Moms who had a drug free birth

There seems to be some posts going around about this today so thought I would jump on the band wagon and get some specifics if I can.

Some Q's about your drug free birth.

Was this your plan going to the hospital?

How well do you think you handled the pain?

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?

How long was your labor?

Any after effects to not having had meds?

Any regrets?

Would you do it again?

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

Thank you in advance

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?

Yes, we knew we didn't want any drugs...

How well do you think you handled the pain?

It hurt but got by...

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?

Maybe...

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!

Nothing really...

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?

DH, Midwife and Nurse

How long was your labor?

Started gradually the night before...

Any after effects to not having had meds?

None what so ever, felt a Natural High

Any regrets?

None, was an AMAZING experience!

Would you do it again?

Planning on it

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

Do what feels best to you and don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise!

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?
-
No oh hecks NO!

How well do you think you handled the pain?
VERY WELL, considering :)

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?
No, def not, Im a baby!

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
-just breathed, sucked it up.
Tried to sleep in between

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
Just DH

How long was your labor?
5/6 hrs

Any after effects to not having had meds?
Nothing, if anything I felt good

Any regrets?
-None

Would you do it again?
-Im not sure, LOL
If it happened, as quickly and I had no choice, Yes


Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?
Honestly, Im not sure what I can offer. I was one who was ok for drugs. Everything happened so quickly so I didnt have a choice.
I wouldnt change it for the world though.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?

I had hoped to do this but I was very open to the possibility of drugs or even a c-section. I really believed this wasn't something I could plan out and tried to just go with the flow with it. It was my preference though b/c I actually was scared of an epi.

How well do you think you handled the pain?

Very well. My mom couldn't believe I was in labor b/c I just said "ouch" every minute or so and that was about it for most of it. As we drove to the hospital I thought, "if this is only 3-4 cms then maybe I'm up for an epi, if it's closer to 5-6 then I'll try to stick it out". I was 9cm when I arrived.

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?

I think so.

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!

I honestly didn't realize I was in labor until about 45-minutes to an hour before I gave birth. At that point I was so distracted worrying that my DH wouldn't make it to the hospital, and getting to the hospital myself, and calling Viacord, I couldn't really focus on the contractions.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?

My mom and DH who arrive minutes before the birth (he was at work).

How long was your labor?

I woke up about 6AM feeling "off". I thought I was constipated and kept trying to go to the bathroom. By 8:30/9 my mom made me call my MD to make sure everything was OK. Then wanted me to go to L&D. My mom got to my house about 9:20/9:30 and I delivered at 10:24 - so a little over 4 hours, but only about an hour of knowing I was in labor.

Any after effects to not having had meds?

Due to my fast delivery I had some "unusual" tearing. My MD didn't tell me the truth about it until my 6wk PP check up. It was BAD.
And, again, due to my fast delivery, Ryan ended up in the NICU - I was told he was having a hard time adjusting - his glucose level wasn't being maintained. But he came home a day after I did.

Any regrets?

Wish I put my contacts in and threw on a little make-up
No regrets - it was a crazy experience, but all my own.

Would you do it again?

Yes, I hope to go drug free with my current pregnancy - but I plan to be more on guard with labor signs. I don't want to be on the news delivering in the subway.

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

Honestly, my best advice is to try and take it as it comes. It's great to know what you want, but so many women have been so devastated that their birth plan didn't pan out like they wanted. This is SOOO out of our hands and the goal is a healthy child. I think if you're more relaxed about the possibilities, it helps.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital? Yes and no. I had thought about going drug-free for a while before I went into labor, but on the way to the hospital I told DH I needed drugs... but when I got there I kept sending the anesthesiologist away. It really was an 'in the moment' decision.

How well do you think you handled the pain? Very well. I was quiet until the end.

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway? Yes.

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!! I kept my eyes closed (because keeping your eyes closed makes it hurt less ), I made sure my DH and the nurse kept their hands on my legs for each push (I don't know why but I yelled at both of them when they tried to walk away) and I focused THROUGH the pain instead of focusing ON the pain. Focusing on the pain will mess you up.. I also kept envisioning everyone I knew who had a baby naturally and told myself if they could do it, so could I.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner? MY husband and my mother - and if you knew my mother. I took all of my frustrations out on my mother's hand.

