,

[xxEMZxx]

I don't know about everyone else but I was and am completely happy with my birth experience and wouldn't have done it any other way if I could go back.

 

[Nut_Shake]

I had an elective cesearean with a spinal block... Oh sorry, i'm obviously in the wrong place

 

[whoops]

I threw the G&A across the room, after trying to take a suck of it and finding it completely put me off my stride with the deep breathing that really WAS helping.

Same here. They gave me G&A while I was starting to push and I was too busy concentrating on that and on breathing and panting, to figure out how to work it, so I dropped it straight away.

I'm still waiting on my medal

I'm proud of myself for giving birth naturally but I know if circumstances had been different and my labour longer, I might have asked for pain relief. The only thing I never wanted was an epidural and that's due to my own fear of needles - which makes me a wimp and not as brave as the ladies who had one!

 

[supertabby]

Medically speaking (at least in UK) a natural delivery is a vaginal one without intervention. Pain relief is not classed as intervention but forceps etc are.

From an anthropological perspective, a natural delivery would be without pain relief (inc gas and air, or birthing pool which may be commonplace and not strong drugs but they ARE classed as pain relief.. their purpose is to provide relief from pain). A stick between your teeth and an untrained female family member ready to catch the baby is probably the most intervention in nature.

 

[PepsiChic]

I didnt think this thread was about whether you should feel proud of your delivery or not...i thought it was about natural birth.

to me having any kind of drug or medical equipment takes away the "natural" part. and that includes gas & air.

I had a natural hospital birth. I didnt have anything, not even an IV or a pain killer afetr wards. no blood was taken, no forceps used, no injections or medications. nothing. so yes i had a natural birth. Im pleased with it and although i keep getting told i could of done it at home, i felt safer for my baby by being int he hospital should he require treatment of any type as the closest hospital is 40 minutes away (speeding)

 

[supertabby]

Thanks. I'm very proud of myself, but I truly believe that any woman can do that.
You just have to believe 100% that your body can do it and don't fear it

You should be proud of yourself, you brought your baby into the world. And yes its great that you did it with minimal pain relief, but your comment that all women can do this is very insensitive. I wanted a birthing pool delivery without additional pain relief (though I was open minded about how I'd react come the day), however I developed complications and had to have an emergency c-section - if I hadn't then neither my baby nor myself would have survived. A more determined attitude on my part would not have saved our lives!

Ten weeks on I'm still in pain. I had a frightening experience, my section was under general and my husband was very worried for us. I didn't see my little girl till she was am hour old and I breastfed immediately while still coming round in recovery. I was hooked up to 12 different tubes and wires for several days and restricted to 30ml of water per hour to drink and limited food, to avoid convulsions. I'd swop my experience for 24 hours labour withouth pain relief in a heartbeat - but it doesn't mean I achieved more because I had a hard time, or that I achieved less because I didn't do it naturally. We just all have different experiences that's all.

No matter how it happens, giving birth is never a failure - we should all be proud of our bodies and what we've done with them.

 

[blondey]

I haven't really thought about whether I condider myself to have had a natural birth?

I had no slow build up in terms of contractions. My waters broke and bam, contractions started straight away every 3 minutes lasting 40secs-1minute. I had gas and air for the start of the contractions as I went straight to hospital and was kept in as I was already in established labour. I laboured in the pool for about 3 and a half hours, using gas and air. To be honest I don't think it did much apart from make my voice go funny, make me extremely thirsty and help me concentrate on my breathing.

Then when the time for pushing came I took the mouth piece off the gas and air and just chomped down on the bit!!!

If I look at my labour I would say labour can be done without pain relief. But I was extremely lucky. I was in labour for 6 hours and it went completely smoothly and not all labours are like that. I was pretty open with regards to my birth plan. I wanted to try without pain relief, but that was mostly because I wanted to use the birthing unit and you can't have any down there! However if I had been in labour 36 hours and having a tough time then I probably would have taken any drug going! I mean I didn't get a medal at the end of it because I didn't have any drugs! Believe me I'm no martyr!!

Some ladies do have a tough time of it, through no fault of their own. Mother nature just has some strange ideas sometimes. No shame in a little assistance!

At the end of the day, we are all amazing for doing what we have done, no matter how we got the the end scenario.

 

[jojo_b]

This is all rather odd to me. I find how you gave birth to be about as relevant as how you conceived...perhaps we should have a debate about which position is best (doggy all the way )

We all got to the end point one way or another. Who cares whether we did it chanting incantations in a pentagram at Stonehenge or with 4 surgeons carving you a baby sunroof? Same result either way - years of sleep deprivation!

