Birth Experiences and Questions

[fertilethoughts]

There are so many 'unknown' factors with having a baby, isn't there?
I am thinking in particular how I have absolutley NO :idea: what the birth is going
to be like. All I am doing right now is getting as much information about everyones
experiences as these experiences are all possibilities I could encounter. One thing I
am trying to understand is why there are so many women who would want a drug-
free birth? Is it because they love their babies so much that they want to 'suffer pain'
as some sort of bonding ritual? Is it something that women choose to do because of
some deep primal instinct? Is it to prove to themselves and/or others that they can
put up with pain and therefore come out of such an obstacle triumphantly? I am in
no way intending to pick on anyone who wants/or who had a drug free birth, its really
only that I am beginning to think about something I have NEVER thought about
before and I want to be sure I havn't ruled out anything because I don't understand
it. Also, I have read that epidurals make it harder to birth because you can not feel
yourself pushing. Is that true?

xx fertilethoughts

[uptheduff]

I wanted a drug free birth because most of the drugs have possible side effects which i did not want. Pethedine crosses the placenta and can make you baby sleepy, and i didn't think it was fair to use a drug that would affect my baby at all. It can also make you sick. Epidurals increase the risk of tearing (and possibly c-sections, i'm not sure), YOu're not always mobile when you have them, and it can slow your labour down. Although most people i have spoken too have told me that they could feel the contractions and knew when to push...i know that this is not always the case.

I had gas with my first pregnancy, and it made me very sick, and did nothing for the pain. I asked for something stronger, but my labour was pretty quick and there wasn't time for anything else. My second labour i was determined not to use gas again, and had a drug free birth. I hope to do the same this time.

I guess you never really know what you can handle until you try, so i find it best to go in attempting a drug free birth, but be open to taking them if you need to....You can work your way up through the drugs if you want too...it's not like you can only have one and no more iykwim!

[Grizabella]

Hi :wave:

The only reason I wanted a birth as drug free as possible was because I didn't like the thought of having a needle in or near my spine. Purely that, no other reason at all.

I used a teeny bit of gas, and had a pethadine shot. As with the pethadine shot, it is true. Brion was groggy when he was born, but they gave him some O2 and he was fine.

If you want to have drugs, then go for it. It is better to plan to have drugs. That way they are organised to be there during the birth. And if you don't need them , bonus! It also makes a lot of new mums2be feel a bit more reassured knowing that they are there if needed or wanted.

Good Luck!!!!!:fingerscrossed:

[SJE]

I would just take it as it comes and be prepared for anything

I didn't plan on an epidural but ended up wanting it. It was fantastic.

[munchkin05]

while i was preg i wanted all the drug that were going to be offered to me

but once i was in labour i didnt think i needed them
i went through 26 hrs of labour before they gave me a epidural cause i needed a emergancy c section

labour is different for every woman
just have a open mind and take it as it comes
you dont know how you will react untill you start having contactions

but good luck hope iit all goes the way you want :fingerscrossed:

[sugar n spice]

I would just take it as it comes and be prepared for anything

I didn't plan on an epidural but ended up wanting it. It was fantastic.
thats is what i did took it as it came, didnt want and epidural but ended up begging for it and it was the best thing i did

[Jodiee]

Hi

I have had 4 babes, peth with the first, and nothing with the others, I didnt mean to go drug free, its just that I didnt think about it, and wasnt offered it, except when I first walked in, and didnt need it, and each time the m/wife just assumed not to ask again!! lol

I am all for if you want/need it, go for it, if it makes for a better birth experience, then absolutely, go for it, we arent any lesser by taking drugs for pain, nor are any better for not having them, each to her own, and etc, we all have different experiences, and some are by pressure, eg: my sil always went on about going drug free etc, and brags about it, but I dont see why that made her labour/s any better than my pethedine one, IYKWIM....
I had peth as stated for my oldest, and she was fine, alert, got 10 for both agpars, my next daughter, no drugs, and only got 6 and 9, cause she was lethargic, labour was easy, etc, etc.
In saying this, I am always open to anything in labour, if it helps with my birthing experience!

cheers

[Kaileysmum]

