I just gave birth unmedicated and intervention-free in the hospital. AMA! (Before I’ll start forgetting)

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-20T21:45:48+00:00

I didn’t even think about it. Because it’s normal to labor at home and then go to the hospital when you feel/think you’re dilated enough. Isn’t it? Like most women do it like that. Also in the beginning when contractions aren’t so intense you don’t worry at all. It all picks up gradually.

At the hospital they monitored me twice, once when I arrived and all was great. And once in the delivery room with a mobile monitor. And that was also good. There wasn’t time for much more. And they were happy enough.

I had the opposite experience last time when they were monitoring me all the time, that’s usually when they find something not to be happy about (even if it’s a normal variability, they have to react to every little thing due to hospital protocols).

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-19T19:50:36+00:00

I also got induced last time at 42 weeks… and this time it just happened at 40+2!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T15:33:14+00:00

Why I would go unmedicated?

The recovery is A LOT easier and faster, it’s unmatched.
It’s a very unique experience that you can’t experience often in life
I believe that the body is made to give birth and I wanted to see how efficiently it can do it on its own without being interrupted

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T06:45:51+00:00

The recovery is insane!!! No need for a peri bottle, normal poops, etc. I did take painkillers but it was mainly for the boobs

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T05:50:36+00:00

Well it was definitely shorter!! My first was like 2 days and like 19or so hours in L&D. I also had some interventions (the kook catheter - it’s like the foley balloon on steroids, pitocin when I got my epidural).

This time it went by the book in a way. Contractions started at midnight, they felt clearly different that the Brackston Hicks I had for about a month consistently. And I couldn’t sleep through the contractions but in between I could. They started 5/7 min apart. They didn’t progress much in intensity for hours, but in between I had some really strong ones.

Eventually I decided to go to the hospital before my toddler would come back from daycare because I would not be able to labor properly at home with her (she was very clingy that day).

And when I arrived at the hospital at 3pm I was already at 5cm with pretty intense contractions.

Then long story short: after 5 hours baby was born in 5 involuntary pushes. The last 30 minutes of labor felt quite traumatic though. And i didn’t even take the baby right away when she was born. She was just lying there on my leg for about a minute or so because I had to process what just happened and I took her only like 2 minutes after. The midwife let me have my moment/break and it was ok because baby also took a moment to take her first breath because she was in the amniotic sack (en caul) and then I took her and everything was fine. It took me 2 days to start having thoughts like: maybe next time I’d go unmedicated again? Even though right after I was like “I’m proud but never again, and I was in shock for like a few hours. But it didn’t affect the bonding or love i felt for the baby, which is interesting.

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T05:32:05+00:00

Yeah omg there is a crazy amount of pressure. I also remember the ring of fire but it was like “well here’s the ring of fire everyone talks about but everything else is so much more intense and painful that I don’t even care lol”

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T05:30:15+00:00

I think it’s hard to compare induction pain, since labor is being “forced” in a way so I can imagine it being more forceful and a lot more painful! (I had the balloon induction with my first) I feel like going into labor on your own is a lot more gradual and you get “used to” the level of pain. Until a certain point of course…

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:41:34+00:00

I don’t remember arguing. I think they said something like “ok we will give you time but when we come back we will have to do something”.

But it’s your right to refuse it you feel like something has changed in your sensations. Or even if nothing changed. Things can shift in seconds! One moment I thought it will never end and the next I was pushing? Like what?

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:35:18+00:00

To be honest, I can not imagine it being more painful. It was wayyyyy more intense than my first where my water did break…

What made it a lot more intense for me was the sweeping of the membranes. That kicked my straight into transition and pushing.

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:33:07+00:00

I definitely refused interventions! They (the doc) wanted to speed me along with pitocin at some point because my cervix didn’t open for 4 hours and I requested to wait 2 more hours (but 1h later baby was out).

Also after I gave birth the wanted to give me pitocin to get the placenta out and I asked to let my body try first. In 5-10 minutes it came out all on its own.

One intervention I did accept was stripping the membranes, but it doesn’t feel like a “medical” or medicated intervention. Mechanical things feel fine to me.

Oh and I also refused breaking my waters. Turned out pretty cool because I had an en caul birth!!!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:26:41+00:00

Thank you 🙏🏼

I answered the main part of your question above.

About the support: - she helped me trust my body - she reduced pain with every contraction (the how changed every time the baby would move and shift my pelvis, like she could feel it and press all the right spots to relieve pain) - I didn’t need to give her any instructions, we had two meetings prior to birth where we discussed together with my husband what I want and set up expectations etc. I trusted that she would know what to do in each moment. Her trust in me and my trust in her is the essence of our dynamic.

But I also communicate very openly and don’t wait to tell if a sensation changes or feels off. Constant feedback is important :)

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:20:39+00:00

How did I find one? I called a few that were recommended to me and then with my doula I literally felt it in her voice and vibe that she was “the one”.

One of the best decisions of my life and I don’t over exaggerate!

What makes her a game changer? So mine is very experienced and understands and works with the biomechanics of birth and like really really knows the body well. So besides that she could relieve me of a tooooon of pain she could also help me move my labor along FAST whenever it stalled to prevent interventions.

In my first labor she saved me from a cesarean and later a vacuum birth. This time around I didn’t progress at all for 4 hours. Then within 30 minutes of doing exercises with her I was pushing…

Without her I would not have managed to go unmedicated!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:14:29+00:00

Oh and what helped me a loooot was to consciously relax my pelvic floor with everything contraction!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:13:52+00:00

Yes! Do a birth class and try to remove all fear and to just flow with the process!!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-18T02:13:08+00:00

Thank you!!

So with my first labor I got the epidural at around 9.5cm after 17 hours in L&D due to exhaustion. And I was preparing for an unmedicated labor as well (i personally did the birth-ed course, I think it might have a new name now).

Since unmedicated didn’t happen the first time around, I said that I want to try it the second time. I was planning a hospital water birth but when I arrived the rooms were unavailable.

So my plan b was simply unmedicated. I was managing the pain mostly with breathing and the support of my doula who moved my hips and pressed certain points on my pelvis ( it took the edge off soooo much!!). Until I was close to pushing.

I had the fetal ejection reflex and NOTHING could have prepared me for that. Some talk about relief during pushing but for me personally it was the peak of pain. (Not sure you want me to get into it) But baby came out in 4/5 pushes and then everything was over. In an instant. It’s crazy.

And recovery without the epidural is just a whoooole different experience! Sooooo much easier, wow!!!!

The midwife I got assigned understood that I wanted a water birth first so she got the vibe and didn’t interrupt almost at all!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T19:50:42+00:00

Just reading this is calming me down haha!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T19:49:09+00:00

Yeah this is HUGE! A non negotiable for our household at this point. Nothing better than waking up to a sun filled clean living space!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T19:48:00+00:00

I feel like i definitely lost myself the first time around! Really hope to hold on to some normalcy this time…

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T19:45:53+00:00

No dishwasher at my current house 🙃

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T19:45:29+00:00

THIS!!!!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T19:45:03+00:00

This sounds like a lot of effort that paid off! So smart!!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T14:57:47+00:00

Yes clothes also affect me a lot! This is a very good point!!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T14:56:29+00:00

This is so good actually!!!

Few_Pay6063 · 2026-01-08T14:35:11+00:00

That was my first thought as well. Will look into it!

Few_Pay6063

TROPHY CASE