Natural Birth at the hospital (in US?)

[Crazy4Emily]

Hey gals

I'm leaning heavily towards having as natural a birth as i can. (never having done this before, I'm not entirely sure what I'm in for) However, it seems that all the research I do, and the books I've looked at, it's like you just can't have a natural birth at a hospital in the US. The way everyone talks, it sounds like the hospital is run by Satan and staffed by his minions. It can't be that bad can it??

I have no desire whatsoever to do this at home. I want to be in a hospital, just in case. But i don't want procedures shoved down my throat either. Is that even possible?? I can't understand why all the natural leaning folks are SOOOO against going to a hospital. It's starting to scare the crap out of me. Has anyone done this successfully in the US? is it just the extremeist that post negative things and write the books??

 

[countryrider]

I'm in the US also, what exactly do you mean by going natural in the hospital? My def. of that is without drugs/pain killers. If that's what you mean....many hospitals respect your choice and won't push drugs on you. If you mean water births or something else...not all hospitals are equipped with that. My first son was born in IA and I had a lovely nurse who encouraged me with my decision to not have drugs. I was also allowed to walk around at will, get in any position I wanted, and take a shower on a birthing ball...Didn't have a tub.

My secon son they didn't ask me at all if I wanted drugs, I guess they were waiting for me to ask for it if I wanted it. This time in IL at this hospital their shower wasn't big enough to have a birthing ball (don't think they even had a ball), and I was in bed the duration of the time.

 

[Crazy4Emily]

I mean pain/medication free...not strapped to the bed. I want to be able to walk around, take a bath, find a position that I'm confortable in, which may or may not be flat on my back in the bed. I just want to be able to choose.
I keep hearing these stories where basically the hospital staff makes you feel like an idiot for wanting to do any of that, or act like you are inconveiencing everyone. I've watched a few episodes of One Born Every Minute, and EVERY SINGLE LADY there is on her back pushing, all hooked up to machines. (except for the one crunchy lady, who they pictured as being a total whack job) Is that just the normal thing now??

 

[countryrider]

A lot of women choose to be on their backs, so yes, you will see a lot of that on the show. If I remember right you are hooked up to an IV in most cases, but it's just saline to keep you from getting dehydrated unless you ask for medicine. The other machine is to monitor your and the baby's heartrate.

In my experience like I've said I wasn't asked if I wanted pain medicine. I had to ask for if I wanted it, and that was at 2 different hospitals. So no it's not expected of you, and they won't think any less of you no matter your choice.

I think this day and age most women than not, plan on haveing pain meds, that's why you see/hear of it so often. I've heard a lot of women tell me, who have never been pregnant, "Why would you want to do it natural when you have pain meds at your will?"

It's all personal reasons...but do keep your options open no matter what you choose. Incase you do decide on pain meds cause it's too painfull for you...that you don't put yourself down afterwords saying "I should have just stuck w/ the pain for natural"

 

[bassdesire]

I had a 100% natural birth at one of the most medical hospitals in the United States. The c section rate is nearing 45% and the epi rate is far over 85%.

I had no IV, picked my laboring and pushing positions, ate and drank the whole time, had the lights dimmed, the door closed, and talking to a minimum. It can be done. I labored at home until the last second, I got to the hospital at 9 CM and my labor stalled for 3 or 4 hours. I just kept with it. It is very important to have a doula to support you, especially in the hospital. Also, labor at home. Don't think you are in labor when it starts. Eat, drink, shower, nap, and walk. Try to forget about it. That is how I got through it.

This time I am planning a home birth, but I feel confident I could go back to the hospital and have a completely 100% natural birth with no interventions.

 

[spidey]

I had a drug free birth in a hospital too. I was actually supposed to have the baby at a birthing center but was transferred via ambulance to the nearest hospital due to elevated heart rate of my baby. As soon as they wheeled me in a nurse said "is she ready for her epidural?". I said no and so did the midwife who came with me. My advice is to ask for nurses who like to attend natural births, and to labor at home as long as possible. Have a simple birth plan that the nurses can read with your preferences. A doula is a good idea because they can stand up for you. My experience in the hospital was good. The room that I labored in was very nice, and they even had a birthing ball, although they don't allow women to labor or give birth in water. They were a little overly concerned with monitoring me continuously, which was annoying at times, but I was considered "high risk" at that point.

