@Cbeanz we are but we have friends and family in Tennessee and considered just staying down there all summer, albeit pretty unrealistic haha. Your plan doesn’t sound bad at all but I can see how eating up your H’s vacation puts a strain on the decision. Was he ok with it or upset about vacation?
@mamanbebe He left the decision to me, with the caveat that he basically would be unavailable to take any days off the rest of the year, no family vacations, no sick kid help etc. But he supported me either way.
I toured the new birth center (hospital) here and got a good vibe from the nurses and their natural birth philosophy. I figured I could have a relatively intervention-free birth at either place. Ultimately I chose the hospital out of convenience. Bah.
What did your H think of the Farm? How is he now with the home birth plan?
@Cbeanz That’s really nice that you felt so good about your hospitals birthing center and their nursing staff, as far as how it aligns with your beliefs around birth. Do you think it would be at least worth it to contact the farm to see if they still have openings? I can see how you would feel torn.
DH was really jazzed about the Farm as a hypothetical option. He is a fan of Stephen Gaskin and the farm and has always been a supporter of non-intervention childbirth methods. If I could have had DS unassisted in the middle of the forest he would have been thrilled.
I’m creeping from June board (DD is 6/25) because this thread has been really helpful for me to follow the past few months - I’ve been planning and praying for a natural first birth.
It was planned to be at a hospital due to a.) my neurosis and b.) baby having a 2 vessel cord - a somewhat common but still abnormal developmental aspect.
Anyway - I hired a doula to try and keep my hospital birth natural, I’ve been doing hypnobirthing techniques (on my own because I couldn’t afford the classes) and have read everything pro-natural birth that I could get my hands on - I feel so well acquainted with dear Ina May at this point!!
The snafu in my story is that my baby has been breech and it’s officially a bit worrisome. I’m 34+2 and my ob is asking me to schedule a cesarean for my due date
I’m heartbroken - and just wanted to share this here because I think other women who were planning a natural birth would understand my extreme disappointment. Just looking for support - and maybe a story or two about babes turning last minute?
Of course my number one goal is a healthy baby - that’s always been #1. But I didn’t think I’d have to miss out on labor completely.
PS: I’m writing this post on my phone while doing an inversion, laying on an ironing board propped up on the couch. I’m doing all of this stuff from a website called Spinning Babies that’s supposed to help baby turn - but I’ve been doing it for a month -and so far no luck. I’ve also started acupuncture, moxibustion, I have a chiropractic appointment scheduled, and a prenatal massage for next week. All of this is in the hope that it will relax my uterus and pelvis enough to let baby turn.
Im hopeful but exhausted. Feeling like I need to let go of the outcome but it’s so hard.
Thank you for reading all of this and being a safe space
@raemy12345 Thanks for sharing. I wonder if you'd be a candidate for an ECV or if they are ruling that out due to your cord.
One other option is to confirm the exact position of the baby. Some providers (including mine) will deliver Frank breech. Complete or footling is usually not delivered vaginally anymore.
There's a lot of great advice on Spinning Babies. Unfortunately my footling breech baby didn't turn after 34 weeks. I was already 4cm dilated so not a candidate for ECV either. I've had natural birth, CS, and VBAC and I can understand the desire to avoid CS. I wish you the best!
@raemy12345 I'm sorry you're feeling stress from your OB. Babies can and do flip up until right before birth. I was just talking to a friend about this today, her baby was transverse and went head-down late in her pregnancy. Then a week or two before her due date she flipped breech for a few days and then flipped back, and everything went smoothly from there.
I think you're doing right by looking for outside avenues to help with moving your LO. I have heard that chiropractics and the spinning babies exercises can be really successful, and pairing that with moxibustion is a real + of proactiveness. I hope that it all works out for you
On your OB asking to schedule a C for your due date, I would say no to that if I were in your shoes. Your baby may flip and also want an extra week or two in your womb. I've had a few friends give birth at almost 43 weeks. Maybe you could ask for weekly ultrasounds starting at 36 weeks to check the positioning status?
@raemy12345 I’m sorry your LO is Breech at this point. There is definitely still time for baby to turn and it sounds like you’re doing everything you can to get LO head down.