How long was your labor? I can't answer this question properly... I pushed for 3 hours, my water broke about 6 hours before that.

Any after effects to not having had meds? I was flippin EXHAUSTED. I had been awake for 22 hours by the time DD was born.

Any regrets? Nope.

Would you do it again? I'll let you know what I decide the next time I'm in a delivery room. I won't rule it out.

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births? Try not to be afraid. The contractions don't hurt as much when you push so don't think that early labor will be an indication of active labor. Breathe through the pain and focus on the end result. And if you need drugs, then you need drugs - don't beat yourself up over it. You don't need to be a hero.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?
Yes but I got to a point where I just couldnt take the pain and asked but by that time it was too late and I was almost ready to push.

How well do you think you handled the pain?
very well, the really bad pain I only experienced for about 2 hours.


Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?
No, I am a big baby

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
nothing really,

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
just dh and the nurse

How long was your labor?
16 hours

Any after effects to not having had meds?
none at all, I felt great!

Any regrets?
none at all

Would you do it again?
Yes, I am due in September and hope to go drug free again.

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital? Yes. I was 100% for trying to have as drug free a birth as possible. An epidural was my last resort. Everyone in my birthing team () knew that, so that if I got delirious and asked for it, they would know to remind me of my wishes.

How well do you think you handled the pain? Surprisingly well. I had two doulas helping me. I felt more pain w doula #1 who helped me up to 4cm. From 5cm on, I had doula #2 and her techniques were so much better that I barely remember feeling going to 9cm! I mean, I still felt pain, but not as bad as going up to 4cm. If doula #2 hadn't intervened I think I wouldve caved and asked for the epi!

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway? I dunno, I don't hurt myself too often so I can't tell. I don't work out and if I hit the gym I'm hurting for a week afterwards, no joke!

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!! I breathed and listened to my doula talk me thru each contraction and envisioned what she was saying. I also needed my hand held, lol. If I felt a contraction coming and no one was holding my hand I'd freak out and want my hand held asap, haha.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner? I had two doulas and that was seriously the best thing I couldve done. I mean, yes, my mom has gone thru labor herself, but going thru it and supporting someone who goes thru it are two totally different things. I needed the comfort of someone who knows what's going on, what's the norm, what happens next, in other words, a pro. I justified it as this: having a doula is like planning a wedding and getting a Day Of Coordinator . I needed someone there to run the show and they both really took over. They kept me in the loop as far as what was going on, how far I'd gone, how much I had left, everything. They were so encouraging and supportive, like a real life cheering squad, haha. The technique they used with me that worked the best was talking me thru each one using guided imagery. Before hand, they asked me what my "happy" place was. They used that scenario during each and every contraction and it helped take my mind off how long each contraction was lasting (a minute and a half! I totally didn't believe them when they reported that to the nurse!)

How long was your labor? From when they put the pitocin in til I gave birth was 6 hrs. I pushed for 2 hrs I believe. Felt like 30 min!

Any after effects to not having had meds? Nope! I mean, I was super sore from pushing so much, but I dunno if that's the norm or its only cause I'm a wimp that never works out, lol.

Any regrets? None whatsoever!

Would you do it again? Oh absolutely!

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births? Go in with an open mind and make sure you write up a birthing plan and go over it with your OB. I was super against writing one up cause I was terrified of jinxing anything and I was totally against going in with a "okay, this is how I want everything to go" mentality. I wanted to be open, but my doulas convinced me to either make any kind of important decision now or while in labor and the latter didn't appeal to me so I did it and I think that helped. In my birthing plan I specifically stated that I do NOT want to be offered any drugs and that if I decide to, I will ask for them, but they were to respect my decision and NOT mention them to me. This, I believe, helped, because I never had anyone pushing the epi on me. My friend who delivered at NYP said that the nurses offered her an epi eeevery 5 min and that the anesthesiologist himself came to offer it to her! That wouldve annoyed me to no end.

Whatever you do, go in with an open mind and know that you're doing what's best for you and your little one!!

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

With DS #1 I had an epidural

DS# 2 - I was in labor 3 hours and there was no time for an epidural

Comparing the two, as much as I hated not having drugs it was in some ways easier.

