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Maryland Babies
Natural Childbirth
I am really going for the natural childbirth and was wondering if anyone had any support or tips.. usually when I say I am going all natural, people get akinda negative and I would love some good feedback...
Also, I am delivering at GBMC.. if anyone has any feedback for natural childbirth at GBMC, that would be awesome!! 
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Re: Natural Childbirth
Hi
I can't type too much right now but I say go for it! Our bodies were made to do this. I had a natural childbirth in August 2009 and I still feel empowered from that experience when I think back to it. I think the biggest thing is to prepare, prepare, prepare. I would sign up for a natural childbirth class. (I took Jessica Grove's and I highly recommend hers. Well it was her Bradley class but her new classes seem better). I would also look into hiring a doula as it can be more difficult to have a natural childbirth in a hospital setting. I would also read some books (Creating Your Birth Plan by Dr. Marsden Wagner and Mind Over Labor are two great starts). Lastly, I would make sure that you are eating well and exercising as remaining low-risk is a huge step in the right direction. (Google the Brewer diet when you have a chance as it has been shown to have great outcomes not only for mom but also for the baby both in and out of utero).
As far as GBMC I always get flammed when I share my opinion about them... I knew for myself that since I wanted a water birth that if I were going to deliver at a hospital it would have to be Mercy. I opted instead to give birth at Special Beginnings in Arnold.
I'd find a doula for a birthing coach. Doulas tend to be the people that get you through active labor and help you over the hurdles of "i cant do this anymore" etc.
I have a friend who delivered naturally at GBMC, but Mercy is a more natural friendly hospital.
I delivered DS naturally and it was an amazing and empowering experience. I had DS at Bay Area Midwifery here in Annapolis. I made the switch to a midwifery practice after having a long and intervention filled birth experience with DD.
I didn't know I wanted an natural birth until I had been through a very unnatural birth.
In addition to the recc's anonsouthernbride made I also recc'd watching the Business of Being Born and reading Ina Mae Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth.
I attempted to vbac naturally. I made it to 9 centimeters before I got an epidural. I am actually quite impressed I got that far because I had a lot of physical issues going on and a very fast very intense labor (I actually am one of the few people who does really have a pelvis that can't push out a baby, it's actually very, very rare, so don't let any OB tell you that you can't push out a baby because it's too big or your pelvis is too narrow) . I did hypnobabies, and hired a doula. I would recommend going with midwives if you want a truly natural birth, and there are midwives that deliver in hospitals and are pretty intervention free - I was at U of M medical center and they tried everything they could to get me a natural birth.
I also read Ina May Guide to Childbirth and Business of Being born. And do a lot of research and don't let anyone give you any negative comments. The only people who usually give negative comments are those who have never attempted it.
I would also ask if you are going natural if GBMC allows you to stand or squat while pushing. If they make you lay down, even without an epi, then they probably aren't going to be too supportive of a natural delivery.
ditto this- currently NAK- will type more later.
ETA- OK- DS is asleep so I am able to add to this.
I strongly recc'd looking into using a midwife for prenatal care and labor & delivery. If you do choose to see an OB I would ask them about their policies on induction and augmenting labor with pitocin. Also what are their fetal monitoring policies?
Freedom of movement is very important if you want to delivery naturally. You want to having gravity working with you- being able to stand up, squat, sway, etc. are all very helpful in getting things moving along. If you are on pitocin then you are almost always in a bed because you need ongoing fetal monitoring, plus a blood pressure cuff on you at all times. It's very hard to make yourself comfortable when you are limited to one position.
Birthing in the lithotomy position (on your back w/ your legs in the air) just about guarantees a first time mom tearing and/or need an episiotomy- but it's much easier for a doctor to deliver a baby in this position vs. standing, squatting, on all fours, etc.
I have heard from many that the key to having a natural birth in a hospital is to labor at home as long as possible.
Good luck!
This is true, my doula was concerned that I would go to the hospital too early. Although I was contracting all day, they were 5 minutes apart for an hour and I went to the hospital right away and she was afraid I would have many more hours to go and would be on a timetable when I got there (as in I need to have the baby within a certain amount of time or else be threatened with a repeat c-section for failure to progress) Even though they say the rule is every five minutes, for 1 minute contractions for an hour, she had seen people go at that time and then the contractions slow down or stop.
Staying at home until the contractions are so intense you can't talk through them is the best idea.
Forgot to hit quote but ITA (Staying at home until the contractions are so intense you can't talk through them is the best idea.)
That is what we did and I arrived at the birth center and was already 7cm dilated!
ITA w/daisyterp too. The Business of Being Born is a fantastic movie as is Pregnant in American (and both are available on Netflix). The Ina May Gaskins book she mentioned was great too and I even used some of the things she wrote about while in labor (like the neighing LOL, which made my husband laugh as I hadn't told him ahead of time, which made me laugh even harder). I haven't read this one myself but I have been told that Pushed is a great book too!
I didn't have an unmedicated birth, but I had hoped to; DD b/c she was breech - so we had a scheduled c/s. I did have a doula though and I agree w/ PPs advice - if you are going to have a hospital birth, I definitely recommend hiring a doula and laboring at home as long as possible. The doula was helpful even w/ limiting the interventions w/ the c/s and making sure they were interfering/delaying BFing anymore than possible.
As far as your decision to give birth naturally, congratulations! It is a fantastic decision and what I am hoping to do as well. I am currently reading "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" and would highly recommend it.
My mom is a midwife who used to work at Maryland General. She said they had more patients come there after a bad experience with GBMC than with any other hospital.
I have also known two women who planned a natural childbirth and ended up having C-sections at GBMC. I don't know details on one of the C-sections, but the other was completely unneccesary. The things I hear most about GBMC is that they are a very drug and C-section-happy hospital. I do however, have one friend who was happy with her care and birth experience there, although her labor was induced at 41 weeks.
I have decided to deliver at Special Beginnings. They have highly skilled midwives and want to do their best to give you the birth experience you want.
I am planning a natural childbirth and as of right now I am delivering at GBMC. However, I'm also looking at Special Beginnings or Mercy, because I have not been encouraged by the answers my OB gave me to natural childbirth at GBMC- I do not think they are very supportive of it (just my gut opinion).
I highly recommend taking a Bradley class, as well as reading the books and seeing the movies PP have recommended. This is my first, so I can't tell you if they've helped yet, but I feel that I am entering into this well-prepared.
They go hand in hand- the hospital is in charge of the nurses, who are the ones who provide most of the support while laboring. Also different hospitals have different policies regarding IVs, if they have fetal monitors you can walk with, if you are allowed to labor in the shower, if they have tubs, etc. The nurses control a lot of this and can make or break you.
I am so impressed with all of the good info in response to your question. GBMC is probably not the easiest place to have a med-free birth (although I know it is possible). If you are inclined to find other venues I would encourage that. Hiring a doula and taking a class should also be part of the plan. There are tons of great doulas in Baltimore. Doulamatch.net is a great site (I am listed there along with dozens of other doulas). As for classes there are a number of varieties depending on your personal preference and how many nights you can commit to the class.
From a personal perspective I was always amazed at the negative comments I got when I mentioned I was planning a natural birth. It is not always easy to understand the defensiveness people display on the topic of unmedicated birth. As a natural-childbirth educator I will say that 80% of my students have similar "resistance" from friends and family so you are NOT alone :-) Hang in there, join a class, and enjoy feeling supported! If you are interested in hiring a doula or taking a class feel free to pm me I am happy to provide you with a run down of area classes (NOT just mine lol!) and local doulas.