I really wanted a drug free all natural birth. Don't really know why I think just to keep things as natural as possible, to avoid complications. Well I Had a 36 hour labour, 3 hours of pushing and a emerg c/s. I went without any drugs till the 28 hour mark then I had a small shot of peth so I could sleep through contractions, as I had not slept at all. Other than that I had the spinal for my c-section, thats it. I never asked for any drugs they just offered me the peth. I wish now that I had had the epidural. To be honest I was in to much pain (back labour, baby was posterior) to even think about anything else, I was out of it, didn't even speak to my partner, except for saying I want the baby out of me, and that something wasn't right, really i cant even remember him being there for the last 10 hour of it.
My baby was fine when she came out was very alert and got a 9 then a 10 on her apar. I wasn't happy about what I went through. But everyone is different, they have different labours, and want different things in labour.

Also with the epidural thing, you can have what they call a mobile epidural, which means you can still feel the contractions, just not the pain, so you can still walk around and push properly. I know this as my SIL had one last week when she was in labour. hope this helps.

[mumof5sarah]

I had a shot of Peth with my first baby, but it was a waste of effort, as it takes about 10 minutes to take effect and I had my DS 7 minutes after the shot. But I was so out of it after the shot that I don't remember much. All these things were happening and I was being told all this information but don't remember any of it. They put in a catheder, I lost over a litre of blood, they wouldn't let me have a shower or even let me stand up!!! It was terrible. So the next 4 deliveries were all natural. I felt in complete control and my head was clear and I remember everything clearly, which is what you want, you wouldn't want to go through all of that and not be able to remember every detail. As it is the most amazing thing you'll ever do.

[Kaileysmum]

As it is the most amazing thing you'll ever do.

Very true.....As much as my labour was YUK, it will be the most amazing thing Ive ever done in my life. You just need to take things as they come in labour as you never know whats going to happen, especially with your first bub.

[shed]

I am hoping for a drug free birth because the drugs will affect my beautiful baby and if I can avoid that I will, because I am his mummy and its up to me to protect him when I can.

Its got nothing to do with being a hero.

If I need the drugs then I will ask for them, as I need them. It won't be what I ideally want, but if it happens it will be for a reason.

I am taking the gas when its offered though. He can cope with that just fine from what I have read. If there were other drugs that didn't affect him I would take those too. Its all about him really.

[alicesmum]

Some factors for me (some already mentioned) in wanting a natural birth were:

1. RECOVERY. A drug-free birth gives you the quickest recovery which is SOOOO important in my book as afterwards is the time you want to be with your babe. Also, both times after I gave birth, i desparately wanted a hot shower and to brush my teeth. after a natural birth, you get up off the bed/floor pretty quick and can walk around, shower etc. An epi means you are confined to the bed for quite some time afterwards.

2. Terrified of having a needle in my spinal column and of feeling paralysed form the waist down (and the potential long term effects of an epi).

3. Pethadine often leaves the baby groggy and lethargic so don't want to risk that either.

4. I want to feel every bit of my baby's birth. Yes, it's frickin' painful, but I remember every intimate detail about both my babies emerging from my body.

5. The need to be in control was also a big factor for me. I don't like any kind of health profesisonal taking away my control over my physiology if it can be helped.

6. Drugs would not allow me to express the primeval birthing Goddess within!!! :laughing: Yes... I wailed like a Jewish woman, howled like a dog, screamed like a Banshee and moaned like a dying whale, but what other occasion in life allows you to legitimately have a good ol' scream if not child birth. VERY CATHARTIC indeed :p

7. I did use the gas, and last Sunday, I got them to turn it way up high (70%) because my labour was posterior, so was more intense than my first. I personally LOVE the gas. (GO THE GAS!!!!) ;)

Hope your birth is a wonderful experience and you get to be a fabulous birthing goddess and roar that baby out of your body!!! :thumbsup:

[Tracie]

why there are so many women who would want a drug-free birth?
Is it because they love their babies so much that they want to 'suffer pain' as some sort of bonding ritual?
Is it something that women choose to do because of some deep primal instinct?
Is it to prove to themselves and/or others that they can put up with pain and therefore come out of such an obstacle triumphantly?