With the epidural I really couldnt "feel" what was going on so the whole process took a longer time. Without the drugs I REALLY concentrated on breathing and worked hard to get the baby OUT!!!! IMO It was better but it was also my 2nd kid so it might have been easier for my body

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

I ended up having an epi... but I'm writing my story becuase I DID last 24 hours in labor before the epi. I REALLY didn't want drugs... mainly because I've read that epi's increase the chance you need pictocin. I caved and got the epi 24h into labor when they insisted I get pictocin either way (I wasn't dilating properly... I only dialated 4.5cm in 24 hours ) I don't think I could have handled pic w/o drugs

Was this your plan going to the hospital?
yep

How well do you think you handled the pain? it was totally ok the first 12 hours. I entered stage 2 at about that time. I only was admitted to the hospital at that point, becuase I was only 3cm dilated

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway? normally yes

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
I just focused on the fact that a contraction only lasts about a min or 2... and it would soon end.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
Just DH and mom. frankly, I think I would have been better off if I also had a doula.

How long was your labor?
I don't remember.... over 32 hours... I think I'm trying to block the memory

Any after effects to not having had meds? well, as I wrote above, I DID end up getting an epi when they wanted to start me on pictocin (due to really pathetic dilation after 24 hours of labor)

Any regrets?
I wish I had the stamina to walk around more than I did to help along dilation. I shudder to think that not walking enough may have been a contributing factor to insufficient dilation However, other women in my family had identical situations, so maybe there's a familial/genetic factor that contributed to my downfall.... I think a doula would have been very helpful.

Would you do it again?
I am hoping that the next baby will come out faster, and dilation will occur naturally.

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?
It's pretty f'in painful. Each individual contraction is manageable on its own, it's the constant contracting that was really tiring me out. By 24 hours, I felt that if I got pic, I would be so exhausted from not sleeping/eating/ and continual pain, that I might not be able to push any longer... so sad.

I really think a doula is key..... they would be able to manage these problems before labor draws out as long as mine did. I really think natural childbirth becomes increasingly more difficult as labor continues past that 20 hour mark.... that being said, if labor is managed properly, I can totally see how natural birth could be perfectly manageable, and a glorious experience.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Thanks so much for sharing your stories. I am bumping this in case we have more "drug free moms" on the board.

Thanks

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?
Yes. I feared pitocin so I wanted to do whatever I could do, to not have it.

How well do you think you handled the pain?
I handled it very well. I surprised even myself as I was able to "doze" between contractions. I held conversations with the revolving door of nurses & my husband...

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?
I believe I do. I used to suffer from cluster migraines (a migraine would last anywhere from 2-21 days).

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
My husband and I took a hypnobirthing class leading up to the birth and I used the breathing & relaxation techniques during both the labor and delivery. I also made it a point to keep a very positive mental outlook leading up to the day of delivery. I made sure to only listen to and keep, positive thoughts. It sounds hokey, but I strongly believe it helped.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
Just my amazing husband and an incredible labor nurse.

How long was your labor?
From first noticeable contraction to delivery, 8 1/2 hrs. I pushed for over 2 1/2 hrs (I had a hard time getting her under that bone :-\ )

Any after effects to not having had meds?
None that I can think of.

Any regrets?
Absolutely not!

Would you do it again?
If we were to have another child, I would absolutely hope to have the same experience as my first.

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?
It is always good to have a plan...but be prepared for the unexpected. Find your happy place LOL and stay there. I truly believe (as stated above) that my frame of mind in the months leading up to my delivery date, helped. I felt strong and confident in my ability to birth the way I wanted to. Hypnobirthing helped tremendously. My husband was my rock...he was with me 100% (even when he was texting my sister with updates LOL).

Feel free to FM me...I love talking about this stuff!

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?

I always planned on giving birth if possible without an epidural. Not for any reason other than I don't like drugs/anestesia in general and where possible avoid them completely. I think I may be one of the few people that was more worried about the needle in my back and all the possible complications of that than the pain of delivery! I also wasn't crazy about the idea of the drugs passing through to the baby (again, something I was always hper-sensitive to). THAT SAID, I talked this over with my OB b/f hand and was fully on board with whatever he felt was necessary - whatever was best for the health of my baby and my own health is what I would do.

