natural births at hospital! support needed!

[babyface15]

Thanks NDh I didn't see that there I'm trying to fill up my head with positive stories!

That's good to know about the food, because I always get weak when I don't eat or drink (although I'm sure that happens to everyone lol). I will definitely be packing some things. xoxo

 

[BunnyN]

I found this 53 page document you can download from the World Health Organization helpful:

https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/who_frh_msm_9624/en/

It is their recommendations about normal, low risk births. It covers lots of practices routine in many hospitals like IVs, not eating and drinking in labour, episiotomy, augmentation of labour etc. I was surprised how much of it agreed with my own views. Where I live the medical profession pretty much sees the whole natural birth movement thing as being very fringe so it's nice to read such balanced information from a "respectable" source.

 

[little_lady]

Thanks for this thread. I really want a natural birth but am having it at the hospital, so this advice is invaluable!

 

[motherearth23]

I started my prenatal care with a nurse/obgyn at a Women's Health Center but switched to a Midwife at 15 weeks pregnant when I learned that I had to give birth at the city hospital which was known for higher intervention rates.

Instead, I am going to a smaller hospital which has a separate birthing center attached. They have a water tub, their prenatal classes incorporate yoga and some hypnotherapy techniques, they simply do not offer epidurals, and you are guaranteed to know the midwife who will be delivering your child.

I am still super nervous that my personal wishes will not be respected!! I have a VERY specific list of post-birth desires (baby goes straight onto chest, no one is to clean/rub down my baby, I want a 'golden hour' where I am the only one to hold him/her for an hour, placenta is to be delivered naturally and is to remain attached for at least half an hour to an hour, etc)

I am especially nervous about them disrespected my desire for a lotus style birth. The cord only takes a second to be cut, and I am terrified they will just do it when my baby is born so fast that I can't say no. They have already said it is their 'hospital policy' to cut the cord once it is done pulsating after only 3-5 minutes. :/

For mommas who have birthed in hospitals.... do I just say no to their policies?? Will I get in trouble? I read an article awhile ago about a mother being literally arrested in a Pennsylvania hospital for saying no to certain vaccinations after birth. I don't want anything traumatic to happen. Maybe I am just overreacting?

 

[Ylanda]

I don't know what the regulations are in the US but surely they are operating on the principle of informed CONSENT - if you don't consent to a treatment (be it "policy" or not) and they do it anyway then THEY are the ones likely to get into trouble, not you! Keep your wits about you and make sure you and your birthing partner (if you're having one) are on the same page so he/she can jump in and stop them from cutting the cord if need be!

I'm also concerned mainly about the post-partum stuff - during labour I think I will be able to stand my ground and "do what I want" but once baby is there an I'm on cloud nine I'm just worried that I won't be able to think as clearly anymore and that things might happen that I don't want (injection for placenta, vit K for baby, cord cutting etc.)... What has the world come to that we're here tearing our hair out over what should be the most natural thing in the world?!?!

 

[nevernormal]

I'm planning/hoping for a natural hospital birth as well. Unfortunately the area that I live has a high c-section rate, NO midwives (our state has very strict laws), etc. I did find out that my hospital does immediate skin-to-skin, and while they don't provide birthing balls, I can take my own if I wish. They don't allow eating and drinking during labor but the current recommendation from the American Association of Anesthesiologists (or something like that), and also confirmed by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists is that low-risk women be allowed to drink clear fluids during labor, so I will make sure I have some bottled water and maybe white grape juice or something on hand to drink if I wish.

The things I am doing that I hope will help me achieve a natural hospital birth are:

- Educating myself! I know that some of my wishes will be way out of the norm here, but by educating myself and looking at each issue from many viewpoints, looking at the research, etc. I'm confident in what I want and that will make it easier for me not to waver, I think.
- Being VERY straightforward with my doctor. I've already talked to him about some of it and even typed up several pages for him to read of some of my wishes and links to research that backed me up.
- Educating my DH. We cannot afford a doula as I lost my job not long after I got pregnant, but I am making sure that DH is educated on what I want, and why. He'll also have a copy of my birth plan, possibly more detailed than the one I give the doctor & hospital staff so he can't just blank out on me.
- As long as I go into labor naturally, I will wait as long as possible before going to the hospital. The less time I am there, the less time they have to intervene.
- As someone else mentioned, if they tell me an intervention is needed, I'll have already told DH that he needs to ask if we can have a few minutes to think about it. Giving us that time probably means that the intervention is unnecessary, or at least can wait longer.

Who knows if this will work... I feel like I'm a one-girl revolution in my city. But I really think as long as DH supports me it's more than achievable. I think my doctor is starting to realize that I'm not just naive about birth in general, and will be more supportive than he has been in the past anyway.

 

[Ylanda]

I'm with you, nevernormal, support from the OH is crucial! Mine will also have a copy of my birth plan and I will make sure that we agree and are educated on all the various choices and decisions to be made. I like the idea of asking for time to consider each of the team's suggestions. I've made a start on our birth plan and hubby has had a quick look over it and there didn't seem too many issues he wanted to discuss.

Even though it won't be the same MW at the delivery to the one I've been seeing during my antenatal care I will ask her at my next appointment tomorrow if she would be happy to discuss the birth plan with us to double check our hopes and expectations aren't completely whacky and unrealistic...

 

[Kimboowee]

I had a natural active birth in the hospital - UK. The midwife prescribed me clary sage and frankinsense which was brilliant. I had a great birth!

 

[Moorebetter]

YAY!!! Looks like there are some great stories out there!

