So ive decided on no epidural this 4th labor and im nervous as hell. But i really want to go through with it. My back already hurts enough from the last 3 and its always so terrifying getting it put in. Any advice on ways to handle the pain of labor without meds? Im a ticking time bomb here and could be having to experience this any day now.
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Labor ball helped me!
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Stay distracted as much as possible. It was the most rewarding experience of my life with my 2 youngest
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I was a ftm, I did it without an epidural, I got the other form of pain medicine through your IV and it was wore off at least 2 hours before I started pushing Wuxi means I also got through the worse contractions without it! and they wouldnāt give me any pain meds because I was to far, I did it and I knew what I was doing the whole time, yes thereās pain but honestly itās well worth it in the end, just know the harder you work the sooner you will get to meet that baby!!!
I had an epidural with my first and considering opting out for my second as well. I bet instinct just takes over and you ājust do itāā¦
Iām hoping anyway 
I did it with my last 3 (I have 5) I swear I would never get another epidural. Yes it hurts. Yes you will cry. But the recovery is so much easier.
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Breathing, baths, labor ball, tennis balls for pressure points on body, a doula helped me through it.
Practise breathing techniques it helps
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Trust in God we were ment and created to have children breath deep and trust God
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Play music. Pick a focus point. Walking helps. Taking hot baths in their big tub helps as well! You can do it!! I did it with my first and plan to do it again in December with my 2nd. Itās painful, but seeing that baby is the best medicine to get over the pain. Remember why you made the choice to go med free. That will also help you push through (no pun intended)
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Donāt lay down like they want, walk, squat on a ball, keep moving, standing and squatting helps
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First one I had stadol (sp), I still felt the pain and was moody AFā¦my next 3 I did with no pain meds. You can do it! Our bodies are amazing 
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Trust your body to do its thing. Itās all in the mental preparation. If you have time, read Ina Mayās guide to Childbirth. The short stories in the first half of the book helped me prepare and manage my expectations.
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I had an epidural with my first and no epidural with my second and third and I didnāt tear at all and healed so much faster without oneā¦ breath through the pain and just keep thinking this will all be over soonā¦ you got this Mama!!
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I had 4 with No pain meds ā¦
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Practice breathing techniques definitely. Thatās about all that will help. Just breath threw it and stay as calm as possible. Rely on your partner too. When I had my second there was no time for an epidural. I freaked out held my breath threw the pain and it was horrible. The stool really seemed to help me. That way my partner could sit behind me and rub my shoulders and try to keep me calm
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Keep moving, it really helps! Dancing!
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my 4th came so fast there was not time, and it was painful !!! I literally describe it as feeling my soul rip out of my body when it came to pushing her out- sorry but I never felt pain like thatā¦ Breathing only helped to not think about what was happening. But I guess it helpedā¦ thatās all you can do, what your body makes you do. I was afraidā¦ My body did take over and when it did come time to push, I couldnāt hold back as the nurse told me, I just bared down. Your body knows exactly what to do, thatās the only amazing part. So if this is what you want, be ready to actually labor. There is no advice. lol
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I Had No Epiduralā¦!!
I Also DID NOT Know I Was Pregnant With My Son Untill I Was Pushing Him Out, outta No Whereā¦!
I Gave Birth To Him At My Motherās House On The Floor WITHOUT ANY Pain Medication or Anything.!!
I gave Birth to My Surprise Baby All Natural.!!
You Can Do It Just Got to Breath&Try¬ let the pain get to you as much as Possible.!!
Good luck.!!
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My wife screamed and cussed at me for doing this to herā¦ Both times.
