How many of you had a completely natural birth?

[TennisGal]

Lizzie was induction with epidural, episiotomy and ventouse. A very long and painful labour...Ally was completely natural. I had a half hearted try of gas and air-I half breathed in-but it made me feel odd, so I threw it aside!

It was easier both from getting Ally straight onto bfing and recovery for me going natural, but tbh, all that matters is healthy baby and healthy mummy....and we are all superstars for giving birth, however we do it!

 

[EllaAndLyla]

Its interesting, isnt it, how definitions of natural are so subjective. I would count having a vaginal birth as a natural birth, whether drugs are involved or not. Many others would disagree, and many other will just say having a baby, is natural, whichever way you look at it. I am not arguing with anyone, and I dont necessarily count those I mentioned as 'un natural', just its very different from person to person...

This sums it up exactly!! Personally I class natural as no drugs, no medical aid etc.. but, that doesn't mean that someone else, like you can't class their birth with G&A or whatever as natural! It all depends on what that induvidual person feels!

And every labour is sooo difference too, same as pain tolerance. Like I was in labour 37 hours established and went med free (apart from examinations, I still class it as all natural) whereas another person could have a 6-7 hour established labour and need an epidural and still class it as natural. Each to their own, we should all be proud either way

I totally cheat.. my last 2 labours were 25 and 15 mins from start to finish so no drugs really isn't that big a deal!!

I can only dream of a 15 minute labour!! i was sooo tired after 37 hours, having a water birth is what kept me awake haha! x

 

[My_First]

See I could then then say I had as natural birth as possible, my waters broke earley, I got contractions 6 hours later, and lo head got stuck. There was no other option but to come out of the sun roof, as I had been in labour for three days and not progressing beyond half a centimetre. BUT it was as natural as the circumstances allowed. (I caveat that I dont believe I had a natural birth at all, but just to be devils advocate)..

 

[Ju_bubbs]

Its interesting, isnt it, how definitions of natural are so subjective. I would count having a vaginal birth as a natural birth, whether drugs are involved or not. Many others would disagree, and many other will just say having a baby, is natural, whichever way you look at it. I am not arguing with anyone, and I dont necessarily count those I mentioned as 'un natural', just its very different from person to person...

This sums it up exactly!! Personally I class natural as no drugs, no medical aid etc.. but, that doesn't mean that someone else, like you can't class their birth with G&A or whatever as natural! It all depends on what that induvidual person feels!

And every labour is sooo difference too, same as pain tolerance. Like I was in labour 37 hours established and went med free (apart from examinations, I still class it as all natural) whereas another person could have a 6-7 hour established labour and need an epidural and still class it as natural. Each to their own, we should all be proud either way

I totally cheat.. my last 2 labours were 25 and 15 mins from start to finish so no drugs really isn't that big a deal!!

I can only dream of a 15 minute labour!! i was sooo tired after 37 hours, having a water birth is what kept me awake haha! x

My longest labour was my 1st at 5 hours.. I honestly do not know how yo ladies who have looong labours manage to do it with drugs even, let alone without!!!

 

[Tasha]

I can only dream of a 15 minute labour!! i was sooo tired after 37 hours, having a water birth is what kept me awake haha! x

It can be so different 1st to 2nd hun, my first was 27 hours established, my 2nd was 1hr 30 mins from first contraction to delivery, 3rd 45 minutes start to finish, 4th 0-6cm's in an induction in an hour, 5th established labour was less than 10 minutes. So you might get that labour one day

 

[special_kala]

My girls came out of my vagina so yea I had a natural birth. It was still natural even though with river I had a epi and willow gas and air.

Pain relief has been used probably since we started giving birth whether that be herbs, oils, epdurals or just a nice think stick to bite down on.

 

[Cattia]

Lizzie was induction with epidural, eKpisiotomy and ventouse. A very long and painful labour...Ally was completely natural. I had a half hearted try of gas and air-I half breathed in-but it made me feel odd, so I threw it aside!

