I just recently finished a series of hypnobirthing classes. I thought they were really interesting and I’m hoping that it will work well for me. I still have a ton of homework/practice I have to figure out how to fit into my schedule though.
@nackie I've been looking into hypnobirthing but couldn't find classes in my area. Do you think the book and CD would be sufficient if I wanted to try?
I will for sure be re-reading Birth Skills by Juju Sundin, finding prenatal yoga routines online (I still just go to a regular class).
I did find the hospital birth and breastfeeding classes to be worthwhile last time but won't be doing them again.
@EErin86 I’m only halfway through the book (the rest is part of my homework), so I’m not sure what’s in the second half yet. The cd had some nice meditations that I listen to every night before bed. We practiced a lot of different meditations in class as well as different poses and massage type things your support person can do. I definitely think the class was helpful, but the parts of the book I’ve read have definitely been worth it.
I'm a FTM and plan on having a natural birth, or I'm at least thinking at this stage that I will want to go that route. I'm very much go with the flow and believe my instincts will tell me what to do. This thread is definitely making me feel like I can go through it naturally if thats in the cards for me! Love reading your stories!
I'm going to pick up my Ina May book again but skip the birth stories in the front half this time. They were very motivating but didn't really prepare me for my own birth.
I also have a couple other books on my Amazon wish list including Natural Hospital Birth, Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, and Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth. Since what I needed more of the first time around was tips for managing my own labor I very well could end up with all 3, but I'll probably start with Natural Hospital Birth and go from there.
I'm not registered for any classes but I want to be more prepared with if labor feels like X, then I should do A, B, C and if labor feels like Y, then B, C, and D. I'm hoping to not get stuck with back labor again this time, but I want to be prepared with laboring positions specifically for back labor to try to get through it this time if it happens again.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks DS born 9/13/16 BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
We're taking a birth & newborn care class through the birthing center. We're also signing up for a partner prenatal yoga workshop. It's suppose to be some yoga poses but also demonstrate ways your partner can help manage labor pain and different positions to try. Definitely wanting to pick up a book soon. And create a visual birth plan to put in the hospital bag in case we end up at a hospital instead of the birthing center.
What threw me off last time was the total inconsistency of contraction timing and duration. I was under the impression that they would be time able and relatively predictable and when that didn't happen (I blame being induced) I was overwhelmed. This time I want to be ready for crazy town
I really want to have a low intervention birth but I also want to be prepared for anything. I also want to find out how low intervention you can be if you are induced. They have now started talking about needing to not let me go past my due date since the baby is so big. I just ordered Natural Hospital Birth and I signed us up for the childbirth classes at the hospital. And, in prenatal yoga, we do some mental/physical exercises about how to get through pain. I’m not sure if that is helping, but it’s kind of cool!
@magnolia209 in my yoga classes, the instructor usually asks the women that are getting close to their due date whether or not they want baby to come soon. Then they adjust the poses for them according to their answer. Maybe your yoga person could also help you get things started a bit earlier? From what I understand, pitocin makes contractions more painful, but it’s still possible to make it through without any other drugs. I know a few moms that have done it (my own mom being one of them)
@magnolia209 I was induced but didn't end up needing pitocin because things progressed well without it. I was really nervous about being induced but it ended up being not as scary as I thought and if it needs to happen again that's fine. It was nice being able to shower and eat a meal and mosey over to the hospital instead of feeling rushed out unsure because I was in labor
With my first, I read Ina Mae’s book and just kind of held on through contractions. I didn’t really have a plan or strategy, it just kind of happened.
With my second, I had been seeing a chiro because we thought she was posterior (she was) but stopped after I went into pre-term labor (not related to chiro!). Her birth was much harder to get through because of her position. Asking my husband to apply counter pressure to my hips and lower back while I rocked on the labor Ball was the only bit of relief I could get.
This time, I’m seeing a chiro again and just ordered a ball and i plan to sit on it as much as possible to help get him into good position. In my mind, the better a baby is positioned, the smoother labor will go, and I want to do everything in my power to prevent back labor again!
BUT! Posterior or not, you can totally do it! I like to advise for mamas to know their options, trust their providers and remember that a safe and healthy baby and mama are the most important parts of delivering!
