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gymnst1013
member
XP: Question about natural birth in hospital
gymnst1013
member
I am currently with an OB and will be giving birth in a hospital I'm getting nervous that this is a rare thing to have an OB on board with a med free birth. I want to be able to walk around and use the birthing ball, etc. I know it depends on the OB and I need to talk to mine, which I will be doing in 2 weeks at my next appt. At my first appointment, I mentioned that I want a med free birth and one of the docs (5 total in the practice I go to) said "that's what we like" but we didn't get into it any further since I was only 8 weeks at the time.
Then last night at our Bradley class, the instructor gave me a look like "good luck with that" when I told her we are having a hospital birth with an OB. I know it's not too late to switch to a MW and I will totally do that if it doesn't look like my docs are on board.
So in the meantime, how many of you have done this and how was your experience? TIA!
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Re: XP: Question about natural birth in hospital
We had two med free hospital OB births! On our birthplan we said "we want to have a pain-med-free birth. PLEASE DO NOT OFFER pain meds. If we want them, we will ask for them."
Also on the birth plan I said Please help me! Suggest positions, I'd like to use the birthing ball, jaccuzzi, etc. I'd like a mirror when it comes time to push.
We did a Bradley class as well. It really depends on your OB. If they support you, it'll go fine!
Have your DH tape a sign to the outside of your room door - DO NOT OFFER PAIN MEDS! (Thanks!)
I didn't do natural birth-- I knew I would have to have an epidural placed regardless, and once my contractions started I was begging for it. But a friend of mine did go med-free at a hospital here, and I think it wasn't a problem. She did have a regular OB, I think, and took a Bradley class. She did the vast, vast majority of her laboring at home as well.
My SIL also went natural at a hospital. I think they will respect your wishes if you make them clear.
But if you are serious about going natural, make sure your husband is there to talk you out of it if/when you start asking for drugs. Contractions for me were SO much more painful than anything I could have imagined.
I went pain med free both times in the hospital with an OB. With Reed, I had to be in the bed on the monitors totally still which was torture...but I had a placental abruption and it was scary so I was okay with staying on the monitors.
For #2, they used the doppler to check baby's heart rate, that's it. I wasn't in the bed at all. The only time I got in the bed was when I pushed her out..No stirrups or anything like that either.
He will definitely talk me out of it. I don't even need to bring it up with him. He was the one who got me thinking about natural birth in the first place! Haha! He is completely against meds. Thank you!
I tried and failed with a midwife in a hospital (mostly due to and long-ass labor and complications making all of my Bradley tools useless for pain relief.)
I think what made it hard was not the attitude of the midwives, but the nurses you get. I should have asked for one that was pro-natural birth (or asked to switch when I got the one I got. ) She didn't discourage it, but she was no help at all.
What I would suggest most of all is getting a doula. I think that would have made a big difference. When I begged for an epidural, my husband just said "ok" because he couldn't stand to see me in pain and was so emotionally involved. I needed someone who was detached enough to think and not react, KWIM? While I liked my Bradley courses, I think it's unfair to expect your DH to be a labor expert when he's never seen one and it's probably going to be one of the most stressful things he's ever been through because he'll be worried about his wife and baby.
There are plenty of good OBs and plenty of bad midwives. I would definitely discuss it further with them. Now that you've done Bradley, you know what kind of questions to ask (about continuous fetal monitoring, being in the tub, episiotomy rates, how long they'll let you push etc) to get a feel for where your OB stands. Honestly, unless you're having problems (and you want to know what they consider a problem. Failure to progress? Going to 41w?), your OB will probably just show up to catch the baby.
I am really interested in getting a doula. I got some recs from my instructor last night and I need to make some calls. I agree it's really important to have someone detached from the situation who knows what she is doing and can remind me just how much I don't want meds. And I didn't even realize I could request particular nurses. Good to know.
Thank you everyone! Huge help!
I tried and failed also, but not because of the hospital or my nurse or MW. They were all fantastic and totally supportive. I just had a loooooong and complicated labor and had to be transferred to the hospital from a free standing birthing center after 30+ hours of labor. I was totally and completely exhausted and needed some relief once the pitocin started, but I wish I had gone with stadol first and then the epi, if I still needed it.The epi gave me temporary relief and then failed multiple times and it sucked because I couldn't move at all, but was still in pain.
