is go in with an open mind, you may find you can handle it and that is great, but if you find that you can't, don't feel bad about getting that epi.

Good Luck!

MelBolt

It was hard, of course, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Yes, the pain is really bad. But, as soon as your baby comes it disappears instantly. So cool!

Taking Bradley Method classes helped me know what to expect and helped my husband know how to help me. I'd definitely recommend it!

My birth story is in my blog, if you want to read it. 

Good luck! You can ABSOLUTELY do it!!

Mrs.BoomBoom

went natural with my 1st, had a little pain med (but no epi) with my induced 2nd.  IMO totally doable.  Listen to your body and the professionals and know that your body can do it.  Neither labor was as bad as I thought it would be.

Mjmksb04

I was so glad I did it. Recovery was easy since I didn't have an IV or cathader, I could pretty much get up and walk around whenever I was ready after he was born. It was painful, but manageable. Don't get me wrong, I was in a lot of pain but I thought it would be much, much worse. I recommend you read a Bradley Hypnobirthing book and some other books that talk about pain management.

yourmomwreckedmybike

I used a bit of the laughing gas to control my breathing but it didn't do a thing for the pain. I am really glad that I was able to feel everything and have control of everyhung. It was a very surreal experience and I feel closer to my LO and my DH who was there helping and for support. He contractions were like he worst period cramps ever, but they were manageable with walking, hot water, relaxing. The pushing part felt good because in was like "ok the harder I push and work, the sooner this is over and my little guy is here". I has no tearing. Definitely going to do it again, and hopefully I can get my breathing under control without the gas.

Tina562

I had an epi but it wore off the last 8 hours and wow the pain sucked! It was all this pressure but I found a focal point and took deep slow breathes through my contractions and it helped! Also the nurses and my boyfriend helped so much by massaging me and helping me breathe through them ect. I'm glad I felt everything when I pushed because I knew where she was so I pushed like a madwoman and got her out in 5 mins :-) (pushing) and pushing didn't even hurt, the contractions do!

Rory419

My labor was 14 hours long and it honestly was not horrible until transition.  I was lucky and went from 7 to 10 cm in about two hours, but it was still probably the worst pain of my life.  However, I also had a bad experience at my hospital.  The doctors and nurses who were on call were, for the most part, very against natural births and very discouraging.  They were constantly reminding me that the pain could get worse and I should get the epi.  I think that contributed to the pain even more!  Also, pushing was the hardest thing I have ever done.  I felt the ring of fire the whole time, but again I was lucky and only pushed for 20 minutes.  If I did not progress as fast as I did, I probably would have strongly considered the epi, but if I were to do it again, I would still go natural.  While it was awful, it was still bearable, and I felt more in control of my recovery (and I tore really bad.)  You can never know how much you can handle until you are there.  You will probably surprise yourself.  It was like I was challenging myself to keep going.  My advice is to labor as long as possible while moving.  Once you are in that bed, it gets harder. 

bsmerelda@yahoo.com

Thanks ladies for all your advice! I will def. look into the Bradley method book! Thanks again

anabell0920

Please know that there are some that go natural and LOVE it. I am one of them and no I had nothing close to a fast easy labor. I was in active/hard labor for 24 hours and my progression was very slow. But I had a doula and my husband to support me every step of the way (highly recommend a doula!!!) and we got through it. My biggest hurdle was how long I was in labor for. The day just seemed to keep on going! lol Don't get me wrong contractions can be tough but as long as you keep yourself as calm as you can (that's why support is so important) and remember the reasons for doing it you can make it through! Transition was tough for me just because I had to physically make my body progress since I was stalled so after being in active labor for over 20 hours I was standing and swaying and having to let my body work (which is hard since your first instinct is to "fight" the pain). But after that pushing was the best feeling in the world! Seriously AMAZING I could feel exactly where my son was at every step of the way and it was not painful it was exhilarating! The endorphins your body produces makes you feel like you are on this amazing high and you are so excited! Then he came out in less than 15 minutes and I had zero tears and no hemmies! My recovery has been awesome and I never want to have a medicated birth.

AnotherChance

I think it's great that you want to try to go natural.  I tried, too, but it didn't work out for me.  Do your best, but don't beat yourself up if you end up with an epi.