@magnolia209 Most people think being induced means pitocin .That is one way to induce labor but there are many others as well, some involve meds, others don't. A big goal of mine is to avoid pitocin although I know it's not always possible. If induction is being discussed I want to try other ways first. As a FTM I'm no expert but I find interesting that your Dr is concerned with baby's large size this far out. I guess different Drs go about things in different ways.
@MrsBigTime - We realized later DS was posterior which is what caused all my back labor and non-stop contractions. I'm looking into ways to encourage a good birth position this time around too.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks DS born 9/13/16 BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
I am also trying to do unmedicated this time, but failed miserably last time. My blood pressure was so high that they banned me to my bed. My plan was to walk/move through contractions, and I couldn't even go around my room. When I was moving, contractions were fine, but laying in bed caused back labor. And then they started pitocin since nothing was progressing (progressed while I was walking though!!), so I quickly gave into an epidural. I need to find resources for working through this in the event we end up in this situation again.
@EErin86 do you mean that you were induced and then went home for a nice shower? Or that you knew you were being induced and therefore had a nice day ahead of it? (sorry, I don't yet know how it works!)
@jaylii The doctors are not concerned - they love that he is big and healthy. He is in the 89th percentile. They just mentioned that they will moniter his size closely towards the end to make sure vaginal delivery is okay (they think it will be) and that they would likely not let me go past my due date. I think he is just going to come early naturally. He is measuring almost 3 weeks ahead! I have always thought my due date was about 5 days off. So, he is big and the due date is wrong. I'm predicting September 7 -9 But just want to be prepared incase induction is reccommended.
@nackie Thanks! I'm going to keep doing yoga until the end.
@EErin86 My contractions were inconsistent, too. I wasn't induced, but LO was posterior - no idea of that had anything to do with it. It made it a little hard to describe to my care providers how things were going and deciding when to go to the hospital. They were definitely productive, but I got the feeling some of the time that they were thinking it was just false labor or too early and that I was overreacting. I was in labor for close to 24 hours by the time I went to the hospital, so it wasn't fast progression by any means. Once we got there, though, things moved quickly then slowed down. It was just all over the place.
My birth mom said she had very quick labors, so I'm a little worried that things are going to be really different for me this time and that I'm not going to realize it! But I'm also kind of hoping for that - a relatively quick (but not so fast that it's unbearably intense) labor would be nice.
2/13 Blighted ovum, D&C -- 6/13 MC -- 8/14 DD born -- 3/17 MC -- 9/18 DD2 born Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
With my first, I prepared by reading Ina May’s book and taking a Lamaze focused childbirth class. My labor stalled about 17 hours after my water broke and needed Pitocin. I was still able to labor without pain meds.
With my second, all I did to prepare was sit on my exercise ball. I had already experienced L&D and was confident going in.
This time, I’ll just be on my exercise ball and doing squats. DH knows I’ll let him know what I need from him.
I just came home from a “pain relief and anesthesia” class at my hospital where they explained the different options. Going in, and leading up to this point, I had decided I wanted an epidural. After the class, I’m sure I don’t. Knowing my own body and anxiety/hypochondria, I know that I can deal with pure pain much better than I can “discomfort”. I remember thinking of this a few months ago but I’m sure now - if I’m feeling weird/numb/tingly/unable to move or feel my legs, I think that will make me panic. Also concerned at the possibility of side effects they mentioned like itching and trouble taking deep breaths. These are all things that make me sort of spiral in my panic. So, my current plan (lol I know plans don’t always happen) is that I’d like to try to have a natural birth and use the breathing techniques I’m practicing in yoga. Fingers crossed!
I had a call with the doula I looked at online last night, and it went really well! We're going to meet in person hopefully next week. She was super supportive of my plans and has been a doula at the hospital where we're delivering, so she knows how to work there. She also repeated the advice I've seen a few places to stay at home for early labor as long as possible unless something is going wrong.
