"I am new here! I am 33 weeks pregnant and getting really anxious and scared about labor. My plan is to use no meds but I am not sure if that is possible. When I tell people that is my plan, they think I am wacked! Everyone these days seems to be all for the meds which there is nothing wrong with that either. It's just for me, I want to try it all natural and if worst comes worst, the first drug I would try is the laughing gas. Is there anyone on here that went through labor with no meds or almost no meds?Do you recommend it?"
Chantal
13 comments:
keep in mind that your body creates natural pain killers for you. I have read somewhere too that the stress caused by during labor can actually have more of a negative effect on a baby than drugs do. When you are stressed so is the baby. It's better for both of you as far as I am concerned.
I had fentanyl during my contractions but had nothing during delivery. Fentanyl only lasts 5-10 minutes and then you get another shot in your IV. I also had pitocin a couple hours before delivery because my contractions became irregular. I asked for some more drugs during delivery because the pain was so bad but they wouldn't give me any. I've talked to other women who have had it during delivery and assume that I didn't because they saw my childs stats drop due to the cord being around his neck and they wanted me to focus on pushing. I had neomorphin & laughing gas with my first child & fentanyl with my second and I didn't find that any of these did much good. I asked the ob during one of my appointments about the different kinds of drugs that were available, he told me that demerol only takes away about 10% of the pain. They tried to give me some but I refused.
From my experience I would not recommend going without drugs but on the other hand the drugs I had sucked. Unfortunately in Fredericton you don't have many options besides demeral, fentanyl, laughing gas and an epidural. If I was going to do it again (which I am not) I would get the epidural.
Good luck making a decision, everyone is different you could have a great labor and not use any drugs but keep an open mind to taking drugs because you never know what will happen during delivery.
I think every women experiences the "pain" or "discomfort" on a different level. For me I went into labor with an open mind and said if I need meds then ill accept them but i did not want them! I must say I breezed through it without any meds and delivered a healthy baby boy. I think the more relaxed you can be the better and also to have a great support system behind you. Just try to remember that each contraction is one step closer to meeting your new bundle of joy!!! Good luck and do what you feel is right and keep an open mind to any suggestions. I found that walking/swaying and using the tub they have was a great help for me. Good luck and you will do fine...no matter what you choose to do...you are no less of a person if you have meds just you may experience the pain or discomfort on a great level then others.
-sini
Sini makes a good point in stayng open to using them if she needed. I have heard countless times of moms who went in there saying ok, no drugs, and then when they did need them, they felt like a failure. it is VERY common. So stay open minded. :)
I as well had a drug free labour. But it is not the route that everyone should take. I was actually very comfortable right up until the pushing point. At that point I asked for something but was told I had made it this far I could finish before they even had a chance to get the meds in me. It was true I didn't need them. But I believe that had an easy labour, my first so that is all I can truly compare to. But I have had lots of friends who have had long deliveries and probably needed to have the meds in order to get through it. You won't know until the time comes, keep an open mind and do what you feel is best for your baby and you.
well for both my kids i was induced - meaning i had pitocin both times and for the first they had used the jell on my cervix.
with my first i had used demerol a couple hours in with my first and loved it .. it took the edge off the contractions and allowed me to sleep til it wore off. then when it was time to push the dr had numbed me with a local numbing agent and ended up having to cut me to help get baby out.
then with my second i had 4 or 5 shots of fentanyl which was great for the 5 mins it lasted each time.. but i liked it cause it metabolized so quick giving it alot less time if any to reach baby (i never asked). then when it came to pushing i the dr. used a local numbing agent when the head was halfway out and it was pointless then cause all it did was make it burn more..
i went in both not really caring either way if i had meds.. i figured if i needed/wanted them i would have them, though i knew i DID NOT want an epidural.. needle in my back and then limited moving no thank you...
just remember to keep an open mind that way if you end up needing/wanting meds you won't feel bad about it.
I had both of my children without any drugs... I feel this is the way that women for generations laboured, and many still do in other countrys!
My first was over 2 days of labour, my second only 7 hours - I stayed focused, had fun with my husband, enjoyed the bath/shower, yoga balls, stretching, massage and yoga - I chose to take a natural way and loved that after labour I was 100% there, not affected my drugs, ready to nurse and hold my own little baby! Is it painful - yes, but so are many things in life!
