What helped you through your natural labor?

Question

For my son I tried going natural... went hours and hours and hours with out medication but was not progressing until the patosin (spelling?) and I was only at a four and they told me that it would be about an hour per centimeter and I realized if I went another 6 hours I would not have enough energy to actually give birth. So I asked for the epideral before they checked me. Then 5 minutes after I had the epideral (hadnt even taken full effect yet!) they check and I was at a 10 and crowning. So he was born 45 minutes after the epideral. ( I did not feel a thing! man if i hadnt want to go natural that worked amazing!) Anyway.
For my next child i really want to be able to go natural again. What helped you cope with the pain?

Answer 1

1. Using a midwife - they are more laid back and take a natural approach to birth

2. Having my husband beside me

3. Using the hot tub

4. Using the birthing ball

5. Having freedom of movement through the entire process

6. Praying and offering up the pain for others

Answer 2

Oh dear lord. I don't know what helped. Knowing that I would have a beautiful baby boy to hold after I guess. I had a natural labor. All together it was 18 hours of labor. 8 hours of pure hard labor. It was a living hell. But, I just tried to breath through each contraction. When I got to 6 cm it was the worst pain ever. I pretty much yelled and cried through each contraction and rested and breathed in between.

Answer 3

For me, it was having the support of a midwife who really knew how to labor a patient. She knew all the positions to try, breathing techniques that I had never heard of at any childbirth/lamaze class before, different pressure points for massage, and most importantly, she somehow was able to connect with me mentally when I was losing control. I don't think anyone in my family, even my well-intended husband could have done that; she was a professional at it and had seen it all.

I am now a labor nurse and remember all the things I learned from her so I can use those techniques with my patients. And I have always been a strong advocate for women choosing to birth without pain interventions. However, my experience has taught me that epidurals are beautiful things for many people, and I have seen so many women who have exhausted themselves trying to labor for 12+ hours, who simply cannot relax or concentrate on anything anymore, and have stalled labors. They get an epidural and suddenly they are able to rest, regain their strength, and they dilate to complete in the blink of an eye. There are tremendous benefits in some cases.

It is a hugely personal decision, and no one person should ever say to another that they should or should not choose to have pain relief because of their limited personal experience. No labor is alike, no woman is alike.

Answer 4

Really, a vaginal delivery, with pain medication or not, is considered a natural delivery. A lot of times, when you are having a long, hard labor, when you are given the epidural, it helps to relax you, allowing your body to get to work without any interruptions that anxiety causes. As in your case, even though the epidural hadn't taken full effect yet, it helped to relax your body, which is what allowed you to dialate so quickly. Sometimes, especially for patients who have back and front labor at the same time, an epidural is neccessary. I have seen women pass out from such immense pain. I had a long two day labor, and had back and front labor (my whole nursing career, I always thought I wouldn't have to worry about that, how ironic), and after a day and a half, I was begging for an epidural. The medication is there to help you. Take full advantage of it. If you can't make it through without an epidural, you're not doing anything wrong or unnatural. Relax hon. Good luck!

Answer 5

Every labor is different. This one may be fast. I just kept focused on the fact that drug free is what is best for my baby.
I also really practised the relaxation and deep breathing techniques.
Don't go to the hospital until you have no choice. Until your water breaks, you can walk. So do it, it helps the labor progress.
Lastly, don't be afraid to take meds or get an epidural if you need it. If you're exhausted and can't push, it isn't any good either. All that matters is that your baby gets here and is safe and well and so are you.
There is no right or wrong way.
Good luck!

Answer 6

I had both my girls with no drugs whatsoever and didn't really feel any pain, i have to admit - I was uncomfortable and extremely exhausted, but there was little actual pain.

The hospital and midwife were just fab - I was allowed to do exactly as I wanted and thoroughly recommend remaining as mobile as you can until the last minue and then giving birth standing up, or kneeling, if your legs give in, as mine did first time! and letting gravity help out a bit.

Good luck!

Answer 7

For my second delivery my 4 1/2 year old helped me the most.
when i heard him talking to me or those around me i was able to calm down and focus on how amazing he was and how i would get to have that with the baby i was about to have.
he would come over to the bed and rub my hand and arm and tell me how good i was going just like the doc and nurse was. it was so so sweet.
I sent him on a walk with grandma and the baby was biorn before they got back.

Answer 8

For me it going outside in the fresh air helped..obviously you can't do that after a certain point though. Being in the water helped me a lot too as did my husband putting hard pressure on my lower back during contractions.

Answer 9

Staying upright. FIGHT the hospital who wants you on your back! Walk , squat, get on all fours, or even rock in a chair, just don't lie down.

Warm bath or shower (Not allowed after water breaks)

Lamaze training and music by Enya (whatever music you find soothing is good).

A glass of wine early on if you aren't paranoid about fetal alcohol syndrome. (I had about 6 glasses of wine TOTAL over the nine month course of each pregnancy and refused to worry about it!)

Being lucky enough that baby is head down.

Answer 10

i had no choice but go natural. we got to the hospital and i was already a 6 and to late for any meds! but i found it harder to push if i was screaming and crying so i had to calm myself down and she was here in no time! i calmed my self by thinking about her in between contractions. the longer i was n labor the longer it was going to be before i could hold her. so at 5 am i was pushing and by 5:23 am she was here. i was really hard but you can do if you really want to.