I had 3 all natural births
With me my epidural stopped working around 8-9 cm. It was how my baby was sitting. I basically felt everything at the end.
Had all 3 natural 5 hours or less for all 3, my daughter in law had epidural for first 2 and last one she decided she wanted natural started contractions at 9 and by 10:45 she was born, natural hurts like hell but makes it quicker and you forget the pain once the baby is here.
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I had epi with my first born and honestly it sucked. I still have back pain from it. With my second born i had the gas and I felt it did help until the very end part lol
With my bub due in Nov, I’m planning on doing the gas again. But maybe wait until it’s closer to where you can’t stand the pain.
I know its not what you’re asking…but just wanted to throw this out there. I had an epideral with my 1st and it didn’t completely help anyways, labor lasted like 13 hours pushed for 45 min and I couldn’t feel how to push correctly. 2nd baby decided I didn’t want any drugs/toxins in mine or my baby’s system so I went natural. Hurt a bit worse but my labor only lasted 2 hours amd I pushed her out in about 5-10 minutes. I fully believe the epidural slows your whole body down from pushing the baby lower and makes it harder to be able to push cuz you cant feel your muscles completely…which is why the labor and pushing is so much longer with an epideral. Also I was WAY less tired after giving birth when I went natural. Of course I was a little tired but I wasn’t drowsy or exhausted. I remember everything unlike the hours after my 1st birth. And I healed within the first 2 weeks completely!
I know everyone can be different but I’ve heard of many stories being the same as mine. Best of luck to you whatever you choose just thought I’d throw mine along with others observations out there.
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Naturally hurt a hell of a lot less than the epidural and I got chronic nerve damage and couldn’t walk from the epidural I had to go to physical therapy a year and thought I was going to be paralyzed forever
Natural all the way. Our bodies were made to do this… I labored just shy of 37 hours before my daughter was born.
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I had 4 kids and never heard of gas as an option. Only option was epidural.
Never had an epidural.
My second I had gas. It took the edge off of contraction but can’t use it while pushing. My third was a water birth and I found that more helpful than the gas.
I had pethadine and gas n air with my first baby and I absolutely hated the pethadine it made me feel horrendous-
My second baby I refused any other pain relief apart from gas n air and it was brilliant!! Gas n air is the best part of Labour in my opinion 
x
I was put completely under for my dnc and had a spinal block for my three csections i had a great experience with my first spinal as far as injection but had an anaphylactic reaction to the meds themselves and had to receive epi second spinal block they adjusted meds and i didnt throw a reaction but had a horrible experience with the injection itself they had to stick me 5 different times before they got it correct and i honestly believe thats why i still have issues with my hands and feet going numb third time i had no issues whatsoever they got the injection first time and i had no reaction to the meds i did have different hospitals and staff each time i had an amazing experience with my hospital and staff for my dnc and my first and last csection i had a horrible experience all the way around with my second csection though as far as the spinal block and hospital staff
Petidene all the way , great stuff 
I had the laughing gas and then epidural after and found it to be ok! But with my last delivery about 4 weeks ago I was induced and had epidural right away so I wouldn’t feel any contractions and it worked until about 30 mins before I had to push and I felt every single thing! First time that’s happened to me and I’ve had 5 babies! All epidurals!
I had the laughing gas with my last baby and it worked wonders for me!! No epidural either!!
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Has anyone tried nitrous oxide ( laughing gas) for labor pains? - Mamas Uncut
I had an epidural with all of my kids. Each one had a different effect. The first one was a lot better than the contractions I was having lol, the second one I feel like I felt almost everything, third on I felt nothing and no pain even when the anesthesiologist put it in, he was great. My last child I couldn’t even feel the contractions before they gave me the epidural. I have never heard of that option though.
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I had laughing gas when they lanced my foot after stepping on a rusty nail. It didn’t do shit for the pain, but at least the other patients couldn’t hear my screams through the mask.
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I didn’t know that was an option. I had no drugs with my first and it was awful. I almost passed out from pain. My others I had epidurals but it only took with one. The other two it didn’t work so I got a big needle in my back for nothing. Why people think you’re a sissy for getting an epidural is beyond me. Lol let me jab you with a needle 4 times, DURING contractions and see how you feel. Because that was my experience with my youngest. And then it still didn’t take after the fourth jab.
I had to get two epidurals because of scar tissue in my back maybe that’s why it didn’t work well for you because you only got one after my second one I couldnt feel nothing
The thing is if you have an epidural get it from the very start if you leave it to late it wont have its full effects. The midwives should if told you that. I was induced with both my kids first 1 i had a full block second 1 i had a partial block… both times i never felt a thing. Plus if you are being induce tge contractions are closer and stronger than if you went into labor naturally.
I didn’t even know nitrous was an option that must be new. I’ve done natural delivery and one with induction and the epidural from the first moment. That’s the way to go. Was so relaxing a very good experience if that’s an option for you. Here in my state you don’t have to wait to receive your epidural anymore based on dilation just your choice.
I used nitrous after I had to be put on pitocin (labor stopped) with my 3rd child. It was my only option that far into labor…It made my entire body numb and tingly. Except for my stomach area. I still felt all contractions, it helped me a tiny bit even as much as i huffed it I couldn’t open my eyes because they twitched uncontrollably. I did not like it at all.