How well do you think you handled the pain?

Honestly, I am going to come right out and say that my labor pain was one million times worse than I could have imagined. I had 100% back labor (never had a contraction anywhere but my lower back) and I am told this is the reason it was so painful.

I was told by my OB my mom and my DH that they were all amazed at how I handled the pain - that I didn't even scream or yell or anything. This was shocking to me b/c I felt like I did in my head - strange!

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?

Sort of - I can tolerate very high levels of pain BUT, I am not one of those people that doesn't really feel pain - I felt it!!!

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
I stayed at home as long as I could - by the time I left my apt. I couldn't even walk and by the time I got to the hospital they had to rush me right to the labor and delivery room - I was almost 9 cm. Thank god b/c otherwise I would have never made it with the pain.

I had my DH and mom with me and most of all prayer got me through! I prayed b/f and after to St. Gerard and my delivery went exactly the way I could have ever hoped - Thanks to god!!!

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
Just DH, my mom, the nurse and my amazing OB.

How long was your labor?
Hard to answer this one - I had all back labor so I wasn't really aware that labor had begun. In fact, I was in the OB's office that day concerned that I might have a kidney infection b/c my back pain was so bad!

Any after effects to not having had meds?

The good effects are I was up walking around totally normal afterwards. My body felt good and DS was SO alert everyone kept commenting on this. The only bad effect I would mention is that no meds means no meds for after so if you tear (or have an episiotimy) and need stitches - the stitches may hurt - they hurt me alot and when I asked the OB why no one ever mentioned this he said - everyone else has an epi so no one else feels it, lol

Any regrets?
Nope

Would you do it again?
I plan to - God willing!

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

Just go into things with an open mind. I had a good friend that had the same plan but ended up having to have an emergency C-section and was devastated. To a large extent the birth of DC will be out of your hands - just plan for the best case scenario but be open to whatever needs to happen for the health of you and your child!

HTH!!!

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?
I was going to give it a shot with each pregnancy & play it by ear but had a fear of getting a needle so I was going to try very hard to avoid it.

How well do you think you handled the pain?
Pretty well. I was expecting it to be so much worse than it was, so it was managable.

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?
I am a big baby. A papercut would send me over the edge. I think I have a good threshold if I am prepared for it, but not if it's unexpected pain. My DH once described it to someone as "If I hear her scream 'Ow, ow, ow', I know she's not really hurt. If something falls & I hear a small yelp, I know I have to pause the game."

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
I took a Bradley class which I found pretty helpful. The best way that worked for me was realizing that contractions come like waves - they slowly work up to the highest point & then go down. DH could look at the monitor & tell me "It's going to come down now." & I knew I only had to breathe out & it would be over sooon - so in a sense riding through the waves of a contraction, my only job was to breathe out slowly during those peaks.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
only DH & the nurses (can't say enough great things about L&D nurses). The doctor was there to catch the baby.

How long was your labor?
First labor was 14 hours start to finish. I showed up at the hospital at 5 cms/8 hours.

Second labor was about 1.5 hours. I showed up at the hospital at 10 cms & had her 7 minutes after I showed up.

Any after effects to not having had meds?
None. Recovery was a piece of cake. I did have an antibiotic during my first labor because I was 6 weeks early so I'm not sure if I should be answering this. I'm assuiming you mean free of pain medication??? It not disregard.

Any regrets?
I wish DH was in the room when I had my 2nd but it was so fast & I really tried to hold off pushing.

Would you do it again?
We're done but if I were to have another baby, I'm pretty sure I'd opt for the same way - actually I'd opt for the same way as my 2nd since it was faster & easier.


Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?
Don't feel pressured to have an epidural. I had one ob/gyn that was pushing it on me a lot & it was very annoying. When you're in pain, trying to manage it & you have someone come in & say "Are you ready for the epidural yet?" was not cool.

I would try to avoid induction or pitocin because I was told the contractions were so incredibly painful it was hard not to have an unmedicated birth.

Have a plan & breathe out during the contractions. Your body is made to do this. I kept repeating "Millions of women do this every day" in my head. Realizing those that came before me & managed was very helpful.

