Pain Relief in Labour - What was your poison?

David & I are talking more seriously about pain relief options during labour now that my little boy's birth is but a few mere weeks away -   - I've heard bad things about gas & air, namely that it just makes you feel loopy in between contractions and doesn't actually do squat for pain relief during the rough bits. Is gas & air available in the US? It's laughing gas. So I'm not so keen about trying that, I've also heard personal stories that the gas & air made them really nauseous and shakey. But one woman I know said the pethidine (demerol in the US, am I correct?) did the same thing, and she wishes she hadn't taken any just because she felt so "out of her head".

SOOOOOOOOO..... let me hear some experiences with pain relief that you all have had. Epidurals, massage, pethidine, gas & air, water, TENS....

And don't spare me the awful details. Those are exactly what I want.

Had an epidural with my first...would never have another one. I don't think anyone is bad for wanting one. I know lots of people who have had good experiences with them. Mine wasn't one of them. :-/

But Stadol was my best friend during labor. Yes I suppose it made me feel a little loopy but god I needed it at that point and it actually did help me with the pain a LOT.

If its ok to ask - why was your epidural experience so bad? I'm hoping to avoid one, but I suppose if I'm in labour for a billion hours, things change.

Well my experience was the epidural *does* numb you to some extent but I still was in a hell of a lot of pain and when it came time to push I couldn't feel to push...which meant I ended up pushing for at least an hour and a half. I felt like it prolonged my labor altogether. My labor slowed tremendously after having the epidural put in. (total labor time 27 1/2 hours) Then ever since I had the epidural I've had really bad back problems in the exact area I was given the epidural. I've had people tell me it's a coincidence but I know it's not. I know my body and what happened to it.

So anyway with my second son I didn't have an epidural. I was able to feel to push and it hurt just as bad as when I had the epidural only it went MUCH faster. (total labor time 4 1/2 hours)

I would never tell anyone not to have an epidural. I have friends who loved having one. That was just my experience with it.

Well I certainly don't feel like you're telling me (or anyone) not to! It's good to ehar positives and negatives about all of my options, that way I can make an informed decision.

I really, really really, really, really want to try to get through it without pain relief. I wonder if that makes me insane, but I want to be completely "present" for the whole thing. David supports my decision, but we both know that we're okay being flexible if labour goes on forever and I decide to change my mind and want drugs. Once of the questions I'm asking my midwife when I next see her is When is the "point of no return" that I need to ask for drugs by. But really... the best birth/painrelief story I've heard is from one of David's friends who didn't have nay pain relief... oh sure it hurt like a blankety blank but the look on her face when she was describing not her baby, but how she *felt* afterwards, was really inspriing. That she didn't feel drugged up at all, could get up and take a shower soon after the birth, and that she just felt physically more "able" than she did with her first epidural-aided birth. I liked that. Who knows what will happen on the actual day/s... but ideally I want to go as natural as possible. I really do wonder if that makes me insane or not.

Well if it helps you any I was able to get up and do all those things after giving birth to both of my kids. The Stadol wears off very quick. I didn't feel drugged at all or have any problems walking, taking a shower or anything else. They had me up and walking literally minutes after giving birth...quicker with the second than the first but both quick. I gave birth to my second son on December 23rd and went home Christmas Eve and spent that day and evening getting things ready for Christmas.

Ok, well, let me say - you asked for it!

Kid no. 1 - Had pain meds.  This is the one where I had myself convinced the pain was mostly in my head.  And it didn't feel "painful" to me in the conventional sense, just intense.  I did eventually get a shot of medication (although it's been so long now I don't remember what it was).  It did help me relax a bit between contractions but that was it.  Did absolutely nothing else.  I had a local anesthetic administered before she came out.  This was because they were trying to prepare me for an episiotomy but I was too fast and pushed her out before that happened.  I felt tired afterwards but it wasn't because of the meds, it was because I had been UP for well over 24 hours.  Or maybe it was the meds, don't know.