The nurses did comment that 99% of women are bagging for an epidural before the "pain" really sets in...
we decided to leave all negative words at the door, and instead of feeling pain (saying that word) used sensation instead, we loved having our little one naturally! And we highly rec it to anyone!
For my first son, i said i wasnt going to use any drugs since my mom and sister both didnt. And i did great for the first eight hours and then it just got to be too much, so i went to the gas mask which really eased the pain. Then after the forceps and vaccum i didnt have a choice but use drugs, i ended up having a c-section. But I think women who can do it naturally are amazing ppl and hey atleast i can say for myself i tried. Just do whatever feels right for you, noone has the right to tell you its right or wrong, nobody feel the exact pain you are feeling. And most of good luck, after you have the baby,you'll forget about how much it actually hurt.
I tried the fentanyl and hated it. I was dizzy and couldn't focus on anyone..I was right of 'er! (but was still in pain). I prefer the epidural...takes the pain away with out making you feel loopy. I don't think if affects everyone the same way though, so i'm sure some would prefer the fentanyl.
It's a personal decision that's for sure. We actually called ahead for my epidural LOL! I was soooo scared of the pain and thought there was no way I could handle it. But by the time we got there I was 4 cm and by the time the epi went in I was already 9 cm (I dilated really quickly). I had fentenal for some of the contractions and it really helped take the edge off. Thing is... it's no so much the pain of the contractions but the fact you have no time in between them to "recover".
Good Luck and since there is no wrong decision you have nothing to worry about!
I was induced with both my kids the broke my water then gave me pitocin
i had a demeral with my first and it was great it took enough pain off my contractions for me to take a 2 hour nap before i delivered her. they had used a shot or few local numbing down below during delivery and it was AMAZING. i didn't even know she had used it til the 2nd or 3rd shot of it.. it numbed everything.
I had 3 or 4 shots of fetanyl.. though if i knew I would've only had a half hour more I wouldn't have taken it and done it all natural (well as natural as i could with the induction) though it was nice to be relieved from the worst of the pain for 5-10 mins. the ob. didn't use any local numbing until the head was already part way out and that just made it burn worse than it was.
as long as you go in with an open mind and if you feel like you need or want drugs than DON'T feel bad for having them.. i went in both times hoping to not need drugs (besides the pitocin of course) but open to them. I'm glad I had them.. it was nice to take the edge off the contractions.
I also went into labour thinking if I feel I need the meds I will take them, but with each contraction I took it one at a time and breathed through it and finally the end came. My first child labour was 7 hours and I used Fetanyl, I had back labour which I was no prepared for. the Fetanyl it made me sleep during the resting periods and awake for the contractions, so I got a little rest. For my second birth it was 4 hours labour and I didn't use any meds it was all so fast, I didn't get bothered by the contractions until 20 mins before she came out. Hope this helps
*THE* most important thing in a drug-free birth is a supportive environment. It is absolutely certainly possible to birth without drugs, but many factors can be overwhelming obstacles, including unsupportive care providers and inflexible hospital routines. If your doctor and support staff (assuming hospital birth here) are not on the same page and fully understand the needs of a undrugged birthing woman, it can be exceedingly difficult to avoid drugs. Here are some tips:
get a thorough childbirth education, understand the stages of labour, know the common birth interventions and their risks, research non-pharmaceutical pain relief methods
hire a doula
avoid as much as possible: continuous fetal monitoring, IVs, labouring on your back, induction, pitocin
tell nurses NOT to offer drugs/epidural, you will request if needed
have a well thought out plan B, define the circumstances that you would accept pain relief ahead of time (ie, necessary induction, prolonged labour)
Ask your doc about their experience with med-free birth, do they support it? How do they support it? How often do they attend med-free births? Have a thorough conversation on the topic.
Read inspirational birth stories
I've had two unmedicated births. Yes, there was pain, but it wasn't unbearable. On the whole, my births were highly rewarding experiences. The key is not to fight contractions, tension creates more pain. Relax! Let your body do the work for you. You CAN do it.
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