 

[readyformore]

I'm an OB RN in the states. My advice to you would be to check with the hospital where you are delivering at. Each hospital seems to have a different variation of 'normal' or 'expected'. Also, check with your dr and see what his feeling is. Some want all kinds of intervention, and others could care less.

You have to really be able to stand up for yourself and that can be difficult while in labor. Make sure you have a support person that knows what your desires are and can speak up for you. Don't let anybody push you around, and bring cookies for the nurses (we always like that and is a ridiculously easy way to get us to like you, lol).

Good luck!

 

[mattison]

Glad to see this posted! I also want a natural birth in the hospital and also read about how hard that can be.

Basically I'd like to be able to walk, shower, eat and drink, etc... without feeling pressured to have meds or a c-section.

I am seeing my doctor tomorrow so I'll ask him about it.

For laboring at home, how do you tell when you are dilated enough that it is a good time to go in? You said you waited until 9cm. Sorry if that is a silly question. I want to labor at home as long as possible and am not finding anything to read that tells me how to tell when it is fine to head to the hospital.

 

[Crazy4Emily]

For laboring at home, how do you tell when you are dilated enough that it is a good time to go in? You said you waited until 9cm. Sorry if that is a silly question. I want to labor at home as long as possible and am not finding anything to read that tells me how to tell when it is fine to head to the hospital.

i wondered this too. I have no problem hanging at home, but how do you know when ...enough is enough so to speak? Wouldnt' that be different for everyone? or is it a timing thing? When contractions are X mins apart, head to the hospital??

 

[ChristinaRN]

If there are multiple hospitals in your area....sometimes one will be more natural friendly than another....ask mommies around town. When you do get to the hospital let the nurse know that you want to go natural and you NEED her to support you and to not offer drugs just because things are getting tough. As for the position you deliver in....this is something you need to talk to your doctor about. Natural deliveries in the US are possible....just be sure to stick to your guns! (But don't make a 10 page birth plan either, you'll be tempting Murphys law)

 

[spidey]

It's soooo easy to get excited and leave for the hospital too early! My advice is to head to the hospital when you cannot talk or walk during a contraction and they require all of your concentration. For my birthing center, 1st time mom's were told to come in when contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and atleast 45 seconds long. I think it varies depending on the doctor though. Mine were 1 minute long and 3-4 minutes apart but not very intense. I was 6cm and still had 7 hours ahead of me including pushing. Looking back, I could have easily labored at home until things got more intense, but I was too excited, LOL!

 

[NaturalMomma]

My advice to you is to just say no. Voice what you want at every prenatal appointment and when you get to the hopsital tell the nurse that you don't want pain medications, etc. Try to stay on your feet. It is unlikely you'll get to birth in a different position other than back, unfortuntaly. But try to walk, be on the birth ball, do labor lunges and squats, anything to keep things in motion. Some hospitals are pushy (mine certainly was), so maybe go into it thinking they will be and come up with code between you and your partner. And you should hire a Doula who is familiar with that hospital.

 

[mattison]

It's soooo easy to get excited and leave for the hospital too early! My advice is to head to the hospital when you cannot talk or walk during a contraction and they require all of your concentration. For my birthing center, 1st time mom's were told to come in when contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and atleast 45 seconds long. I think it varies depending on the doctor though. Mine were 1 minute long and 3-4 minutes apart but not very intense. I was 6cm and still had 7 hours ahead of me including pushing. Looking back, I could have easily labored at home until things got more intense, but I was too excited, LOL!

So if I am having contractions much like yours, if they aren't very intense would it be safe to just stay home longer?