Hey there,

When I first fell pregnant I was quite unsure and also a little terrified by the prospect of birth. I was also surrounded at the time by ladies who would all suggest that I should "go for the drugs...you are crazy if you don't" but there was this weird inkling that I had which suggested to me that drug-free was the best way to go......

So, I ended up doing lots of research and preparation and my inkling was confirmed.....it just became clear to me that I wanted to let my body do it's thing and that I didn't want any drugs or interventions to interfere with the process of birthing my baby. Pain relieving drugs all come with some sort of trade-off for either you or the baby and I just didn't want to compromise anything.

Also, the female body is highly efficient in this department and I figured that thousands of women around the world birth their babies without drugs every day, so therefore I could too!:thumbsup:

There is no doubt that childbirth involves pain but it's a very different sort of pain -pain in labour serves a purpose and helps to guide you. And labour pain is very manageable IF you practise pain coping techniques like breathing awareness, visualisation etc. And I also figured that contractions are usually at the most 90 seconds long and labour doesn't last for ever!

At no point during either of my labours (both 21 hours total) did it even occur to me to ask for pain relief - I think because I was prepared and because I had good support. And probably because it was really only towards the end of labour that contractions got quite hard and intense and by that stage your body is so tuned in and pumped with endorphins that you just get on with it and do it.

So, in answer to your questions, I think maybe there was some sort of instinct that guided me towards a drug-free birth but it certainly wasn't a matter of me thinking that I needed to suffer for my baby or prove that I was some sort of super woman.

I just had a belief that birth was a natural process and that my body was capable .

Anyway, can't speak highly enough of the experience - I am very glad that neither my babies nor myself had any drugs on board when they entered the world because I could feel everything and was able to be fully present in that most amazing moment, and I guess, so could my babies!:yelclap:

"Birth is much more than eliminating pain. It is one of life's peak experiences."
Elizabeth Bing (Co-founder Lamaze International)

[alicesmum]

Ditto to everything Tracie just said!!! :)

[elissas]

Exactly what Tracie said!

I wanted a drug free birth because I knew that my body could do it and that my mind was strong enough. I also wanted to experience the entire thing with a clear head and be present and in the moment the whole time.

I had a 2day labour and found that at no point did I even think of any pain relief. We did hypnobirthing and I practiced meditation, so the whole thing felt like period cramps to me, even at the peak of contractions.

I enjoyed every second of it - and I mean really enjoyed it, at times it felt almost orgasmic (sorry if tmi). I would do it again and again if we could afford the babies!

It was the greatest 2 days of my life and can't wait to do it all again. I felt empowered as a woman and found strength I hadn't drawn on before.

Being fully aware and present the entire time made the experience awesome for our relationship as well. DH wasn't looking on feeling helpless and wanting to do anything to "help". We were on a different level. No victims in the room!! It was the 3 of us (me, DH and DS) all working together. I think we looked more into each others eyes those 2 days than we have the entire 8 years we've been together.

To me it was relatively pain-free, and I knew my body was capable of that, as is every woman's. Pain only occurs with with the presence of fear. Fear steals resources from the body that are needed to do the job. Stress hormones block the endorphins (which are many times stronger than morphine in their uninhibited state). If you relax enough to let your body do it naturally it will give you all the natural inbuilt drugs it needs. By expecting pain we create fear, therefore we feel pain... Bit of a vicious circle really. But it can be broken.

[Areca]

I didn't want dugs in labour for a few reasons. One was that some of them can affect the baby (pethedine makes the baby sleepy...which in turn can make the baby too tired to latch properly and can cause a big hiccup in bf'ing) and I didn't want that (I'd spent my whole pregnancy avoiding taking any drugs so why start in labour?) and I'm also terrified of epidurals. The idea of a needle in my spine terrifies me but apart from that there are a high number of reported cases of women who had epidurals during labour suffer from constant back pain later in life, I know a woman who spent 5 days lying in a dark room and couldn't attend to her babies (she had twins) because of the horrendous headache she had which was caused by the epidural. There is also that small chance of things going really wrong and ending up in a wheelchair for life (I've also read of two cases of death caused by complications of an epidural in the last 6 months). For me a few hours of pain outweighed any of those risks. I never once wanted an epidural during labour.

