Krista’s Painless Birth

When I became pregnant with my first child I read as much as I could on the birthing experience from many different sources.  I knew a pain free birth was indeed possible but I didn't expect it to be that way for me.  I wanted to be ready for the worst and mentally prepared myself for any and all forms of pain medications if needed.  When I went to my 36-week appointment with my doctor she found that I was 4 cms dilated.  I wasn't feeling any contractions or any indication that I was dilating.  We weren't too concerned and at my next visit around 38 weeks she found that I was dilated to 7cms!  She was shocked because I had absolutely no sensation or contractions to tell me this was happening.  I went home and they called me a few days later asking me to go back in so they could check my cervix again.  They were concerned that I would be out and about doing my normal activities and all of sudden deliver the baby!  So I went back and I was still 7cms but my water broke as I was on the examining table!  So my husband and I ended up staying at the hospital and went right to the maternity ward.  I walked and walked and dilated to 8cms but still had no contractions that I could actually feel!  The electronic equipment registered the contractions but I couldn't feel them.  I could feel my belly's skin tighten but no sensations on the inside of my body.  I was soooo relieved because I'm an absolute baby when it comes to pain!  I was getting too tired from walking so the nurse brought in one of those bouncy balls that you can sit on to try to help dilate the cervix.  So I'm all smiles, bouncing on this ball and chatting on the phone with relatives while I was at 8 cm!  The nurse joked with me that she wasn't going to let any of the other mothers on the floor know about me or they'd want to kill me for not having a bit of pain!  Other nurses were stopping in just so they could see for themselves that I was not in pain.  My dilation stalled at 8 cm so my doctor induced me via pitocin.  At that point I could start to feel pressure down low but still no pain.  My body wanted to push sooo bad but the nurse said I needed to dilate one more cm before I could push.  So the hard part was to not allow my body to do what it truly wanted and to stop myself from pushing.  But the second she said I could push it was the most amazing and enjoyable sensation ever!  A few pushes and the baby was almost out but unfortunately the doctor decided I needed an episiotomy.  I felt the pain of the needle and the cut and the baby was out in a few pushes.  The only downside of the experience was the episiotomy and trying to heal from it.  It took much longer than normal and it fed into my decision to use the midwife group the next time I became pregnant!  I knew they believed in as natural a process as possible and that spoke to me.

So with my second baby I switched to the midwife group at my hospital for my care.  I decided to do a waterbirth with my second baby.  My water broke in the middle of the night around 39 weeks and I could feel tightening inside for the contractions but absolutely no pain at all.  When we got to the hospital later on the next day we found that my dilation was stalling out.  We agreed with our midwife (our choice this time rather than a doctor determining for me.) that I would use pitocin to help push me along.  With just a teeny bit of pitocin my contractions jump started (but still painless) and we could track them.  I was able to get into the waterbirth tub right away and I felt very comfortable and relaxed!  My midwife laughed at me that she could tell when I was having a "contraction" because I'd lift my shoulders just a teeny bit!  I was so relaxed in the warm water that I actually started to "miss" my chance to push with the contractions.  I was relaxing right through them.  So my midwife helped guide me on when to push.  It was just so surreal and relaxing.  My husband actually sat in the corner of the room reading a paper while I "relaxed" in the tub!  He joked with me, "Just let me know if you need anything!"  The midwife asked if she could have a few more midwives and nurses in the room with us because she said she really wanted them to see a birth the way it was supposed to be!  So I had a small crowd of ladies around me while giving birth and the entire experience was 100% painless.  I never broke a sweat and had a smile the entire time.  AND no episiotomy, thank God!

I've often tried to analyze why my body doesn't seem to register pain with labor and delivery.  With any other type of pain, such as menstrual cramps, I feel like such a baby and want to curl up into a ball and hide from the world.  I really can't handle even the most mild of pain such as a headache and will take pain medication.  I'm also the type where if someone is walking towards me with a needle, I will pass out!  So I have been absolutely thrilled with how labor and delivery is for me!

I'm actually pregnant with my third child right now and am due the end of February 2009.  I feel very blessed to know that there is nothing to be worried about and can look forward to a wonderful experience.  I'm using the midwife group again at my hospital and am also going to do a waterbirth again.  Midwives are such a blessing and while my first birth was wonderful, I would never pass up the opportunity to use a midwife and have the process go as natural as possible!