It was easier both from getting Ally straight onto bfing and recovery or me going natural, but tbh, all that matters is healthy baby and healthy mummy....and we are all superstars for giving birth, however we do it!

I haven't even heard Ally's birth story TG but sounds like it was similar to George. I didn't believe everyone who told me second time round would be so much easier but it certainly was!

 

[lindseymw]

I had G&A when the Doc was taking LO's blood sample (involved 12 people looking up a place where I didn't want them looking, cutting LO's head & drawing blood), ditched the G&A after. I then had Meptid as I'd taken 12 hours to get to 4cm, expecting another 12 hours but 10mins later I had Jacob in my arms. Meptid hadn't had chance to kick in!

 

[sapphire1]

I hope that there aren't mums on here that get offended by this thread. Many people don't choose the type of birth they have, end up needing drugs, or having a c-section if things don't go to plan, then get made to feel a failure by people harping on about how they did it naturally. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is our babies being born safe and healthy, not if we managed to do it without drugs or intervention.

BTW, if you're wondering - yes I did have a natural birth. I'm not counting the couple of puffs of poxy G&A that I tossed aside after 2 minutes. I also spent nearly 5 hours pushing, but IMO that doesn't entitle me to a badge of honour. I was just extremely lucky. Of course it's wonderful if you manage to do it 'naturally', and you should be proud, but I don't want people to feel like failures because of something that's way beyond their control...

 

[aliss]

I wish I could have but I developed a massive infection from untreated leaking waters for a week! Lesson learned!

 

[Ju_bubbs]

I hope that there aren't mums on here that get offended by this thread. Many people don't choose the type of birth they have, end up needing drugs, or having a c-section if things don't go to plan, then get made to feel a failure by people harping on about how they did it naturally. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is our babies being born safe and healthy, not if we managed to do it without drugs or intervention.

BTW, if you're wondering - yes I did have a natural birth. I'm not counting the couple of puffs of poxy G&A that I tossed aside after 2 minutes. I also spent nearly 5 hours pushing, but IMO that doesn't entitle me to a badge of honour. I was just extremely lucky. Of course it's wonderful if you manage to do it 'naturally', and you should be proud, but I don't want people to feel like failures because of something that's way beyond their control...

That can be said about many, many things.. not just labour! I REALLY wanted to breast feed, but only managed it for 5 weeks and felt a complete failure taht my milk wasn't satisfying my baby... does that mean that no one should have breast feeding tickers, or ever mention how proud they are of breastfeeding for xx amount of months, incase I, and others like me get offended?

(BTW, I'm not offended by breasfeeding tickers etc..)

 

[hot tea]

Not sure why anyone would be offended by this thread. I does appear that very very few have had what I consider a natural birth with zero interventions.

Being in water is a way to cope with contractions, and yes it has been around for a very, very, very long time! Just as moaning helps, walking helps, kicking your legs sometimes help with pain. That is not a medical intervention like gas and air, I am very surprised it is even being compared to such!!

I was just curious as to how many people actually do it drug free. This really shouldnt be deemed controversial.

 

[sapphire1]

I think I clumsily worded the post, upset would be a better word than offend. Many people are upset about, and highly sensitive of their labour experience, you only have to go into the postnatal section to see that. It's just that I've seen threads like this turn nasty before...

 

[Fabby]

Why does it matter? As long as they arrive safely they could of given and done anything to me and I wouldn't of cared.

If it doesn't matter to you then you don't really apply to any of my questions. it matters to some mothers.

I don't understand why it matters so much though
Why does it matter?
I think to most mums all that MATTERS is that they have their baby in their arms!

Like saphire says, I hope no mums on here are reading this because some mums don't have a choice and doesnt go so plain sailing as you may want or dream.

I'm feeling sensitive about this because I have a friend who had a very distressed birth and resulted in their son being very poorly and has only just heen able come home after 6 weeks. So, imo, no it doesn't matter how the yell our babies arrive into our arms as long as the baby is ok and not if we are ok in how they arrived!