The other reason was because I didn't want to be numbed of the experience. Yes it's painful, but it's very intense and it's the most amazing thing I've ever gone through and I would feel so cheated if I'd chosen to be numbed during that experience. I did end up taking gas for two hours (out of a 14 hour labour) and it just helped me to relax (the gas isn't designed to take away the pain) but I want to do it without anything next time. As soon as DD was born I was wide awake, and I was up walking around sraight away. My recovery was extremely quick.

I know some people think it's crazy to want to go through all that pain, but I was ready to do it all again 2 days later and if someone had offered me the chance to give birth to DD again I would jump at the chance.

In saying all of that, I mentally prepared myself for 9 months. I knew I wanted a drug free birth, I think that if you went in with the mindset that you wanted dugs and then they didn't work that the experience wouldn't be as amazing and would be very scary. Your mind is a very powerful tool and I was so relaxed during my labour (until the end when I vomited and lost my concentration...that's when I got gas) that my midwife later told me she couldn't believe how calm and relaxed I was.

[emilysmumma]

I went in all natural as well due to the cross over effect with peth to bubs and the high intrevention factor with epis but still with an open mind, as I didn't know how things would pan out. Gas was hopefully going to be my only option.

Well I was a wuss and I guess also a bit scared as the contractions were something I couldn't control so begged for gas straight up.

With that and then pethedine I felt really out of it, very drunk so I then really felt out of control of my own body.

I held in there but eventually had an epidural due to having the drip given to me as (suposedly) the contractions were slowing down (at 8 cms) ? Which didn't feel like the case to me but anyway.....

From then on in I really enjoyed giving birth to our lovely DD. I had a clear head, could actually focus on what was going on without the pain and after a half hour of pushing I got to see her being born via a mirror and that......is one of the most spectacular times of my life to see her arrive in this world. Tears me up just remembering about it.

Of course there is side effects of all drugs but you have to inform yourself as much as possible before and the weigh up the pros and cons when your in the moment to see if it is what you require.

Only probs for me is a tender entry point in my back from the needle but at least there was no intrevention with having a epi for me, and I am very thankful that it was such an enjoyable time in the end.

[fertilethoughts]

Hello to Up the Duff, Brions mum, Seejay Elle,Bens Mummy, Sugar n Spice, Jodie, Kaileys Mum, Shed, Alices Mum,Tracie, Elisssas, Mum to One and Emilys Mum :wave: ,

When I read your stories I realised that I agree and understand the desire to want to

be 'present' and go through this absolutley amazing experience with your baby. I

myself hate not being in control and I keep thinking that if I took drugs I would more

than likely just want to sleep, struggle to keep awake, be sick or just feel dizzy . (and

that is not an ideal experience to me). Yesterday I had a really, really sore back and it

kept me awake all night. I spent a few hours crying because i kept thinking :"If he

arrives and I am still like this, it will be a terrible thing to go through". (ie, being in

pain and trying to be a loving, available parent to a new born that needs constant

attention). It made me think that I want to be in excellent health when I meet him.

I want to be able to give 100% of myself to him. I just think it is very unfair that

some women have to go through so much pain and trauma AFTER birth. This is the

thing that worries me, that I will have incontinence issues, pelvic instability, on-going

back issues, bleeding and infections etc etc.,I know i am 'ahead of myself' but I have

had a part of a disc removed last year and I spent about 8 months being in pain until

I had an operation. So, i guess I am more aware of what living with on-going daily

pain is like. The thing that frightens me the most about birthing is that I have NO

IDEA what the birth will be like. I really, really do not want a hellish experience. Up

until now, I had THOUGHT (based on no facts) that he would be a massive baby and I

would be told I need a cesarean. After my ultrasound yesterday I realised that it was

not the case as he is 2.2kg at 33 weeks (which is the normal weight) and he is head

down. I have not even attended any birthing classes because I believed I would not

be a candidate!! Well now i am seeing things differently. So, I guess I had better start

going to some classes. Did people find birthing classes helpful? Also, am I too

understand that a person's pain tolerance dictates whether they can 'ride the natural

birth wave' or is birth pain something everyone can manage?

xx fertilethoughts

[cheezelkat]

I never planned for a drug free birth. I spoke to lots of women about labour, and the majority was for the epidural and that was my planned method. I was so scared of the pain beforehand.