Ive started acupunture to help with stress that may come up in the next few weeks! Ive started my birth plan and started reading books to help!

 

[Moorebetter]

another great website!

https://givingbirthwithconfidence.org/category/birth/coping-with-pain/

 

[Moorebetter]

https://www.improvingbirth.org/the-evidence-shows/

GREAT INFO!!!!!!

 

[Guppy051708]

https://www.improvingbirth.org/the-evidence-shows/

GREAT INFO!!!!!!

interesting! Thnks for the link

I would higly recommend "The Business of Being Born" (i liked the first one better, but both are great) and "birth in America" (or maybe it's called born in america? i can't remember what name it is, but they are excellent!)

I think in one of my doula or childbirth training class, they said only 1/3rd of all standard hospital interventions actually had evidence to back it up...very scary to think the vast majority of those interventions dont have solid science behind it and yet it's still apart of the US hospital system.

 

[jensha]

https://www.improvingbirth.org/the-evidence-shows/

GREAT INFO!!!!!!

Those stats are horrible, aren't they!
I'm so glad I switched to a birth center with midwives!
I wish more women would be informed about their options.

 

[Guppy051708]

https://www.improvingbirth.org/the-evidence-shows/

GREAT INFO!!!!!!

Those stats are horrible, aren't they!
I'm so glad I switched to a birth center with midwives!
I wish more women would be informed about their options.

Couldn't agree with you more!
Sadly, in many parts of the country those options dont exist When i lived in central PA the only option was the hospital. The only way you didn't go to a standard hospital was if you could actually get a hold of an Amish MW (that is quite the endeavor since they rarely, if ever use phone and internet, let alone not being local). ...lets just say im glad i moved to new hampshire were homebirth laws are protected and the natural birth community is much larger (Though still a very small portion of the population). I told dh i wouldn't even consider moving back to PA until i am done giving birth! lol

but yes, i agree. Too many women never realize there is more ways than the standard hospital with all those crazy interventions. and i think what saddens me the most is the fact that birth is never seen for what it truly can (and typically is) in the natural progression.

 

[nevernormal]

Right... being informed about options doesn't mean those options are available to you. In my city, there's NO birth center, and NO midwives, despite home births actually being legal here. The hospitals and doctors have run all the midwives off. I'm doing my best to be informed and to make sure that my doctor & the hospital staff know my wishes, but fighting the system isn't easy. And I'm sure, in the throes of labor, will be even harder.

 

[Guppy051708]

Right... being informed about options doesn't mean those options are available to you. In my city, there's NO birth center, and NO midwives, despite home births actually being legal here. The hospitals and doctors have run all the midwives off. I'm doing my best to be informed and to make sure that my doctor & the hospital staff know my wishes, but fighting the system isn't easy. And I'm sure, in the throes of labor, will be even harder.

it is VERY hard. I had to fight the system for my first birth (going nearly 42 weeks you get pressured alot...of course in the USA i guess the day you go overdue they start the induction chatter ). The best advice i can say to fight it, take an OUT OF HOSPITAL natural birthing class such as Bradley method or Brio Birth (amongst others), watch natural births on youtube, get yourself educated, and bring someone along who is great support and believes in the natural process-someone who has given birth unmedicated would be helpful but of course that isn't a common finding. Doulas are always a great thing too, but again sometimes thats not a resource. Education is really key here, but you are right it can be hard to not be taken advantage of whilist in such a valnerable state.

 

[Tasha]

Three of my five labours were natural births. They were all on a labour ward, as I am very high risk.

 

[floatingbaby]

I just found out that I am unable to have a home birth due to services unavailable in the town I will give birth in (only one MW and she is booked). I'm super bummed out, but trying to get on the natural hospital birth bandwagon now.
I think I'm going to labour at home as long as possible!

 

[juhnayrae]

I'm sorry I don't have much to add other than I'm planning on doing the same thing! My sister did a natural home birth with my niece and I want to go natural too, but DH has a sister that was born with lots of issues, so we'd feel more comfortable being in a hospital.

The only advice I can give is to see if there's a midwife group in your area that have hospital privileges. I'm lucky that we found one! My midwife won't give me an IV, induce, or do a C-section unless its ACTUALLY necessary. If it is, they have a doctor in their practice that will do it for me.

Our midwife said the hospitals they go to know that the people delivering with midwives tend to want more natural births, so they will stay out of our hair and not try to force stuff on me.

Have you checked for something in your area like that?

 

[mummy2be2012]

Ladies my birth was exactly how i wanted it and as natural as can be despite complications and forgetting to take my birth plan in with me. My little one tried to make an early appearance at 29 weeks but thanks to the hospital staff, steroids, drugs to stop the labour and bed rest at home she managed to stay in till 37 weeks. I was determined i wanted a natural birth so when i felt the pains coming i stayed at home until my mum forced me to go to the hospital.

The midwife tried to send me home as "i wasn't in enough pain to be in labour". I told her to read my medical notes and it would be very irresponsible of her to send me home without checking so she did and I was 9 cm dilated. I had mum and hubby as birthing partners and we listened to music and did some lord of the rings trivia!! I told my midwife i wanted as little intervention as possible and she pretty much just let me get on with it. My waters wouldn't break so i needed help with that but then when the pains started coming i just kept changing positions, kept on the move as much as possible while my hubby bathed me with cool water through out. I gave birth 1 hour after having my waters broke completely naturally with no pain relief what so ever not even paracetamol. Unfortunately i tore so needed surgery after but it was the most amazing experience and next time if no complications i will be having a home birth!! xx