Anyone in the early days and planning an unmedicated birth?

[MermaidMom]

no i dont think so... but we'll have a midwife. my sister is a midwife too and if need be i know she'd fly out and come boss around the nurses

 

[Guppy051708]

GREAT! that will be really good.

 

[MermaidMom]

i hope so! we're moving across the country when ill be 7 months pregnant so it might be a challenge to find a midwife in time, but im just hoping for the best.

 

[Guppy051708]

oh dont worry! you will. We relocated from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire when i was 28 weeks pregnant with DS. I just looked online (as much as i could) for practices and MWs and what not...well specifically water birth because thats what i wanted, and in hospitals those are hard to come by so that solidfied who i went with. If you are visiting the place you are moving to (before you actually move) you should call a prospective care provider and set up a meet & greet. Thats what we did, that way we knew before we moved who we wanted our care provider to be

 

[MermaidMom]

well i live in virginia and im moving to hawaii so its kinda far (and expensive) to visit but im sure everything will turn out just great. there are a few hospitals with birthing centers within them. i hope it turns out to be a wonderful experience.

 

[Guppy051708]

how exciting!! i am jealous! Hawaii would be fab!
Are you military??

 

[MermaidMom]

yup hubby is in the navy. we lived in japan for a few years and then here in virginia for the past year... time to move again!

 

[DianaB]

I'm planning on a natural unmedicated birth but it's going to be a big challenge here where I live. We have no birthing centres, no midwives and there's only one hospital in this city to even go give birth in. Also I won't get to chose the doctor that will be there when I go in so I could get one of the terrible ones I've heard of that try and do things to you before even asking or explaining properly. Something else that bothers me if I have the child at night DH has to leave pretty shortly after. It pretty much is all an uphill fight here.

 

[Nikki_d72]

Dianab, keep fighting girl! Do who have someone to advocate for you when you're in labour? is your DH a good strong stubborn type that will fight your corner for you, or do you have a freind or someone else who can fight your corner? I'm only saying this as fighting in labour is really difficult, and you want to be able to zone out and focus on your labour, the less conscious thought the better.

Write a really comprehensive birth plan and give it to everyone involved as soon as you enter hospital - as far as I'm aware it's a legal document so they have to abide by it or gain proper expressed consent to vary it (there's a good thread on here about birthplans). They may scoff at it but if they've got it there's no denying your wishes.

Also, if you can and are comfortable doing this, stay out of hospital as long as you possibly can - labour at home till you're really well established then there is less scope for their interventions.

Good luck!

ETA, I thought the canadian system was quite good, is it just because you're in Newfie?

 

[DianaB]

Yeah there's not much choice here in Newfoundland anymore I think most other provinces are better for that sort of thing. That was my plan once the actual birth starts I've already told my DH everything I want and he's definitely the type to stick up for me when I can't, I just wish that there was better options here for people who don't want to just go to the hospital and blindly follow everything the doctor says.

 

[Guppy051708]

Yeah there's not much choice here in Newfoundland anymore I think most other provinces are better for that sort of thing. That was my plan once the actual birth starts I've already told my DH everything I want and he's definitely the type to stick up for me when I can't, I just wish that there was better options here for people who don't want to just go to the hospital and blindly follow everything the doctor says.

i totally understand this i used to live in Pennsylvania, and where we live it was very rural and no options beside the hospital system experience. You couldnt even have a MW if you wanted to bc none are practicing I am so blessed to have relocated to New Hampshire-the same place that MW first developed in the United States. Otherwise i would be in the same position as you. Just make sure you do lots of research and educate yourself (and your DH too), the more you know, the better and the less chances they have of taking advantage of you.