Like many of you, I want to try to avoid an epidural, pitocin, etc., unless absolutely necessary. Do any of your hospitals/centers offer less intense medication, like nitrous oxide? The reason I want to avoid the heavier meds is because of the recovery time, but it seems like nitrous oxide doesn't have that -- but it also seems uncommon so perhaps I'm missing a different issue?
@adirat My dr offers different pain meds to help "take the edge off", as she puts it. She doesn't offer the gas. I know because I asked She also mentioned that she has had some patients who were induced and the contractions were more intense than they could handle, or women who wanted to still be able to move but not be in such pain.. so she has what she calls a "test dose" of an epi. It is the smallest dose they can give while still seeing some effects. It still allows the woman to move around, although somewhat restricted. But you can be on all fours, or whatever position, to deliver.
As far as the gas and the other meds, from what I understand, you can only have them until like maybe 8 centimeters so that it doesn't cross to the baby. I am all about taking the edge off, but I'm nervous about what happens if it takes me hours to go from 8 to 10, and now the edge isn't off?
At my MW appointment yesterday, the MW asked if there are specific things I want (or don't want) done during labour. We will still work out a birth plan, but this was our first conversation about it.
She told me that they already routinely do a lot of the things that women request. For example, they do skin-to-skin. Some tests on the baby can be done while baby is on you and the rest are done after 1-2 hours. They also do delayed cord clamping and don't do episiotomies. I asked about being able to walk around and not have continuous monitoring and she said that they don't do continuous monitoring unless the mother is high risk or there is some other problem. They avoid interventions unless completely necessary. That all made me feel a lot better and more confident that they have my and the baby's best interests in mind.
Me: 34 | DH: 33 Married Aug. 2013 TTC #1 Sep. 2016 ***TW***
BFP Jan. 15, 2017; MMC Mar. 4, 2017 at 10w6d BFP Jun. 5, 2017; MMC Aug. 2, 2017 at 11w6d BFP Nov. 20, 2017; ended in CP All the tests. Everything normal except treated for ureaplasma and DH potentially has high DNAF. BFP Dec. 25, 2017; EDD Sep. 5, 2018; DD arrived Aug. 26th My chart: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/63f71d
@adirat My dr offers different pain meds to help "take the edge off", as she puts it. She doesn't offer the gas. I know because I asked She also mentioned that she has had some patients who were induced and the contractions were more intense than they could handle, or women who wanted to still be able to move but not be in such pain.. so she has what she calls a "test dose" of an epi. It is the smallest dose they can give while still seeing some effects. It still allows the woman to move around, although somewhat restricted. But you can be on all fours, or whatever position, to deliver.
As far as the gas and the other meds, from what I understand, you can only have them until like maybe 8 centimeters so that it doesn't cross to the baby. I am all about taking the edge off, but I'm nervous about what happens if it takes me hours to go from 8 to 10, and now the edge isn't off?
The IV meds always cross to the baby...it’s just that they don’t want to give them too late in the process that the baby is delivered with the effect of the drug still working and suppressing breathing and wakefulness. I got a dose of IV fentanyl at maybe 4-5 cm and it did nothing to take the edge off, but I didn’t want to try anything else because I have a history of bad drug allergies. I ended up with an epi, which I’m hoping to avoid this time. I wish we had gas at my hospital.
Last time when I asked my doctor about alternatives to the epidural she said there are some but she would limit me to the bed if using them because they might make me loopy or unbalanced (my goal was to be able to move around). So that's another question to ask when considering alternatives. I'm hoping labor will actually start on its own and I can hang out at home!
@adirat The gas is the only medical pain reducer that the birth center provides. However they don't offer it to us, we have to ask for it specifically. They're theory is that if they offer it, that implies they don't believe we're capable of getting through labor without pain medication.
Oh I forgot! The other thing the MW said is that they're huge proponents of at home visits. That way, if I think I'm in labour, I can page them and they can come by and assess me in the same way they would at the hospital. However, it has the benefit that I don't have to leave my house, I don't have to pay the expensive hospital parking fee only to be sent home, it's quicker than having to wait around at the hospital, and I can labour at home longer even if I am in labour. They will tell me when to head to the hospital.
