Unmedicated/Natural Birth Thread

chichiphin

This is a thread to discuss having a med-free birth. It is for tips, questions, prep, etc. This is a judgement-free zone and also welcomes those who have/have tried to go med-free in the past and would like to share experiences. As always, birth is birth, no matter how you get there! ❤️❤️ 

chichiphin

Not sure if it’s too early to start this thread, but I’m meeting with a potential doula the week after next and have started ordering books on hypnobirthing and breathing techniques. My goal is to go med-free and have as few interventions as possible in the hospital. I’ve confirmed with the doula I’m interviewing and with my OB that this hospital is receptive to the idea, so that is a huge relief! 

cateyes543

We planned to go this route with our first. Took Bradley birth classes (highly highly recommend). But when the time came, babe had to be induced due to gestational diabetes and the induction failed miserably. C-section after 48 hours of labor and zero progress. We will be trying to go the non-medicated route again if able this time around. 

kiddiesandkitties

We are planning to go unmedicated. I have attempted before - my first delivery was a complete disaster and super traumatizing. After that, my second birth was scheduled at a birth center, an old colonial house set up for psuedo home birth with midwives and I was psyched about it. At 38 weeks, after a successful external version at 37, I ended up having an 'emergency' induction due to SUPER high blood pressure and was required to deliver at the hospital.  Wound up with an epidural in transition which never worked as I was already 10cm.  3rd birth, almost the exact same story as #2, right down to the induction for high BP (and IUGR, both times) and the late unsuccessful epidural.  This time, because of our loss history, I want to do things as natural and intervention-free as possible and am hoping the more factors I can eliminate, the better chances we have to minimize likelihood of loss.  We plan to hire our midwife from birth#2 to join me at the hospital and help me through, as she knows my birth history and all other surrounding circumstances.  

janat1717

I'm switching Doulas this time. I actually have a new, good friend who is a doula. She's only done a few births but my son is very close with her. We are doing a home birth so just having a doula there for him will be helpful. With his birth I actually ended up not needing the doula for too much. I think it is more a safety net for confidence. Waiting to make sure she can get a backup though for my due date. She actually used to be a preterm nurse of some sort too so she definitely could hold her own if we ended up at the hospital instead. 
@kiddiesandkitties that's nice you'll have the same midwife there with you. I locked in the same midwife there is someone closer now but I wanted to stick with my same one. We had a little bit of craziness pop up last time and I trust her to get what needs to be done, done.

kiddiesandkitties

@janat1717 did you have a homebirth last time? I absolutely love the idea of them!!

janat1717

@kiddiesandkitties I did. It was awesome just already being at home. I do wish I would have set up a lactation consultant to come to the house right away. So much harder than you expect!

SA0012

I also highly recommend the Bradley Method! I'm not exaggerating when I say that it truly changed our lives. Not only the way we birthed but it introduced us to so much breastfeeding support and other concepts such as Attachment Parenting that have shaped our whole family now. 

My first son was born in a hospital but it was all natural, not even an IV. They did try to push antibiotics since I was GBS+ but my labor was SO short I knew I didn't have enough time to get both doses necessary (needing to be spaced out 4 hours apart, thanks Bradley!) And although I declined them and they tried to give them to me anyway but DH luckily noticed and stepped in. Other than that everything went great.

My second son was born beautifully at home with our midwife who is like family now. She was also our doula for the first birth.

We're planning another homebirth this time around with the same midwife. I LOVED not having to leave the house and already BEING home and in my bed right afterward. I also treasured the superior post-partum care for ME. The midwives came back SEVERAL times in the following days and weeks to check on me and provide breastfeeding support. I just got one 6 week check-up at the hospital. 

I am thinking about trying the hypnobirthing techniques this time around for relaxation though.

nda_roxybabe

Just like last time, I am not making any definitive decision. My main goal (after healthy baby, healthy Mama) is to have a VBAC. Beyond that, I'd love to give it a go unmedicated, but if its not working...so be the epidural. 
I was induced with Henry so I did have an epidural and then an emergency C when he would not drop and his heartrate was dropping.

lillywonderland

I would love to go unmedicated, but I just don’t think it’s going to be in the cards for us this time. The hospitals out here suck for unmedicated delivery and I’m not willing to go to a birthing center/do it at home. It is what it is. 

