Coping with the pain of Natural birth, how did you do it?

[our little treasures]

I am due very soon and want another natural birth, what I don't want is to be frightened or tense.

So what I would like is some things that helped you with birthing naturally. No gas no other forms of drugs! Please for the sake of my situation I only want posts from people that have been through it. I can google and get all the different ways but I want to know what has really helped a lady in labor not what could work. IYKWIM

Anything that helped you relax

Anything that helped ease the pain which will also help you to relax.

My labours have been 39 the first and 23hrs for the second so I have been told I could be in for the long haul. I really don't want to head for the bed and stay there because it is my comfort zone..

[MrsTwith3]

Good on you for knowing what you want and asking others on how to help you achieve it
I had a totally natural birth with DS2 nearly 9 months ago.
All I can suggest to you that helped me immensely was to stay upright and work with your body, not against it. Have trust in yourself and your body to know that it is doing what it is meant to do. STAY OFF THE BED as it will likely slow everything down as you will be going against gravity.
I also was lucky enough to have a waterbirth with my DS2. It was a relaxing, soothing and gentle environment to birth in. The lights were off except for a tiny lamp with low wattage(sp?). I wasnt given any internal examines as I didnt want to be dissappointed if I hadnt dialted very far.
Thats about all I can think of for now. Im sure there will be others come along to give you some more wise and experienced hints.

[shed]

Well, I used the gas for the second part of it, but mostly to bite down on the hose and make people be quiet while I was having a contraction. When people (hospital midwives ) talked during my contractions it hurt more.

I don't really know how I coped with the pain, I just did. I don't think I had it as bad as some other people though, and my labour was quite short at around eight hours or so.

I did imagine just reaching the crest of the contraction, all I had to do was reach the crest, breathe, breathe breathe and wait for the crest. Once I got there it stopped hurting so much and just ebbed away.

They say not to fight the contractions but I did, I fought every one of them until I was nearly at the crest and then I finally succumbed to it and started breathing big deep breaths. It was like no no no! breathe breathe breathe aaah, relax thank god that's over.

The pushing part I can't remember that much, I grunted a bit but to be honest I would just SO EXCITED about what was about to happen that I didn't really think about the pain, just the end result.

I felt really confident about my labour and I felt safe and loved the whole way through. I think that made a huge difference. I had a doula.

Sorry, maybe not much help. Good luck.

[our little treasures]

Yes shed I loved the pushing bit as I knew it would all be over soon!

I do need to get it into my head that I shouldn't fight the contractions because that is what I do!! I get all tense.

I have to agree talking while having a contraction really irks me. I told my mum and dh to shut up. With dd my mum was leaning over me telling me how my sil had just given birth to her boy mid way through a contraction. I was thinking I don't give a flying **** especially since I had been there for 2 days and sil had only just gone in a few hours before!!

[Freya]

I found that the bath worked wonders i had a wet towel folded over the side of the bath..i was sitting cross legged with mum holding the shower pouring hot water on my lower back with every contraction i would pull myself forward and rest my head on the side of the bath on the towel while i was out of the bath i would watch the monitor tosee when a contraction was comin so i could prepare myself i stayed quiet to store my energy and just breathed slowly through them all u just need to no ur not having drugs no doubt about it...hope all goes well!! Goodluck!!

[Freya]

Oh and block it out go into urhappy place thats wat kept me sane coz usually i am the same i tense up with pain

[Little Gorilla]

Breathing breathing breathing....that's what got me through...although I did have a relatively quick labour.

Also, I just absorbed the pain, made it work with me and not against me...it's a very hard thing to describe...I kind of became one with the pain, accepted it and used it to overcome the contractions and then eventually used it to push bub out. I assume because I did this, I released more of my bodies natural pain killers (mental blank, can't remember what they are called) and truthfully, on a scale of 1-10, my labour was probably around a 4 for pain level.

[nut]

I've had two natural births. I agree with the PP who said that active movement and being upright helps. Definitely just do whatever your body feels best doing. If you want to move your hips just do it, if you want to squat, if you want to walk whatever. I have never used water but i have heard that it is a great natural pain reliever.

My best tip is to just surrender to the process. I urge you to just be in the moment and to allow whatever happens to just happen without resistance from you. IMO this lessens the pain greatly as your muscles aren't tensed in resistance to the pain. I had a little mantra goingwhich was "surrender, surrender" and it helped me to get through it.

Giving birth has been the most wonderful experience(s) of my life, and I wish you all the best with your upcoming birth experience. Have confidence in yourself, your power as a birthing woman, and know that every contraction brings you one step closer to holding your precious baby.

[Little Gorilla]

My best tip is to just surrender to the process. I urge you to just be in the moment and to allow whatever happens to just happen without resistance from you. IMO this lessens the pain greatly as your muscles aren't tensed in resistance to the pain. I had a little mantra goingwhich was "surrender, surrender" and it helped me to get through it.

That's basically what I did too - just don't fight it - "go with the flow"...it sounds soooo cornie, but it worked for me.

[unhindered]

Fear=Tesion=Pain.

Surrender to the process, to do this i think you need to have a good understanding of the birth process. This is for you and your support people to know that the thinking, logical part of the brain needs to be subdued. So dimly lit rooms, little to no talking, just letting your body work with your baby. Listen to your body and follow your instincts if you feel like resting, then rest, if you want to go for a walk then do that.
If you intend on going to a hospy then dont go in to early spend as much time in your familiar surroundings. Dont think about how long it all could be, just remember it all happens as quick or as long as it needs to. Your baby knows how best to be birthed and work with your body to do this. So throw all clocks away!

When labour was intense and i had 3-4 clusters of contractions comming one on top of another i focussed on keeping everything relaxed. Especially my jaw and pelvic floor muscles. To welcome each contraction i would smile and say yeees and ooopeen keeping everything relaxed.

Totally trusting and surrending, letting all of your endorphins flow through you will keep "pain" levels down. I dont believe labour/birth is painful if it is totally unhindered and undrugged your body provides all you need to cope with the intesity of it all.

My first labour was 68hrs long and my second was 14.5 hrs i held total trust in my body and babe. I did a lot of visulisation in the lead up and during labour for more details please read my second daughters birthing day story the link is in my signature.

Do you have a doula as having one for support especially when going to hospy has been proven to help get the desired outcome you want for your birthing day.

I could go on all night but my little one has been bathed and is now waiting for some booby milk. Wishing you all the best for your birthing day