Kid no. 2 - I had a couple shots of something (again don't remember what it was).  It did absolutely nothing for me.  What happened is that my daughter came out and she was lethargic and not crying and when I tried to breastfeed her after she couldn't seem to suck very well and I could not get my eyes to focus.  I believe all of this was a consequence of the drugs.

Kid no. 3 - I decided screw it...meds never helped, I was not going to have an epidural and so I was going "au natural".  It was my best birth because rather than try to "fight" contractions, I just went with them and flowed with them.  I had no meds, no nothing.  She came out, she cried, she nursed like a champ and I was up and out of recovery in 20-30 minutes, which I was told was a hospital record.  I got a rush of endorphins that just left me feeling GREAT and I recovered so much more quickly than I did with my first two.

I did have an epidural when I had a D&C for my first miscarriage.  I didn't like not being able to feel my legs.  

I would never tell anyone to not get an epidural, but do encourage ladies considering it to really research it and think about it mostly for the reasons that Melissa gave.  It is not uncommon that women who have epidurals find their labour slows down.   Then the doctor will want to give the woman pitocin to speed the labour back up.  So now there's 2 meds running through your body.  Some women (not all) will find it makes their ability to push a bit sluggish and like Melissa, it takes them longer to push the baby out which may lead a doctor to want to use forceps or vacuum extraction to assist things along.

Of course, though, the other side of it is that many many women have had epidurals, loved them and would not ever give birth without one.  It's a matter of what you prefer.

There's a lot of books out there that details different methods to cope with pain in labour.  A search on Amazon will lead you to them.  As I said before, now is a really good time to formulate a birth plan and think about what you would like and not like and make sure your care provider knows and understands them.  Best of luck girlie!

With the first I had a local for the episiotomy.  That was it.  Mind you, he was only 6 lbs 5 oz - full term - it was pretty much one big push and he was out!

With the last one I wasn't going to have anything.  He was induced - the midwife broke my water, but he STILL didn't want to come, so they gave me the pictocin drip, which still took FOREVER to work.  As the time dragged on, the nurses were afraid I wouldn't have the energy to push if I had to keep bearing through the contractions much longer.  So they gave me something - don't know what - but then he decided to come out about 15 minutes later.  Same experience as elle with her second - he was lethargic, but to the point of NOT breathing at all and turning purple.  He took one deep breath and didn't let it out!  I know I heard a nurse saying that if she thought he was that close to coming she'd never have given me anything.  They called the NICU team in and stuck something down his throat and got him breathing in no time - but then he had to stay in the NICU unit when he wasn't in the room with me, and he had to stay for another day after they released me so they could observe him.  I felt SO guilty - here was my horse of a child at 7 lbs 14 oz in the ward with all these tiny little hand-size babies... :'(

Oh yeah - and no episiotomy with the last one, either.

If I were doing it again ( ) I would have no painkillers and no episiotomy.  But that's me and my experiences.

Whatever you decide will be right for you and David and little Philip when the time comes.

 With the first I had a local for the episiotomy.  .

I didn't even get that! For my first I had no pain relief. When it came to the episiotomy, the DR just snipped     In my birthing video you hear me suck in my breath (surprise ouch kind of thing) two little snips, another push and there was my daughter!
With my son (13 months later) I remembered the labour process oh too well, and when they came in to offer pain relief, I eagerly accepted an epidural!  

EDIT - epidural not epidermal!!! LORD I can not spell!

With Juliona I was in labor for 4 days, I was given a muscle type relaxer so I could get some sleep over the weekend but could still feel the contractions to a point. When I finally went to the doc on Monday and was finally dilated to 3 he sent me to the hospital and once all settled I asked for a epidural. The whole thing was fine no major pains or anything (except for the needle going in the back to numb it up). The only problem I had with it was that I could not move my right leg on my own, I was totally numb from the waist down but could still move my left leg on my own but had to have Glenn help me move my right. After birth it seemed to wear off really quick cuz I remember being able to move about in the bed.