My best advice is to have a loose version of a birth plan, but realize that at the end of the day all you really need is a healthy baby and healthy Mom.

eta grammar

nomangos23

I love the idea of birthing naturally but at this point I just want a healthy baby any way I can get one. 

monkeysmom80

I really wanted to go unmedicated with my first but when then had the pitocin up to 18, it just wasn't in the cards. I really felt that I wasn't making progress because I was in so much pain.  Once I got the epidural, things started moving quickly. But by the time pushing came the epidural had worn off but I think it helped with the pushing.  With my daughter I chickened out and got an epidural when I was at an 8.  When it came time to push, I was so numb I couldn't feel what I was doing and I did not like that.  This one, we will take things as they come.  

chichiphin

100% @lillywonderland @nomangos23 @nda_roxybabe healthy baby, healthy mom. Not willing to sacrifice either of those things just to avoid a pitocin drip, c-section, etc. 

kgg2241

I would love to have an unmedicated birth, but that won't happen for me. There is a very very small, but very serious risk, of my aorta tearing if there is too much stress on it. So my Dr won't let me labor too long or under too much pressure. I'm hoping I don't have to have a C-section, so I'm still going to research and try the unmedicated techniques though. All that to say that I'm still going to follow this thread to see what I can learn .

nomangos23

Is pitocin a guarantee if you decide on an epidural? I (hope) to plan on laboring as long as I can at home before heading in so maybe as to avoid pitocin? Am I being naive? 

ETA - Do you HAVE to head in if your water breaks? 

monkeysmom80

@nomangos23 I did not have pitocin with my daughter and I had an epidural.  With my son I was induced, hence the pitocin.  The contractions on pitocin are no joke, especially how high mine was up, so there was not a chance I could have made it without the epidural.   You should really only need pitocin if you are being induced, but not always, or you are in labor for a while with no progression. 

lillywonderland

@nomangos23 No. Pitocin isn’t a guarantee of you have an epidural. You could be laboring fine with just the epidural. I needed it because my labor stalled with DS and they don’t want you in active labor for too long because it is exhausting and you don’t get to eat (at least my hospital didn’t let me). TBH I’m prolly glad I got the epidural before the pitocin because those contractions looked so much worse than my “natural” ones (they hook you up to a monitor so you can literally “see” the contraction start and stop).  

Yes, you need to head into the hospital once your water breaks. Most doctors will start a “clock” from the time your water breaks - the goal is usually to get LO delivered before 24h. After that the risk of infection goes up.

cmdesigner

FTM here, so I am not sure what is in the cards for me and have zero experience giving birth. However, I plan on doing an unmedicated water birth in a birthing center. I had hip labrum repair surgery not too long ago and I am really resistant to delivering on my back in stirrups. My midwife is very supportive of this and said we will try every position in the book to avoid the straining on my hip. However, if we find the pain and pressure is too much on my hip we'll probably have to be medicated. I just don't like epidurals and nerve blocks. I had one for a previous surgery and I was truly miserable. I cried because I couldn't feel my legs, it just stressed me out so much. I would like to avoid it if at all possible...but I know things don't always go as planned and I am trying to remain open to the other possibilities. 

chichiphin

@cmdesigner I think my desire to go natural is in part due to what you have described with the nerve block. I can get a lot of anxiety if I feel like I am restrained or not able to move, and want the ability to change positions as much as possible and to walk around.  

cmdesigner

@chichiphin That's my view on things. I get really uncomfortable in one position for too long already and I really don't want to be miserable during my labor and delivery. I think being stuck in bed would make me feel super powerless. I'm also hoping to avoid being hooked up and attached to the bed with the water birth. They do the wireless monitors if you're walking around and then just check periodically when you're in the tub. I can also ask to not be hooked up to an IV unless medically necessary. I'm looking forward to the birth center, I've heard great things and have had some family and friends deliver there. I just hope my body doesn't betray me and that they actually have a tub available for me when I get there  

LJMoon6

I just hope to have a vaginal delivery. I would love to go med free but I’m going to be realistic in knowing my pain tolerance is not that high. I'd like to try the hypnobirthing classes tho. There’s a high chance I’ll have to have a C-section so I’m just preparing for all possibilities at this point.

