Painless labor?

[Stephanie D]

Hi everybody,

A few months ago this girl came in saying she was in labor. I put her in her room and asked her what her pain level was. She told me a three to four. When I checked her to see how many centiments dialated she was she was eight! I couldn't believe it. She didn't even have a spinal until she was 9.5 cm dialated. She said she had been very physically active during her pregnancy and labor barely hurt at all. Now I know excercise helps during labor but is this the norm or did she just have a very high pain tolerance? Can keeping physically fit really take the edge off the pain that much?

[kjenkins55]

OP, I hope to get to see some labors like this, because they amaze me! I've been in touch with the natural birth community here since my first was born, and know lots of women who've gone without drugs. Not all say it was painless, but so many say it was manageable and worth it.

I hope to experience a natural labor someday as well..I've had 2 induced at the last minute due to PIH . My MW lets me wait it out, but it seems the BP likes to shoot way up at the end. Hoping some weight loss/getting healthier will help if we decide to have #3. I had #2 in July of this year, and she was 10.2 lbs, which was a surprise, but she came out within 20 mins of pushing, no more damage than my 7.14 lb first daughter. My MW does lots of water births, thats what I'd love to do! Natural birth is so cool. But obviously, I don't judge, as I've had pit now twice, an induction twice, and an epidural twice. Although this last one was ordered by the MW and I cried and boohooed over it, but faced with an Epi or Mag, I'll take the Epi any day...

[caregiver1977]

I have delivered 5 times and did not need an epidural with any of them. By the time I felt the pain was that bad, the baby was crowning.

With my 3rd child I had no pain meds at all. I was exhibiting so few signs of pain that I couldn't get the nursing staff to believe I was in labor. By the time they decided to check me they were feeling my son's head.

During my other labors I have had stadol and demoral (I ended up being allergic to it). I think that had I of had the proper family/friend support during labor/delivery I could have made it without drugs, or far fewer ones. I honestly believe trying to stay calm and proper breathing helped a lot. Before I had my first child I thought the whole breathing thing was a joke.

I have had labors that were induced. I found those contractions no more painful than the natural ones.

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

Either you have not been an OB nurse very long or you work in a hospital that uses a lot of interventions and has a high epidural rate. I see this all the time in the birth center I work in; especially with water births.