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StrawberryAlarmClock
member
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Med-Free birth advice?
StrawberryAlarmClock
member
Is there a great website or book that helps you plan for a med-free delivery? My childbirth classes weren't very helpful and I don't feel prepared at all.
TIA
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Re: Med-Free birth advice?
My best advice - go into it with an open mind and don't be upset if you do end up needing meds.
I made it to 8cm and told myself if I made it that far I was o.k. with having something. I totally caved. The pain was unbearable at that point.
GL!!!
I'll never understand why women who've given birth feel the need to discourage people who want to go natural. I hated hearing that when I was pregnant. Are you just being defensive about your choice to have the epidural? Natural birth was painful (I had Pitocin and no pain meds) but it certainly can be done, and people who do it usually feel it was worth it - I do.
I didn't really do much planning but my best bit of advice is to have someone there who supports you. My DH was useless as far as coaching me what to do, but was great in that he was helping to keep me calm. My body for the most part told me what to do and my midwife was more of the one to keep me focused on listening to my body and offering advice. Go into it with an open mind.
I watched the "Laugh and Learn About Childbirth" DVD and found it pretty helpful. (My hospital class sucked too.) It was very straightforward and gave me a good idea of what to expect from my body during the whole deal.
Otherwise, I'd actually recommend going into it KNOWING you can do it. Because you can. Of course there's the possibility of interventions and you can't plan birth and it's all good and fine if you change your mind, yada yada. But I think it's silly to go in with the whole "maybe I'll get an epidural, maybe I won't" mindset. That's just fueling yourself with so much doubt from the beginning. You can do it. Of course you can. And you will.
It really helped me to remember that I didn't actually have to know or DO anything (except keep breathing). You can't control it. Your body does everything for you. All you have to do is find your best way to manage the pain. And the instant the baby comes out you have relief. I was up walking to the nursery to watch DD's first bath within an hour.
Good luck!
Thank you! I was about to say the same thing. This woman was asking for advice, not asking for someone to criticize her choice. How do you think that people gave birth before epidurals, or even before hospitals? NATURALLY because that is what women's bodies are built to do.
I had planned all along to get an epidural but when the time came and I walked into L&D 7 cm unexpectedly, the nurses talked me out of getting an epi. They said I had already done so well and was almost at the end. It was the best decision I could have made and I'm so proud of myself for going med free! I didn't go to any classes or anything at all. I did have some complications but with everything that happened, I don't feel I could have prepared for it with a class or book.
GL!
First, kudos to you for choosing to go natural! I had an amazing birth experience. Yes, there was pain, but it's a different pain than other pain you've experienced in your life--it's an empowering "I am woman, hear me roar!" type of pain.
To prepare myself I took a Bradley Method course, read Ina May Gaskin's books, and surrounded myself with positive people who supported my decision to go med-free. :-)
Also, my DH was AMAZING! He stood strong through my entire labor and delivery and helped me through some of the tougher parts.
You can do it! Enjoy the experience, it's pretty rockin'!
Neena Mae. 1/7/10
"A baby nursing at a mother's breast is an undeniable affirmation of our rootedness in nature." - David Suzuki
This was me almost exactly except after fours hours of contactions we went to hospital and I was 9cm. I pushed 10 minutes later for 25 minutes. I wanted an epi, but of course I was too late. I really didn"t feel any pain and I chalk it up to adrenaline big time. I don't know if I could have gone med free if I had a longer labor though. I was surprised about how I didn't feel a thing I thought the couple of contractions were the worst part, and even they weren't as bad as my monthly cramps.
Good luck to you.
I could have written Jennrs's post word for word.
I have had two med-free VBACs and they were wonderful and empowering experiences and yes there was pain but it was perfectly do-able and not a scary pain of being sick or hurt- it was the pain of a muscle working really hard. I used to be a bicycle racer and after my first VBAC I was thinking- "Jeeze- I wish someone had told me that childbirth was easier/less painful than hill climbing!"
I experience the "ring of fire" and it's hard to write about- but I'm so glad that I didn't miss out on having experienced that- how many times in your life do you get a chance?
I had a doula at both- highly reccomended!
I read the Bradley book... didn't really adopt a "method" but really appreciated the ideas and info going in.
An interesting website to checkout is spinningbabies.com ... it explains a lot about how the baby is an active participant in childbirth. Interesting often overlooked fact.
Best wishes to you on a beautiful birth!
Bumpies, thanks so much for the encouraging words, advice and resources!! I'm very excited to go natural and I really hope I don't let myself down.
Thanks again!!
I also had pitocin and no pain meds, it was totally worth it and I would do it all over again.
To the OP, you are probably going to hear a lot of people question why you want to go med free. I was so sick of telling people that I wanted to have a pain med free labor, and them telling me I absolutely had to get an epi. I just made a decision and stuck with it, and it was worth it.
Good luck!
I have to agree that it really isn't something you can prepare for.
I didn't do classes, I flipped through some books a friend had - but I wasn't really into hypnobabies and as crunchy as I am Ina May was too much for me.
My first was a planned C/S so I had no idea what I was in for. I had contractions on and off for days and I remember when they stared to get 'real' I had my head against the bathroom sink thinking I either underestimated how badly it would hurt or grossly over estimated my ability to cope.
I told myself I wanted to try, and if I needed meds that was okay too. I labored at home until 6 cms and was hurting pretty good by the time I got to the hospital. I told myself I could make it through one more contraction before getting meds and I did - over and over.
My hubby and the nurse equally annoyed the sh!t out of me with 'encouragement' and advice so I don't think a doula would have been for me. (I guess I'm more of an on my own kinda birther.
)
The only time I really thought 'I can't do this' is during the pushing and at that point (as my nurse so graciously reminded me) you are completely out of options. LoL.
It was an amazing experience. I was proud that I was able to tough it out and you really can't beat a shower a half hour after deliever and whatever food/walking you want. I was even able to 'check out' of the hospital the next day.
You can do it! One contraction at a time! It is worth it! You can do it!