I am expecting number 2 and live in a state where a birthing center is not an option, so I am planning a natural hospital birth. My biggest advice to you is to have many open and honest convos with your OB and if you are not comfortable with their answers, you should switch. I ended up switching to a MW at 22w because I knew my OB was not going to be on board. Keep in mind that some things are just hospital policy and there is no getting around them, but it is important to know if it is hospital policy or OB policy...
The doula suggestion is also a good one as is the birth plan. I would ask your OB to review it with you ahead of time and discuss it with you so all your expectations are in line.
Good Luck!!!
I had a natural birth in a hospital with an OB.
I second the pp who said that it really depends on the nurses that you get. They are the ones that are with you during the tough times - the OB will come in every once and a while to check you and he or she will be there for the actual birth, but that's usually pretty much it.
I was fortunate to deliver at a hospital that is pretty anti- unnecessary interventions. Have you taken any childbirth classes at your hospital, or gone on a tour? We took the regular childbirth class, but the hospital also offered Hypnobirthing (which I couldn't take because I'm in grad school and class on those nights!). I learned a lot about what I could expect not just from childbirth, but also from the hospital itself. You're going to want to know if the general attitude of the hospital/nurses is open and supportive of natural birth. (I didn't even have a birth plan; I just told my main nurse "No meds and I don't want to have to be in bed with the monitors on." She gave me the telemetry unit and never, ever mentioned meds to me.)
The OB that delivered DD was not my regular OB. I had seen her for one appointment at about 16 weeks, but that was it. She arrived when I was basically already pushing (I had residents and a med student with me before that), but she became a great cheerleader for me as well.
I would definitely spend as much time as you can at the hospital in whatever childbirth prep classes they offer. Talk to the instructors, see if you can meet some nurses, talk to other moms if you can. If you don't get the feeling they'll be supportive, think about getting a doula.
I don't think I ever said the words "natural birth" to my OB. We might have talked about it in passing, but my pregnancy was uncomplicated, so it really never came up. Once I had spent some time at the hospital and read over their materials, I felt confident that DH and I would be supported. We were, and I had the natural birth that I wanted. : )
GL to you!
TTC since 11/05...ectopic pg 4/08...early m/c 6/09...BFP 10/5/09!
Nora B...June 15, 2010...8lbs, 8oz...Med-free birth!
TTC #2 since 7/11...cycle #3 of Clomid + IUI = BFP
Malcolm...September 21, 2012...8lbs, 6oz...Another med-free birth!
Mine definitely is. I was in L&D 2 weeks ago and saw many signs posted saying something like let us know if you have a doula.
I've almost done it twice!
I made it 30 hours into labor with DD1 before requesting an epidural. Pitocin was NEVER mentioned. That was with an OB. The epi was my "only" med (other than antibiotics for being GBS+), and the epi was after *I* brought it up.
I had antibiotics again with DD2, and that was it. My midwife mentioned pitocin early on because my water had broken and my contractions were very, very weak (and that was in her office before I even went to the hospital), but thankfully the contractions picked up on their own and pitocin wasn't mentioned again. I didn't have an epi. I didn't even take a birth plan this time -- I forgot it!
These were two different hospitals and I didn't have an issue with either. I made sure my wishes were known about wanting to move around, but they didn't raise an eyebrow, and nothing was suggested that wasn't necessary (or looking to be imminent as with #2), and I didn't have to remind them to read the birth plan or tell them not to mention meds or put up signs or anything like that! My wishes were 100% respected and supported in both cases. I had a doula with #1 but not with #2. Each one of my L&D nurses was AMAZING.
Good luck!
Our Thanksgiving Day baby 11/22/07
Pregnant with #2 with LPD, uterine polyp/hysteroscopy, DOR (AMH = 0.17), 2 c/ps
Our early Christmas present 12/9/10
And if that's the case, see if you can find a different hospital. Also, with hospital policy, talk to the provider about how much is "required" and how much is just "how it's done." My hospital, for instance, is pretty baby unfriendly about c-sections, but they're not hard fast rules. Just procedure.
I didnt read the responses but have you thought about a doula? They will support you during labor and help you hold off on the drugs but you can still deliver with an OB. Honestly, my OB was in my room maybe once or twice for 2 minutes before DS started crowning and it was time for those last few pushes. It is going to depend more on your nurse and your support person/doula. It can definitely be done in a hospital though.
If you want to find a doula in your area, there is an organization called DONA that most are registered with.
