Thinking about the birth yet?

[anita665]

Have many of you thought ahead about the birth yet? How you think you'll cope, who you're having with you, what pain relief you want?

I've given it a little thought. I didn't want my partner there because I didn't want him to see what was going on "down there" but he wants to be there so I will keep him at the head end (my head that is).

I'm not really nervous about the pain and want to do it without an epidural.... I'm more scared of that, than the pain of labour. I went through a termination when I was 18 which hurt like hell and a couple of friends say that's a worse pain because its so artificial. We'll see My partner though, apparently trying to be supportive believes there is no way I will do it with out an epidural and is convinced I may well need a c-section (I think he's actually hoping I will). He reckons this way of thinking will prepare me if I can't cope, lol. It's the same as him telling me I will never lose the baby weight.... this is also meant to make me better.

He's full of stuff like that though, like when I said I think I'll be more comfortable up and walking about or kneeling because it seems more natural and goes with gravity. His response was that I don't know what I'm talking about and why do I think hospitals always make you lay on your back. It's apparently what they do in France (where he's from) they wouldn't put up with stuff like walking around. You lay down and get monitored.

 

[Tezzy]

im not worrying about labour at all, i did it with just gas and air when i had my son and it only lasted 3 hours from when my waters broke.

 

[Stef]

im not worrying about labour at all, i did it with just gas and air when i had my son and it only lasted 3 hours from when my waters broke.

Wow thats quick... I hope I have a short labour. I'm a wuss...

x

 

[Tezzy]

Wow thats quick... I hope I have a short labour. I'm a wuss...

x

its not about being a 'wuss' i have a very low pain threshold and i managed fine. as somebody said on another thread, labour is not an 'ouchie' kind of pain but a deep, emotional pain. dont worry, you will survive!

 

[Linzi]

No Im not thinking about it yet!

Well, I have thought of a few things.

I want my dad there but I dont know if thats a bit weird, but apart from my OH he's the only person in the world I trust 100% with my life and he makes me feel better even when the worst happens. But he's have to stay away from the business end. On the other hand, my OH doesnt want him there and thinks it should just be me and him. So I dont know, I might just put my dad down as someone whos allowed to be there but he doesnt HAVE to stay... if that makes sense.

As far as pain releif goes Ill take as much as possible please.

And I would like my OH to be the first one to hold the baby as well.

Thats actually the bit Im ost scared of coz Im useless with kids. Dont even know how to hold one.

So I guess I have thought about it quite a lot! haha Not scared of the pain, just everything that follows.

xxx

 

[nikkybaby]

I have already started thinking about all that stuff. My OH and my mother will be in there...but OH has already said that he wants to be back by my head (which I don't mind at all). His excuse is that he thinks we should both see him at the same time. As for pain relief....I'm not going to use any. I know labor is different with everyone, but if my mom could do no pain relief with 6 kids, I can do it with one.

 

[Sara]

Well I've drafted my birth plan already but that's because I have some very insistent (unusual) demands!
Thankfully I'm going to a birth centre so my wishes will mostly be a given anyway.
It'll only be me & DH, I don't want anyone else there.
I don't want ANY pain relief, that includes gas & air.

Oh there's much, much more

 

[LilysMummy]

Oh there's much, much more

Like what?? I love reading peoples birth plans/stories

Im so nosey lol

xx

 

[Samantha675]

I have thought about it. I am doing a home birth. So there will be no epidural, which is fine, that horrifies me as well. No lying in bed either, that is crap. You gotta use gravity and your body. My midwife already told me that when the pushing time comes, I will be standing, supported by my DH, and when I push I am to squat down. Make sense to me.

 

[Mango]

its not about being a 'wuss' i have a very low pain threshold and i managed fine. as somebody said on another thread, labour is not an 'ouchie' kind of pain but a deep, emotional pain. dont worry, you will survive!

That's good to hear. I think my pain tolerance maybe low as well but I REALLY want to do it without the epi or a c-section. I'm hoping to use a TENS machine and that it...from what I hear the moment is difficult ot describe. Most women just say that it is "intense".

 

[Sara]

Like what?? I love reading peoples birth plans/stories

Im so nosey lol

xx

LOL, that's ok! Remember it's still just a draft - I need to re-word and maybe add more to it

Before Labour:

No induction
No sweeps
No breaking waters

During Labour:

I want to be able to move about freely and eat/drink if I want to
No internals until I feel the urge to push
No pain relief (that INCLUDES pethidine & gas & air), I want to make sure that attendees don’t give in if I ask for pain relief – I’ll just be disappointed with myself later on!

During Birth:

I want to be able to choose which position I give birth in and discouraged from lying on my back
No episiotomy, although I’d like midwife to help stretch perineum and guide my pushing to minimise any tearing

During 3rd Stage/ After Birth:

Natural third stage – no syntocinon/syntometrine injection
DH to tell me baby’s sex
Cord not to be cut until it has STOPPED pulsing
DH to cut cord
Skin to skin contact straight away
I want to try feeding the baby immediately.
No bath please, want vernix to come away naturally
No formula to be given to my baby, I will pump in other circumstances
Vitamin K drops NOT injection
I'm undecided about whether I want to take placenta home yet, but I definitely want to see it.

