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How long did you labor without and then with drugs? => I labored for 10 hours without drugs and then 1h45m with the epidural.

Did you labor at home first? => I labored while out shopping with my mom and walking around (I live in Paris, so a good walking city) for 3 hours, then spent 2.5 hours sitting on a terrace having a drink with my mom and DH, then 2.5 hours at home then 2 hours at the hospital.

Did you plan on getting an epi? No, my plan was to go all natural. I had to get the epidural when my blood pressure spiked to 210 in labor. I got it at 10 cm dilation, but needed it before pushing.

Do you feel like you got the experience of labor? => Yes, I do feel like I got to experience labor. The only part I missed out on was pushing because I couldn't feel everything anymore due to the epi. But considering how painful the contractions were at the end I'm not sure that's such a bad thing That said I will try and forego the epidural next time.

Did you have to use pain management techniques before you got your epidural? I used mostly walking, swaying, breathing slowly, visualization and trying to change positions. I had others in my play book, but I totally forgot about them when the time came. Things didn't get unbearable until my water broke at the hospital.

I'm a wuss when it comes to pain. I had bad period-like cramps for 2 hours before my water broke. Once my water broke, I could barely breathe while I had the contractions. By the time I got to the hospital, I asked for the epidural (I was only a 3!). So I really only labored for 3 hours before caving.

I woke up to really bad contractions so I showered and headed to the hospital right away. Labored 8 hours without meds, 4 hours with epi. Baby was born exactly 12 hours after i felt my first contraction.

I was induced, but my total labor from the first drip of pitocin to delivery was 11 hours. I had the epi for the last 3 hours. The contractions were very mild at first, then very intense after my water broke for about 3 hours before I got the epi...1-2 minutes apart.

I figured that I would need an epi since I was induced, but wanted to labor as long as possible without it. I definitely experienced labor. Even though I was only 4 cm when I got the epi, my contraction pattern was more like transition according to the nurses, so I got enough of the experience to satisfy me, without being miserable. I used breathing, rocking on a ball, and massage. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop tensing up and clenching the side of the bed during the big contractions....that's when I knew I needed the epi to help me relax and progress.

DD (my first baby) - I really want to go med-free. I started having some contractions around 7/8 am, but they were very mild, so I was able to ignore them. At about 11:30 am my water broke; I called my husband to come get me, and by the time we made it to the hospital at around 12:30/1 pm, I was having strong contractions and throwing up frequently. Unfortunately, I was only 3 cms, so I couldn't be officially admitted. I labored for another hour and made it to 4 cms, at which point I was having very strong contractions 2 minutes long, 1 minute apart and throwing up with each one. I was surprised at how exhausting contractions were. I couldn't stand on my own, and I was very nauseous, so most of the pain management techniques I had planned on (movement, especially) went out the window. I asked for the epidural at that point, and when it was administered an hour later (4 pm-ish), I was 5 cms. I was complete at about 7 pm, labored down for an hour, and pushed DD out at 8:31 pm (30 minutes of pushing).

DS (my second) - I knew I would get an epidural; my plan was to wait as long as possible before asking for it. I started having contractions at about 8/9 am that morning. They were very mild but immediately started out at 2 minutes long, 1 minute apart. We left for the hospital at about 2 pm (the contractions were still pretty manageable, but I knew I was definitely in labor at that point). When I got there I was still only 3 cms, so I spent an hour walking around. By my second check (3 pm) I was 4 cms. The pain was a lot worse and I was vomiting at that point, but I decided it was still managaeable, and held off asking for an epidural. About an hour later (4 pm) I asked for the epidural, and it took another hour (5 pm) for them to administer it. Immediately after the epidural, I was at 6 cms and my water broke. I was almost complete at 6:30 pm, but DS was posterior and he had to turn so I could finish dilating. I was complete at about 7:30 pm, and labored down for another hour (8:30 pm). I pushed DS out in about 30 minutes and he was born at 8:59 pm. He also had a giant head.