The first 12 hours of my labor were tolerable.  At the end of them, I was 4 cm dilated.  Then, the seriously painful contractions started for me.  I could not handle them - they were worse than anything I could ever imagine.  But, I tried...I spent 3 hours trying every relaxation technique I could, but nothing worked.  I ended up telling DH I wanted to die because I could not take the pain (and my pain tolerance is pretty high actually).  He encouraged me to get an epi, and I fought him for awhile and cried about it.  Then, I got it. 

The epi worked for awhile and allowed me to sort of regroup mentally and get ready for what was to come.  Then, the epi ended up half failing (I felt all the contractions full force, but I was numb in the crotch area and partially numb in my legs).  I was back to feeling like I wanted to die, but then it was time to push and that really helped...I pushed for an hour and a half...and even though the contractions were strong and frequent, it was a relief to push through them and know that the end was near.  (My total labor was about 21 hours).

If we end up having another child, I still plan to try to labor naturally.  If things move along faster, I might be able to make it through without an epi.  But, if I can't, I'd get one again (and hope it takes better!)  Every labor is different, it's hard to tell how it will go and how you will handle it until it's happening.

bakershaker

I went natural and it was amazing. Yes it hurt, but your body works with you. I had a 36 hour labor with my son and did 26 hours of it without pain meds or epidural and it was hard. I dilated slowly but finally decided to take something for the pain because I couldn't handle it after that long. You don't get a hero cookie for going natural..if your in enough pain, take something.

With my daughter it was a short 6 hour med free labor, I was at home for all but 1 hour of it.  Comparing my sons birth and my daughters I liked feeling my daughter come out..with my son I was so numb from the pain I couldn't feel anything ( which worked out better..cause I had a 4th degree episiotomy..ouch)

AmandaAllison

The only bad part of my labor was the intense pressure I felt once my water broke. The contractions didn't hurt at all, just the baby's head pressing down.I also progressed very quickly, especially for my first time. I started labor at 11pm and wasn?t sure I was in labor until 2am. He was born 4 hours later.

celiabwatson

Don't have time to read all the previous posts so forgive me if I repeat. I am definitely glad I went natural and wouldn't have it any other way. At no point in the labor did it even cross my mind to ask for something. It was quite painful. I coped by moaning loudly. I did have pretty painful back labor for the most part, but I got in the shower and my husband held the shower head on my lower back which helped. The best part of labor was when my midwife suggested I try pushing. I was still in the shower and coping ok, but it hurt a lot. When I tried pushing it was amazing how much better I felt. Evidently I was dilated enough (they didn't check me because my water had broken early) and when I went with my body's need to push I felt a lot better. The pushing stage felt great, it was like the high of too much exercise, when you feel sore but full of endorphins. Towards the end of pushing as he was crowning I did feel the "ring of fire" and I remember crawling up the bed to escape it. The ring was the most painful part, but it only lasted a push or two and then he was out. I would say that though I was moaning throughout labor there were only 3 occasions when I felt overwhelmed and screamed instead of moaning. It was the worst pain I've ever felt in my life, but the high afterwards was so amazing that I'd never want to miss out on that. I was awake and coherent and very in the moment for the beginning of my son's life and that was the best feeling of all. Go for it, it's worth it, and you forget the pain eventually. Also, recovery was very fast for me, and the nurses kept offering pain meds afterwards (not knowing I'd gone natural and thinking I would be having back pain from the epi). I think I took some tylenol once because my back was a little sore from the back labor and sitting up in the hospital bed nursing wasn't helping, but after that I was fine.

marriedinaugust

I went natural and fully plan on doing it again.  That said it was very painful.  I labored at home from 4-9pm and it was bearable.  We got to the hospital and I was only 2.5cm dilated which I had been at my dr appt that morning.  That was a huge blow to my confidence.  My LO was sunny side up so I had the most intense back labor, barely felt anything in my stomach.  I kept telling my husband I didn't think I could make it to the end.  I felt like such a failure.  He was the best coach ever, I could not have done it without him.  I was checked at midnight and had progressed to 7cm.  I felt like I needed to push but the nurse kept telling me I wasn't ready.  Around 1am my dr said I could push gently, she was trying to get my water to break.  At 1:30am I was 10 cm and started pushing in bed with the squat bar.  Just before 3am the dr broke my water and my LO was born at 3:03am. 

We studied the Bradley Method and felt so prepared.  Due to LO's position I was unable to use most of the laboring positions we had learned.  I did all of my laboring at the hospital either standing up or sitting on the toilet. My advice is go into it prepared and have a good coach with you.