Best tips for having an unmedicated birth? I'm not 100000% against having an epidural but really want to try my hardest…

Definitely try staying home as long as possible. Also walking around and sitting on the birthing ball helps. Leaning over the bed and rocking side to side helps especially if your having back labor. Take a hot shower for 20 minutes it will help relieve pain and move things along. I made it to 6cm without an epidural. I was the same way trying to go without but wasn’t against it. All these tips i just said were things i did or were given the option to do

Your contractions will probably be pretty strong at 3 minutes apart that your going to want to go in. If you wait any longer you will probably have the chance of giving birth at home or in the car

I labored at home for 5 hours but if your water breaks go in immediately. If contractions are 3 minutes apart yes you have to go in but they prefer you follow 5-1-1 (5 minutes apart, 1 minute long for 1 hour). The things I thought were most helpful was having a focus point. I had a sticker of a sun that I stared at whenever I had a contraction to help through. Also a chant you say to yourself mentally (mines was "don't give up").also if your really irritable I would advise to limit the amount of people visit or in the room while in labor

I had an epidural for my daughter's birth but here's just an idea of how it went and how long I labored before I got the epidural:

-Contractions started at home at 2:15 am

-Got to the hospital at 6:30 am and was 3.5 cm dilated

-Water broke at 4:00 pm when I was 5 cm dilated and contractions became extremely intense (got the epidural at this point)

-Napped until it was time to push at 7:15 pm

-Baby was born at 7:20 pm

So I was in labor for about 14 hours before I got the epidural. I labored at home for about 4 of those hours. Labor was about 17 hours total.

If you tested positive for strep, you need to go in sooner to get the medication started too.

@aengs2 girl that's amazing to last that long without the epidural! Props to you!!! That's what sucks about labor though you never know how long it will last and I dont want to be exhausted when it's time to push!!

@garay88 so jealous!!!!!! Prayers I have one as easy as yours!!! Thatd be such a blessing!!!

@kendrav, Thank you! Yes, it's very unpredictable. I hope all goes well for you. Best of luck!

@garay88 whee prayer was the only thing that helped me and I went natural I pushed twice and she came out water broke at 5 cm and shortly after she was easy to come

I had to go to the hospital as soon as my water broke bc I needed antibiotics for testing positive for the strep b test. That was at 830 at night. I didn’t even start feeling the contractions till 730 am. I had him at 948am ...Honestly they didn’t get to the point were they were intolerable till 9am And the only thing keeping me going was i knew it would be over soon lol u do get a little break in between them but once u start pushing it feels so much better. You can do it! If not no shame in an epidural. The last 20 mins I was saying I want an epidural just kill me 😂😂. I tensed up and held my breath with contractions and that’s not what u wanna do. But easier said then done lol. I hope it all goes smooth for ya!

I stayed home as long as possible was having contractions 1 whole day and then spent the next day setting up all the baby stuff 10pm that night my water broke it was definitely easier waiting at home where I would have been having major anxiety at the hospital within 4 hours after my water breaking my daughter was here 39 weeks. I had unmedicated too 💕

If you want an unmedicated birth there’s only really one thing that matters. It’s your mindset. If you keep telling yourself you can do it, you can do it. The pain you experience with contractions is something you have never experienced before. It hurts to an almost unbearable point. And you will get to the point where you say that’s it I can’t do it anymore..... that’s how you know you’re almost there. Keep pushing. Have a great support system. People who will encourage you to do what you want. Having had an epidural 1st and 2 unmediated after. I recommend the natural. You got this!

@bigmama18 yess I keep telling myself that if I think I cant do it then theres no way I can! My only worry is being in labor for a long time and being absolutely exhausted when it's time to push):