Pain Relief in Labour - What was your poison?

I know I have never done this before and like Marlespo I prefer to go the no drug route based on personal experience so this thread is of great interest to me.  (Not that I won't be yelling for drugs either.)

My question is this:  I have heard that with the walking epidural you actaully can have the choice of having the shunt for the epidural put in yet not get the meds.  So it's already there are ready to pump you up should you feel the need for them or need a C-Section.  

Has anyone heard of this?  Seems to be the way to go to me.  

Hope you are feeling well here in the homestretch, Marlespo! You're nearly there!!

All 3 of my births were induced with Syntocin. (My babies were all over 10 days late and all over 9 lbs)  Here's my rundown.

First birth: stadol injection. Did nothing for the pain, but did make me vomit a lot and the baby was sluggish. No other pain meds, though I begged for them when pushing.  

Second birth: Epidural at 4 cm. Slowed the labor down and I didn't like being numb and ended up requesting the flow of medication be turned off. Positive: it blocked out the pain during contractions. Negative: I feel a painful pinch in my back still where the catheter was inserted. Legs were "jello-like" after the birth. Never wanted another epidural again!

Third birth: No meds. Delivered standing up, which to me was the best pain relief possible and was better for delivering a big baby. Big Jed is 3 weeks old today!!  

If I might offer info from my own experiences, I would say that staying mobile during labor was the best pain relief for me. Standing and leaning on the bed or squatting on the floor or a birth ball made a huge difference. I found it easier to just "go with it" and relax if I wasn't on the bed, on my back just waiting for it to happen like I was with my first baby.

Good luck with your decision! I wish you the best!

Cyndi

Oh, I could not move during labor.  And that idea that being in the bathtub is supposed to help?  Not for me, it didn't.  I begged to be helped out, it was so painful.

But I can't stand to be touched during labor, so being surrounded by all the water was more like torture than relief.  My mother could barely put her hand on my shoulder.

Of course, I'm strange....

Oooh, I couldn't take the bathtub either. I know several women who swore by the water for pain relief but unfortunately it did nothing for me either.

*imagines herself in the tub, out of the tub, in the shower, on the ball, back in the shower, stangins up, squatting, back to standing up, back in the tub, walking around in circles, on all fours, crawling up the walls, back in the shower...*

My SIL said that being mobile and moving around and being in different positions made a huge difference to her in her first birth, and unless there's a need for it to avoid being strapped down to the table with monitors as much as I can!

I never wanted an epidural-and in the end I'm glad I didn't because while I didn't exactly enjoy the pain, I never felt like I couldn't handle it.  You just have to go with it, and you know it's going to end and the result will be so worth it.  I did ask for pethidine in the last half  hour with my third.  That was my longest and hardest labour and the midwife pretty much told me to stop being brave.  I've got to say that it did really help and I didn't notice and drowsiness or dopiness in the baby.  You're right, gas and air doesn't competely take the pain away, but it can take the edge off-and I am told by a reliable source that it takes the edge off for the Dads too.  
Now, I'd be glad to talk about episiotomies too.    That ended up being the biggest part of my birth plan for my third baby.  

Now, I'd be glad to talk about episiotomies too.

*I had a nightmare about this last night!!!*
Quit reading my brain! It's already got enough invaders.

I dreamt they decided to go ahead and give me one NOW, and the cut a gigantic foot long slash in me, and I had to walk around in diapers until I gave birth and it hurt like, well, LOTS.

Go ahead then Mindy... tell me whats on your mind!

Go ahead then Mindy... tell me whats on your mind!

*WARNING: NOT FOR THE FAINT AT HEART*

Okay, brace yourselves poeple.  

My first baby was born in the US.  And for me was a horrific experience.  I was moved to the labour room when the baby was crowning, the doctor was phoned at the last minute, and it seemed like I was no longer in control.  He performed a 'routine' episiotomy.  And stitched me up himself.  The stiches were very very painful.  When I went back for the six weeks check he made a remark like 'looks like I stitched you up too well, hahaha'  And anyway, it was uncomfortable and sex was painful (I did warn you).  Anyway, lucky for me my next baby was born 15 months later in England where episiotomies are not routine. But because I had such a scar it tore really badly and really long.  (really, I warned you).  But the good thing was that the wound was then re-stitched by a midwife who did a fantastic job and I had no discomfort once it had healed.  
I was so worried about this that it became a major part of my birth plan for #3.  They even asked the midwife who had a very good reputation for stitching to do it-of course the down side to this was that she held a  live demonstration for the other midwives .  

Hope that didn't overload the stress factors, Sara.  

No of course not Mindy! I'm really too tired to be stressed about anything anyway, I just want to be armed with as much information & other people's experiences as possible, just as a reassurance factor I suppose - that way when whatever happens I don't feel like I'm the only one in the world it has happened to!

With what I've read so far, and mind you this is predominantly UK literature... it's much better to have a natural tear than an episestomy? (If I have to type that word one more time I'm going to scream, it's so hard to spell right! ) Let's call it a "snip" from now on. ANYWAY... it's on my list of things to ask the midwife when I see her in a week and a half for out "Big Visit"... I suppose each hospital has it's own preference? And maybe it doesn't matter whether you get "snipped" or whether you tear naturally, perhaps what really matters is that whoever is sewing you up does a good job... ?

I'd never willingly have a 'snip' again.  I had much better luck just letting it tear.  

I never had one.  I was supposed to with my first and after the doc gave me the local in preparation, the baby came out and I ripped.  So I got stitches.  But with No. 2 and No. 3 - no rips, no tears and NO EPISIOTOMIES.

Supposedly, if you do lot of perineal massage you have less chance of tearing.

I say "supposedly" because I did not do it...*but*, an old boss of mine and his wife did and he said she had no tearing.

I'm sure if you look up "perineal massage" online you'll find instructions...I read about them somewhere but all I recall is you're supposed to use mineral oil.  So I'm not qualified to give instructions.

Can't hurt, though...might be something you want to ask your midwife about.

IMO, the massage works. We did it through all three pregnancies as I knew I was having large babies and was extremely paranoid about the snip or tearing. 3 big-headed babies later, no "snip" needed and no tears. I am a fairly small person. Could be because of the massage, but I have no way to prove it, really!!    Here's a link to directions if you want to give it a go:

http://www.parentsplace.com/expert/midwife/qas/0,,239027_113778,00.html

Good luck!!  

I had a "snip" with the first one (in 1988 ) but by 1993 when the younger one was born the midwife herself told me they'd rather just let me tear naturally - and it was so much smaller and much less to stitch up than the first time around.  And I don't remember feeling it - whereas I remember being VERY aware of the episiotomy the first time - local or no local!

Good 'ol Morphine!  It was GREAT!!!  

Seriously, though, I had morphine because I had to have a C-section because DS was breech and I wasn't progressing (stuck at 3 cm w/ back-breaking, one-on-top-of-the-other back labour contractions.)  So, Mr. Major Narcotic was my pain relief.  I also had spinal anesthesia for the C-section.  I was OK, but felt kind of sick for awhile, and itched like CRAZY when the morphine was wearing off.

So, that reponse was probably supremely unhelpful to you.