Does your dr want you to schedule the c section just because of baby’s position, or is it because of the 2 vessel cord as well? If you aren’t a candidate for an ECV, I would discuss with your dr how late they would be comfortable letting you go before doing a C section if baby still hasn’t flipped
In addition to what Cbeanz and mamanbebe said, staying very hydrated can help if baby needs a little more fluid to move around in. Personally, in your shoes, I would continue with your effortse to go into labor naturally, then check position via ultrasound once admitted and if needed at that time (if presentation is not one your ob can deliver), then do the c/s.
@raemy12345 with my first I was just like you - read everything I possibly could, chose a birthing center that had a very low c-section rate and epidural use and was equipped with bathtubs, didn’t require constant monitoring, had rooms with medicine balls for labor etc.
Things didn’t go as expected (went over due date to 41+5 before finally going into labor but progression stalled at 3cm). A doctor finally came in and told me that unfortunately hospital guidelines require a c section if you are over term and your water has broken for over 24 hours, even if baby isn’t in destress, because there are lots of risks for the baby.
I lived this very poorly and it really impacted my first few days with DD and started off PPD that took a long time to resolve. I actually now think that all of the things I had read gave me this idea that a c section was hurting my baby in some way (not giving her the right bacteria, not starting off our bonding right, the reason I struggled with breast feeding - note that was resolved and I breast fed for a year).
I don’t think this post is necessarily super helpful - but just know that you aren’t alone and seeing your birth plan go away for reasons beyond your control can have a huge impact mentally. You could maybe start talking it through with a therapist now to help have a plan for the birth to help you remove some of the guilt/sadness? I didn’t talk to a therapist until 6 months post birth and it was so hard to talk about and “mourn” but it needed to be done!
This time my plan is no plan. I’m at a different birth center to avoid triggering some of my negative emotions, I told them that in an ideal world I would like a natural birth but I understand if they proactively want to at least place the epidural in case my VBAC isn’t successful to avoid general anesthesia and I know that my c section recovery wasn’t bad at all and my DD is happy and healthy. If it happens again, I will (hopefully) live the experience differently.
@frenchbaby18 I actually asked my dr if they recommend placing an epidural during a vbac in case it turns into a csection. She actually said not necessarily bc they usually have time to place an epidural or spinal tap if a vbac turns into a csection. She said if I wanted to labor without it the chances of needing general anesthesia were pretty low. If I end up attempting a vbac, I’m planning on skipping the epidural so I can move around into different positions.
@mama_bear19 good to know!! I’ll ask them when they place it (like if they only do it if you have had your water break for x time and you are at x cm or something like that...)
@Cbeanz My doctor said that at my next appt (36 weeks) I can have an ECV if baby hasn't turned. To be honest I don't even know that he remembers I have a 2 vessel cord, so I'm going to bring that up prior to the maneuver just in case it matters. (I don't actually have "one" doc, I am a patient at a practice with 7 that rotate - ack. That's why I often feel like I'm re-explaining who I am when I'm there. It's a bit lame.) Doc said that we have a 10% chance at turning baby through that maneuver - although the stats online are 50%, he said that's because it's way higher with STM than FTM
@mamanbebe yes, I'm def trying to be proactive! I guess part of me just needs to look back and know that I tried everything I could. And as far as scheduling a c-section (or not) thank you for that idea. I would much rather wait for baby to come on her own (and if she hasn't flipped by then, go for a c-section.) I'm going to talk to my doc about this at our next appointment. Another slight snafu is that with a 2 vessel cord, I guess the rate of stillbirth late in pregnancy is slightly higher, so before I even knew about breech issue doc was talking about inducing me at 39/40 weeks, if she hadn't come by then. I had essentially decided against it because my baby is growing well, and that's often the issue with the 2 vessel cords...but it just kind of adds another layer to this.
@nolemomma14 the c-section is strictly due to the breech presentation, but the timing of it is affected by my 2 vessel cord.
