Pain Medication Free Birth Story
I had my son July 1, so this story is a bit late. But, I have some time and wanted to post my story. I loved reading encouraging birth stories when I was pregnant. I'll just give the general timeline:
June 30 2:00 am - water broke. Called midwife and she told me to labor at home until the contractions were a few minutes apart. Labored at home on a birthing ball. Contractions went from 8 minutes to a few minutes apart by 6:00 am. Contractions were not that painful. But, because we are 30-45 mins. from hospital, we opted to drive to hospital and miss rush hour traffic.
June 30 7:00 am - 1 pm checked into hospital, called doula, labored in hospital room. I mainly labored in a rocking chair, listening to my iPod. My midwife showed up around 8 am to check on me. I was hooked up to fetal monitor which was fine by me. Midwife did NOT do an internal exam until 1 pm. I was about 4 cms. Contractions were not bad. Midwife said I was one of the happiest 4 cmer's she'd seen in awhile. I joked I had hangovers worse than this!
June 30 1 pm to 5 pm my doula showed up sometime during this timeframe. Unfortunately, another of her clients was also in labor (a 2nd time client), so she had to leave around 6 and another back up doula (that I had already met) was going to come instead. Laboring is harder at this point. I am moaning through contractions. I try laboring on all fours, but do not find it particularly comfortable. I alternate between walking around, birthing ball and rocking chair. The doula does hip compressions and lower back massage and this feels amazing. By 5 pm I am now 7 cms.
June 30 5 pm to 7 pm doula change. I continue to labor hard. Much moaning. I labor with the lights off. This is a major help. It's very quiet and controlled, just me moaning and my doula helping me through contractions. My husband is supportive, but knows mainly to leave me be. By 7pm I am checked again with no progress. I'm still around 7 cms. I'm getting tired. My midwife is concerned I'm getting dehydrated, so after some debate, we start an IV drip. I cry because I'm concerned once the IV drip is started, it will be a slippery slope to epidural.
June 30 7 pm to 11 pm we try all sorts of methods to get my labor going...nipple stimulation, foot massage, laboring in different positions, a warm shower. I realize that mentally I may be holding back because I'm afraid of the pushing. Sometime around 9 pm we start a very, very low dose of Pitocin. This seems to increase the intensity of the contractions. I start crying, not sure if I can do it. I ask my husband if he will be disappointed if I get the epidural. Of course he says no, but he, my doula and my midwife all think I have more left in me. I'm checked somtime around 9 pm and I'm about 9 cms. I finally get to 10 cms a bit later. The midwife did an internal and moved away the last bit of lip. I'm just about ready to push. The urges to push build slowly. I push on all fours, but I don't find it particularly comfortable. I do feel a great sense of relief (mentally) that I'm into the pushing stage.
June 30 to July 1 (11 pm to 1:18 am) I push for two hours!! Sucks! 
It seems much quicker from my perspective and I can't believe that it took two hours. I push using a birthing bar, doing something called "Tug of War." A sheet is wrapped around the birthing bar, and when I bear down, I pull on the sheet (hence, Tug of War). This is a great method for pushing. Progress is slow. I push with contractions. I am not held to pushing for 10 seconds, I lead my own pushing. It helps when the midwife places her finger in my vagina to direct where I should be pushing. Pushing feels surreal. It really does start to burn as the head crown, which seems to last for a long time! I don't remember much of what contractions feel like, but I certainly do remember what pushing and the "ring of fire" feels like. The head begins to crown and my midwife directs me to push slowly, but I can't hold back...I push his head out in one big push. I have a 2nd degree tear, but don't feel it. Huge relief when he is out and on my chest. We begin breastfeeding pretty quickly. And what hurts is when they push on the abdomen to make sure all the placenta is out. I wasn't expecting that pain, but it only lasts a few seconds while they push.
I am so sore the next day! My body aches everywhere, even in my chin and neck from bearing down! At first, I wasn't sure if the next time I would opt for an epidural, but now that time has passed, I'm sure I'd do it the same way. It is painful, but it is beautiful. From the time my water broke to delivery was just about 24 hours!
Good luck to all.
Re: Pain Medication Free Birth Story
Thanks for sharing!
Congrats on your baby and on hanging in there and doing it the way you wanted to. You must be proud!