With DD, I felt very guilty about getting an epidural. I felt like I was a wuss, or couldn't handle "real" birth. After a while, though, I realized that the epidural was absolutely necessary for me. I vomited A LOT with both labors, and b y the time my epidurals were administered, I was really exhausted and dehydrated (despite the IV). The epidural allowed me to rest and rehydrate and the rest of my labors were very short (about 4-ish hours between epidural and birth, both times), so I really feel like it was necessary for me to get those rest periods. Let's be honest, though: even with an epidural, labor is work. Laboring with an epidural is surely a lot easier than laboring without, but labor/birth is still tough, regadless of medication. Personally, my epidural was turned off towards the end both times, so I relied heavily on breathing, moaning, concentration, and my husband's support the last hour of my labor and during pushing. The epidural helped a lot, but it wasn't the free ride some people make it out to be. We hope to have another baby, and I'll absolutely have an epidural again. My plan will be the same as it was the second time around: hold out for as long as I can and then enjoy the few hours of rest the epidural brings.

@jedeve: Intense, but I had short labors both times; from first contractions to birth was only 12 hours (6-ish of hard labor) both times, so I felt pretty lucky.

I could feel pushing with both kids. DD's was easier because she was smaller; DS was almost a pound bigger than her, and his head was (and still is!) in the 95th percentile. I actually felt the reputed "ring of fire" with him; I felt DD's birth, but it was a lot less painful.

I labored at home for 21 hours, using a yoga ball and pacing the house when they started getting bad.

I requested an epidural pretty much as soon as I was fully admitted and getting IV fluids. I was 5cm. I had it for 6hrs and dilated to 9cm, then it stopped working. I labored for another 2hrs without it before they gave me another one (which stopped working after about 2hrs, 1.5hrs into pushing).

I went in knowing I'd probably want one, but had loosely planned on trying to go as long as possible without it. E was sunny-side up, though, and back labor was more than I could take, especially being so tired and throwing up from the pain.

Because I labored at home until I was 5cm and then having the epi stop working I feel like I had a hybrid labor experience. I'm very grateful for it when I had it...I was able to rest. And I feel strongly that getting the second one kept me from getting a c-sec...my body was barely holding on after 2hrs of transition back labor. I needed to rest so I could have energy to push, which it gave me. Those 2hrs are blurry, but I was confined to the bed (which I was fine with). I got through them by sitting up, hunching over slightly, closing my eyes and blocking everything out but a focus on breathing and just getting through each one.

The only regret I have was that my body apparently decided to reject them, lol.

I'm planning on getting an epidural- the hospital system I'm using uses a peanut shaped birthing ball to aid in delivery for woman who have epi's. You just tuck the ball between your legs as you lay on your side and it's supposed to open up the pelvis so the baby slides down easier. In their studies they say it shortens the first stage of labor (0-10cm) by about 90 minutes and then the pushing stage by 23 minutes. It also decreased their c-section rate by 13 percentage points. If you're worried about the longer labor with the epidural-maybe see if you can find one of the peanut balls somewhere?

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2011/09/04/20110904banner-health-peanut-ball-reinvent.html#ixzz1uVP27iDV

My water broke, so I was unable to labor at home. They wanted me in the hospital ASAP after that. My labor technically started at 9 am, but contractions didn't become noticeable to around noon. I got the epidural at 5ish. I planned on getting the epi, but it was important to me to try and labor without it for as long as possible so that I felt like I got to experience what labor is like. I think breathing through the contractions helped me more than anything. That and visualizing holding our baby, and taking her home for the first time. As a matter of fact, I didn't feel ready for the epidural until I got up to go to the bathroom, and had a contraction while I was in there, and forgot to breath through it.

@jedeve: I labored for 19 hours without the epi, then 10 with and ended up needing a c-section.

@jackieomy: OMG 55 hours!!