I need input on types of pain relief please!

So it's getting close to that time for me! lol Anyways with my daughter I wanted a natural birth.... well I lasted 18 hours and finally had to have something, the nurse talked me into an epidual. Well another 14 hours I had her, with the help of some pitocin.
The epidural worked well, I was pretty much pain free the rest of the time. What I did not like about it was that I was stuck in bed for 12 hours with nothing but ice chips to eat. I also think it may have slowed my labor down .( when I got the epidural I was 8 cm dialated, and after I got it I was stuck there for 13 hours! After I got the pitocin I was ready to push in about 30 mn! )

So here I sit getting ready for the birth of my second daughter, and want to know what you used for pain relief ( both medication or other stuff like the tub, ball, hypnosis, ect...) what worked for you and what did not?
Anyone ever used a TENS untit ( electrical stimulation) ? I'm a physical therapist and know that it can be used during labor, but have never seen it done.

Any input would be appreciated!

They tried Demerol with me. It didn't do A THING! All it did was make me sleep between contractions and wake up in pain. I finally got the epidural an hour and a half before my daughter was born.

i had IV pain meds and then the epi. you are typically not allowed to eat whether or not you get the epi so that should no weigh heavily in your decision making process. i did not like the way the Iv pain meds effected me and will be waiting until i can get the pi next time around.

Quoting *Ellena's new mommy*:“ They tried Demerol with me. It didn't do A THING! All it did was make me sleep between contractions and wake up in pain. I finally got the epidural an hour and a half before my daughter was born.”

same with the stadol for me. it was awful. could still feel all the pain and made me loopy.

I kind of wanna watch this too
I am planning a natural birth
In the hospital I am at, I am allowed to eat. But I am also giving birth in a natural birthing center unit there...
My plan is to sit in the hot tub and also try to use relaxation, the birthing ball.. a combo since I don't know what's gonna work for me at the time!

i used the gas till i was 6 cm.. i did the shower thing to get there...then i finally opted for the epi.. 2 hours later i started pushing an hour and a half later out he came  

I just layed there the whole time anyways... i didnt want to move around. I ate mcD's fries while in labor on my way to the hospital.. and it all came up before i got the epi...i was allowed to drink tho, so i drank a really yummy mango slushie

Can you get out of bed with the IV pain meds???? Did they make you feel "loopy"? ( one good thing about the epidual was that it only affected me from the waist down....

I'm watching this.

I'll be going into labor soon and I really want to go without pain meds for as long as I can take it. I'm also thinking about an epi but I want to know everyone's experience on what they did.

I sat in teh whirl pool tub thing for alittle bit and couldnt handle it anymore so I had the IV drugs
The dr told me all it would do was allow me to sleep but I would feel the contractions but that was ok for me.
I believe it acutally sped things up. I was dialating 1/2 a cm every 2hours and then 30-45mins after the IV my water broke and less then an hour after that my little man was born

Quoting Loves.my.Lil.Keg:“ I sat in teh whirl pool tub thing for alittle bit and couldnt handle it anymore so I had the IV drugs ... [snip!] ... 1/2 a cm every 2hours and then 30-45mins after the IV my water broke and less then an hour after that my little man was born”

Were you drowsy during the delivery?

Quoting Loves.my.Lil.Keg:“ I sat in teh whirl pool tub thing for alittle bit and couldnt handle it anymore so I had the IV drugs ... [snip!] ... 1/2 a cm every 2hours and then 30-45mins after the IV my water broke and less then an hour after that my little man was born”

did the whirlpool tub help your labor at all?

Quoting Loves.my.Lil.Keg:“ I sat in teh whirl pool tub thing for alittle bit and couldnt handle it anymore so I had the IV drugs ... [snip!] ... 1/2 a cm every 2hours and then 30-45mins after the IV my water broke and less then an hour after that my little man was born”

Oh I like what you did. I'm going to labor in the tub for a while or until my water breaks then i'm going to try the IV and if things are just not working out I'll get the epi!

Quoting Mya's Mommy[2weeks left!]:“ Oh I like what you did. I'm going to labor in the tub for a while or until my water breaks then i'm going to try the IV and if things are just not working out I'll get the epi!”

I'm staying home as long as possible..... I made it 11 hours at home last time and my husband freaked out and made me go! lol ( little did he know it would be another 22 hours before we met our daughter!) I felf so much more comfortable at home! And we are not calling anyone until I have her, last time there were like 30 people at the hospital and they kept comming in and out of my room, the last thing I wanted was company!

Quoting Therbel:“ I'm staying home as long as possible..... I made it 11 hours at home last time and my husband freaked ... [snip!] ... there were like 30 people at the hospital and they kept comming in and out of my room, the last thing I wanted was company!”

lol. Yeah I don't want to go to the hospital too early and have to be sent home or have to sit in the hospital for another 20+ hours. This childbirth thing is such a darn mystery. You can never know what will happen. But I agree with you on the telling people you're in labor. Everyone and their mom wants me to call them and let them know when i finally go into labor. I'm trying not to be mean but I don't want a lot of people walking in and out of my room and just stare at me suffering through labor. That's just something i don't want and i don't want 100 people calling me or anyone who's in there trying to get updates. They will know when i have her.

Quoting Justina (havin a boy!):“ did the whirlpool tub help your labor at all?”

i loved it