Me: 34 | DH: 33 Married Aug. 2013 TTC #1 Sep. 2016 ***TW***
BFP Jan. 15, 2017; MMC Mar. 4, 2017 at 10w6d BFP Jun. 5, 2017; MMC Aug. 2, 2017 at 11w6d BFP Nov. 20, 2017; ended in CP All the tests. Everything normal except treated for ureaplasma and DH potentially has high DNAF. BFP Dec. 25, 2017; EDD Sep. 5, 2018; DD arrived Aug. 26th My chart: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/63f71d
I was curious if anyone had any experience preventing GBS.
I have heard of patients even getting a +GBS test at 35 weeks, going on to have it cleared by 37 weeks, but I don't know of anyone peraonally.
I bring it up, only bc my doctor mentioned, if a patient is GBS+ they will want her to come into the hospital and start abx earlier in labor. So I feel like preventing GBS (if possible) would be another way I can try to get the birthplan I hope for, including laboring at home as long as possible.
I started taking the braggs cider+water this morning, I already have a yogurt a day, and was thinking about adding probiotics or vitamin C, but I am a little hesitant before talking more with my doctor about those, or other preventative measures.
Point to note-IV pain meds will cross to baby, so you can't have them late in the game. The nitrous gas is just laughing gas like what some dentists offer. There's no restriction on it, it dmpdmt effect baby, and it wears off in 1-2 breaths. Not many hospitals offer it in the states, but a lot of out of hospital birthing centers do.
I prepared with in depth birthing classes at a stand alone birth center last time, and this time I have a home birth midwife, her assistant, plus a doula and my husband for sure to be present. I'm borrowing some birth videos to watch and read Natural Hospital Birth again, plus two home birth books...didn't much care for those. I don't want medical interventions unless emergency, but I'm not really interested in unassisted birth either.
I trust my body and my husband and doula to do a great job, but I also know that I've already been through the most painful delivery I've ever heard of, and while this one will hurt, it could not be as bad.
Prenatal yoga has also been great prep, as well as just working on surrendering to pain from my pelvis, and when my toddler and inside baby both jump on/kick the same nerve at the same time.
I really like birth mantras-"pain is progress" resonates with me, but there are more uplifting options out there.
My yoga teacher also have me a great idea. Have a plan for focus for each contraction. Some ideas are reciting a favorite poem or visualizing a vacation or whatnot...OR the alphabet game. Pick a category, and try to come up with something that starts with each letter. Maybe it's animals or whatnot. Your support people can get in on this with you and turn it into a distracting game. A-armadillo, B-bear, etc. I loved that idea at least until transition. Also planning on getting a desktop sized fountain and a birthing pool, so I can listen to and sit in water.
_______________________________________________
Me: 33 DH: 32 Married 7/18/15 1st born at 35+4 on 6/6/16 Team green turned BLUE! 2nd born at 38+6 on 8/30/18 Team green turned PINK! Due with #3 on 6/6/20 Team Green
@BusinessWife A brief search on my computer at work didn’t yield any useful information or literature about preventing GBS colonization. Anything out there is likely anecdotal at best (but likely low risk to try). I prefer the crossing fingers approach myself...
I bought Natural Hospital Birth and it’s been very reassuring. Because I have a history of DVT, a hospital birth is the only option (for me). I have spent a lot of time making sure my OB and the MW understand my wishes and they’ve been awesome. Being able to move around is a huge priority for me and my OB is committed to not making me bed bound during labor.
That being said - does anybody have any videos or YouTube channels they would recommend to share with hubs so he can feel more comfortable with the birthing process? He wants to be able to advocate for me but doesn’t feel like he has the knowledge to be the best he can be in the delivery room. He’s a visual learner so books aren’t incredibly helpful in this situation.
@businesswife I read that a yogurt a day is good but haven't gotten any more into the weeds than that If you find other tips, let us know! I am also interested.
@BusinessWife Please do share if you find any good info! I tested positive for GBS at 35 weeks with my DD (wasn't tested again) and had to receive abx during labor. My OB wanted me to come in to the hospital shortly after labor started, although I think that was also influenced by how dilated I was without being in active labor in the weeks leading up to my due date because my DD was hanging out super low. Both of those factors led to me being stressed about not getting to the hospital in time. I've also only come across anecdotal information about preventing it, but I don't think it hurts to increase probiotic foods beforehand.