However, I was able to cope with my contractions relatively well at home and when I got to hospital, it was too late for any drugs. Next pregnancy, I plan to go drug free by choice. For me, the pain wasn't going to kill me or anything. It hurt enough to have me in tears, but I knew there was an end to it and by going without the drugs, afterwards I felt like I could accomplish anything. 10 minutes after pushing DS out, I was ready for brekky and full of so many endorphins. It was the biggest rush I had ever felt!

I had back labour as well, which apparently hurts more. Oh, and I have a low pain threshold but I think a body adapts to cope when it happens. If you have a good support network whenin labour, it helps. I had my mum and DF.

[noziP]

It's really good to read of so many women who have done their research about childbirth. I haven't judged anyone who has taken painrelief in labour, but I've really enjoyed my drug free labours, compared to the first where I had pethidine and don't remember much at all, even days later. Plenty of women complain they didnt get to make the choices they wanted, and I certainly couldn't when out stoned on the bed!!

There is an idea that pain is dangerous and must be fixed or stopped, and with everything else I think that is true except for childbirth. The only pain with a purpose.:)

Alison

Mum to 6:eek:

[Areca]

Fertilethoughts - A really popular book to read on natural child birth is 'Birthing From Within' (can't remember author but it's a popular book so you'll be able to find it with just the title). I never actually read but it gets rave reviews on the net and wherever natural childbirth is mentioned that book is usually mentioned too.

[annsam]

I haven't read the other posts but in my experience women want drug free because:
1. the drugs make them feel sick
2. the drugs make them too spaced out
3. they are concerned about the effects of the drugs on the baby because they all do have effects and sometimes very sever ones such as respiratory failure
4. drugs can stall labour resulting in a c/s
5. they want to be able to be active and adjust positions so no epidural
6. they dont want vacuum or forceps deliveries which can be very dangerous for baby and if they are druged up and pushing is not as effective as it could be, this is often the necessity not to mention to episiotomy that goes hand in hand with them.
7. they have had traumatic experiences in the past and want to get past that with the present birth using it as healing experience to regain confidence in their body's abilities
8. drugs subdue the naturally produced chemicals such as oxytocin which is necessary for the milk supply and bonding
9. allergies to certain chemicals
10. agrevates existing medical conditions
11. labour progresses quickly and by the time they want the drugs its too late (oh to have that problem ;) )
12. fear of needles being stuck into the spine
13. many women just say they will try drug free but they aren't anti drugs if they need them and often they accomplish the drug free labour.

It is a time and time again proven fact that one intervention leads into another. So many women who have experienced this at one birth want to limit this in the next.

Heres a real life scenario, a client of mine had a drug free birth, her baby got into difficulties shortly afterwards which was no ones fault and not a pre-existing condition that could be detected and not a result of her birth - just a rare thing that happens to one in 700 babies. If she had had drugs, the baby's issues would have been put down to these as they closely mimicked the sever effects pethadine can have on a baby so it would have taken longer to get the right treatment and time was something she didn't have and she wouldn't have been able to immediately discharge herself to be at her baby's side in the childrens hospital. This is a rare occurance but a very real one all the same.

On the other hand, many women would not consider giving birth without drugs and this is fine too. They have fantastic birth experiences and are really happy with what they achieved and so they should be. Its all about your comfort level and what is important and right for you but like most options with birth, I do suggest learning the pros and cons before going into labour so that you know any likely side effects for you and your baby. Forewarned is forearmed after all.