@frenchbaby18 girl....that post is actually spot on to how I am feeling. This c-section news is SO much harder because I accidentally became really attached to how this birth would go. (This is even though I know that mother nature makes her own plans, almost no one I know got the birth that they "wanted", etc.) With all of my reading and studying and proactive natural planning (squats every day! affirmations everywhere!) I think I've kind of set myself up for this huge let down. There are all SORTS of reasons I didn't want a c-section and I truly believe that they're valid - but a big part of this I'm coming to terms with is my emotional (and dare I say ego-ic) attachment to a natural/vaginal birth. I see my therapist this Thursday and this will definitely be the topic. By the way - I'm so sorry that your first birth didn't go the way that you wanted either. It sounds like you've worked through it and processed and mourned, but I'm sure that was hard because this feels so hard. Thank you for sharing that with me.
@geoduck21 thank you for the advice in staying hydrated! I'm definitely trying to but I didn't realize that my fluid intake would have an impact on amniotic fluid and therefore baby's ability to move. I appreciate the insight.
Everyone - thank you again! I wish I'd stayed involved in the July board because y'all are amazing. (We have a few awesome June mommas - thankfully - but for the most part our board exploded back in December/January and wasn't all that active.) Thank you for the insight, stories, and support. xoxoxoxo (and btw thanks for reading these novels of mine, ha.)
Re: July 2019 Med Free Labor & Delivery Thread
I toured the new birth center (hospital) here and got a good vibe from the nurses and their natural birth philosophy. I figured I could have a relatively intervention-free birth at either place. Ultimately I chose the hospital out of convenience. Bah.
What did your H think of the Farm? How is he now with the home birth plan?
DH was really jazzed about the Farm as a hypothetical option. He is a fan of Stephen Gaskin and the farm and has always been a supporter of non-intervention childbirth methods. If I could have had DS unassisted in the middle of the forest he would have been thrilled.
I’m creeping from June board (DD is 6/25) because this thread has been really helpful for me to follow the past few months - I’ve been planning and praying for a natural first birth.
It was planned to be at a hospital due to a.) my neurosis and b.) baby having a 2 vessel cord - a somewhat common but still abnormal developmental aspect.
Anyway - I hired a doula to try and keep my hospital birth natural, I’ve been doing hypnobirthing techniques (on my own because I couldn’t afford the classes) and have read everything pro-natural birth that I could get my hands on - I feel so well acquainted with dear Ina May at this point!!
The snafu in my story is that my baby has been breech and it’s officially a bit worrisome. I’m 34+2 and my ob is asking me to schedule a cesarean for my due date
I’m heartbroken - and just wanted to share this here because I think other women who were planning a natural birth would understand my extreme disappointment. Just looking for support - and maybe a story or two about babes turning last minute?
Of course my number one goal is a healthy baby - that’s always been #1. But I didn’t think I’d have to miss out on labor completely.
PS: I’m writing this post on my phone while doing an inversion, laying on an ironing board propped up on the couch. I’m doing all of this stuff from a website called Spinning Babies that’s supposed to help baby turn - but I’ve been doing it for a month -and so far no luck. I’ve also started acupuncture, moxibustion, I have a chiropractic appointment scheduled, and a prenatal massage for next week. All of this is in the hope that it will relax my uterus and pelvis enough to let baby turn.
Im hopeful but exhausted. Feeling like I need to let go of the outcome but it’s so hard.
Thank you for reading all of this and being a safe space
One other option is to confirm the exact position of the baby. Some providers (including mine) will deliver Frank breech. Complete or footling is usually not delivered vaginally anymore.
There's a lot of great advice on Spinning Babies. Unfortunately my footling breech baby didn't turn after 34 weeks. I was already 4cm dilated so not a candidate for ECV either. I've had natural birth, CS, and VBAC and I can understand the desire to avoid CS. I wish you the best!
I think you're doing right by looking for outside avenues to help with moving your LO. I have heard that chiropractics and the spinning babies exercises can be really successful, and pairing that with moxibustion is a real + of proactiveness. I hope that it all works out for you
On your OB asking to schedule a C for your due date, I would say no to that if I were in your shoes. Your baby may flip and also want an extra week or two in your womb. I've had a few friends give birth at almost 43 weeks. Maybe you could ask for weekly ultrasounds starting at 36 weeks to check the positioning status?
