What made you decide a home birth or natural birth (i.e. no pain relief) was for you?

[lilprince]

Ive had 2 homebirths and planning on my third. I knew it was right for me the moment I heard it was even possible. I met a woman who had a baby by herself in a tee-pee (I was a total hippy at the time..LOL) and I thought it was the most amazing thing Id ever heard. Coming from a family who all have c-sections I had never even known you could do it naturally. Now, I cant imagine doing it any other way. I want to feel my body and my birth. I want to be in tune with my body. I want my baby to be born without any drugs in its system. I could never understand how woman can be so careful throughout their entire pregnancies with taking medication, eating right etc and in the last few hours medicate the hell out of themselves and their babies? I know birth is such a personal choice and I respect all woman and their choices but for me natural is the only way to go!

 

[5ara]

I agree with most of what has already been said, they are all great reasons. I am planning a non-meds birth center birth. I chose this because I had surgery (cancer) about a year ago and I HATED the feeling of having no control over what was happening. I hated the whole experience of being in the hospital, on the gurney, in the gown with the IV and the BP cuff, just couldn't wait to get out of there. If I have complications and have to go to the hospital for the birth, than I will, but I would never choose it.

 

[NaturalMomma]

For me it was my first birth. I had my first son in the hospital, and things didn't go very well. When I got there they broke my water, started me on pitocin ( I was laboring just fine before that), made me stay in bed, didn't let me eat or drink, I got sick so they gave me Nubain, made it worse, so they gave me the Epidural, and I was very disconnected from everything. I had a 2nd degree tear, a baby who needed oxygen, PPD, a blood clot underneath my tear, horrible recovery, and I still have pain from my epidural and it's been 3.5 years.

I knew after I had my first son that I wanted more children but that there was a better way to bring them to this world without all that happened the first time around. I will be forever traumatized in a way from my first birth. I had to switch clinics because I couldn't get near my hospital without having anxiety. I get very anxious, nervous and feel like I'm going to vomit every time I go to a hospital or clinic, even when it's for my kids.

My homebirth was great, everything went well, I felt amazing after my son was born. I had no PPD or any recovery problems. Yes, homebirth can go bad, and so can birth in the hospital in a barn or wherever it happens. As long as birth happens, it can go either good or bad.

 

[PeanutBean]

Blimey natural momma what an awful story! We can have a tough time in the UK at the hands of the medics but we have nothing on the States. It's great you had a brilliant birth second time around.

 

[Deethehippy]

'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' - when we are tense and expect pain then we will get pain. A womans body is designed to give birth just as it is designed to make love or take a pee

I gave birth to my son in hospital with no pain relief but i hated the surroundings and lack of intimacy/care so i had my daughter at home 2 years later (again with no pain relief and born stood up) and it was the best thing i have ever done.....within 1/2 an hour of her birth we were downstairs eating fish and chips!!
Having said that i am not saying all births are straightforward but 9 times out 10 i'm sure they can be
I would totally recommend homebirthing and no pain relief wherever possible.

 

[NaturalMomma]

Blimey natural momma what an awful story! We can have a tough time in the UK at the hands of the medics but we have nothing on the States. It's great you had a brilliant birth second time around.

Thanks. Yeah the states birth is in a crisis in my opinion. Luckily in many areas there is change now that Midwives are being more recognized and colleges for Midwifery are popping up everywhere. It will take time to change things, but it's starting.

 

[Bournefree]

I really don't know the moment, or what triggered me and my other half deciding on homebirth, but.. It kind of crept up on us. I looked into it more and more, and was convinced THIS is the way I wanted to meet my baby.

Great books like Homebirth (Nicky Weston) and Childbirth Without Fear (Dr Grantly Dick-Read). great birth stories, and help and support of other ladies who have experienced homebirth or natural birth.. confirmed and cemented my views.

Birth is normal, the majority of births are - don't believe that it all has to be a horrid experience, and that you are going to have to be sooooo brave. All you have to is to relax and let your body get on with it.

I echo some of the other ladies feeling about if you expect pain, you're more likely to experience pain. If you are tense, and fearful you are more likely to labour slower and experience pain and potential complications.

Also statistics from the hospitals demonstrate the slippery slope of intervention, that women have experienced.. usually culminating in a c-section. (and I'm not one to think that a c-section is a wonder of medical technological advancement - I know it has helped lots of women and babies, and I'm not saying it doesn't - but I can't forget it is MAJOR operation!!!! With all risks and complications associated with it. To decide to do this electively.. without evidence of an emergency, seems bonkers!)

The experience of ladies within my group of Mummies is shocking; there are about 10 of us.. and ONLY 3 experienced a vaginal birth (one with intervention) That has to point to something is wrong, as I refuse to except there is anything totally evolutionary/genetically different between these lovely ladies and me!??!?!

Let go of everything and relax into your body, and it can be the most amazing, fulfilling and enjoyable experience you will ever have. (also I agree with others, when this mindset.. is taken into a hospital environment too!)

Gather information. Everyone should at least explore all the options of birth available to them, before heading down a medicalised route. It's so strange that everything medicalised is talked about so much, and the natural option is something that is rarely discussed - even in NCT or classes offered by the hospital or community (madness in my view!)

Sorry - I'm a bit empassioned about this!

xXx

 

[Jenniflower]

Well said!