 

@kgg2241 That’s scary! Have you had previous heart problems before? I have a somewhat similar concern in that too much stress or pressure during labor can cause some issues for me. Mine has to do with my CSF in my brain and spine tho. Hopefully the pressure wont be too much for the both of us!

@nomangos23 So, my friend wanted to labor at home with her 2nd as much as possible too before heading to the hospital. Only about 30 minutes after her measurable contractions started (she had some on and off for a couple days leading up to this), she ended up being in full blown labor and needed to start pushing right then. They ended up having an unexpected home birth. Luckily she’s a labor and delivery nurse so she knew exactly what to do but she was also high risk because of a blood condition. Everything turned out fine. It was in the middle of a snow storm so it was almost a good thing they hadn’t left for the hospital yet otherwise she would have had her in her car like my SIL did lol.

nomangos23

@LJMoon6 Oh my... This is something I want to avoid.... 

I guess my thought is if I labor at home as long as possible I'll need less drugs? lol @ my thought process

SA0012

@nomangos23 Here is a great article about premature rupture of membranes. All of the information helps to make an informed decision.This
 is also a great site for all sorts of other birth topics and situations. 

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-inducing-labor-water-breaks-term/

rms924

@janat1717 homebirth would be dreamy but dh would freak out. I've brought it up to him another of times. But then, I am one of those people that think birth is beautiful. Dh, not so much  

@chichiphin I’ve done one of each. My first was an induction because I never went into labor on my own. More power to women who can go unmedicated with those drugs in their system. I couldn't do it. The contractions were too intense for me and I opted for an epidural. I don’t want to scare anyone - in my case, (and it happens to 1% of people), I had a complication, “epidural headache,” which is basically the worst headache/vertigo I’ve ever experienced. I was useless for close to a week and it was all too much, plus I had a lot of tearing. Also, baby didn't react well to the drugs and we had to vacuum him out. Kind of traumatizing. 

Second birth was was completely unmedicated (I specify because some people opt for other non-epidural options- I did not). I went into labor naturally, contractions were manageable. I bounced on a ball and listened to music and I was actually feeling good. The pushing really sucks (but I was pushed into pushing - I really wasn’t ready - which was so annoying). But, I felt great after and my little guy did really well. FTR, this was in a hospital setting.

Personally, I know a lot of women who go the epidural route and have a fantastic experience. I wasn't one of them My dr. is fond of saying "would you get a root canal without medication?" In some ways, I agree, but I just can't chance it with the epidural again. So, everything crossed for another unmedicated birth!

zuuls_mom

I love this conversation! 

@nomangos23 +1 to going in as soon as your water breaks. Mine didn't break, but in only three hours of contractions every 3-4 min I was already dilated to 5cm so it was lucky I went in when I did since I had to have a CS. 

@LJMoon6 birthing in a car is one of my biggest fears. One of the ladies in N16 with me had her daughter in the car on the way to the hospital! Super badass, but I would prefer that not happen lol. 

I'm hoping for a VBAC since my CS with DS was only because he was breech. I got really high BP at the end and went into labor three days before my scheduled CS which kind of sucked, but it all turned out great! My plan is to hope for a VBAC and labor as long as I can without an epidural, but if I need it, then bring it on. I want to have as smooth and stress free of a delivery as possible. I overall didn't mind having a CS, but I'd love to be able to experience a vaginal delivery. 

janat1717

@rms924 I'm lucky that my husband is down with all that kind of stuff and know that makes it way easier for me. 

On a side note, my water broke 3 weeks early. My midwife gave me 24 hrs to get into active labor or I'd have to go to the hospital. Making out did the trick after about 8 hrs of me worrying. He was born about 28 hours after my water broke... Breech. Another surprise. 

nomangos23

@zuuls_mom OOO I didn't think about that. Is it 100% guaranteed you'll have a c-section if baby is breech? Can't they... flip them around?

lillywonderland

@nomangos23 I’ve heard it’s possible (and maybe @janat1717 can tell us more), but tough and a lot of doctors like to minimize the risk to mom & baby. My sister actually had a c section because my nephew was breech. She was scheduled to do the turny thing a couple days after she went into labor (Baby was a month early). Apparently not everyone is a candidate for it, it can send you into labor early and even if you get baby to turn they can flip back. They do what they want!

