Natural Birth

thinking about natural birth-- advice please!!

I recently found out I am pregnant with my first child and was curious about natural birth. Any good advice, things you would have done different, or good books to read would be greatly appreciated!

Re: thinking about natural birth-- advice please!!

  • Welcome!  Not everyone would agree with me, but I think a good place to start is watching "The Business of Being Born".  Keep in mind that like any documentary it is biased, so take it with a grain of salt.  A really well written/researched book is "The Thinking Woman's Guide To a Better Birth".  As pp mentioned anything by Ina May is wonderful.

    Have you thought about classes?  I had a great experience with Hypnobirthing.  Some other popular ones are Hypnobabies and Bradley.  

    What type of birth are you planning?  I think one of the best things you can do is find a provider who will be supportive.  Talking with other women, asking potential doc/MWs questions about their approach to low intervention births and if it's a hospital finding out their c-section/epidural rate.

    Good luck in your journey!  The girls on this board are always happy to answer any questions along the way, I'm glad you found us!

      
  • Thank you so much! I will definitely look into that stuff! As far as classes and type of birth, I really have no idea. I just started thinking about it. I will start doing my research and hopefully my body and baby agree with natural birth.
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  • Thank you so much! I will definitely look into that stuff! As far as classes and type of birth, I really have no idea. I just started thinking about it. I will start doing my research and hopefully my body and baby agree with natural birth.
  • Congratulations!

    Ina May's book is a perfect place to start. She is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. I would also recommend these website:

    https://spinningbabies.com

    https://birthwithoutfearblog.com

    https://inamay.com

    Like PP said Business of Being Born is an interesting watch as well as their mini series More Business of Being Born. I believe there is another one called Pregnant in America that has some interesting information.

    Basically I would advice to read anything and everything you can get your hands on. A wealth of knowledge about natural is going to help you be your best self-advocate.

    Good luck! It is a very exciting and fulfilling journey!
  • My doula helped me (and my husband) a great deal during my labor and delivery last week. I also agree with pp about Ina May's books. I re-read her book just before my due date, it really helped me feel positive going into my induction. Find yourself a caregiver that is open to the experience you are looking for and open to offering you guidance to acheive it. This board really helped me figure out what I wanted and gave me info to work with so I could research more about the details that interested me. Pinterest also has alot if info about natural childbirth. Also, I just wanted to add that my natural experience was much better than my medicated one. DD1 was not alert long and DS2 (natural) was alert for almost 12 hours after his birth! It was an amazing experience for my dh and
    I. Good luck and congrats!!
  • Everything that PPs said is great advice - educate yourself as much as possible about what normal birth is like, and what interventions are routinely used in hospitals these days. 

    Also, hire a doula! She is someone who will help you prenatally, answer any questions, help you get your birth plan together, then be with you during your entire labor and birth, helping to ensure a wonderful birth experience for you and your family. 

    Best of luck on your journey!
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