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I took Lamaze Childbirth Training (Another option is The Bradley Method.) We were taught about the stages of birth, was is normal, what to expect as well as breathing techniques to make it through labor without the drugs. This was during the last trimester. I tried to practice but my husband was too busy and too distracted so I basically handled this alone. Because I was determined that my baby would not have drugs in his system, and because I was breastfeeding and did not want those drugs in me either, I was highly motivated. My first son was a 17 hour back labor, born face up instead of down and all I had was an episodomy (8 ls. 2 oz. big head/born face up. Son two was born in about 2 hours of hospital labor (though I had contractions all weekend at home) 8 lbs. 1 oz. I used my breathing techniques throughout. and neither was born medicated. I believe that your desire and your determination can get you through. And we labored and gave birth laying down in my timeā¦I think now they let you walk, rock, and sit up and use the ball if you wish toā¦Good luck!!
Itās really not that bad. I enjoyed feeling the pain, made me feel more connected to the experience. Recovery was so much faster too. I did get the iv pain meds to take the edge off and it helped so much. I had a bad experience with my second baby, they overdosed me and my BP dropped, they had the friggin crash cart in the room and everything. Never again. Birth is a natural thing, itās what were meant to do. All these medicines and procedures complicate it. Most women underestimate their bodies. To me, and itās after doing it with and without epidurals, to get numbed is a weak thing to do. Feeling the pain makes you appreciate that baby and realize how much of a big deal their little life is.
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I had an epidural with my first 3 and didnāt with my 4th. I healed up and felt so much better after delivery. I actually remember everything and felt more connected to him.
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Honestly, for me, I had an epidural with my first and I was still in so much pain. My second I had nothing. Not much pain at all. Just felt like a bad stomach ache. It can sometimes just be mind over matter because I had myself convinced it was just the Mexican food Iād eaten that day and not labor lol
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I never used any type of meds with my 3 children
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Donāt fight the pain. Try to roll with it best you can.
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I did it without anything. Honestly, it was a breeze for me! My daughter came ridiculously fast. 
My water broke at home, without warning, at 8pm and she was born in the hospital at 9:44pm. There was no time for anything. Lol. Just remember that your body takes over and weāre built for this! Youāll do great!! Good luck!!
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Trust your body and walk, walk and walk some more. Donāt let them say otherwise unless itās medically necessary. It helps to get the baby dropped and get things going 
you got this!! Good luck and remember the end resultā¦ Godās Blessing 
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I have 3 children. 2 i had epidruals with and my 3rd i slept through most of my labor until it woke me up. She was born an hour after i got to the hospital. Ill never forget the feeling. And i healed up so much faster. I was walking around less than an hour later. You can do this. I promise!!
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My first 3 were 3 days of laborā¦no pain meds. #4 I walked for 4 days he too was natural and weighed 10.1. But all the stiches afterwards was awful. 5&6 were c-sections and tubal.
BREATHE. Also, try rolling on a labor ball, have your partner massage your back and hold your hand, and find the pressure point at the tip of the tailbone and press on it or have your partner press on it during contractions. It helps a lot.
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I delivered 3 large healthy babies with no meds whatsoever. The mental prep is key. And listening to what your body is telling you. The pain lasts for only a moment. The memories that are to come with the arrival of a healthy baby ā¦ They last forever.
Good luck. You got this 
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Iāve had 4 healthy babies without the epi and each delivery was different. My best advice is having the support you need while working thru the pain. You can do it mama!
1st was naturalā¦no medsā¦22hrs of labor total including the birth. I pushed her out in 10mins. Breathing and having a focal point helped a little bit. My 2nd, I budged for epidural right at the 7th cm n I regret it cuz I couldnt feel shit. I pushed for 2hrs and babyās heartrate would drop during the pushing. So I had to get an emergency c section. Iām 7mths pp and Iām feeling great now but it took awhile for me. W my 1st, in fairness, I was 14yrs younger at 21yo and just was able to handle pain better than I do now at 35. Again, just focus on breathingā¦on a pic of a loved oneā¦and just take the ride. Congrats btw
Breathing Teahniquesā¦ donāt loose controlā¦ thats the key
I had 2 epidurals and wanted a 3rd this May when I had my daughter, needless to say I didnt have time, she came fast and by the time they got the needle in my back I told them to just take it out she was crowing and I couldnāt wait another minute, they were having trouble getting it in my back, it was so painful, I was so scared but all I could think about was if I didnāt get her out the pain wouldnāt go away, 2 big pushes and she was out! Worst pain of my life, I felt like I ripped but I didnt even a little. Luckily she was small. 5lbs 14o. I was so proud of myself but to be put in a position of not having a choice scared me but now I truly know the power of a women giving birth naturally.