Me: 32 DH: 32 BFP #1: 1/23/2012 DD: Born 9/20/2012 BFP #2: 12/30/2017 DS: Due 9/10/2018
In my search for things to do to encourage optimal fetal position, I learned that going overdue is not uncommon in moms whose baby is in a posterior (spine to spine) position. I knew back labor could be related, but not going overdue. I find that interesting considering DS was born at 40+5.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks DS born 9/13/16 BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
@BusinessWife@adirat Meant to post this after my appointment and it slipped my mind. I talked with my OB about it on Monday and she said it is common practice now to retest for GBS if you have not gone into labor within five weeks of having the test. GBS came come and go, so for example if you test positive at 35 weeks but have not gone into labor by 40 weeks, they would retest and there is a chance it could be negative. This seems to be a change over the last five or so years since I had my DD, resulting in less women being treated by abx who actually don't have GBS. She also said if one was to go into pre-term labor prior to having the test, they would mostly likely treat with abx during labor as a preventative measure. I also asked if there was anything I could do to prevent GBS, and she said no, however probiotics are good anyway, especially before and after receiving the abx.
Me: 32 DH: 32 BFP #1: 1/23/2012 DD: Born 9/20/2012 BFP #2: 12/30/2017 DS: Due 9/10/2018
Do you plan on having an unmedicated/low intervention birth? Reasons?
Yes. I’ve had both medicated and Unmedicated births.
Have you had an unmedicated/low intervention birth? Feel free to share your story.
My unmedicated birth was so much easier to recover from. Birth story in the next comment, but if you want to skip it..basically I didn’t have time for an epidural. I got to the hospital and it was time to get dressed hep lock and start pushing. Total labor 3 hours 44 mins.
With th my first it was my plan to go med free, but being a first time mom not taking any classes and generally not knowing what was happening I got a shot of Demerol for pain management because the on call anesthetist was in an emergency CS. Finally 20 mins before I started pushing, I got the epidural. I’m more mad at myself that I could have held out 40 more mins and had a med free birth. The nurses also wanted continuous monitoring and hated that I wanted to sit straight in my bed. They didn’t want me moving. I hated the way the epidural made me feel.
Baby #2 was born at a different hospital than baby #1, but #3 will be born at the same hospital as #1. My plan this time is to advocate for myself and have everything (that I can) my way. If I can find my old birth plan I will take a picture and post it. I plan on talking to my OB at my AS in 3 weeks and getting his OK. With my last pregnancy in his care he said everything was fine, but that was different when I was admitted. I was hooked up to pitocin and antibiotics. The abx was because we hadn’t had my results back from GBS test because she was preterm.
This is fine I may do a tour of the facility just to ask questions regarding what their “must do” list of things are. I don’t want to be limited to pushing from my back. I delivered on my knees holding the back of the bed with #2 and that was the most amazing thing. Every time they asked if I wanted to switch positions onto my back, I would try, but it was so much more painful.
This is how I delivered #2 instead of “normal” pushing from laying on your back. Imagine more on my knees holding the back of the bed.
**sorry for the “all overness” with my post. It’s early**
Thank you for sharing that picture !!! It wanted to deliver DS sitting up and thy woundnt let me .. This seems so much more natural than lying on the back. I'm going to talk to my MW to see if this helps if the hospital will let me !!
I have a question about routine pitocin after birth for delivering the placenta. Is there a reason to push back on this?
My main goal for an unmedicated birth is so that both baby and I are drug-free after birth and can truly bond, so having pitocin after that's already happening doesn't inspire strong avoidance feelings for me the way that avoiding an epidural etc. does. Really interested in others' thoughts. Thanks!
I have a question about routine pitocin after birth for delivering the placenta. Is there a reason to push back on this?
My main goal for an unmedicated birth is so that both baby and I are drug-free after birth and can truly bond, so having pitocin after that's already happening doesn't inspire strong avoidance feelings for me the way that avoiding an epidural etc. does. Really interested in others' thoughts. Thanks!