I was reading that I could take a shower, walk, eat, watch a movie, even sleep and then go in. I really just do not want to go in too early! I want to be there for as little time as possible, LOL. Plus, my doctor doesn't seem as onboard with the idea of a natural hospital birth as I am. I want to try and avoid some of the pressures of being in the hospital for an extended period of time.

I figure if I can labor at home until the last possible moment, it will be a better outcome at the hospital.

I'm having difficulty finding all the answers to my questions!

 

[abc123x]

I haven't, but I have a friend who did this past summer!

My advice to you is to write a birthplan. Ask them to follow it as best as they can, but understand that certain things can come up that will cause you to need medical intervention. For example, if you are failing to progress, there is only so long that you can wait. If this happens, they will likely give you some pitocin to help you along.

Just make it clear that you want as little medical intervention as possible and to please read over your birthplan. It may help you to speak to your doctor before hand, so they can insure you that you will be given the experience you want, as best as they can.

They are really not that bad and will probably be more supportive than anything. People just don't think that US hospitals will do it because epidurals are so common, and there is nothing wrong with that either.

Also, they ask that you come in when your contractions are 3-5 minutes apart.

Congrats on deciding to go natural and be in the hospital. I think it's a good idea for your first child and I'm sure that it'll all work out.

 

[LaLaBelle]

I'm trying for the same thing- a natural childbirth in a hospital.

First of all, I hired a doula. She's awesome. I feel that simply having a doula in the room sends a message to the hospital staff that I will be having a say in this birth, and I'm going to do this my way. One of her duties for me is to keep an eye on what's going on and tell me the second anyone tries any sort of intervention or procedure without my consent. (I'm really worried about this, as my former OB/GYN examined me TWICE without asking consent to put his hand in my vagina- he was talking to the nurse one second, and the next he just shoved his fingers in there, and now I'm worried that all OB/GYN's seem to think that this is okay, to touch me without asking my consent first.)


I've gone to some discussion groups at a local mother's group in my area, and have gotten great advice such as:
-Don't ask permission, ask for forgiveness. If you want to get up and walk around, don't wait to ask a nurse, just do it. If you want to labor squatting over the bed, just do it.
-The hospital staff tries very hard to convey an aura of authority- if you think they're in charge, then you will be an easier patient for them, and do what they say. But you're the customer, it's your birth, you have a say in what happens to you and your body. Come in with an aura of confidence and control.
-Ask questions! "Is this medically necessary?" is a great one. Ask what's happening, what they're doing, and why they are recommending what they're recommending.

and my favorite piece of advice:
-As soon as you come into the hospital, request a nurse who likes natural births! Some nurses love helping a woman through a natural birth, others can't stand to see a patient in pain and will constantly ask if you want an epidural. If you really can't stand your nurse, or she is constantly hounding you to use pain relief, ask for a different one! My doula told me to use the line "It's not you, it's me, no offense!"




Please post your birth story! You're ahead of me, and I'm dying to hear stories from women who had births in hospitals the way they wanted to.

 

[silver_penny]

I don't want to sound the scaremongering type, but I want to let you know what happened to me during my hospital experience and give you some advice on how to avoid what I went through.

My DS1 was a planned homebirth but an undiagnosed breech. I had to be transferred to the hospital due to state law, which states that a midwife cannot deliver a "high-risk" baby. (They classify breech as high-risk)

When I arrived at the hospital, I was already fully dialated and at +3 station, so thankfully they couldn't do a c-section. They performed internal examinations without asking permission and inserted an IV even though I told them not to. They didn't even allow my husband in the delivery room even though they had him all dressed and prepped for it, and I was begging to have him with me. The OB, while trying to "protect" my perineum during delivery, put her hand inside of me, causing the baby to come out more towards the top, causing me to tear in the periuethral area. Then after the birth of my baby, I flat out refused the pitocin to help deliver the placenta. I kept telling them no, don't give it to me, I don't need it. The nurse kept saying "Oh, we have to!" and give it to me anyways. In addition, the OB didn't stitch me up right, and I am now super self-concious about the flap of skin on my labia (poor DH!). They treated me like a number, a statistic, and a nuesance. They made me feel like a child, and the after-care wasn't any better. So, while I had a natural birth, the treatment I had was far from acceptable.