With my 4th (last) baby I was induced and also put on pitocin. After the broke my water contractions got hard and fast. I tapped out after about 2hrs of hard hard labor. But I didn’t want the epidural (terrified of it)… so I was given the epithecral. Just a one time shot in the back and you go numb from your waste down. I didn’t feel anything and it started almost instantly. Even when baby was crowning and pushing I did not feel a thing. It was fantastic…
Honestly didn’t do anything for me, they gave me morphine for a little bit that was wild. I eventually got an epidural
I loved it with my first child wanted it for my second child but due to Covid because it’s inhaled they said it was no longer an option so I only had my epidural for 10 minutes until it was time to push I wasn’t numb I felt everything and I’m still mad about it 3 weeks later
dont be a sally and do it all natural. i did it with both my kids in my early twenties. pain is temporary.
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Had gas w the 1st, epidural w the 2nd one, was not a good experience, I asked for gas with the 3rd.
Pretty painful giving birth. I don’t think I even had a choice when I had mine 40+ years ago. All natural. Thank goodness they came fast because it hurts like the devil.
Um no I would have done all 6 natural if 3 would have been helpful lol ( first induced, last c-section)second I was ready to shower and go home same with 3rd and 4th
I had an epidural, it only numbed one leg. Labored for 24 hours, pushed for 3. Ended up having a c-section.
I wasn’t able to have an epidural for medical reasons. My advice is to get the epidural. There isn’t an award for pain and suffering
I think nitrous oxide is more a UK thing. I don’t think it’s offered in the US
Epidurals are gravitational. That’s why they roll uou side to side. I gave natural child birth and had a epidural and a c section . My natural child birth was hard but love it. Didn’t know nitrous was a option
That’s more of a European thing. Not many hospitals in the US use laughing gas for birth. Which is a shame I think they should.
Had an epidural with all 3. Easy peasy.
Used do in the 70s -
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Has anyone tried nitrous oxide ( laughing gas) for labor pains? - Mamas Uncut
I had the epidural, It helped with the pain but was not worth it in my opinion. I had bad back pain before the epidural, but after my back pain has increased tenfold. And in my opinion, it was worse for the hospital stay I had a c-section so I was going to be in the hospital for a few extra days either way, but I was there for a week in total, it two almost 3 days to get feeling completely back in my lower half, but it didn’t drown out any of my pain from my c-section, I even felt the first Incision. I would not recommend personally getting the epidural, not for what it helps with in the beginning but the time after, the pain I’ve had from it for going on now 2 years after my labor.
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Mine went like this:
Wanted natural birth (LMAO)
Bad pains after water breaking, asked for meds. They injected something into my iv that helped for 45 minutes but I was told it was suppposed to last 6 hours😒
Given laughing gas. Since I was no where near dilated enough, I hated how it felt. Gave back immediately.
Given epidural. I can confirm this is going to be my go to thing if I have another child.
When pushing, epidural was reduced and I was in pain. I was given the laughing gas and it was fantastic for when I was pushing my son out.
I did both. I was in labor for 24.5 hours. I used the nitros after 8 hours of labor until 24 hours of labor when I had to get the epidural because I couldn’t push effectively through the pain. I felt barely anything after that. The nitros didn’t really help much other than to distract through the pain.
I had my son natural no epidural nor nitrous, but I can tell you that if they offer hot tub for pain it helps alot especially if you have back labor,
I tried it and it didn’t help for me, but you can always try!!!
Every story is different. Go with your gut instinct!
The epidural relaxes you so the reason you probably felt everything is because you were finally somewhat relaxed and was able to let your body do it’s thing and it didn’t take very long for birth. With all 3 of my births I had my baby within a hour or two. With my last it was a hour and I felt everything with out the pain.
My 1st delivery I felt some with epidural but my 2nd I felt absolutely nothing except contractions
I loved it. It made me very relaxed and the contractions felt like more pressure than pain
I was literally told it doesn’t relieve pain. It’s basically just a distraction. As soon as I head that, I threw it off my face. It wasn’t doing anything anyway
I tried the gas with my son and I felt like I was suffocating because I was forgetting to breathe out, was just breathing in. I hated it. Lasted about 3 minutes.
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It only hells with pain u will still feel the birth and never heard of having laughing gas during child birth
I had it and absolutely hated it
I gave birth with just laughing gas and loved it, it makes your head go a bit light, I was laughing and joking around between contractions at the end, however my best friend had such a quick labour, she was in hospital 20 minutes and baby was born, and she said she didn’t feel any effects from the gas because she didn’t really get the time to figure out how to breathe it in properly
I live in the uk so the gas is the main and first form of pain relief they offer here
I had an epidural with my first and didn’t get it until 8 cm and with my second was all natural. For me even though all natural wasn’t intended I feel it’s the best route. The pain wasn’t that bad and I was up and walking around like normal within 2 hours after delivering.
It was a joke. You don’t get it the whole time. You get to breath it in when the contraction starts and by the time it kicks in you’re already at peak and wanna die. I got the epidural after 17hrs and best decision I ever made.
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The gas just made me dizzy…didnt help with the pain. Epidural worked well but i was so numb i couldnt push because i had no feeling in my legs…had to wait longer until it wore off
My first pregnancy, I did the epi. 11 years later, my back just randomly starts hurting at random times from it. Second pregnancy, I tried the nitrous oxide and it made me soooooo nauseated. Last pregnancy, I used nothing. It was the best labour and delivery that I had 
Labor w/my 2nd baby was only 8 hrs start to finish so didn’t have time for epidural. But I didn’t want to feel delivery. They gave me a saddle block. Worked quickly, was a shot in the back. Ladies! This is a game changer! I could feel the contractions, but not the delivery. I recommend to anyone having babies