https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 15:48:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-813220 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:52:43 +0000 2PeasinaPod 813220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went in open minded and received demerol when I first got there which helped me relax and dilate, then I asked for and received an epidural. After my cervix stopped dilating at 9 cm, I was put on a very weak pitocin drip which worked right away. After 2 hours of pushing and me spiking a fever, I had a C-section. Definitely not the ideal turnout, but the epidural was definitely needed. There was no way I could have done that on my own and more power to anyone who did or is going to! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-813190 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:46:39 +0000 lavender 813190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Went in knowing I wanted an epi, got it and had a vacuum assisted delivery </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-813186 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:44:16 +0000 prettylizy 813186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went in planning no pain meds or pit. Ended up caving and getting pit almost 36 hours after my water broke. Managed to go epi free though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-813170 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:39:06 +0000 Lindsay05 813170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went in open minded and got an epidural. I made it to 7 probably pushing 8 and my doctor came in and saw how much pain I was in, and said 'crazy lady, get the epidural, you will enjoy it so much more' lol DONE! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-813132 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:26:58 +0000 Boheme 813132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am hoping for an intervention free birth, but I know I can't plan for it to go perfectly either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-813119 Tue, 28 May 2013 12:23:07 +0000 ladyfingers 813119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was sort of open, but I was fairly certain I would not have been able to withstand a med-free birth. So I set a random goal for myself that I wanted to be 5 cm when I requested the epidural. On the way to the hospital, I told my husband, "remember when the childbirth instructor said not to wait to request the epidural when the pain is unbearable, but when you feel like if it gets worse, it will be unbearable? well this is that moment!" Thankfully I was 7 cm (my water broke, I started having contractions immediately, and was 7 cm an hour later) so I requested that epidural asap. Turns out I was right about my pain tolerance! I was starting to go through transition by the time I got the epidural and I just, omg. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812598 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:51:22 +0000 mrsmate 812598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dandelion: oh my gosh, how terrible. Thank you for sharing. I am going to hug DD extra tight when she gets home today! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812580 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:46:58 +0000 heartonastring 812580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, thankfully DH and I are able to laugh about our experience...our ongoing joke is that we wanted no interventions and ended up with almost every intervention known to man. I never would have imagined that our birth would have ended up as it did, but I am totally okay with it, because we went in knowing it really wasn't something we could plan.</p> <p>VERY long story short:I was induced at 42 weeks, they couldn't break my water (baby was too high) so I was immediately put on pitocin. I laboured for 10-ish hours without pain meds. Contractions were 2 minutes apart, lasting for 60-90 seconds each and double-peaking. I was SO tired that I eventually gave in and got the epidural so I could rest. Dilated to 9 cm over the next 10 hours, but baby's heart rate kept dropping with the strength of the contractions and then I spiked a fever. Ended up with a c-section. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812576 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:46:02 +0000 Dandelion 812576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine is a different senario...</p> <p>Since LO passed during labor, it stalled, and they amped up the pitocin to get the body out. Pitocin is horrible stuff, so after about 8 hours of trying it without meds, I started with demerol and then stadol...eventually they weren't working anymore and I gave in for an epidural. During pushing, the baby was so big and limp, her shoulders were stuck, and I was in so much pain while the OB had her hands inside me trying to get her lose that the anesthesiologist numbed me from my neck to my toes so that they could finish and I could stop feeling the need to push. Then I had lidocaine to stitch me up.</p> <p>I had every med in the book, besides general anesthesia. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812556 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:40:05 +0000 looch 812556@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wanted an intervention free birth, using the birthing tub. I didn't use any pain meds, but the tub wasn't appealing once I was in labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812552 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:38:59 +0000 MrsTiz 812552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Still pregnant but i'm planning on getting an epidural. Not opposed to any other drugs if necessary though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812536 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:33:42 +0000 Adira 812536@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted Other! I <i>planned</i> on getting an epidural, but wasn't able to, so had to do it without meds! So painful!! I was totally unprepared for it, but was able to do it!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812493 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:21:10 +0000 mrs. wagon 812493@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>#1: Went in planning for an epidural. Ended up with 3 failed epidurals, 24 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing, vacuum assisted delivery. I did deliver med-free because the third epidural had failed by the second hour of pushing. So it wasn't by choice!</p> <p>#2: Pitocin and waters broken induction at 39 weeks due to GD. Went in hoping to get as far as possible before placing an epidural, in case I had failed epis again. Ended up getting an inadvertent dural puncture at 6cm, which made for a totally pain-free and perfect delivery, but then led to spinal fluid leakage during recovery and I needed to have a blood patch done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812491 Tue, 28 May 2013 09:20:14 +0000 Alivoo01 812491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Still pregnant, but I plan on getting an epidural. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-812212 Tue, 28 May 2013 07:47:20 +0000 Honeybee 812212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my first I prepared for a med-free birth and ended up getting an epidural. With my second, I went into wanting an epidural and got it. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810275 Sun, 26 May 2013 17:14:30 +0000 Silva 810275@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I think this was the case for me, too. Babe was starting to struggle a bit and I was exhausted from not eating or sleeping for so long. The interventions were so helpful and important in getting her out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810273 Sun, 26 May 2013 17:11:33 +0000 lemondrop 810273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went in open to anything, requested an epidural at 6cm, ended up asking for narcotics during a longer than expected wait for the epidural. The plus side to the narcotics was I didn't feel anything when I did get the epidural. I asked for only a small dose epidural, and really liked being able to labor down for a while before letting it wear off prior to pushing. </p> <p>I'm happy with how it went and the outcome, and will go in open to anything when we go through it again in the future. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810250 Sun, 26 May 2013 16:52:12 +0000 Foodnerd81 810250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprk: This is actually the exact situation I have in mind where an epidural can help the most! I have a couple of friends who had this experience and believe it enabled them to avoid a c-section. That's why I'm not letting myself get too hung up on a pain med free birth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810246 Sun, 26 May 2013 16:49:59 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 810246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Didn't have strong feelings about it, got an epidural towards the end and had a wonderful experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810205 Sun, 26 May 2013 15:52:57 +0000 aprk 810205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wanted med free birth, but got an epidural at 9 3/4 cm due to 12 hours of labor, exhaustion and intense back/hip labor. I needed to gain more strength before I could push. The epidural wore off and I pushed med free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810203 Sun, 26 May 2013 15:49:41 +0000 Silva 810203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Planned for med free, baby was posterior and I had 40 hours of early but very painful back labor, started pitocin and epidural. Oh, and after about 24 hours we tried a morphine drip so I could sleep a bit. I feel really happy with my choices.</p> <p>I think it's important to feel empowered during your labor and delivery. I did, and felt that the choices were what was best for both me and babe. So even though it wasn't what we planned, I feel extremely positively about the experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810178 Sun, 26 May 2013 15:26:54 +0000 DigAPony 810178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm due in November and am set on a med-free birth (barring complications, of course). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810173 Sun, 26 May 2013 15:21:20 +0000 MrsF 810173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Planned for an epidural, got one and it worked great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810138 Sun, 26 May 2013 14:28:43 +0000 Arden 810138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Went in set on a med-free birth, and got it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810129 Sun, 26 May 2013 14:00:54 +0000 JoJoGirl 810129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Planned for med free with a midwife and doula. Labored for 17 hrs and felt like I could do it forever! The team thought I was going through transition and all got ready for me to start pushing. One last cervical check - I was 1cm dilated. Had a total nervous breakdown and since my water had broken the day before, the whole pro-natural birth team recommended epi+ pit. I wasn't dilating for a few reasons and they thought that intervention would help. 5 hrs later I was 8 cm and 2 hrs and 4 pushes later she was born. At the time I was super disappointed about the interventions but in retrospect it was absolutely the right call. If we have another ill def try again for med free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810120 Sun, 26 May 2013 13:48:17 +0000 Ra 810120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I very much want an epidural! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810117 Sun, 26 May 2013 13:40:00 +0000 lovehoneybee 810117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't really go in with a set plan but I figured I'd probably end up with an epidural. I'd wanted to go as long as I could without one, though, and labor on the ball/walking/shower/etc. </p> <p>In hindsight, I wish I had prepared myself more for a natural birth, even if I assumed I'd end up with an epidural. I was not prepared at all for back labor, or for my epidurals failing (twice). By the time I was admitted to the hospital I'd already been awake for 24 hours. I was exhausted, and I couldn't get in front of the pain, I was just surviving it. I think I'd have had a much easier time of it if I'd been better prepared to go med-free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810098 Sun, 26 May 2013 13:21:40 +0000 Mrs. Stroller 810098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wanted med free but after 27hrs with little progress needed an epidural so that I could get into a position to get him out of back labor position. He was born several hours later.</p> <p>As for pain management, my doula was worth every penny. Lots of low noises during contractions and massage on pressure points by she and DH were key. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810090 Sun, 26 May 2013 13:11:44 +0000 loveisstrange 810090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wanted a med-free birth, was told at 36 weeks that (due to a heart condition I have) I would most likely need the epidural and a forceps delivery.</p> <p>I ended up induced, had a failed epi, labored without pain meds for 15.5 hours until they gave me a spinal to do the forceps.</p> <p>I want to try for all-natural next time. Fingers crossed! I figure nothing is worse that 15 hours of full-dose pit with no pain relief, so I can handle it with nothing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pain-management-plans-for-labor#post-810089 Sun, 26 May 2013 13:09:07 +0000 Smurfette 810089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Planned on getting an epidural and did! It was heaven. </p>