1st Trimester
birthing options
Ok so i think we need something constructive to do (i mean besides growing little people). I am young, 23 actually and i have been TTC since i was married 7 days after i turned 18. Now that I'm finally here i feel so clueless. I've been thinking about birthing options since i got my BFP. Any good or bad experiences or comments that you would like to share about your birthing choices? Whether you are expecting your 1st or 20th I'd like to hear your opinions.
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Re: birthing options
This is my first LO, but my advice to you would be to do as much research as you can. What's right for someone else might not be what's right for you. There's the completely natural birth with no meds, light meds through IV, epidural, then of course there's c-sections, and home births.
For me, I'm planning on trying to go natural, with maybe some IV drugs if I can't bear it. Lots of people sing the praises of the epidural, but after doing some research, I don't like the risks and side effects so it's just not the right choice for me.
Talk to your doctor about all your options, then see what YOU feel comfortable with, and what kind of birth experience would make you happiest.
This is my second child, but like the PPs, I would do some reading, learn what you can online/books so you have a bit of an idea how you feel about some of the birthing options, then speak with your OB about what your OB will offer you and what your options in your hospital are.
For example, with my first pregnacy, I decided I wanted a water birth; however, after speaking with my doc, the hospital I had chosen to deliver at no longer provided that option (they say for sanitary reasons). For myself, I wanted to deliver at this particular hospital (call it intuition, or whatever you like), but it was more important to me to deliver at that hospital than to have the water birth, which worked well for me as that hospital has the largest and best NICU in a very wide area, and I ended up having a preemie.
So, I guess my best advice is to learn into and read about all of your options and have a list of what you like and don't and have a couple backup plans, just in case.
I'd like an unmedicated birth. Mostly because I'm so afriad of needles and the thought of an epidural makes me so nervous.
But I am going to keep an open mind and roll with the punches if things have to change.
This will be my second LO, but my DD was a natural unmedicated birth. I will be having a natural unmedicated birth with this baby too. My first labor was 6 hours so I was very lucky but it was very very intense. It was by far the worst pain I have ever had. The plus side was that because I didn't have an epi or IV I was able to walk and move and sway all I wanted. After DD1 was born I was able to get up and walk after 1 hr. I was healed within a week even with a third degree tear. Not having the epi also allowed me to push more effectively. I could feel where the pressure was and only had to push for 20 minutes. Unmedicated doesn't work for everyone, but I had a great experience with it. Hope this helps.