What are your thoughts on natural birth specifically with no drugs
I am planning on an all natural birth. NOT because I am against medicine or anything like that, I just know that many of the drugs make vaginal birth dificult and I don't want to find myself rushed into a c-section. Totally understood if you do use the drugs, as the c-section situation is not always the case, I just don't want to.
Anyway, I thought of going to a birth center but the fact that I used to pass out because of cramps just sort of worries me and I do want to be in a hospital if something goes wrong. I know that they cn get me to one quickly, but this is my first time at all of this so I'm just being as careful as possible.
Has anyone done a drug free childbirth in a hospital? How did it turn out? Also, specifically anyone who has given birth in both a birth center or home and at a hospital, I'd really like some advice on choosing between the two.
Thanks. =)
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This is right up my alley. Yes, I had an all-natural birth in a hospital, and I am HAPPY to share my experiences with you! Oh gosh, I have so much advice, but I'll try to keep it to the big points, and then if you want more info you can always send me a private message.
There are two key things that I believe helped my mindset going in. One was, I did tell myself that if the pain got unbearable, I would take the epidural. But I knew in my mind that I was only going to do that if the situation was extraordinary -- especially after I learned that women often get into the cylce of: pitocin to speed labor; epidural because the pitocin makes the contractions more intense; more pitocin because the epidural makes it so you can't feel your lower body and thus don't know when to push, and so on. It made sense to me to avoid the pitocin for starters, but to go in with an open mind because you just never know what might happen. If the baby is breech or it's back labor or something like that, those situations can cause extraordinary pain. I didn't want to shut out the possibility entirely. I think that mindset helped me because I knew I had a choice.
The second BIG thing was that I stayed home for as long as I could. The recommendation we got at the birth class sponsored by the hospital was to stay home until the contractions got to this point: 1 minute long, 5 minutes in between, for one hour. And that is what I did. It was hard because for a long time I was stuck in this halfway zone where the contractions were lasting a minute, but the time apart would vary between like 7 or 8 minutes and 5. We *maybe* could have left for the hospital a bit sooner -- by the time we got there and into the examining room, I was already 8 centimeters dilated! If we have waited much longer, that baby may have been arriving in the car. BUT I'm super happy with the way it all came out. I was only at the hospital for like 15 minutes before I started pushing -- and 30 minutes later my beautiful daughter arrived.
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
Oops, I hit save too soon by accident. The reason for staying home is that, as the nurse teaching our class stressed, many women tense up the minute they arrive at the hospital. It's a sterile environment, you have doctors and nurses constantly coming in to check on you (and examine you to see how far dilated you are, etc.) and it's just very hard overall to relax. And unfortunately when the body tenses it slows labor down. At home you can kick back, get into whatever position you want to to ease the pain of contractions (I got on all fours a lot...I'm not sure I would have been comfortable doing that in a hospital), and you are just generally more comfortable. Another big thing is, once you're in the hospital, the doctors are likely to want to intervene if labor is not going "fast enough." That's they're training, but that mindset unfortunately often leads to pressure on women to take the epidural, which in turn can more often lead to cesarean delivery (that's because of the lack of ability to push).
A couple of other pieces of advice: Find a prenatal yoga class or video. You will find that the poses and breathing will help you in labor. I did yoga squats every day while I was pregnant, which I believe helped open my pelvis to ease the birth. I also squatted, got on all fours, and rocked back and forth on the ottoman that came with my nursing rocker while I was having contractions. Those are things I learned from yoga. Walking is excellent, even in the early stages of labor. You want to keep things moving. Lying down flat on your back can slow labor and also cause back labor or make it hard for the baby to get in the proper position. Ask the hospital where you deliver (if that's what you choose) if they have the kinds of beds that tip up so you don't have to be fully reclined. That also makes a huge difference. GRAVITY IS YOUR FRIEND!
Okay, this is already a novel. I definitely could share more, and I'd be happy to answer any questions. Feel free to send me a note -- now or at any time during your pregnancy! I'm a firm believer that we CAN have a natural childbirth, in a hospital or anywhere else we choose! (And yes, for me it was nice to be at the hospital "just in case." If you do choose a birth center just make sure they have an OB on call for emergencies.)
Good luck! Sorry for rambling.
Patti
SAHM in SoCal and administrator of the Sleep Forum group, http://www.mothersclick.com/group/sleep-forum and Tri-Counties Moms, http://www.mothersclick.com/moms-club/tri-counties-moms-sb-ventura-slo-c...
Hey my thoughts are go in trying not to get the med's I think that is always bet especially for baby but, be realistic if you go in and it gets really bad take something and don't feel bad! You want to have a good experience and you won't if you are in so much pain you can't think so be ready for either way. I have nine children and have never taken anything but everyone's pain level and tolerance is different. My daughter just had her first baby and I just knew she was going to get med's but she waited at home until she could not take anymore so when we get to the hospital and they examine her she was at 9 cenimeter's wow! that was close! So just relax trust your body to tell you what you can handle and enjoy !!
Congratulations, Mommy-to-be!
I had my daughter naturally, but not by choice
But it was magical, the experience.
My husband and I were getting ready to leave the house to go to a birthing class and my water broke! It was 3 weeks early though. I thought I had possibly just lost control of my bladder because it just felt like I was "leaking" and couldn't hold my pee in!
But we took our hospital bags with us just in case it was my water, and I'm glad we did because it sure was!
Because my water had broken, they needed to give me pitocin. They told me to rate my pain and kept checking dialation.....well, long story short, my daughter came FAST and my epidural couldn't "catch up to" my contractions and I felt everything. If you get past a certain point, the epidural won't help you! (which you might want to know now!)
I didn't want to lose feeling in my legs (I remembered my best friend and I were hanging out while she was in the hospital, she had had her epidural in "full effect" and she couldn't move her legs. She was fine with it, but I think that scared me more than the thought of the actual birth-I'd freak out) so I kept telling the nurses and man who put the epidural in to do the smallest dose possible and we'd go from there. So, they think that because I had waiting so long, it is why the epidural couldn't catch up.
It was painful, but when I think of the experience, the feeling of it all, the emotions, the sensation of pushing her out of me, it was truly a gift. A blessing from God and I know that things happen exactly the way God intends, so I am glad it went the way it did.
People gasped when they heard that "the epidural didn't catch up", but it's hard to explain the glory of it all and how it was incredible. Don't get me wrong, it was painful-I'm going to try to have an epidural, Lord willing, with this next little one I'm carrying and see if it can be a little less painful-but if this one happens the same way and I have another perfect little baby, I will thank God for the experience once again
I had to have some stitches and then I passed out pretty quickly after having her (they gave me some major drugs to deal with the after-effect) and I was up and about right away! I healed fast and lost weight quickly from nursing her, so it was just a perfect perfect experience.
Regarding home births, I don't know anyone who's ever done that. I would never do it because of all the possible things that could happen that you could need immediate medical attention/doctors/things they have at a hospital for and would be too scared that I wouldn't get there fast enough if something was happening and I was at home.
And if this is your first baby, you don't know what your body does during birth (not that you know with your second or the ones after that, but at least you've been down the road before
) or how you handle the experience or what you'll feel at the time. I would think it would be better to be in a place that can help with anything that comes at you
I just want you to be as safe as possible! Blessings to you and your little baby!!!!