I had two med-free deliveries and still had to get Pitocin afterwards. It’s a routine thing after baby’s birth so it can help your uterus continue contracting to help with shrinkage and blood moving out. You won’t feel the contractions.
Re: Unmedicated/Low Intervention Births
I will for sure be re-reading Birth Skills by Juju Sundin, finding prenatal yoga routines online (I still just go to a regular class).
I did find the hospital birth and breastfeeding classes to be worthwhile last time but won't be doing them again.
Edit: fixed auto correct.
I also have a couple other books on my Amazon wish list including Natural Hospital Birth, Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally, and Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth. Since what I needed more of the first time around was tips for managing my own labor I very well could end up with all 3, but I'll probably start with Natural Hospital Birth and go from there.
I'm not registered for any classes but I want to be more prepared with if labor feels like X, then I should do A, B, C and if labor feels like Y, then B, C, and D. I'm hoping to not get stuck with back labor again this time, but I want to be prepared with laboring positions specifically for back labor to try to get through it this time if it happens again.
MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks
DS born 9/13/16
BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
From what I understand, pitocin makes contractions more painful, but it’s still possible to make it through without any other drugs. I know a few moms that have done it (my own mom being one of them)
With my second, I had been seeing a chiro because we thought she was posterior (she was) but stopped after I went into pre-term labor (not related to chiro!). Her birth was much harder to get through because of her position. Asking my husband to apply counter pressure to my hips and lower back while I rocked on the labor Ball was the only bit of relief I could get.
This time, I’m seeing a chiro again and just ordered a ball and i plan to sit on it as much as possible to help get him into good position. In my mind, the better a baby is positioned, the smoother labor will go, and I want to do everything in my power to prevent back labor again!
BUT! Posterior or not, you can totally do it! I like to advise for mamas to know their options, trust their providers and remember that a safe and healthy baby and mama are the most important parts of delivering!
MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks
DS born 9/13/16
BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
@jaylii The doctors are not concerned - they love that he is big and healthy. He is in the 89th percentile. They just mentioned that they will moniter his size closely towards the end to make sure vaginal delivery is okay (they think it will be) and that they would likely not let me go past my due date. I think he is just going to come early naturally. He is measuring almost 3 weeks ahead! I have always thought my due date was about 5 days off. So, he is big and the due date is wrong. I'm predicting September 7 -9
@nackie Thanks! I'm going to keep doing yoga until the end.
My birth mom said she had very quick labors, so I'm a little worried that things are going to be really different for me this time and that I'm not going to realize it! But I'm also kind of hoping for that - a relatively quick (but not so fast that it's unbearably intense) labor would be nice.
Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
@treeofcheem ok sounds like I should just be prepared for random contractions, thanks for the heads up!
With my second, all I did to prepare was sit on my exercise ball. I had already experienced L&D and was confident going in.
This time, I’ll just be on my exercise ball and doing squats. DH knows I’ll let him know what I need from him.
Like many of you, I want to try to avoid an epidural, pitocin, etc., unless absolutely necessary. Do any of your hospitals/centers offer less intense medication, like nitrous oxide? The reason I want to avoid the heavier meds is because of the recovery time, but it seems like nitrous oxide doesn't have that -- but it also seems uncommon so perhaps I'm missing a different issue?
@adirat My dr offers different pain meds to help "take the edge off", as she puts it. She doesn't offer the gas. I know because I asked
She also mentioned that she has had some patients who were induced and the contractions were more intense than they could handle, or women who wanted to still be able to move but not be in such pain.. so she has what she calls a "test dose" of an epi. It is the smallest dose they can give while still seeing some effects. It still allows the woman to move around, although somewhat restricted. But you can be on all fours, or whatever position, to deliver.
As far as the gas and the other meds, from what I understand, you can only have them until like maybe 8 centimeters so that it doesn't cross to the baby. I am all about taking the edge off, but I'm nervous about what happens if it takes me hours to go from 8 to 10, and now the edge isn't off?