I had to go through a grieving process, but the painful memories are still there and will be forever.

Some of the things I learned from this process:

-- Saying no to procedures will not stop them, and will not be legally acceptable in court to sue the hospital for going against your wishes. You have to use the phrase (commit it to memory): "I refuse to give my consent to..." and then the procedure.

-- You have the right to deliver what ever way you want. Make your wishes heard, and make sure you have an advocate that will speak up for you if you feel you are being bullied.

-- If you have any issues with the birth, get the number for customer relations and don't be afraid to bring these issues to light.

-- Make a birth plan and have it read. Make multiple copies. Post it on the door to your room, have it put in your notes, and give it to anyone who will be taking care of you (nurses and doctors alike)

I know that it is possible to have a natural birth at the hospital. On a positive note, I can say that I had a natural birth at the hospital. However, my experience, unfortunately, was not the fanciful thing that people envision. I have heard of some amazing natural hospital birth stories, and I am happy for those who had such a wonderful experience. I was not one of them, however. Sorry if anyone takes offence. I just wanted to share my experience and hopefully help out in some small way!

 

[LaLaBelle]

I don't want to sound the scaremongering type, but I want to let you know what happened to me during my hospital experience and give you some advice on how to avoid what I went through.

My DS1 was a planned homebirth but an undiagnosed breech. I had to be transferred to the hospital due to state law, which states that a midwife cannot deliver a "high-risk" baby. (They classify breech as high-risk)

When I arrived at the hospital, I was already fully dialated and at +3 station, so thankfully they couldn't do a c-section. They performed internal examinations without asking permission and inserted an IV even though I told them not to. They didn't even allow my husband in the delivery room even though they had him all dressed and prepped for it, and I was begging to have him with me. The OB, while trying to "protect" my perineum during delivery, put her hand inside of me, causing the baby to come out more towards the top, causing me to tear in the periuethral area. Then after the birth of my baby, I flat out refused the pitocin to help deliver the placenta. I kept telling them no, don't give it to me, I don't need it. The nurse kept saying "Oh, we have to!" and give it to me anyways. In addition, the OB didn't stitch me up right, and I am now super self-concious about the flap of skin on my labia (poor DH!). They treated me like a number, a statistic, and a nuesance. They made me feel like a child, and the after-care wasn't any better. So, while I had a natural birth, the treatment I had was far from acceptable.

I had to go through a grieving process, but the painful memories are still there and will be forever.

Some of the things I learned from this process:

-- Saying no to procedures will not stop them, and will not be legally acceptable in court to sue the hospital for going against your wishes. You have to use the phrase (commit it to memory): "I refuse to give my consent to..." and then the procedure.

-- You have the right to deliver what ever way you want. Make your wishes heard, and make sure you have an advocate that will speak up for you if you feel you are being bullied.

-- If you have any issues with the birth, get the number for customer relations and don't be afraid to bring these issues to light.

-- Make a birth plan and have it read. Make multiple copies. Post it on the door to your room, have it put in your notes, and give it to anyone who will be taking care of you (nurses and doctors alike)

I know that it is possible to have a natural birth at the hospital. On a positive note, I can say that I had a natural birth at the hospital. However, my experience, unfortunately, was not the fanciful thing that people envision. I have heard of some amazing natural hospital birth stories, and I am happy for those who had such a wonderful experience. I was not one of them, however. Sorry if anyone takes offence. I just wanted to share my experience and hopefully help out in some small way!

Thank you for sharing!!! I'm sorry your birth did not go the way you wanted, and thank you for using it to help us.


The "I do not consent to _____"/"I refuse to give consent for _____" is really important. My plan is to have a signal for my husband to start filming with his cell phone camera, because I am REALLY worried about consent.


How screwed up is it that you said "no" and they still did it? That infuriates me to no end. It's your body, you have the right to control what happens to it!!!!