(All this applies unless there is a (real) medical reason not to)

 

[Jules]

Linzi, i would double check with the hospital about your dad being there, as i am pretty sure (not 100%) that a friend of my mums said her daughter wanted her father there and he wasn't allowed..... i may be wrong, but worth double checking

 

[PitBullMommy]

Sounds like a good birth plan! My hospital doesn't really honor birth plans very well from what I've heard, but there aren't many around here =( I do NOT want drugs at ALL (I'm more scared of the drugs than the actual labor), course everyone laughs when I tell them that and says I'll change my mind as soon as the pain starts. It would be nice to have some support on that position instead of ridicule! I want my DH and Dad in the room with me. My Mom would drive me CRAZY if she was in there, my Dad can make me feel better when I hurt or feel sick and can calm me down and make me think more clearly than anyone (even though it drives DH nuts, lol), he of course is NOT allowed down the 'business end'..that's just weird. I do not want ANY of my inlaws anywhere even NEAR my room. They can't stand me (though they put on a good show about liking me when DH is around) and I can't stand them. If I even hear one of them or see one of them when I'm in labor, or even afterwards I WILL flip out. They can be in the hospital, they can go see the baby in the nursery...I don't want them in my room at all, under ANY circumstances. One of my friends has volunteered to stand guard and make sure they don't come near me.

 

[Holldoll]

My birth plan is a lot like Sara's. Minus the placenta and the bath part. I talked to the dr. on Monday about it all, because he is going to a group and I'm VERY upset about it. So I'm probably going to hire a doula and do a lot of my laboring at home. He said to not go to the hospital until I'm almost to the point of pushing, unless my water is gushing out, because then I'm more guaranteed a natural birth. The hospitals around here have a 80% epidural rate and I REALLY don't want one. Plus, at home I'll be much more comfortable with my own shower and tub and bed and food and everything else at home. If this weren't my first I would have a home birth. But I'm scared of not being near a hospital because A) I have no idea what to expect B) my heart, I don't know what will happen with me and it during labor.

 

[Firsttimer]

I want a natural birth well with nly gas and air if possible I really dont want epdurial I am terrified of needles and what can go wrong it went to my friends brain and had to stay in hospital for a week. I hope my birth is short some people are blessed when it comes to having a easy birth

 

[Margerle]

I've thought about it, and even toured the local birthing center where I'm going to have the baby. But I haven't made a birth plan yet. I suppose when I register etc. we'll go over all that.

I want a very natural birth. My first was induced, and I was preeclamptic so it was more a matter of getting that baby born than a birth experience. I was out of it for much of the birth.

I do not want a episiotomy. I had an epidural with #1 adn would like to try without.

I do want to be in the whirlpool if it feels comfortable. I do wish to walk around and eat and drink as I wish. The birthing suite has birthing balls and squatting bars and the nurses are trained for many different birth positions, so I will encourage them to help as I need it.

DH and DD and possibly my mother are the ones in the birthing room. DH will hopefully catch baby and cut the cord if all works out. Skin to skin contact imediately and breast feeding asap after birth.

This is a very good hospital and is very modern. I don't think I will need to be explicit on too many things, they are already prepared to do many of these things. I just hope I do not have a problem pregnancy where I miss out on many of these things again.

 

[Linzi]

Linzi, i would double check with the hospital about your dad being there, as i am pretty sure (not 100%) that a friend of my mums said her daughter wanted her father there and he wasn't allowed..... i may be wrong, but worth double checking

Yeah i definately will, thanks. Never thought about it actually.

I know it sounds really weird.

 

[Jules]

Its all about what you want, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, i have banned everyone from the hospital accept for OH!!!

 

[Sara]

Sounds like a good birth plan! My hospital doesn't really honor birth plans very well from what I've heard, but there aren't many around here =( I do NOT want drugs at ALL (I'm more scared of the drugs than the actual labor), course everyone laughs when I tell them that and says I'll change my mind as soon as the pain starts. It would be nice to have some support on that position instead of ridicule! I want my DH and Dad in the room with me. My Mom would drive me CRAZY if she was in there, my Dad can make me feel better when I hurt or feel sick and can calm me down and make me think more clearly than anyone (even though it drives DH nuts, lol), he of course is NOT allowed down the 'business end'..that's just weird. I do not want ANY of my inlaws anywhere even NEAR my room. They can't stand me (though they put on a good show about liking me when DH is around) and I can't stand them. If I even hear one of them or see one of them when I'm in labor, or even afterwards I WILL flip out. They can be in the hospital, they can go see the baby in the nursery...I don't want them in my room at all, under ANY circumstances. One of my friends has volunteered to stand guard and make sure they don't come near me.

Wow! You can tell the hospital who you don't want there and they will make sure of it.

Isn't it annoying when people tell what you want?!?!
Our bodies are made to give birth, they go through this whole change in 9 months to prepare and in the last stages stretch and shift bits n bobs to bring our babies into the world.
And then you have some busybody relative telling you that YOU won't be able to cope!
Please excuse the rant, it's one of my pet hates!

Pitbullmommy - don't you feel a bit strange having your baby carted off to a nursery? It's not normal practise here - baby stays with mama.

 

[coccyx]

Never say never!. I think its great to have some ideas but need to be flexible if things don't go as you hoped. Worse thing you can do is lie in bed. Need to keep mobile as long as you can. Helps to open up pelvis and gravity helps.