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ternsetc

This is all so interesting!

@LJMoon6 I know a woman who narrowly avoided giving birth in a car, and delivered in the hospital lobby!

@rms924 DS was vacuumed as well (his heartrate didn't have time to recover between contractions), and I also had a lot of tearing (3rd degree), and had a long recovery from that post-partum due to my body having a bad reaction to the sutures used (not to freak anyone out!! according to my OB most women with tearing like I had do heal by 6 weeks postpartum and my experience was super unusual). I'm finding I'm pretty anxious about delivery this time around.

I was induced with DS at 41 weeks, but didn't end up on pitocin - it was a busy night with a lot of births and things progressed faster for me than anyone expected (and I was clueless about where I was in labor and they told me it would probably take 12 hours just to get me to 4 cm - and I learned I don't have a good grasp of pain thresholds ), so when they came to check me I was at 9 cm already and it was too late for an epidural and I didn't consider anything else. The actual pushing/pain of labor isn't a big worry for me this time around, and ideally I would love to go into labor naturally and have an unmedicated birth, but how things went last time has left me anxious about this delivery, and I know stuff might come up that changes the whole balance. There's a lot to think about, and then a lot that's out of my control!

zuuls_mom

@nomangos23 there are some OB's that will attempt a vaginal delivery if a baby is breech, but I think it depends on the positioning. It can go wrong easily so I don't think I would ever attempt it. DS was transverse (basically stuck with his back up in my ribs) so that kid wasn't going to come out vaginally. An external version was an option, but my OB said I wasn't a very good candidate since he was so high up there. I basically couldn't breathe for the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy lol. 

RedBreast35

@lillywonderland LOL at "turny thing" 

lillywonderland

@RedBreast35 🤣 I know right?! Thank goodness for @zuuls_mom who called it the correct name! 

zuuls_mom

@lillywonderland I actually prefer "turny thing"! It implies a bit more fun that I assume it is lol. 

jaykay2004

I just want to share my experience (mom of two already, 7 and 4 years old)

With my 7-year-old, I drove half an hour out of my way to see a physician who really focuses on integrative, holistic medicine (she is a former midwife), in a small, rural hospital. They don't even have 24/7 in-house anesthesia, so an epidural was not an option. My experience, though it was a Cytotec induction, was amazing. It only took one dose of Cytotec, and my labor was off and running. I didn't even have an IV or continuous fetal monitoring. The nurses were well-versed in intermittent monitoring and letting me eat/drink as I felt like it. My daughter was born after about 7 hours of active labor, tore horribly, and I felt like I'd been hit by a truck afterwards, haha. 

With my 4-year-old, I had a much more dramatic pregnancy and delivery. My former physician moved 4 hours away, so she wasn't an option for me this time. I decided to see an OB in the larger, local-to-me medical center. This child was trouble from the get-go---she remained breech until 38 weeks, when at my appointment to schedule a c-section, we decided to look one more time, and she had flipped! Wahoo! Unfortunately, I was also showing signs of pre-eclampsia, so I had to be induced within the next 48 hours. This was a Pitocin induction, and those contractions were EVIL. I also had been mentally prepared to have a planned c-section for a breech baby, so I had not done any meditation or mental preparation like I had with my first child. I agreed to the epidural at the first offer by my nurse. It was magical, haha. My only complaint is that it kept wearing off. I woke up from an epidural nap feeling like I needed to push, and my baby was here half an hour later. I had no tearing and felt like a million bucks.