She told me that they already routinely do a lot of the things that women request. For example, they do skin-to-skin. Some tests on the baby can be done while baby is on you and the rest are done after 1-2 hours. They also do delayed cord clamping and don't do episiotomies. I asked about being able to walk around and not have continuous monitoring and she said that they don't do continuous monitoring unless the mother is high risk or there is some other problem. They avoid interventions unless completely necessary. That all made me feel a lot better and more confident that they have my and the baby's best interests in mind.
Married Aug. 2013
TTC #1 Sep. 2016
***TW***
BFP Jun. 5, 2017; MMC Aug. 2, 2017 at 11w6d
BFP Nov. 20, 2017; ended in CP
All the tests. Everything normal except treated for ureaplasma and DH potentially has high DNAF.
BFP Dec. 25, 2017; EDD Sep. 5, 2018; DD arrived Aug. 26th
My chart: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/63f71d
Married Aug. 2013
TTC #1 Sep. 2016
***TW***
BFP Jun. 5, 2017; MMC Aug. 2, 2017 at 11w6d
BFP Nov. 20, 2017; ended in CP
All the tests. Everything normal except treated for ureaplasma and DH potentially has high DNAF.
BFP Dec. 25, 2017; EDD Sep. 5, 2018; DD arrived Aug. 26th
My chart: https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/63f71d
I have heard of patients even getting a +GBS test at 35 weeks, going on to have it cleared by 37 weeks, but I don't know of anyone peraonally.
I bring it up, only bc my doctor mentioned, if a patient is GBS+ they will want her to come into the hospital and start abx earlier in labor. So I feel like preventing GBS (if possible) would be another way I can try to get the birthplan I hope for, including laboring at home as long as possible.
I started taking the braggs cider+water this morning, I already have a yogurt a day, and was thinking about adding probiotics or vitamin C, but I am a little hesitant before talking more with my doctor about those, or other preventative measures.
I prepared with in depth birthing classes at a stand alone birth center last time, and this time I have a home birth midwife, her assistant, plus a doula and my husband for sure to be present. I'm borrowing some birth videos to watch and read Natural Hospital Birth again, plus two home birth books...didn't much care for those. I don't want medical interventions unless emergency, but I'm not really interested in unassisted birth either.
I trust my body and my husband and doula to do a great job, but I also know that I've already been through the most painful delivery I've ever heard of, and while this one will hurt, it could not be as bad.
Prenatal yoga has also been great prep, as well as just working on surrendering to pain from my pelvis, and when my toddler and inside baby both jump on/kick the same nerve at the same time.
I really like birth mantras-"pain is progress" resonates with me, but there are more uplifting options out there.
My yoga teacher also have me a great idea. Have a plan for focus for each contraction. Some ideas are reciting a favorite poem or visualizing a vacation or whatnot...OR the alphabet game. Pick a category, and try to come up with something that starts with each letter. Maybe it's animals or whatnot. Your support people can get in on this with you and turn it into a distracting game. A-armadillo, B-bear, etc. I loved that idea at least until transition. Also planning on getting a desktop sized fountain and a birthing pool, so I can listen to and sit in water.
DH: 32
Married 7/18/15
1st born at 35+4 on 6/6/16
Team green turned BLUE!
2nd born at 38+6 on 8/30/18
Team green turned PINK!
Due with #3 on 6/6/20 Team Green
That being said - does anybody have any videos or YouTube channels they would recommend to share with hubs so he can feel more comfortable with the birthing process? He wants to be able to advocate for me but doesn’t feel like he has the knowledge to be the best he can be in the delivery room. He’s a visual learner so books aren’t incredibly helpful in this situation.
BFP #1: 1/23/2012 DD: Born 9/20/2012
BFP #2: 12/30/2017 DS: Due 9/10/2018
MMC 8/5/15 at 8 weeks
DS born 9/13/16
BFP 1/13/18 - EDD 9/20/18 - It's a boy!
BFP #1: 1/23/2012 DD: Born 9/20/2012
BFP #2: 12/30/2017 DS: Due 9/10/2018
* sorry I'm so late to this party !
My main goal for an unmedicated birth is so that both baby and I are drug-free after birth and can truly bond, so having pitocin after that's already happening doesn't inspire strong avoidance feelings for me the way that avoiding an epidural etc. does. Really interested in others' thoughts. Thanks!