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With my 2nd my epidural didnāt lastā¦ quit after a couple hoursā¦ I could feel it allā¦ NOT the worst pain of my life but I was in labor for 18 hoursā¦ it was excruciating long and drawn outā¦ But I did heal faster 2 days later when we were transferred to a diff. hospital for NICUā¦ I was walking miles around the hospital w NO pain and NO bleedingā¦
Lol hopefully baby will just come FLYIN outta there since itās your 4th! Lolā¦i didnāt have time for an epi with my 2ndā¦it was painful (that ring of fire AINT NO JOKE) but he flew out in 3 pushesā¦he arrived in less than 3 hoursā¦i labored for an hour at home starting at 10:30-ish and he was out by 12:45
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I think you will be surprised at how well you doā¦use lavender oil all in your room . Put it on your pillow, sheets and rub on your temples and wristsā¦
I did natural after spinal and epidural and it was much betterā¦easier recoveryā¦ Iām the biggest chicken there is and it was not that bad
My labor was so much faster without one and honestly I liked not having a catheter or numb heavy legs! Good luck
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All my epidurals failed due to my many back issues and lemme tell u IT SUCKED SO BAD! I had terrible back and butt labor for all 3. My third was my biggest at 8lbs 10oz and it felt like I was giving birth to an actual Mac truck! The pain was so intense!! But you can do itā¦it just sucks lol. GOODLUCK! 
I delivered my son naturally. It sucked and was painful but literally soon as he was out I felt great again. The pain like instantly went away like it never happened.
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Walking helped me a ton!!! I ended up getting an epidural at the last possible minute and I regret it. I had made it to a 6.5/7 with nothing and was doing good with the pain but the nurse told me that it was my last chance and I had been up for almost 40 hours I didnāt think I could manage any more. Good luck to you!!!
Not gonna lie the only bad part is contractions
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Great thinking ! There are so many side effects to the epidural itās crazy ! Some women say they havenāt felt a difference but once they hit 40+ theyāll definitely be feeling the side effects. It certainly wonāt be easy but itās not impossible either just stay strong & make sure you tell your doctor you donāt want it at all ! I recommend using breathing techniques & walking 3-4 miles daily ! I know it sounds like a lot but you can do it ! Also make sure you drink plenty of water at least 64oz daily. Iāve heard if you rock your body to the contractions it may also help ā¦ Good luck ! 
Honestly, for me each time it got to the point where I thought about getting an epidural, that was the transition period and the worst that it got. From there, it was fast dilating and happy birthday, baby! I had an epidural with my first. Next three were no pain meds and recovery was faster without it. Instead of an epidural wearing off after and me feeling worse and worse post labor/delivery not knowing when Iād start to recover, I went from the worst of labor pains and felt more and more improvement from the time baby was born. You can do it! And remember if you change your mind, no one is judging. I never got a T-shirt or pat on the back for natural labors. It was something I did for self empowering only.
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The worst part is crowning/ring of fire and it doesnāt last long.
I highly recommend breathing through it as much as you can. I had my husband speak to the nurses instead of me because it was very important to me to focus on my breathing and not be interrupted. 3cm to 10 with twins in under 3 hours and it didnāt hurt nearly as much as previous labors.
My third baby was 9lbs and I had him naturally! It is hard but just remember this is what your body was made to do! You HAVE to focus on your breathing. My l&d nurse and my husband were amazing at helping me remember to breathe through the bad ones. The ring of fire while pushing is the worst but you will feel SO much relief and pressure lifted once baby comes out. Itās nice that you can get up and walk right away and no catheter either. Itās also the most amazing feeling to know that you DID IT!! As soon as they lay your baby on your chest, you will completely forget about all the pain. You can do it!