This time, I am going in with no preconceived plan. I've done both, and realize there are potential complications with every intervention, but I'm going with the flow, and whatever happens, happens.

janat1717

@lillywonderland We didn't know he was breech since he wasn't at my appt 2 weeks earlier. We were at the end and my midwife was like, "that's not a head, that's a butt". So he came out that way. Not easy but we got it done and I didn't tear because I had some miracle workers down there. Lol

kdl89

With my first little one the only thing I didn't want was an epidural and I didn't get one but I had fentanyl. My water broke at 1:30 am and I was put in a pitocin drip to start contractions around lunch time. When the contractions got really bad that night i got fentanyl which helped relax me and seemed to speed everything up and little was born at 2:08am.  Is was along 25 hours with little sleep so having some medication to help was the right choice for me and my situation. I am hoping this time things happen a little faster and  I would like to not have an epidural. Depending on the situation I would do medication again as long as I could feel my body telling me when its ready to push. 

bluepeach565

I don't have much to add - I haven't figured out my plan yet, but thank you to everyone sharing their stories, the good and the complicated, it's all incredibly helpful!

sahm89

Loved reading everyone’s stories!
With my first two, now 5 & 3, I had them in a hospital unmedicated/no IV & intermittently monitored. I plan on doing the same but hopefully in the birth center wing of the hospital. I didn’t have a doula with either, which is a little odd since l’ve studied to become a doula. I did go through midwives with both, and they were by my side the whole time, along with my DH & mom, so I had ample support & prepped them ahead of time for what I’d like to try and how I’d like to be coached/encouraged.

I’ll be honest, my first labor was a bit...well, I told my husband I never wanted to give birth again I was exhausted, was in a windowless dim lit room for hours, and had a lot of pain afterwards from a 3rd degree tear...the local anesthetic didn’t really help with those stitches. It was a 10hr labor and my water broke on it’s own around the 8th hr.

My second was almost a car birth haha, I was smiling reading your thoughts on that! I started early labor on DS due date and went in for a scheduled stress test where my midwife also scraped my membranes. I wasn’t dilated very much and my contractions were like a strong Braxton Hicks, so I went home and slept a bit. Woke at 3:30am with stronger contractions and decided to take a bath at home to help decrease the length of time laboring at the birth center. I decided to wake my DH at 5am and called my midwife who said by the way I was breathing to get to the hospital/birth center which was 1hr away. My husband got there in 45 minutes lol. I labored & transitioned the whole car ride(front seat buckled...wrong choice haha) but my water never broke! Once at the hospital, DH wheeled me to triage and my midwife checked me and his head(with bag of water) was right there ready for me to push..which they asked me to pretty much cross my legs if I could wait for the them to get things ready. I waited, then pushed 3 times (2nd broke my water), and DS was born 25mins after parking at the hospital doors. It was such a whirlwind! I didn’t tear and he was almost 9lbs with a big head haha.

Oh, interestingly I gave birth on my back with stirrups with both, but the midwives allowed me to try other positions. I was able to do delayed cord clamping & skin to skin right away...although I had my tee shirt & bra on still with my DS haha! And even with all my research & what not, I didn’t do any breathing techniques, or anything from a book or class...just what came natural and it kinda worked for us. My husband & mom encouraged  me & helped hold a knee when it came to push. Definitely not saying that those other awesome techniques don’t work, just want to encourage that it’s okay and can be a “successful med-free delivery” if you’re not feeling led to any specific coping technique.

So we’ll see what happens this time around! 

janat1717

@sahm89 good point on the techniques. I kind of winged it too, although I'd been doing a ton of yoga and meditation for years so I just got kind of zen. I'll post something positive for the first timers and not sure how common it is in general but I had two orgasms during my last birth. It definitely doesn't have to be a bad experience if you get in the right frame of mind! Now we are actually Orthodox Christians so I am curious how the flow goes for this birth as I guess you could say my zen is different now.

kiddiesandkitties

@janat1717 genuinely curious - as Orthodox Christian how will your religion/beliefs impact labor and delivery techniques? (Non-religiously-educated non-regular-Church-going Catholic)

janat1717

@kiddiesandkitties I don't do yoga or the same meditations now at all. I know there is fitness only yoga but I was heavy in the serious stuff. Orthodoxy definitely has it's own mystical side but it is not as natural for me yet. There are some pretty cool icons of Jesus in Mary's belly and nursing from her that I may get soon. Mostly I just need to get better at my breathe work with praying. I'm a praying novice. I did grow up Catholic but we were a Sunday only because it's what you did family.