Just to see the array of different experiences here 
I became high-risk, so I was induced. Once the labor became active, it was intense from the get-go, so I was only focused on getting through each contraction, I didn't even think about pain meds. So I did it naturally, though I wanted to anyway.
(you can choose multiple options to multiple births)
39 votes
grapefruit / 4049 posts
My first baby... natural labor + pain meds. Second... natural labor + no pain meds!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
Natural + pain meds! Omg. It felt so good when the pain went away and I could sleep for a little bit.
I actually let the meds wear off for an hour before I started pushing so I could feel my contractions and know when to push.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
@NYCaliMama: Wow. How was it the second time around?
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@NYCaliMama: wow! what made you decide to go no pain meds the second time around?
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
@miss-spunkin: From start of contractions to birth was almost exactly 12 hours. I went without meds for 8 hours. Got my epidural, slept an hour, rested for an hour/let the meds wear off a bit, then pushed for 2!
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
Natural labor with pain meds.
@chopsuey119: wow that's daring, no meds for the most painful part! I still knew right when to push. There was sooooo much pressure there, to the point where it was painful, especially if I wasn't pushing.
grapefruit / 4049 posts
@miss-spunkin: Funny I actually mentioned it in a thread earlier. My L&D nurse the first time was so good in helping me with contractions that she inspired me to go natural the 2nd time. I went to almost 7 cm before getting the epidural so I just told myself I think I could do without the drugs next time. I just wanted to minimize risks as much as possible, if possible, you know? So with #2, I was pretty lucky though that I arrived at the hospital at 9cm and delivered after two pushes! There just wasn't time for the epidural!
(I think the first time I was pretty set on getting an epidural because I didn't know how bad it would get and if I could handle the pain. This is why I'm in major awe of first-time moms who go natural!)
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@NYCaliMama: wow that's truly awesome! I have actually heard of many moms (esp first-time) who don't have time for epi's either.
If you have another one, do you know what you'll do - now that you've experienced both?
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@NYCaliMama: I am hoping that next time I won't be high-risk so that I can go into labor naturally. If I can handle an induction with no meds, I'm sure I can handle natural labor with no meds!
grapefruit / 4049 posts
@miss-spunkin: yes, that's another thing I'm in awe of... Induction and no meds!! you're amazing!!
honeydew / 7968 posts
Is pitocin and breaking water considered induction? Not sure so I selected that and csection.
pomelo / 5321 posts
My water broke on it's own but after several hours of not contracting on my own, I ended up on pitocin. I labored for 17 hours without any pain meds and then ended up getting an epidural and a csection an hour later. Hoping to have a med-free vaginal birth next time around!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@tequiero21: yup, pitocin is induction. Pitocin didn't make your water break on it's own?
@NYCaliMama: aw thanks! I felt very empowered after the fact. At first I was mad and upset because I felt being high-risk took away my plan to go natural. But then my nurses encouraged me saying it was still natural by not getting meds. I was and am proud of myself for doing that. I def want to have no meds next time. It's hard as heck but worth it to me
honeydew / 7968 posts
@miss-spunkin: they broke water first.... But I wasn't progressing so they gave me some pitocin...
kiwi / 545 posts
Natural with pain meds. I tried to go without, but I only made it to 4.5 cm before I was crying so hard I couldn't take it.
I did get Pitocin at the end because they couldn't get my bleeding to stop after I was sewn up.
persimmon / 1465 posts
Well I would say I had a natural birth + pain meds, didn't realised there was a distinction with being induced.
I didn't have pitocin but did have my waters broken which meant a fairly intense experience!
persimmon / 1135 posts
I had to have syntocin (like pitocin) because my waters had been broken for over 24 hours and I wasn't progressing fast enough. I'd planned to go all natural, but when they wanted to up my dose of syntocin 33 hours after my waters broke I was just too exhausted to keep coping with the pain. I asked for an epidural and they said I couldn't have one because there was a risk of paralysis due to the length of my waters being broken. They gave me Remifentanil which was controlled by a button that I pushed at the start of each contraction. It was fast in and out of my system which was nice. I had that for about 3.5 hours and then it ran out just in time to push. It was great that I didn't have anything in my system when it came time to push, so I really got to experience that the way I wanted it.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
@NYCaliMama: if I have another baby, I would like to try for no meds! I know several first time moms who went with no meds (one was even a home birth!) so that has really inspired me! Glad you were able to have that experience, too!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I went into labor naturally and had no pain meds. My contractions were too close together to even consider an epi.
apricot / 384 posts
Natural + pain meds. I was severely pre-ecclamptic with DD so after a magnesium drip the doctor actually recommended an epidural to get some rest before starting to push. It was really nice to nap for a few hours and get some strength back.
pear / 1728 posts
c-section. No labor at all. Brought in on her due date (it was a planned section regardless, but we were going to wait until after 40 weeks) as an emergency and had a baby a few hours later
grapefruit / 4049 posts
@Andrea: yes, it was an awesome experience and i'd do it med-free again if there's a #3 and i'm able! if you are already inspired, thats half the battle. it's definitely a mental thing. It also helps that you tend to go faster with #2 and have some experience from your first. When the times for you, I'm sure you'll do great
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
@NYCaliMama: yes, only if #2 goes quick! #1 took soooooo long! for my friends who went med free, labor went pretty quickly for them so i am sure that helped too. haha!
pomegranate / 3388 posts
Ours was supposed to be a natural labor w/ no pain meds, but in the end on day #3 of labor I succumbed to a small amount of pitocin plus an epidural to finish things off. It was only about 3 hours from the first pitocin drip to the moment when I had baby in my arms. We also had 2 morphine shots during the earlier parts of labor, so that I could get a little rest during the contractions.
Next time around if I have a more standard labor I'm still hoping for a fully natural experience w/ no pain meds. I think I would have been able to pull it off this time if the labor hadn't gone on for so long.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@volksgirl64: I was pre-e too, which is why I had to be induced. How far along were you when you went into labor? My dr never suggested an epi but I mentioned in my birth plan that I didn't want the offer of pain meds. Pitocin really sped up ny labor, it was ten times more intense. But it was only about 4 hrs.
apricot / 384 posts
@miss-spunkin: I had no warning signs until we got to the hospital to deliver. I was 39w5d when my water broke. It was so crazy because I had literally perfect BP during the entire pregnancy! Once we got to the hospital it was about 10 hours before DD was born, but 24 hours total for labor.
kiwi / 537 posts
Induced because of an ICP diagnosis at 38w 2 days, 3 doses of Cytotec; requested the epi at about 6 cm
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@volksgirl64: Same here. Except that they found it at my 38 week appt, so I was induced at 38+5. I was so sad I couldn't go into labor naturally, and that I couldn't give birth at the birth center.
olive / 69 posts
my water broke, but I had to be induced because labor wasnt progressing fast enough.
pomegranate / 3980 posts
First baby was completely natural, no induction or pain meds, baby number two will hopefully be all natural as well as long as there are no complications.
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