-----Lisa-----
I see you are in Pittsburgh! There are some great doulas here in Pittsburgh - but - you really, really may want to consider switching your care to The Midwife Center for Birth and Health - they are AWESOME - they have a freestanding birth center with lovely, comfortable rooms where you can give birth. Their back-up hospital is UPMC Mercy. I didn't look at your ticker so as I'm typing this - I'm not sure how pregnant you are, I'll check again after I post. But they are great, an amazing, woman centered group of talented, highly credentialed, expertly trained birth and women's health providers. Their phone number is 412-321-6880 - website is:
www.midwifecenter.org
If you choose to stay with your OB - I echo the ladies who suggested you hire a doula for extra support and encouragement for both you AND your husband during your labor and delivery, this person will help to make sure your birth experience is what YOU want it to be. I think doulas are welcome at all the major Pittsburgh hospitals, you'll want to check specifically with your OB practice, but I would hope that they would NOT have a problem. But again, can't recommend the Midwife Center highly enough if you are looking for a med-free birth experience - I've had friends and family members give birth with them and all were very happy. They were my pregnancy care providers too but I had to have a planned C-section as my little guy was breech and stuck in place (could not be turned.) One of my midwives came to my C-section and sat right by my head with DH, offering support and encouragement and helping to care for me.
"When it comes to sleeping, whatever your baby does is normal. If one thing has damaged parents enjoyment of their babies, it's rigid expectations about how and when the baby should sleep." ~ James McKenna, Ph.D., Mother Baby Behavioral Sleep Center, University of Notre Dame
I had a very positive experience with a med-free hospital birth! And I was there for the duration, beginning as soon as my water broke/labor started (because we didn't have heat/power due to an ice storm and I did not want to labor at home under those conditions).
I used a midwife, so I think that was the first thing on my side - I think everyone at the hospital birthing center (which, btw, is separate from the hospital) knows that patients of this m/w practice are counting on a med-free birth. Plus, as we were told, the birthing center is very "natural birth-friendly." I took the standard birthing class at the hospital and they spent a lot of time on natural laboring techniques and only addressed meds as an educational thing. Lucky me.
We wanted a doula but didn't want to spend the $$...we did interview a doula student who needed to attend a few births to get her certification, but she was as naive as we were, and it just didn't feel right. But I would like to use one next time.
When we were admitted I refused the IV line (whatever you call that - the "just in case" line they offer). I hadn't written about a birth plan, just jotted down a few things on a form the m/w practice required as to preferences (i.e. massage, etc.). Nothing too specific.
And I was very, very pleased. I felt no pressure whatsoever...I was in charge. No one asked me about meds. When my labor stalled at 9cm for 2 1/2 hours (after having been in labor about 20 hrs and my water having been broken the entire time) my m/w apparently did say to my husband that we may need to start pitocin if things didn't start progressing. But no one said anything to me.
And honestly, meds were the farthest thing from my mind. I was so focused on myself, just doing everything in my power to endure (not gonna lie - it was rough), that I could barely speak. I couldn't even think about meds, let alone ask for them. But the truth is, I didn't want them, and I'm sure that came into play as well.
Oh, and I was all over the place. Jacuzzi, shower, bed, birthing ball, toilet, you name it. They did monitor me every so often (which I hated, esp. when it was done vaginally), but it was infrequent.
I'm so happy with how it all turned out. Feel free to read my birth story in my bio. I hope you're able to achieve what you have your heart set on!
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
Just saw this, too.
I did a med-free birth with a midwife and doula in a hospital. However, as it turns out, our nurse did more than our doula, which is not very common. Someone said in an earlier post that it is mainly the nurse you have to communicate with. And that was so true for us. We actually had a backup doula cause the one we hired had an emergency birth at the same time as us. My nurse at one point looked at me and said, "you better unfist your hands and relax that forehead of yours, you're too tense" and "let your husband tell you what to do". She knew how bad I wanted to go med-free. I was shocked. And she said it quite firmly, too.
We did hypnobirthing classes that I think is what really helped me with my med-free goal. Started feeling labor at 3:30am, woke DH up at 6, left for hospital at 7:30, was checked at 8am and was 8cm dilated! Aiden was born at 12:30pm. Not sure I could've done that had I not taken the class. You can do it! Even though I requested not to see a Dr. from my OB office, and only a midwife, the Dr. will only be there at the end. Even my midwife wasn't there that much.
Good luck!