Does your dr want you to schedule the c section just because of baby’s position, or is it because of the 2 vessel cord as well? If you aren’t a candidate for an ECV, I would discuss with your dr how late they would be comfortable letting you go before doing a C section if baby still hasn’t flipped
Personally, in your shoes, I would continue with your effortse to go into labor naturally, then check position via ultrasound once admitted and if needed at that time (if presentation is not one your ob can deliver), then do the c/s.
Things didn’t go as expected (went over due date to 41+5 before finally going into labor but progression stalled at 3cm). A doctor finally came in and told me that unfortunately hospital guidelines require a c section if you are over term and your water has broken for over 24 hours, even if baby isn’t in destress, because there are lots of risks for the baby.
I lived this very poorly and it really impacted my first few days with DD and started off PPD that took a long time to resolve. I actually now think that all of the things I had read gave me this idea that a c section was hurting my baby in some way (not giving her the right bacteria, not starting off our bonding right, the reason I struggled with breast feeding - note that was resolved and I breast fed for a year).
I don’t think this post is necessarily super helpful - but just know that you aren’t alone and seeing your birth plan go away for reasons beyond your control can have a huge impact mentally. You could maybe start talking it through with a therapist now to help have a plan for the birth to help you remove some of the guilt/sadness? I didn’t talk to a therapist until 6 months post birth and it was so hard to talk about and “mourn” but it needed to be done!
This time my plan is no plan. I’m at a different birth center to avoid triggering some of my negative emotions, I told them that in an ideal world I would like a natural birth but I understand if they proactively want to at least place the epidural in case my VBAC isn’t successful to avoid general anesthesia and I know that my c section recovery wasn’t bad at all and my DD is happy and healthy. If it happens again, I will (hopefully) live the experience differently.
@Cbeanz My doctor said that at my next appt (36 weeks) I can have an ECV if baby hasn't turned. To be honest I don't even know that he remembers I have a 2 vessel cord, so I'm going to bring that up prior to the maneuver just in case it matters. (I don't actually have "one" doc, I am a patient at a practice with 7 that rotate - ack. That's why I often feel like I'm re-explaining who I am when I'm there. It's a bit lame.) Doc said that we have a 10% chance at turning baby through that maneuver - although the stats online are 50%, he said that's because it's way higher with STM than FTM
@mamanbebe yes, I'm def trying to be proactive! I guess part of me just needs to look back and know that I tried everything I could. And as far as scheduling a c-section (or not) thank you for that idea. I would much rather wait for baby to come on her own (and if she hasn't flipped by then, go for a c-section.) I'm going to talk to my doc about this at our next appointment. Another slight snafu is that with a 2 vessel cord, I guess the rate of stillbirth late in pregnancy is slightly higher, so before I even knew about breech issue doc was talking about inducing me at 39/40 weeks, if she hadn't come by then. I had essentially decided against it because my baby is growing well, and that's often the issue with the 2 vessel cords...but it just kind of adds another layer to this.
@nolemomma14 the c-section is strictly due to the breech presentation, but the timing of it is affected by my 2 vessel cord.
@frenchbaby18 girl....that post is actually spot on to how I am feeling. This c-section news is SO much harder because I accidentally became really attached to how this birth would go. (This is even though I know that mother nature makes her own plans, almost no one I know got the birth that they "wanted", etc.) With all of my reading and studying and proactive natural planning (squats every day! affirmations everywhere!) I think I've kind of set myself up for this huge let down. There are all SORTS of reasons I didn't want a c-section and I truly believe that they're valid - but a big part of this I'm coming to terms with is my emotional (and dare I say ego-ic) attachment to a natural/vaginal birth. I see my therapist this Thursday and this will definitely be the topic. By the way - I'm so sorry that your first birth didn't go the way that you wanted either. It sounds like you've worked through it and processed and mourned, but I'm sure that was hard because this feels so hard. Thank you for sharing that with me.
@geoduck21 thank you for the advice in staying hydrated! I'm definitely trying to but I didn't realize that my fluid intake would have an impact on amniotic fluid and therefore baby's ability to move. I appreciate the insight.
Everyone - thank you again! I wish I'd stayed involved in the July board because y'all are amazing. (We have a few awesome June mommas - thankfully - but for the most part our board exploded back in December/January and wasn't all that active.) Thank you for the insight, stories, and support. xoxoxoxo (and btw thanks for reading these novels of mine, ha.)