 

[charlotte-xo]

This is all rather odd to me. I find how you gave birth to be about as relevant as how you conceived...perhaps we should have a debate about which position is best (doggy all the way )
We all got to the end point one way or another. Who cares whether we did it chanting incantations in a pentagram at Stonehenge or with 4 surgeons carving you a baby sunroof? Same result either way - years of sleep deprivation!

ah i love your posts.

 

[jojo_b]

I like to lower the tone when possible

 

[supertabby]

Baby sunroof... lmao

 

[XJessicaX]

I wanted natural. I ended up having a back to back baby with 22 hours of contractions starting at 3 minutely intervals with barely a gap in between, a failed epidural, lots of gas and air, baby became distressed and appeared to be stuck so had to have an assisted ventouse delivery with a spinal block!

 

[kmac625]

Thanks. I'm very proud of myself, but I truly believe that any woman can do that.
You just have to believe 100% that your body can do it and don't fear it

Are you frickin' kidding me?! I'm glad you managed to have the natural birth you wanted (I don't count one tylenol as pain relief as far as labour goes, I can't imagine it would do anything to help), but saying that believing in your body will make it possible is a complete farce! I was induced at 13 days over with pitocin (I didn't need the gel as I was already 3cm and 90% effaced). I didn't want an epidural and we don't have g&a as an option here. I couldn't go into a tub or shower to help with pain relief as I was hooked up to monitors and iv. After my contractions got out of control (they had to actually turn off my pitocin drip because things got so out of control) I got an epidural. After 17 hours, including 45 minutes of pushing, my dd still hadn't dropped into my pelvis so I had an emcs. During the section the ob said I had a banded uterus from failed labour and that we both would have died without the section. My labour and delivery was anything but natural, but in the end both me and my daughter were alive and healthy (I recovered very easily from my surgery). Oh, and thanks to the position Clara was in, the epidural didn't stop me from feeling every bit of pain of pushing. So I had the worst of both worlds, a medicated labour and pain. Yay me!

 

[Mya209]

I gave birth to a back to back baby with only pethadine (it wore off very early in my labour) and gas and air. My contractions started very strong and frequent and my labour was incredibly painful! I'm very proud of myself that I did it on gas and air and consider it a pretty natural birth.

 

[stardust599]

If you are induced (I had to be too) I don't think you have to have pain relief, but a million punds needs to be givn to the women that can do it without! I literally went from no contractions, to regular contractions lasting 1min, every 4mins in 20mins. The first one hit like a truck and I fell over!! That was not fun!

Haven't got time to read the rest of the thread but totally agree here!! I was induced too and went through around 15 hours of contractions lasting around 1minute with only 2 minutes between them (so in reality I had 1 minute with no pain, 1 minute with pain for 12hours). I didn't HAVE to have pain relief but I bloody wanted it, I didn't see why I should spend hours and hours in agony and be too exhausted to meet and properly care for my daughter when she arrived so I had two shots of diamorphine. Both were carefully timed so as not to affect Macy and the worst part of my labour was the last 2hours when it was too late to give another shot of diamorphine. She was completely unaffected and I was able to get some much needed relief and rest and was able to get up and feed, dress, care for her etc. when she was born. I was also able to eat and get up and shower etc.

I wouldn't consider Macy's birth natural as it was an induction and they were forced contractions but I'm still bloody proud that I did it!!! xx

 

[mumoffive]

A method of childbirth in which medical intervention is minimized and the mother often practices relaxation and breathing techniques to control pain and ease delivery.

Or another definition:

A system of managing childbirth in which the mother receives preparatory education in order to remain conscious during and assist in delivery with minimal or no use of drugs

 

[mumoffive]

I consider myself as having a natural delivery as i delivered my babies vaginally. I think there is confusion over natural childbirth and a natural delivery.

 

[rockys-mumma]

When Alfie was born they said he was a 'NVD'... Natural Vaginal Delivery.

The other options on the card were 'Assisted Delivery (forceps/ventouse)' or 'C-section'.

I had gas and air, and a shot of pethedine that didnt work. I still class my birth as 'natural' as he was born... naturally?! The hospital still classed it as a natural birth too. But I had drugs to help with the pain so how does that work?

I think the whole thing is about labour anyway, not birth.
Of course a birth with no medication is more natural, but being born without any medical assistance is a natural labour.

Any woman who delivers a baby, wether it be c-section, naturally or assisted makes no odds to me or most others. I'm just proud I carried my baby and bought him into the world

 

[AP]

Producing a child is natural in my eyes , whatever way.

I sometimes hate the way the term natural is used in pregnancy, birthing and parenting.

 

[mumoffive]

Yes, i agree with the above ^^^^^ what does it matter?