Another thing about the birth plan I forgot to say:
Make it only one page! Make it easy to read, with bullet points, and just one page. You can have a more detailed one, but having a one page, easy-to-read handout means the hospital staff is more likely to read it, remember it, and pay attention to it.

 

[mattison]

Hopefully this is not considered hijacking your thread, OP. I just have the same questions as you (I think) and don't want to create a new thread with the same advice and such. Let me know if I should, though!

What all do you put on your birth plan?

I put everything I could possibly think of and it is like 3 pages long So I took out things I thought I'd have more say on, and it now one page, but very tiny font! I'm not sure what to highlight to the hospital staff. I am so worried they are going to take advanage of every situation that I am not 110% prepared for.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It is important to know this ahead of time. I will be sure to remember about consent and such. That makes me sick, too, that you said NO and they still did it. Kind of scary actually.

 

[LaLaBelle]

Hopefully this is not considered hijacking your thread, OP. I just have the same questions as you (I think) and don't want to create a new thread with the same advice and such. Let me know if I should, though!

What all do you put on your birth plan?

I put everything I could possibly think of and it is like 3 pages long So I took out things I thought I'd have more say on, and it now one page, but very tiny font! I'm not sure what to highlight to the hospital staff. I am so worried they are going to take advanage of every situation that I am not 110% prepared for.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It is important to know this ahead of time. I will be sure to remember about consent and such. That makes me sick, too, that you said NO and they still did it. Kind of scary actually.

I think a new thread would be okay, since it's a bit of a different topic, and it would make searching easier, and you'd probably get more answers.

My plan for a birth plan is to have a one-page sheet, that's quick and easy to read, that gives the staff the general idea- please don't offer me pain medication, I'll ask for it when I want it, no epidural, baby is to be put on my chest immediately, that kind of stuff. (Not exactly sure, yet.)

Then I'll have a more detailed birth plan, and if that is needed, I'll have it. Plus, I'm pretty sure that the act of writing it and thinking about it will leave me feeling more confident and less scared.



I'm a good proofreader (I do friend's resumes/CVs all the time) so if you'd like me to look at your birth plan and try to distill it down into bullet points/make it super easy for a nurse to read with a quick glance, I'd be happy to do it!

 

[Arvensis]

I'm an attorney. I had jaw surgery a few years back and I learned all kinds of things about the U.S. medical system.

Like, for every hospital admission or surgery, there is a transcript of the events as recorded by the doctor that YOU as a patient have a right to receive a copy of (they will usually charge you a few cents a page but it is well worth it - I learned that they lost a fraking screw somewhere during surgery and did an extra scan or two to make sure they didn't lose it in my face). All you have to do is contact the hospital and request a copy of your medical records.

I bring this up for several reasons, even though I know this will go into a new thread (and I will try to find it there).

(1) EVERY DOCUMENT YOU SIGN AT A HOSPITAL IS EDITABLE!!! I know, this is surprising, but you can cross out and write in your own consents in those standard language forms. Don't want to give the doctor consent over a procedure? You can scratch it out! Refuse to allow doctor to make decision without imput of SO or medical power of attorney, you can do that.

(2) A BIRTH PLAN IS NOT ENOUGH. YOUR SO MUST HAVE MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY AND AGREE TO PLAN. If your SO has medical power of attorney, OR if you give it to someone else you trust to make decisions for you, THAT PERSON can be the authority stating NO to the dr. when they attempt to do something without your consent. You also might want to make sure certain document are on file in advance so that you're prepared either way, and that those documents go with you to the hospital. An MPOA got my husband and godmother into pre-op with me, when the nurse initially spent 15 minutes telling both they were not allowed. Write on your form that X has MPOA and during birth all decisions have to be consented to by them.

Of course this doesn't help if it's am "emergency" and you're rushed in, as much can be gotten away with in the moment, but something to think about. Did anyone have to sign the papers when you were admitted with a breach baby? Someone likely had to consent, thanks to our lovely legal system.