I gave birth 3 times without an epidural. No, I am not crazy. I am just an average woman.

[JDBracho]

I managed to have all three of my children without an epidural.  Believe it or not, I do not have a high threshold for pain.  With my first child I was so concerned about how I would handle the labor pains.  I was planning on having a natural birth but you can't always plan everything.   My husband and I went to a Lamaze class, we had our stopwatch ready, and our bag packed. 

 BABY #1:  My water broke a few days before my due date.  It broke late at night just as we went to bed.  We were up late painting a mural in the nursery. Now looking back on it I was having labor pains for a few days and didn't recognize them.    I thought the baby was kicking me super hard; he had dropped down lower the previous week.  We went to the hospital and I was shocked to realize that I was having contractions when they connected me to the monitor.  They wanted to induce me, but I wanted to see if my labor could progress on it's own.  By 9am the next morning, I agreed to induce.  My contractions were not steady and I was still 2cm.  We only had 15 hours remaining before they would give me a C-section (my worst fear).  They put a 24-hour restriction to have the baby when your water breaks.  My husband was so great at helping me relax during contractions.  The rocking chair also helped me.  I would rock through the contractions.  At 6cm they tried to make me lay in bed, but I refused.  At this point I was so exhausted I had been awake for 36 hours and I was having a hard time relaxing during contractions.  The nurse recommended that I get a dose of Nubane.  It relaxed me to the point that I was dozing off between contractions.  I could still feel the contractions, but I was relaxed enough to handle them.  Then I was ready to face transition.  Transition is the phase for me where I loose control of my body temperature.  I get super hot and super cold.  I ask for cold rags on my for-head, and then I want them off immediately. My husband is such a champ to keep up with my requests.  I was at the point where I didn't think I could take it anymore, when I had that crazy urge to push.  The pushing was the easy part.  I pushed little baby Garret out in two contractions.  I did have to get stitches, I felt like maybe because I pushed him out too suddenly.

 It was quite strange, immediately afterwards all of the nurses were asking me all these questions.  Do you work out?  The truth was it had been almost a year since I had hit the gym.  Apparently they were having a hard time holding my legs back while I was pushing.  They were also having me fill out a questionnaire about not getting an epidural.  Come to find out, some of the nurses had never witnessed a birth without an epidural.  They made me feel so odd, like I was a freak for doing what our bodies were meant to do, give birth.  They also couldn't believe that we chose not to find out the sex of our baby.  Recovery was slow, I walked funny for at least a week, and I couldn't squat without pain for four months or more. 

 BABY #2:  Sixteen months later I was facing labor once again.  This time my labor started naturally at home.  I waited until my contractions were 5-7 minutes apart to go to the hospital.  Even then it still took almost 12 hours for me to hit the big 10cm.  I refused an epidural this time also.  I depended heavily on my husband and the rocking chair.  They broke my water when I was close to 6cm and I hit transition.  I received one dose of Nubane, since it worked well for me the first time. The last 3cm went very quickly.  I knew I was ready to push, but the doctor wasn't ready. I had to wait for him, by not pushing for 2-3 contractions.  That is very hard to do.   Once he was ready, I tried not to push this baby out as quickly, trying to avoid a tear.  I gradually pushed little Ivan out with 3 contractions until his shoulders were stuck.  It hurt so bad waiting for the next contraction, I changed my mind and decided to push him out on the next contraction. I warned the doctor, "here it comes", as soon as the contraction started I pushed and baby Ivan went flying... the doctor almost didn't catch him.  There was also a big splash of fluid that went all over the floor. It was disgusting but funny.  My mom heard the splash outside the door. 

 BABY #3:  Two years after Ivan, I was experiencing labor pains starting at 37 weeks.  On the 40^th week, I went to the hospital 2 times with labor pains 5 min. or less apart.  Only to find I was 2cm and not progressing.  After being on the edge for 3 weeks, I requested a scheduled induction.  I was so exhausted from having labor pains every day for 3 weeks.  On top of that I had a 2 year old and a 3 year old.  Turns out I was pushing myself too hard and not drinking enough water.   The scheduled induction was at 5 am in the morning, and it was so stress fee.   It was the most relaxing labor I experienced.   It was nice going into it with a full nights sleep, well except for my non-productive labor pains.   No epidural again, and one dose of Nubane.  My husband and the rocking chair for support, and I was good to go.  I knew when I was in transition, and after that it went pretty quickly.  Half an hour transition and two pushes and we had our baby girl, Veronica, in our arms.  This time I chose to use a midwife, and it was just she and one nurse present.  My husband was such great help.  It seemed strange for so few people to be in the room.  He actually had to help them, since they were short handed.  With Garret there was at least 4 nurses and the doctor, and then two people for the baby.  This time the people that clean up and weigh the baby weren't even there yet.  I got to hold Veronica on my chest for a while before they made it in.  That was very nice.  

From my experience, labor pains are manageable if you can relax. As soon as you tense up, the pain is more intense.  Petocin did not make my labor pains harder, it just made them faster.  Sometimes you don't have much of a break between contractions to relax.  Nubane is definitely my friend; it sure seemed to help me get through the transition stage.  It was not any harder to push out a big baby vs. a small baby.   My children were 6lbs14oz, 8lbs14oz, and 8lb6oz.   My smallest was the first, but I think he had the biggest head.  For me the pushing was easy, big or small baby.  I had to get stitches each time, and I don't know how that compares to an episiotomy.   The recovery from the first baby was more painful than the other two.   I pleased that I was able to have enough self-control and did not get an epidural, to do what my body was meant to do. 

[SLGross215]

Sep. 23, 2008 at 12:23 PM

I did it med free too. People tell me I'm crazy. And to be totally honest, the only reason I did it that way is because I'm deathly afraid of needles.....LOL

[Julie1972]

Sep. 23, 2008 at 12:56 PM

I think you are amazing... You can do anything when you set your mind to do it!

[sarajo23]

Sep. 23, 2008 at 1:02 PM

Great birth stories!! :-)  I really want to try epidural free this time around, although last time I gave in after pitocin kicked my butt!  ;-)