Natural Childbirth

[Newlywed52810]

Has anyone experienced this or planning to go this route with this pregnancy? Did you take any classes to prepare?

I don't want to do a home birth, but I am going to get a tour of a birthing center in the coming weeks. There is something so intriguing to me about natural drug free methods or laboring and birthing. Water birth in particular is really interesting to me, mostly for the pain management aspect. : )

Just wanted to get others' take on the experience or find ladies like me. Thanks!!!

 

[L Elise]

Hi Newlywed - yup - I'm in that boat with you. I'm still debating home/MLU for various reasons (all logistics - nothing else)but I'd like to try what the big man gave me before I hit the meds. This is our first.

Did you know there's another forum for Natural and Home Birthing? They're a real good bunch.

 

[Xuxa]

i had a waterbirth with DD. Not easy but hey, no birth is.
this time i am trying hypnobirthing. I also go to a birthing centre. Have read a lot about it?are you going with a midwife?

 

[bassdesire]

I had a completely natural childbirth in a hospital setting. I didn't even have to have the IV heplock administered. It was just me, husband, doula, and midwife. It was so natural and just like nature intended. I will never forget it!

I took Bradley Natural Childbirth Classes and I know that I could not have done natural childbirth without them. About 86% of women who take the class do deliver naturally. It was the most amazing experience of my entire life. Honestly. It was so amazing that I am having a home birth this time around.

Here are some helpful things:

1) get a doula (you can also find doulas in training for less money), you will not regret having a doula with you

2) labor at home as long as possible (including in your tub), the biggest mistake is feeling a contraction and saying, "lets go to the hospital"... you are just asking for intervention upon intervention if you show up early, i got there at 9 cm and it was PERFECT, the doula knows when it is time to go to the hospital in the way that you do not. When you think you are in labor you call your doula, he or she comes to your house (mine massaged me, made sure I ate and drank, gave me a bath, and helped by calling our hospital with updates).

3) use a midwife practice, not a doctor

4) see if birthing centers are in CT and use that if you can

5) if you think you are in labor: eat, drink, sleep, bath, and walk... IGNORE the contractions for quite a long time... you'll use up all your birthing energy thinking about if you are in labor and you will be spent by the time you need energy. I felt contractions at 3 PM, ate dinner as normal, took a bath for an hour (they were somewhat regular at this point), and then went to SLEEP in my own bed. I was awakened at 4 AM by some pain, timed them with my hubby for an hour or so, called the doula, she arrived at 7 am, we went to the hospital at 9:30, DD was born at 1.

PM me if you want to. I have a blog with nat childbirth stuff and a good birthing plan you can borrow.

Most of all, it is important to know it is a WORTHY goal and that you CAN do it!!

xoxo good luck!

 

[Dani_87]

I had a completely natural childbirth in a hospital setting. I didn't even have to have the IV heplock administered. It was just me, husband, doula, and midwife. It was so natural and just like nature intended. I will never forget it!

I took Bradley Natural Childbirth Classes and I know that I could not have done natural childbirth without them. About 86% of women who take the class do deliver naturally. It was the most amazing experience of my entire life. Honestly. It was so amazing that I am having a home birth this time around.

Here are some helpful things:

1) get a doula (you can also find doulas in training for less money), you will not regret having a doula with you

2) labor at home as long as possible (including in your tub), the biggest mistake is feeling a contraction and saying, "lets go to the hospital"... you are just asking for intervention upon intervention if you show up early, i got there at 9 cm and it was PERFECT, the doula knows when it is time to go to the hospital in the way that you do not. When you think you are in labor you call your doula, he or she comes to your house (mine massaged me, made sure I ate and drank, gave me a bath, and helped by calling our hospital with updates).

3) use a midwife practice, not a doctor

4) see if birthing centers are in CT and use that if you can

5) if you think you are in labor: eat, drink, sleep, bath, and walk... IGNORE the contractions for quite a long time... you'll use up all your birthing energy thinking about if you are in labor and you will be spent by the time you need energy. I felt contractions at 3 PM, ate dinner as normal, took a bath for an hour (they were somewhat regular at this point), and then went to SLEEP in my own bed. I was awakened at 4 AM by some pain, timed them with my hubby for an hour or so, called the doula, she arrived at 7 am, we went to the hospital at 9:30, DD was born at 1.

PM me if you want to. I have a blog with nat childbirth stuff and a good birthing plan you can borrow.

Most of all, it is important to know it is a WORTHY goal and that you CAN do it!!

xoxo good luck!

Wow, that is some GREAT advice!


I have been tossing around the idea of going natural. The thought of getting an epidural scares me quite a bit not only from the thought of the needle, but the thought of barely or not at all being able to control my lower half or feeling my legs. I guess you'll never actually know until you are there!

 

[SoyLatte]

You can get tons of feedback from the ladies here: https://www.babyandbump.com/home-natural-birthing/

 

[Newlywed52810]

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! This is my first and I really want to be informed and explore all my options.

There is a birthing center in CT close to my home staffed with nurse-midwives. I was wondering about the doula and if most people choose to have one or not. And I found Bradley classes in my area too, good to know that someone else has used that method!!!

I need to check out the natural birth forum now, no idea that existed!!!

thanks again ladies : )

 

[MummyI]

Yes, me too! I'm going to a Maternity Center for all my prenatal, birthing, and postnatal care. Thus far, it's been the best decision I've made for my pregnancy.

Firstly, giving birth seems less painful and uncomfortable to me than having a needle in my back. EEEouch. Secondly, I have a hee-woman approach to pain. And thirdly, as I have a feeling you'll find at the birthing center you're going to tour, the professionals there are extremely supportive and simply accept that you can do it without meds. There's no "are you sures" or "this is going to be toughs" because it's NATURAL and that's the way they approach it -- in a very matter-of-fact way. Because they're right: YOU CAN DO IT!

 

[bassdesire]

Go visit the birthing center! They can also give you doula advice. Everyone I know in the nat birth club uses a doula. Aside from complications from an epi, I was just plain scared to death of it!!

 

[Blah11]

I am going for homebirth but hoping to do some hypnobirthing classes too which luckily my MW runs for the NHS

 

[OliveMartini]

I had a completely natural birth.

I had to be in the hospital though, as the birthing centre had no room for me

That said, I found the whole birth an amazing experience.

It's definately worth the research

 

[mamawannabee]

I had originally been thinking home birth, but have changed my mind at least for my first. The local hospital is the one my mother passed in, and I think it would be really special to have my first brought into the world in the same place. However I am hoping for a natural birth and will not be going to the hospital unless medically necessary until labor has progressed a while. I have yet to meet my actual doctor and have been dealing only with the mw at the practice thus far who I really like but will meet the doctor next appointment and will make my decision to stay with him after that.

The biggest reason I had been thinking about home birth was because of the water birth, which they do not do at our hospital, and we do not have a birthing center anywhere nearby. However at our hospital, you get to stay in the same room for labor, delivery, and after, which I really appreciate rather than being moved around. I had a friend who had an epidural and baby was born not breathing well and had to be administered Narcan to bring him to being alert. After hearing that, I can only imagine the awful effects of the drugs on our babies. Not that I would judge any woman who gets an epidural, but it is not for me.