[Funkychicken]

Hi fertilethoughts,
I hope I can ease some of your fears. I too have had, on two occasions, a bulging disc and it was the worst pain of my life. The second time was so much worse than the first. I couldn't move off the bed-I was virtually stuck on my front (which made it bearable) for 3 days. I managed to turn over a few times onto my back and just about passed out each time. When I got up to go to the toilet it was terrifying. The first time my DH tried to 'help' me by supporting me and when I cried out in pain, he almost dropped me. This resulted in me doing a lot of vomiting as it was so painful.
OK, I have also given birth three times. Believe me, it is nothing compared to the back pain I have had. Remeber also that birth pain is temporary and has an objective-the baby will come out and the pain stops instantly. Chronic back pain is ongoing and doesn't reach a climax, so to speak.
My first bub was induced (I had PE, so it was out of my hands) and it snowballed into an epidural, episiotomy and forceps. I am not bitter at all as I had to hand it over to the powers that be. But the scar from the episiotomy took at least 6 months to heal and 7 years later I am still acutely aware of it. It gets painful every time I have a period.
My next two bubbas were both born drug free and intervention free and my recovery both times was instantaneous. The sensation of being able to get up and move immediately was amazing. I was back on my feet and home within 24 hrs both times.
Good back management (I'm sure you don't need my input here!) is the key to having no ongoing pain especially after a baby is born. It can be hard to keep positive when you have experienced back pain like yours. The fear of it happening again can be paralyzing at times, so I understand where you are coming from. In all honesty, you could set yourself up for more back problems if you choose a c-sec or epidural over a natural birth. And most epidurals result in an episiotomy following.
I hope all goes well for you, my thoughts are with you.:thumbsup:

[NZMama]

I Epidurals increase the risk of tearing (and possibly c-sections, i'm not sure), YOu're not always mobile when you have them, and it can slow your labour down. Although most people i have spoken too have told me that they could feel the contractions and knew when to push...i know that this is not always the case.

I had gas with my first pregnancy, and it made me very sick, and did nothing for the pain. I asked for something stronger, but my labour was pretty quick and there wasn't time for anything else. My second labour i was determined not to use gas again, and had a drug free birth. I hope to do the same this time.

I guess you never really know what you can handle until you try, so i find it best to go in attempting a drug free birth, but be open to taking them if you need to....You can work your way up through the drugs if you want too...it's not like you can only have one and no more iykwim!

Same here. I had the gas when I was in labor with DD1 but all it did was make me thristy and dizzy, did absolutely nothing for the pain. So with DD2 I didnt bother.
Epidurals scare me, the whole needle thing. I also didnt like the thought of the side effects. I also dont think they were an option for me because both of my labors were rather quick (DD1 1 hour DD2 3 hours) and I go from feeling absolutely nothing to extreme pain to pushing very quickly.
So drug free it was for me.

[fertilethoughts]

Hi Everyone,

I am going for a natural birth with the option of having gas and pethadeine (if it gets too

much). Thank-you to all who shared their amazing experiences. I feel that I have a lot

more confidence and more reasons for pursuing a natural labour than before. I am now

35 weeks pregnant, so I have not long to go. I have decided against birth classes as I

have written a very detailed birth plan outlining that I want to be coached while laboring

with positions that 1) Take pressure off the back and 2) I want to be encouraged to

deliver in positions that use gravity. I hope it all goes well and I feel that I can do this.


I am also looking into TENs machines as another pain relief option. It is a bummer

that Epidurals have such mixed reactions but I am not willing to risk the side-effects.


xx fertilethoughts

[Tracie]

Hi Fertile Thoughts.....

Ditto to Mum2one's comments about the book "Birthing from Within"....It's by Pam England and is a really fantastic book to read, especially at this point of your pregnancy when you are really focussing on your labour ...

It helps you to think about so many things and is great mental preparation for childbirth. There is a section towards the back about pain-coping techniques ... gives lots of ideas and gives you exercises to practise (definitely worth getting in as much practise as possible).

Would highly recommend you get a copy from the library or find someone to lend you one or if you can find it ... buy a copy! (Capers Online Bookstore sells it)

Sending you lots of positive earth-motherish birthing vibes!

[uptheduff]

The TENS machine doesn't seem to be a very popular choice for pain relief in Australia, but when i had DS1 in the UK, it is pretty widely available.

I've heard mixed reactions on it, but the majority seem to say that you have to wear it from the very beginning of labour....Apparently it doesn't do much if you just decide to use it when things get worse iykwim.

