Looking for a more natural experience next time around

[k_hall1784]

So my hubby and I have decided to have another baby. Now this won't be for some time (next summer), but I have decided that when the time comes, that I would like to have the next baby at home or in a birthing center. I have three children whom were all born in a hospital. My first delivery was induced and 100% awful. The whole experience was terrible. My next delivery was a lot better. I wanted to do a non medicated birth, but chickened out when I remembered the birth of my oldest. For my third delivery, I did 95% of the laboring at home (I had no clue that I was in labor) and had my daughter not even 30 minutes after reaching the hospital. Now, although she was all natural (no IV's, no epi, nothing), I want things to be less chaotic next time. Everything happened so fast that I was fighting the contractions and scared to push. I want my next birth to be a lot more "pleasant". My hubby is terrified of the idea of me having a baby at home, so I want to take the time before we TTC to reassure him that as long as the pregnancy is low risk, we will more than likely be fine. So with that being said, that means that I have to do some research and then show him what I have found. Anyone have any ideas on a good starting point? I am new to whole birthing at home/ birth center and the midwife/doula scene, so I need all of the help I can get. lol

 

[Blueskydreams]

Hello!

My husband and I are ttc baby #1. I am always a couple steps ahead in planing, LoL, hence the reason I am already looking at Natural Birth and Natural parenting forums. =) My DH is on board with the closest birth center (2 hours ahhh!). Not so much a home birth, though neither am I since I don't know what to expect. I always joke that he can deliver the baby bc he is a firefighter/emt and has some training in that department. Hehe. Anyway... I just recently learned about the movies The Business of Being Born (2007) and More Business of Being Born (2011). So far I have just watched the trailers on youtube but I plan on watching both of them with DH once we conceive. I bet they would be great videos for you to watch with your DH to make him more aware and comfortable with home or center births. GL! Let us know how it goes. x

 

[MindUtopia]

You might have your husband read this. It's an interview with a dad who was originally reluctant to have a home/birth center birth.

https://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2012/09/17/a-fathers-perspective-the-journey-from-hospital-to-home/

 

[Lumboo]

I had my son (first baby) in an NHS midwife led birth centre and cannot recommend the experience enough. I was calm and relaxed and able to focus entirely on the visualization techniques I was taught (going up a mountain, hands of mother nature pushing baby out etc)

My only pain relief was having a hand held shower to my lower back during contractions and my Aunt using shiatsu massage to press the elimination points which speeded things up.

My son was born in 2.5 hrs with no drugs, not even gas and air. I needed no stitches and was walking around up until the point of pushing when I was on all fours to open up the pelvis. We were home within 7 hrs of my giving birth.

Also, just so you know, I am a 150cm petite female, and my husband is an ex rugby player so everyone thought I may need a c-section. How wrong they were.

In a birth centre I found, providing there are no complications, you focus more on what nature is doing, and each contraction feels one step closer, rather than just focusing on the pain. It is far more relaxed and I never even felt the need to ask for any intervention.

This time round, all going well, I am seriously considering a home birth, as I think it will be a better experience. as my first baby was an easy delivery, the midwife is thinking this would be a very good option for us.

In terms of the birth centre delivery I have to say my husband never got a say. It was my body, me doing all the hard work, and as far as I was concerned, as long as the medical team were happy with it, I wanted my baby delivered in the most calming manner for me. Our birth centre could turn into an operating room in 90 seconds so I think that reassured him anyway.

Good luck with what you decide but I would highly recommend it! x

 

[Samiam03]

I definitely recommend staying out of the hospital. I did the hospital experience with both my kids and I don't plan on doing it again! I had a whole water birth planned with my DD but the hospital never set it up when we told them we were on our way and I had a fast labor so there was no time by the time we got there. They also were very pushy and unsupportive...plus the environment was so cold and scary. They tried to keep me in bed and forced an IV on me. I ended up asking for an epidural before my midwife and doula even showed up. Thankfully, since I went fast and they were busy, I didn't have time for any pain relief.

The hospitals (at least in the us) are too intervention happy and not where you should go if you want a pleasing birth. I even had a hospital postpartum nurse tell me I should have had a home birth...I think that speaks volumes!