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I just had my 4th child with no epi, i was induced at 35.5 weeksā¦ the best thing that helped me was long deep breaths with the contractions, when they hit i took a breath and let it out with the contractionā¦ didnt shed a single tearšŖ with this one. (I did with the other 3 lol)ā¦ i get hot really fast to also having my SO keep a cold wash cloth behind my neck and on my head helped a lot also
Lol. There will come a point where nothing you do works and my advice is to work with your body to being that baby down so you can dilate as quickly as possible
I have had 3 children natural because my Doctor did not believe in epidural the only thing I ever had was a numbing shot down there to sow me up from being ripped this was 40 years ago they have came along way since then it wasnāt fun but it was worth the pain for me
Learn, and practice relaxation techniques! If youāve given birth before, youāre way ahead of the game. You are in control of ur body! bring an item t to focus on(outfit for baby, ultrasound picture) take a lamaze class, itās more than a delivery class, heck, there may be something on line. Youāve got this!!
I chose not to get one after my 1st. I was too scared because I knew what it was like and remembered how i couldnāt get up after because of the pain. Just sit in a warm tub with the jets and grin and bear it. And remember the pain doesnt last forever!
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We joked the whole time but I have a high pain tolerance and barely felt anything.
But honestly you shouldve seen the look on the nurses face when we mentioned getting calving chains
If your insurance will cover it look in to a Doula.
I didnt get epidural to I was dialated to 7 or 8ā¦ my labor was so much quicker then previous 2ā¦ 5 hours instead of 18 hours was worth it to meā¦ I waited so long they said it didnt work cause my labor was to progressed to catch up with my painsā¦ the ring of fire is horrible but doesnt last long
Find your bodyās rhythmā¦ In form of rocking shaking a footā¦ Any movementā¦ Both my daughterās was born all natural and that saved meā¦ Just focus on just yourself and let everyone and everything not bother youā¦
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I did it with my 3rd. I was happy I did.
I did three babys no meds and they where big 1st 8lbs6oz 2nd was 9lbs1oz and third was 10lbs3oz and it was not to bad the worst was the waiting
Our 1st and 4th babies were born naturally, with no epidural. (The other two were c-sections). It was painful, but what helped me was thinking after each contraction that I was one contraction closer to holding my baby. Just taking them one at a time! That and breathing through them.
I had my 2nd with ni epidural & the worst thing for me was the painful contractions from pitocin. The ring if fire was not that bad & i pushed her out in 9 minutes. Best decision ever
Good luck! You couldnāt pay me to go without an epiduralā¦lol
I had post hypnotic suggestion for the last 2 of my 4 children. It was like popping them out of a pea shooter!
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I had my second with no epidural, something that helped me a lot was labouring at home for as long as possible, I was home until my contractions were 59 second apart, then went in, I was 5cm dilated, by the time I got processed and had my water broke I was too far along to have an epidural, it also helps immensely to bounce on a birthing ball during contractions and BREATHE. I cannot stress enough how important breathing proper is.
He was also 9.4 so a big baby, it is doable and it also makes your labour go faster to have no epidural.
I had a rough time the first birth with epidural and refused after for my next two. It hurt like b***** but I felt so good after, walking around, barely any pain. I mean itās not guaranteed but I think itās worth it
I had no pain relief with my first. Not even gas and air.
Had to have an epidural with my second for health reasons but it was horrendous. I hated not being in control of my body. Couldnt even feel when I needed to push. Iād rather go through the agony then feel nothing!! Hated being bed bound aswell.
Just breathe and be as active as you can. Being able to walk really helped me and sped things along. Good luck!!
Try to relax ur body so contractions wonāt hurt as bad. Breathing through them. Sleeping as much as u can in the beginning. Pain meds though iv helped.