The only real pain I had was the intern putting on the internal mointor onto Juliona, I was moving about so much trying to get comfortable that the belly mointor would not stay on so they could track the contractions and her heart beat so they went for the internal one and when he was trying to get it on her he pinched me with the prongs ( ) but I have to admit the total labor thing went smoothly.

One BIG piece of advise I have for all pregnant women is to have a great partner that is in tune with you. Glenn was so in tune with me he was more help then the nurse was. He held my leg up and held my hand and was just really great at helping me thru the birth.  He was so supportive and not to mention a great focal point for me!!

Hmmm.  Am I the only one who had labor and a c-section?

I was induced because my doc thought my dd was probably about 9 lbs. and said if she was any bigger I would probably not be able to deliver her.  

I wanted the c-section.

So I was induced, and when the contractions started to hurt I had IV narcotics.  I wish I could remember what they were but they were looovely.

I spent several hours nodding off in front of my family and friends.  I didn't care.

Then they started to wear off, and I felt like I was being hit hard across my lower back with a very heavy board.  Not pleasant.  So I had the epidural.  I seem to recall it hurt when they scrubbed my back but not too bad.

And the epidural was great.  I dn't know why mine was so different from everyone else's, but the urge to push woke me up at about 4;30 in the morning that night, and I could feel each contraction to push, I just didn't really feel pain too much.  When I did start to feel a little, the anaesthesiologiat came in and adjusted the epi so I didn't have pain anymore.
I don't remember if I could feel my legs, I seem to think I could but who knows really?  All I know is I felt all the pushing and pressure but no pain.  My epi was perfect, I guess, because that's how it's supposed to work.
Of course, keep in mind that my dd still had not dropped, so while I was fully dilated and pushing away she was still tucked up at like plus 2 station or whatever.

So then they turned the epi way, way up and cut me open.  Yay!

Then I got lovely, lovely morphine in recovery for several hours.  That was really nice too.

Marlspo- I had my child totally 'natural'. I was only having the one and wanted to experience the entire thing....I will admit to having a high tolerance to pain, so that helped.  Even more, now (I've had a number of surgeries since then) lol

(This was back in 1983, when Lamaze was real big).

Good luck in your decisions....all of you.

Who knows what will happen on the actual day/s... but ideally I want to go as natural as possible. I really do wonder if that makes me insane or not.

Me too Sara! I guess it is easy for us first timers to glibly say we don't want pain relief and like you say who knows what could happen on the day ...maybe I'll scream for the injection at the first contraction but it's certainly be my ideal to go without. So I'll be waiting to hear all about your experience after the event ...

My SIL thought I was nuts when I told her I wanted to "feel it all". To be honest, one of the *biggest* reasons I want to feel it all is because I can. My husband's twin brother Phil (who we're naming our boy after) has been paralyzed from the chest down his entire life, and I will never EVER forget the look on his face when, during a conversation about epidurals, he looked at me and said "I can't believe anyone would want to be paralyzed", and my heart absolutely broke. And I thought of all the women who can't ever have children, and how yes it will hurt like a mofo, but it's still such a miracle of womanhood, and I shuold be greateful that I can experience it at all. I know my brother-in-law would give anything to feel the kind of pain I'll go through (though he's obviously a man)... and I think, well for crying out loud... it won't kill me! And there's a definite end to it! And unless I need a c-section or seomthing, or something goes wrong, or its really long blah blah blah... I'm just much happier with the idea of bringing my own little Philip into the world the drug-free way, and as stupid as it might sound, doing it for the adult Phil as well...

And I hope I don't sound like I don't approve of drugs! I may be screaming for them myself. And I want to be informed about all my options in case I do get to the point where I get drugs... I want to know whats going in my body!

When my son was born I didn't take any meds. There was a little pain and I know this sounds silly but it was a good kind of pain, and as soon as he was born the pain ended. I don't know if it's still in print but if you can find it try reading "Birth Without Violence" we adapted alot of this method in our sons birth and it was a great expierence for me and DH. He bonded with DS instantly and felt he was much, much more than a coach or observer at the birth.