Painless childbirth stories

[Penny4Them]

Hi,

I'm prepping for my baby boy's birth in 2 months and have been reading a wonderful book _Painless Childbirth_ by Guiditta Tornetta and it seems that the more stories we read/witness of women birthing without pain, the more we can open our hearts, minds, and bodies to this as a possibility.

I have birthed 2 beautiful DDs without medicine, and experienced what I would consider atypical births, but not yet painless. I'm ready though and would love to read more stories of other moms' experiences. Can anyone who experienced painless or a transformed pain type of birth share their birth stories in this thread?

Many TIA!!!!!!!
Penny

[~Sarah~]

To get you started, there's an awesome website (run by a member here, IIRC) that has a TON of positive birth stories---both pain-free and "comfortable" births. They're divided as such, and sub-divided for things like VBACs, First-Time Moms, etc.

http://pregnancybirthandbabies.com/P...th_stories.htm

[Faerieshadow]

Here is a link to my birth story, but because I didn't go into too much detail about it at the time, I'll say that it definitely fell in the category of transformed pain. That is why I kept using the word "intense" in the story... the only time a contraction felt like actual pain was when it happened while I was laying flat right after the mw checked my dilation. Once I draped myself back over that ball, I was back in surrender mode. I could *feel* everything and can recognize looking back that it *could* have been painful if I had a different mind/body connection at the time, if that makes any sense. But I was so into it, relaxed and willing each contraction to open me up, that I got to ride each wave instead of panicking. I'm pretty sure that's a lousy description of what I went through.. hard to really put it into words.

Elina's birth story

Congratulations and enjoy your journey!

[Penny4Them]

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful experience! Lovely ... peaceful ... amazing!

[toonces80]

Originally Posted by Faerieshadow

Once I draped myself back over that ball, I was back in surrender mode. I could *feel* everything and can recognize looking back that it *could* have been painful if I had a different mind/body connection at the time, if that makes any sense. But I was so into it, relaxed and willing each contraction to open me up, that I got to ride each wave instead of panicking.

I think this is a perfect description of my birth with my DD. There was a very particular position combined with water that I remained in during labor. I was able to just let each contraction wash over me. Kind of like bobbing up and down in the ocean. Just relaxing and letting it happen vs fighting it. I, too, can see how panicking would have resulted in a completely different experience. It was nice because my midwife, who had been doing midwifery over 25 yrs, started to wonder if I was still adequately contracting. I was so calm, peaceful and relaxed. But I was, I had just found that place.

My birth with dd was very comfortable. The only time it was painful was my last two contractions and DD crowning but she came shooting out very quickly. The pain lasted a total of 7 minutes and then I was holding my DD.

It was so beautiful. My daughter's birth brings back so many happy memories.

[Girl Named Sandoz]

Here's a link to my birth story. Elias was born peacefully at home in water. I used hypnobirthing techniques; his birth was a quick 4 hours and I didn't even believe I was in labour until he was close to arriving, as I had no pain (the contractions felt like tightening sensations in my lower abdomen, milder than period cramps - "rushes" describes it quite well).

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1079514

[accountclosed3]

my birth story is linked in my sig line.

[lyloda5]

My pain-free labors

I am currently pregnant with my 5th child and hoping for a pain-free labor. I never felt any pain during my previous labors until nearly an hour after my water broke. With two of them, my membranes ruptured spontaneously prior to the beginning of labor. I endured my share of discomfort during those births. However, with the other two, I had no sensation of pain or discomfort even when my contractions peaked on the fetal monitor. At one point, during labor with my 3rd child, I told the nurse I thought my labor had actually stopped. I was concerned because I knew I was greater than 5cm dilated and they couldn't send me home. But I was unsure what they would do with me if my labor suddenly stopped mid-way through. However, when the nurse checked me I was actually at 8cm. She looked at the fetal monitor and said, "You didn't just feel that contraction?" I shook my head, not knowing what she was referring to. In response, her eyes widened as she said, "It just peaked on the monitor."

My midwife always said she'd never seen anyone labor quite like me. But my mother has always bragged of her painless labors. So, without the help of any meditation, hypnosis or pain medications, I guess my story is the result of mere genetics, which seems to be a rare phenomenon.

[AmyKT]

My labor was painful except for the 1 hour I spent in hypnosis with my hypnobirthing meditation in my ears. My doula and husband were watching the strong contractions on the monitor, but all I felt was tightening in my back and the shuddering of my abdomen during contractions, kind of like being lifted up by ocean waves. I went from 5 to 9 cm in that hour. If my concentration hadn't been broken by loud nurses coming into the room, I might have gotten to crowning without any pain.

[mamapsychologist]

Like Lyloda5, fetal monitors of labors #1 to #3 showed my contractions peaking & me not feeling any pain, even at 8+ cm dilation. I either didn't feel them or it just felt like pressure down below. My OBs & nurses were astounded at how I didn't react much to these peaks. Even when my bag of water broke, contractions didn't feel painful just more intense. More like feeling constipated or crampy. It feels the most intense when the baby is crowning b/c my babies usually just shoot out of me. My #4th birth (my 1st homebirth) was the shortest one & I was able to slow down the crowning part with help from my midwives. So, the crowning didn't feel as surging & crazy intense as my other ones. Crowning with #4 felt like I was slowing down a fast-moving bowel movement.

My midwife thinks it's likely structural or genetics.

[nz77tray]

Through two single births,and a multiple births I experienced no labour pain at all.My contractions I noticed as a tightening of my tummy which shaped by babies outline, but with less than the sensation of a shiver to the tightenings I could see.Contractions were effective and full dialation I achieved very quickly.The longest labour 3 hours(my first) and the shortest 3 mins(my fourth) as far as I noticed.The actual passing of my babies through the birth canal I experienced as intense downward pressure and a hot sensation at crowning.My mum and sister both had what they call normal births and say Its just down right unfair that they didnt have the same experience.Kids healthy and loved xo