Good luck! Any questions, feel free to FM.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Some Q's about your drug free birth.

Was this your plan going to the hospital?

I had a homebirth.

How well do you think you handled the pain?

Extremely well. It wasn't that painful anyway.


Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?

Somewhat.

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!

I just concentrated one getting through each contraction one at a time.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?

My midwife, her assistant (who is a doula) and my DH

How long was your labor?

6 hours

Any after effects to not having had meds?

All positive ones. I was walking around like nothing had happened 5 minutes after. When my mother saw me she said it didn't look like I had just been through labor and delivery. You also get this big rush- it is like a natural high. Totally awesome.

Any regrets?

I regret I didn't do this with my other births!

Would you do it again?

Planning on it

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

Research research research. I read all sorts of books, birth stories, etc. I knew of several coping tips before my labor started and I used all of them.

Sleep in between the contractions! I swear, that was the best sleep I've ever had! It gave me so much energy at gthe end to push.

Remember all the signs of being in transition. Wanting to give up is a big one. Once I hit that point, I knew I was almost done.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Was this your plan going to the hospital?

Yes it was my intention.

How well do you think you handled the
pain?

Pretty well considering it was intense/

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?

Definitely don't. I pop advil as soon as I have even a slight headache.

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!

Breathing helped me so much - slow deep breaths. I learned some breathing techniques in a Bradley class I took and they helped.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?

I had a doula but DH was great and so was my midwife. I would have been fine without the doula.

How long was your labor?

6 and 1/2 hours but early labor, which was easy, started the night before.

Any after effects to not having had meds?

Not at all...

Any regrets?

None...it was a great experience.

Would you do it again?

I hope to do the same the 2nd time around

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?

If you want a natural labor, you have to do your own research since most hospital births are not natural. I took a Bradley class that I feel made a huge difference. Also, acupuncture helped me to start labor at home and comfortably. Also, keep an open mind. I wanted natural, but saw a hospital based midwife because sometimes drugs/interventions are necessary.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

Almost drug free (if this helps)!
I only had the epidural in for less than an hour. They didn't check me for a long time and I was almost dilated the whole 10 cm when I received the epidural.


Was this your plan going to the hospital?

Yes it was my intention.

How well do you think you handled the
pain?
Very well..back labor the same from the 9pm- until 12:25pm the next day (about 16 hours)

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway? Yes


What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!

I took hypnobirthing but it was hard to lay still and relax in the bed with back labor. I took a shower, swayed leaning against a wall ,walked and squeezed my Dh and mom's hand. That is what got me through it.

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
My DH and mom


How long was your labor?
About 16 hours. I was in the hospital for 5 hours before I delivered


Any regrets?

Not really. I wished they would have checked me a bit more. I would have known have far along I was and may have been able to do without the epidural. I did get a tiny rest for an hour without pain.

Would you do it again?

I hope to do the same the 2nd time around..this time I think I can do without the epidural. The pain was the same at the beginning and the end. I know that now! Hopefully labor will be shorter for me this time and I can do it without the epidural. I hope I don't have back labor either.....

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?
I recommend hypnobirthing or any other class. You have to practice any technique that you are studying.

Message edited 5/19/2009 7:23:11 AM.

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

I've had two, both were very different. The first was long and difficult, the second ridiculously easy. I used Hypnobabies for both. The first was hard because I had back labor and fought my labor the whole time (baby was early, my dog had just been hit by a car...I just wasn't mentally ready to go into labor) I vowed not to make that mistake the second time.

Was this your plan going to the hospital?
yes

How well do you think you handled the pain?
very well

Do you have a high pain threshold anyway?
yes

What did you do to get through the contractions? i.e hypnosis, music - beating a hole in the wall etc!!
hypnosis

Did you have a doula or other pro with you or was it just your DH / Partner?
dh and avery supportive midwife and nurse

How long was your labor?
first one was 19 hours, second was 2 hours

Any after effects to not having had meds?
nerves of steel, massive confidence in my body's abilities, immediate bonding w/ an undrugged baby

Any regrets?
no

Would you do it again?
yes

Any tips or advice for those of us who are thinking of going drug free for our births?
hypnobabies is amazing

Re: Moms who had a drug free birth

BUMP for conig