Anyway...Good luck with it all! I hope you get the birth that you want! :fingerscrossed: :thumbsup:

[Roopee]

I've had three drug free births. I didnt go in with a birth plan or any expectations-i just went with what was happening if that makes sense.
No1 was 9lb4oz. No2 was 8pd 120z and No3 was 7pd12oz-so all decent sizes and i never had any stitches either. I never did any of the "excercises", except pelvic floors, that the midwifes and Dr's recommend either-i guess im just extremely lucky. I just hope im that lucky with my next one due next year.
I was never opposed to having drugs in labour-it was just that my labours were all so quick there was no time to have them.
I didnt like the idea of Pethadine as it crosses the placenta, makes you and baby sleepy and sometimes bubs needs a shot or "Narcaine" to bring them out of it.
Just see what happens and try to relax and go with your body-in the end your body does what it has to get that baby out.

[BJelly]

Hi Fertile Thoughts, first of all, I wish you all the best and I hope you have a great birth and a healthy baby.

I am a complete wuss, I take panadol for headaches and with proper preparation and a plan I was able to have a drug free labour. It wasn't something I expected myself to do, and I wouldn't have any shame if I had needed drugs it was just something I wanted to try because of the reasons stated by other posters - I wanted the best possible start for me and my baby.

I think there is a common misconception that to go drug free is to choose a birth without painrelief. This is wrong - as you know, there are many techniques used to decrease labour pains such as relaxation, vocalisation, massage, water therapy, TENS and many many more.

I felt great about the birth even though I sustained a third degree tear. I didn't feel it, but I remember looking down and thinking, gee I've torn. I didn't feel any pain until they went to stitch me up, and then I used the gas as well as the techniques of non-drug pain relief that I used during the birth (relaxation - deep breathing, and vocalisation - I found a deep "haaaaa" noise that really kept me focused and really helped a lot to numb the pain.

The great thing about labour pain is that it isn't constant, it comes in waves and you have short (sometimes too short) breaks and once it's over it's over and you've got a beautiful baby.

Regarding the tear which is something you said you were afraid of, I'm currently pregnant and hope to have another natural birth, and what I'm going to do next time is to make sure I rest more during the first stage of labour (not easy at the time because you get pretty excited about what's happening) so I'm not so exhausted when I come to push baby out - I could handle the pain, I just didn't know how much longer I could keep going because I was so tired. It is also very important to listen to your midwife/ OB and let them coach you during the pushing phase - I decided to get my baby out in a hurry and forgot all about taking it slow.

I found birth to be like running a marathon - it is a very physical and mental process and you feel exhausted at the end but also you have a great high - mine lasted for days.

Best of luck with everything:)

[fertilethoughts]

Hello and Thank-you so much to Mumtoone,Annsam,Funnychicken,NZmama,Tracie, Uptheduff,Roopee,Bjelly and Everyone else,

The reason I have written a birhplan is to firstly let the hospital know that I want to be guided by the midwives to 1) have a natural birth with a focus on being put in positions to not agrivate my back pain. 2) be put in positions that encourage gravity to do its work (to lessen the need for an episiotomy) 3) to make it known that should I have a c-section I don't want them taking the baby away for any reason that is routine immediately (ie measuring and weighing) 4) to let them know that I would prefer to be denied certain drugs (peth and/or epi) if it meant I could have a faster birth and recovery 5) to let the midwives know that I am happy to follow their instructions to get through it 6) to be made aware of how the birth is progressing. Also, my hubby has a copy so he can help ME follow the plan by reminding me of certain points. I have been in excruiating pain before and I know that I was not capable of thinking straight. Of course if there are things that happen on the day that dictacte a c-section so be it, but I am not going to tempt fate by starting with an epi and having a snow ball effect. I would say yes to an epi if there were no side-effects, but I will only say yes if my baby is being effected. A birth-plan, in my opinion, is a great way of introducing yourself to medical professionals . It lets them know what you are aiming for and it HELPS them guide you. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother asking you what kind of birth you wanted. It opens communication and also lets you know if you are being realistic. This can only be a good thing.

xx fertilehoughts