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Med free ("natural") childbirth: WHY?
I figured if there's a board to post this on, this is the closest I've got.
I went med-free with our first child. I'm about due with our second and I need to psych myself up for WHY I want to do this. I mean, I believe it's the best thing I can do, but I want the details. We did a Bradley class for our first birth so everything was fresh in my mind. It's all gotten a little clouded and I've forgotten a lot.
Disclaimer: Med free is right for ME. I do not judge ANYONE who received any kind of meds. Each of us does what's right for us.
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Re: Med free ("natural") childbirth: WHY?
Well of course there is the argument that babies are more alert if no drugs are used. I've heard people say that they did it both ways and their babies were just as alert.
Personally, I aim for it because it's a challenge. I think about the fact that this is what our bodies were made for and figure I'm going to give it my best. It's fun for me to say I managed my pain without drugs. I also enjoyed the fact that after DD, I was able to walk around right away and wasn't drowsy from any narcotics. I feel like I was really able to enjoy my time with DD.
I have nothing to compare it to of course, those are just the reasons I am excited to go med free again. I plan to see if I can audit some Bradley classes (since DH's schedule doesn't allow for him to attend until December). We will also reread the books, etc.
Two words: spinal headache.
Also, once you start doing interventions, the likelihood you will need/be pushed in to more is higher. C-Section rate is higher for people who chose to get an epidural.
For my mom, the drugs stopped her labors completely. If she were giving birth today, she likely would have ended up with a c-section.
Please note: I am not saying c-sections are bad when needed, but that they, too often, are the result of un-needed interventions.
1st, read the books, you can usually find them at the library, they should be a good refresher for you.
2nd, as to why, I fire a why back at you: you are connected to your unborn child physically so that anything you take in, they're going to get as well. They are not yet fully developed and not a lot of studies have been done on the effects of various medications on them so why subject them to something that a) they don't need and b) that may have an unknown effect on them? For the same reason you (assumably) stayed away from caffeine or lunch meat or any of a host of other things, why not continue to safeguard your baby as much as possible?
I also want to add that the above reasoning is why I didn't want a med-assisted birth, however, I ended up with an epidural and a c-section so obviously that didn't work out, but that's my line of thinking.
Your body was meant to deliver a child naturally!
FWIW, I delivered naturally and it was way easy! I did give birth at a freestanding birth center so there was no option of pain medication, but still. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
Drugs lead to more intervention, many times. An epidural can stall labor (to be fair, it has also been said that it can help labor along because the mom can "relax"), forcing pitocin to be administered, for example.
There is a natural high associated with childbirth that is related to oxytocin (the love hormone) which helps with early attachment to the baby and lowers the risk for post partum depression.
You are free to move around if you don't receive an epidural (and maybe other drugs) which is good for your body during childbirth and can help labor speed along (laying on your back is not conducive to moving a baby down).
These are some of my go-to reasons, along with the fact that it's what my body was designed to do and so many women before me have done it. Why shouldn't I be able to, too? I know that this isn't true for everyone and not everyone sees it this way and sometimes there are medical problems that prohibit this from even being possible, but just my opinion
I had pit w/ the first 2, but was drug free, and was able to go 100% natural w/ #3.
I have beautiful memories of their births, and amazement at my body's inner strength to handle the birthing process. I was able to go IV-less w/ #3 and wasn't strapped to a moniter. I was able to move around and do the positions I needed to help my child decend.
Once you say yes to drugs, you are flat on your back, strapped to a bed, moniters, machines, IVs, and the labor process is slowed, not to mention it's not good for the baby for you to lay flat on your back. You are told when to push instead of allowing your body to work the baby down naturally and you are more likely to tear or need an episiodomy.
Drugs tend to equal medical proceedure instead of birth.
Oh, and if you take meds, they try to keep the baby in the nursery more than if you were in control from the start. Not to mention that your baby can have a poor reaction to the drugs.
Birthing is a beautiful life experience that can quickly become scary w/ medical interventions.
For me, I chose to be in control and let my body run it's races. It's not for everyone, but if you did it before, you can do it again!
Ditto to what everyone has already written.
I ended up having an epi, pit, etc. and if I stood my ground a bit more (and waited a couple days for that post-due date NST) I would have gone naturally. If I have another, I will go natural. I hated being disconnected, I hated that once I did say okay to the induction it snowballed from there (thank goodness my mom suggested forceps or I would have had an unnecessary c-section). I hate that my baby was healthy and happy UNTIL they put me on pit, causing the snowball. I hated the costs - insurance covered it but I find so much of it to be a waste making insurance rates spike. I hate having such scary stuff in my body. And childbirth isn't usually surgery, why does it need to be in a hospital with so many chemicals?
To get inspiration, I highly recommend (even recommended it on here the other day) the book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I read that and it reminded me that our bodies were made to deliver children, and it's a miraculous thing that you should totally be fully present for.
I'm sure people have lots of reasons, but some of my "Whys" are:
-Hope for less interventions (both unnecessary and those that become medically necessary b/c you start with something and it goes wrong)
-Want to be as alert and "all there" as possible after birth (same for baby)
-Don't want baby to have any sort of drugs in his system
-I am more scared of a C Section or other interventions that can stem from drugs/pitocin than I am of letting my body do what it's supposed to naturally.
-I believe I am less likely to tear/ "need" to be cut if I let my body tell me when to push and just let things happen
-Easier recovery usually
-I trust my body. The baby is going to come out and I think in a healthy pregnancy more things will go wrong when you start messing with stuff than if you don't.
-If I get an epidural then I have to labor and push in positions that I really don't want to, nor are best for my body or baby.
Why? Do you have an hour to read my response?
Let's start with one of the easiest answer - every intervention has the potential to lead to more interventions. A epidural is likely to put you on your back for a good deal of the active labor, making it harder for baby to get into the optimal position. It could cause a fever, which then leads to more meds, antibiotics, possibly a c/s. It could overstimulate the uterus, leading to other meds and possibly a c/s. Med-free means baby comes into the world fully alert, that helps with starting breastfeeding and reduces the chances of serious jaundice.
There are lots of natural birth methods that help reduce the pain - breathing techniques, guided meditation, self-hypnosis, positioning, etc. If you want references for some on-line lessons, let me know.
NorCalMOMS bio* NorCalBOTB* babywearingBIO
Harmony Doula
I haven't had kids, but I had a lumbar puncture go bad, give me a spinal headache for four days, and came out of the experience saying "I'm really glad I don't have brain cancer, and there is no way in hell another needle is ever going in my back."
Plus all the other "good" reasons the pps gave
Mother's Day, 2011
Take a refresher course or listen to tapes or read the Bradley method books...
Animals pop lil critters out every day and no one asks them if they'd like some pain killers.