K.O.
Hi C.,
I delivered my second child without any meds and no intervention from the nurses. It was an incredible experience. It was a 14 hour labor, and it was NOT pain free, but it wasn't unbearable either. This was possible because I had a wonderful doula and have been practicing pranayama (yogic breathing) for some time.
Check this web site about Doula's http://www.dona.org/ You can find a lot of valuable information on what they do, and a resource for finding one. This is where I found mine, and it turned out her daughter went to the same preschool as my older daughter. I got lucky with my first try she's now one of my best friends. I highly recommend contacting several and interviewing all of them. Find one that meshes with you and your partner. If her personality doesn't work with both of you, she won't be effective in helping you. And make sure she's on board with the type of birth you want. Some will be militant against meds, and if you want to keep that as an option, then you need a doula who will support you in that and be an advocate for you at the hospital.
Really spend some time deciding how you want your birth to go, taking into consideration everything that can go wrong, and how you would like those situations handled, and sit down and write a good birth plan. Your doula should be able to help you with this. You can probably find a sample on on the dona page, and I know ivillage has a resource for this. Make sure your ob/gyn, all the nurses who may be present at the birth and any other doctor who may be present has a copy of this birth plan. Insist that they read it. Another thing I recommend is that you know your patient bill of rights. Hospitals have policies that they follow strictly to avoid being sued for malpractice (and these policies can be at great cost to a birthing mom by increasing her fear and consequently her adrenalin, which increases pain and slows labor. This can lead to asking for an epidural that you may have been able to avoid, and possibly even a c-secion), but you have rights and you do not necessarally have to follow their policies. When I had my second child I left 4 hours after her birth. I did not want to stay in the hospital exposed to anymore germs then necessary. That was not hospital policy, but their bill of rights stated that I had the right to choose to leave if I signed a release.
With my first child I was induced, then given pitocin. I finally gave out and asked for meds, which did nothing, and then I asked for an epidural. Thankfully she came before the anesthesiologist. With all of those medical interventions I felt like someone had beat me with a lead pipe for the next week, and I didn't even have a c-section, which they kept threatening me with. With my second. I stayed home for as long as I could (I have somewhat long labors and I was close to a hospital) I stayed until I was starting to push. When I got to the hospital they could not induce, inject medicine, or saline, or strap on a belt for contractions, they couldn't even get a blood pressure cuff on. I sat upright and pushed until she started to get close to the varicosity I had. I laid on my side and pushed her out in 1/2 hour, with far less pain then the first. My labor was much friendlier without the pitocin, my birth experience was warm and loving with my doula, husband, best friend and mother. I felt safe, which made my labor smoother, and less precarious. The next day when I brought my daughter back for shots the nurses handed me a pillow to sit on insisting I had to be sore after a birth with no meds. I refused it, because I literally didn't feel like I had even given birth (a huge difference from the first. I couldn't comfortably have sex for 2 years after that one with the second I felt ready in 4 weeks!). I had no pain, no discomfort, it was wonderful! I also can say that practicing pranayama and meditation helped me to get through the hard labor and not need meds. By learning to focus on my breath I could actually stand outside of the pain and observe it and not feel it so acutely. If anyone interrupted my focus during a contraction, it would hit me like a ton of bricks, but once they learned to let me be, I could breath my way through them, and I don't mean by those silly lamaze breathing techniques. Just plain breathing in and out and staying focused on the sound and texture of that breath.
I hope this helps and I wish you lots of luck! Oh and this CD was a tremendous help to me in practicing breathing and meditation, you can get it on Amazon.com. Health Journeys: Meditations to Support A Healthy Pregnancy & Successful Childbirth (Health Journeys) (Audio CD)
by Belleruth Naparstek (Author)