Did you have a Natural Birth? (No Epidural)

Question

How did you cope with the pain? What was your birthing position?

Answer

Yes I did with all 3 children. The first baby was born on a bed with no pain relief, the 2nd and 3rd were both born in the water, laboured and delivered. The water is amazing it really soothes the pain and especially when the head is crowning! You can't have pain relief if you use the pool, however you can get out and get some if you felt you needed it but you wouldn't be able to go back in the pool.

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I labored in a hot tub at a birthing center during transition. I stayed upright to remain calm and exercise my breathing techniques while my husband pours water on my bk and shoulders. I did a hypnobirthing class. It was an amazing experience!

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Water is what saved me during transition. Counter pressure and being upright!

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I had a 40 hour labor, mostly at home, with the last few hours at my birth center in a tub. I was 8cm at that point, so labor was far from stalling, but I think if I had used it too soon the warm water would have lengthened the time even more. While still at home I went about my business as much as I could. As the contractions increased, I waited them out on an exercise ball, swaying back and forth, or pacing my apartment.

Keeping active was key even though it was hard. Keeping mentally positive and relaxed was truly the best thing that got me through without meds. And eating and staying hydrated!! Hospital policy is asignine for preventing this most basic necessity during the most difficult physical exertion of a woman's life!

Answer

I had a natural birth and not by choice. I was caught completely off guard and had no idea what to really expect even though this was my 2nd labor experience. My 1st labor I had an epidural and pain meds so it was completely different from this time around. I went in at 4cm dilated. I was told I could get my epidural once I was moved to the delivery room. About 30 to 45 minutes later I was moved to the delivery room and my water broke. The dr. came in to check me and told me I was already dialted 8cm and had no time to get an epidural and that I needed to push. I was either on my back or in a sitting halfway up position. I did my breathing which helped a little. I didn't want to push but my body took over and started pushing. Within 3 pushes I had my baby boy. The dr. pulled him out the rest of the way on the last push. I felt everything and it was so painful. But looking back on it I think my 1st labor with the epidural was more painful. My contractions were way worse the first time around. This 2nd time was a lot easier I think even without the epdiral or pain meds I had before. Although i was given pitocin to speed up my labor with my 1st pregnancy and I heard that, that could cause you to have more severe labor pains. I just wish I would have done more research on natural births cause I had no idea what to expect and was extremely scared. I kept saying, "I don't want to push. I'm not going to push." At one point I even tried to pull myself off the bed cause I wanted to leave. At the moment it was scary but now I look back and laugh. I wish I would've had someone to record it cause it would've made a hilarious youtube video. I don't if any of this helped or answered your question's but I hope you were able to get something out of this. Good luck to you.

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Birthing position... on my back in a damn bathtub full of water!! When I said I wanted to have a Waterbirth this is not what I meant! 😂

Answer

Continued...

The nurse and midwife made me get out and I got on the bed. I tried to lay down and that wasn't working and then I tried to get into hands and knees on the bed and that didn't make anything better. I got the go ahead to try and push and it felt like I could almost push but not quite so my midwife had me lay down again to check me and my cervix had a tiny lip that was holding me back from fully dilated. She was able to push it out of the way with the next contraction, and that's when I became very very vocal because baby descended rather quickly. I pushed about 8-10 times total to push her head out and it would have been probably half that if I had been able to refocus sooner than I had. 
Honestly getting her head it was the worse, but as soon as I felt it started to slide over the biggest part I focused and pushed to get it all the way out and I had instant relief. 
They say that if you can get through one contraction at a time, you can do it. Also, there comes a point during almost every unmedicated labor where mommy feels like she just can't do any more and that usually means she's in transition. Once I stopped focusing on the pain and started focusing and pushing through it, I managed much much better.

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I did the hypnobabies home study course. I had a 22 hour labor, in which my contractions stalled for a few hours. I was still having the infrequently and they became more mild. 
I used a blow up birthing chair, almost a mix of a birthing ball and a birth chair... for most of my labor. 
I used the easy first stage track to help me relax through the contractions and it was really useful until I hit transition. I had to go #2 and the pressure or that and having to change positions caused me to loose focus. At that point I was asking for an epidural and my midwife checked me and I was at a 7-8. Since I hadn't had an iv, I knew it was too late. I knew my body would dilate very quickly at that point from my precious births. 
My contractions were coming pretty much one on top of another and I did get into the shower which helped. I would lean over and brace myself on the handicap bench and I moaned with a really low pitch like an "uuuuuuh" and sort of sway my hips. I only had about three or four contractions before I was feeling a ton of pressure and almost like I had to push.

Answer

First was hospital birth with no pain meds.  They made me lie on my back the whole time because they were trying to slow my labor ( I was 31 weeks). It was torture not being able to move. Though the nurse did try to put pressure on my back which helped.  
Second was at home with no meds at all. It was a super fast labor so I didn't really have time to think about the pain too much. Stretching, squatting and counterpressure on my lower back were all helpful.  The birthing tub wasn't ready in time or I would have hopped in. I believe laying in a bed to labor is the most unnatural thing to do. It feels wrong.  Staying active through labor helps so much!

Answer

Personally, I wish I had birthed in a better hospital more equipped for natural births. One of the nurses was so convinced I couldn't do it and told me only women from across the border whose babies were practically falling out of them did it natural 😒😒 I should've reported her, especially because she told me I needed to get the epidural for my safety as I'd put the baby in distress (epidurals can actually do that) !!! Anyways, I knew I wanted natural. Unfortunately it's the hospitals policy (mine at least) to have a fetal monitor on 24/7. I did a lot of rocking at the bedside, my husband was massaging my back (I have a posterior uterus and the back labor was unbelievable), I used a focal point to breathe through the contractions. Transition was the worst part, I started shaking and crying and the pain was awful. However, my husband was a champ telling me to breathe and helping me move with the monitor. Then my water broke, I pushed three times on my back (another mistake, I should've been on my hands and knees), the ring of fire is no joke, it feels like a legit ring of fire but at that point baby is there and bam she fell out of me, the nurses needing to catch her as the dr wasn't even in the room yet. Cont.

Did you have a Natural Birth? (No Epidural)

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