I didnt get an epidural. At about 8cm I asked for one but the nurse talked me down lol because I had been adamant. I was terrified of the idea of it. Huge needle Haha but I got the demerol shot at the start and used the gas. Neither really helped the pain. The gas just gave me something to concentrate on. Just trust your body. Go in with an open mind and youāll get there. My understanding is labour gets shorter the more kids you have also so hopefully it will be quick. My son took 18 hours and was turned the wrong way round for most of it. But if it gets to much and you have to get it than dont feel bad! Moms put way to much pressure on themselves when it comes to labour and really anything in all honesty. Good luck!
Bite the bullet all I can sayā¦
Stay home as long as possibleā¦ I was too late for an epidural. Try different positions and lots of deep breathingā¦ and I used nitrous gas through each contraction which helped a ton! Then at the end you just focus on getting your sweet baby out and not the pain.
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I did it with my 3rd and it was wonderful. I did it with my 5th for 18 hours but i wasnt dialating fast enough so i was miserable and ended up getting one. Im pregnant with my 6th and i wont be getting one. Use the yoga balls that the hospital has for you and soak in the bath. Its so worth it
I got the epidural in the wrong spot with my son. It numbed my legs snd arms, but not the actual contractionsā¦ I could feel the catheter tube just sitting so I know none of that was numbed. I felt the entire labor but my legs and arms being numb really complicated my ability to push and they had to vacuum assist and my son now has a large scar on the back of his head. I wish I hadnāt done the epidural at all. The labor was so much less horrible than I anticipated. The contractions are definitely the worst of it. The actual birthing is the least painful part and you get so focused on āget baby outā that it distracts you from anything you feared before. And my son was not tiny. He was 8lbs 13 oz and couldnāt fit any of the newborn sized clothes we brought with. Had to go straight into 0-3 month clothes.
Iāve done it both ways and would rather do the epidural annnnyday. Buuut everyone is different. Iād look into hypnosis birthing or relaxation methods
Oops! No time for an epidural w my 2nd, so knew whatever I had to stand would only be about an hour. One giant contraction that broke my water made me scream really loudly, but breathing helped a lot & I think I got a local shot between the legs to get her out in one push.
I NEVER planned on natural childbirth so if I could do it so can you. Recovery was somewhat better, though the āskids were greasedā w child #2 & I wasnāt as nervous because I knew what to expect.
I had no meds with my first , after nearly 20 hours I decided I would have some & they told me it was to late . The next I gladly took the pain shot , the third I had a cessation .
If there isnāt to big of gap since your last one , or some other reason you canāt , just a little help with pain should do it . Good luck Momma
I had just gas n air not going to lie painful as hell, but itās all worth it
Tell the doctor to let you lay on your side. IT HELPS!!!
I had all 4 of my children with no pain meds. And the last 2 were twins. I am not going to lie, it hurts like hell, but so worth it. Good luck!
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If the doctors will allow it, showering in early labor, on hands and knees with nice hot water on your back!!! (Your brain apparently canāt process a lot of different sensory input, and basically processes good feelings first and pain last, so imagine hours can only feel five things at a time, your brain will choose 5 drops of water, and wonāt feel the pain)
Not saying I had no pain, once I was up on the table again the contractions hurt, but I was able to slowly dilate while in the shower, and then do the hard work without being super exhausted 
hope this helps, you got this mama!!!
Omg!! And squatting through early contractions, not pushing but spread knee squatting took pressure off my back!!!
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Focus on your breathing get a visual point like a clock in the room and just focus on that every contraction. Good luck youāll be fine. Women have been doing this forever trust your body to do what needs to be done. 
I only had gas and air for an hour and even though I didnt follow any classes I managed to focus on my breathing and could cope. There will be moments where its like you feel you cant do it but its panic so calm yourself and breathe when that happens and a supportive husband or birthing partner helps! After 28 hours in labour because I was that drained i needed forceps delivery so got a spinal and her face was other way then it naturally was amd she was pretty heavy. Those combined factors meant i needed help but your body can deal with the pain trust me :). Sorry for long post lol xx
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