 

[Ju_bubbs]

I think I clumsily worded the post, upset would be a better word than offend. Many people are upset about, and highly sensitive of their labour experience, you only have to go into the postnatal section to see that. It's just that I've seen threads like this turn nasty before...

I didn't know there was a post natal section tbh! lol. I'm sure the OP didn't mean to upset anyone by posting it, we all know not everyones labours go to plan, and no one is saying that un-natural is anymore amazing than natural! IMO, whether you have no meds, water, tens, G&A, epi, or even a section... you have still done the most wonderful thing in the world, and given birth!

I'm quite sure no one means to upset anyone by talking about their 'natural' births, but I for one, would be a little upset if I was expected never to mention it, just incase someone who's labour didnt go to plan read it!

 

[hot tea]

Why does it matter? As long as they arrive safely they could of given and done anything to me and I wouldn't of cared.

If it doesn't matter to you then you don't really apply to any of my questions. it matters to some mothers.

I don't understand why it matters so much though
Why does it matter?
I think to most mums all that MATTERS is that they have their baby in their arms!

Like saphire says, I hope no mums on here are reading this because some mums don't gave a choice and doesnt go so plain sailing as you nay want or dream.

I'm feeling sensitive about this because I have a friend who had a very distressed birth and resulted in their son being very poorly and has only just heen able come home after 6 weeks. So, imo, no it doesn't matter how the yell our babies arrive into our arms as long as the baby is ok and not if we are ok in how they arrived!

Do you see how conflicting the first two paragraghs of your post are? You dobt understand why it should matter, yet it might offend some people because it DID matter and they didnt get what they wanted in their own labours.

It matters to me. Of course it should matter to me. Labour is hte most empowering experience a woman can ever have. I know I would be devastated if I had many interventions. I invision a drug free labour, natural at home. It is not just a dream, it is reality! Of course there are some occasions where natural births cannot happen - say csections - but otherwords it really doesnt need to be viewed as a pipe dream for any one!!

I am not saying tha natural is obviously superior. i am just saying it needn't be a touchy subject for those that actively chose drugs. and those that had interventions they couldnt control, well, I cant see why they would be offended either, because it wasnt in there control and no blame could be on them.

 

[bigbetty]

I was induced because I was 12 days overdue - nothing I could do about that and I wasn't going to refuse it because don't believe that would have been in the best interest of my baby. I had pethedine but found it useless and had gas and air - which looking back I could have done without.

So no I didn't have a completely natural birth but if I have another, and nothing goes wrong, then I know I could do it drug and intervention free.

I went into the delivery suite with a completely open mind. I knew I didn't want an epidural if I could help it but would have had one if needed - thankfully I didn't.

At the end of the day no matter what you want to happen, you just can't plan for every eventuality.

Fingers crossed you get the birth experience you want but at the end of the day que sera sera - what will be, will be!

 

[Cattia]

If this post was asking how many people had an epidural though, it wouldn't risk upsetting people, it would just be seen as a question (which is what I think the OP was). I can see why you would think that some people might get upset thinking that they didn't have a natural birth, and I think often we put this pressure on ourselves, which is a shame, we all have our ideals but IMO what really matters is that we have a safe labour and a healthy baby

 

[Fabby]

Yeah agree with you ju_bubbs about not been able talk about it, of course you can share your experience but the op has said how she thinks its important to some people to have a natural birth..... this s what I'm finding hard to understand...... Surely there's nothing more important than having your baby in your arms safe and sound and not matter how they got there

 

[aliss]

I really don't see the harm in asking. I had a variety of horrible interventions that made my son's birth the worst day of my life, I'm pretty sensitive to it, but I don't see what's wrong with her asking about those who had 100% natural (whatever that may be) and wanting to hear about it. I wish I could respond "yes" to this thread but I can't, but it still makes me warm & gooey inside (LOL) to see that some women achieved what I didn't get.

I kind of feel like the girl with the broken ankle watching the other marathoners cross the finish line, iykwim? Sure, it sucks to not be a part of it, but I am very happy for those who made it.