Anyone have a natural hospital birth?

littleshopofyorkies · May 2011

Hello ladies. I am really starting to read up on labor and delivery as well as settings for the delivery. I am wondering if any of you on here had a natural birth in a hospital setting. Did you get a doula? Or what is your thought on this if you went somewhere else?

I am thinking I may want to see if my insurance covers a midwifery but I am still not sure.

Thanks for the advice!

thepeach80 · May 2011

I've never heard of insurance not covering a CNM, especially one that is hospital based. As a doula I love helping moms acheive the births they want. My frist mom I ever worked w/ ended up having to be induced but still went w/out an epidural! Best wishes.

tokenhoser · May 2011

I had a natural birth at a hospital. I was with my family doctor, which is somewhere between an OB and a midwife. It worked well for me.

I laboured at home - in fact, I arrived 10 cm dilated and ready to go. My labour moved fast, though, so that wasn't entirely on purpose. I did hire a doula and would hire her again in a heartbeat.

My whole story is here.

I'd say my doctor's support was more important than being at the hospital. She let me deliver how I wanted, and supported things like delayed cord clamping.

kgrl21 · May 2011

The insurance I had with my first did not cover CNM's so my choices were really limited. But I still had a mostly natural labor in the hospital and from what the nurses were telling me, I was definitely an unusual case there. It wasn't a bad experience but I know that it could have been much better if my insurance at the time had allowed for what I really wanted to do.

BalancingJane · May 2011

I had a natural hospital birth (birth story here). I didn't hire a doula, but I had a very supportive birth team (my husband, mom, and best friend) who were with me through the whole labor. I did run into some obstacles with hospital policies that were different from what they told me before I went into labor, but it all worked out.

seethesmiles · May 2011

I had 2 natural hospital births. Both were attended by midwives. I didn't have a doula. It was just me and DH both times but we did take a Bradley class with my first.

Xles10 · May 2011

Call to see if they cover CNMs and get a doula if you can. If you don't want to pay for a doula, find one who is in training. She would likely do it for free.

andrea922 · May 2011

I did with both my kids, but my son was born in the UK so the insurance point is moot there. With dd I had midwives but they billed insurance through an OB, so it was covered. I also had a doula.

KTtheWife · May 2011

I had a completely med-free birth at a hospital with an OB and a doula. I loved my doula! I also had DH and my mom there to support me. They said that the nurse was annoying because she kept offering me an epidural, but I don't really remember that. I wasn't paying attention to anything going on around me. I think that as long as you have great support, a med-free birth is definitely possible in a hospital.

humynone · May 2011

Yup!...family practice doc at a birth center/hospital. Only my husband and the awesome and supportive nurses there. (but I wasn't really comfortable with the idea of a doula in my space).

ridesbuttons · May 2011

Me. No doula. GP in attendance (ER doc the second time: fast, fast, fast).

GP totally supportive. Very pragmatic and down to earth. Mother of 4 herself.

rosiemomma · May 2011

I had a pretty good natural hospital birth, I had my mom as my doula (she was great) and the hospital I went to let me labor in a tub for a long time. I also had a CNMW.

flyer23 · May 2011

I did, with DD. I used an OB, not a midwife.

I did get a doula, and recommend one (or, at least, someone other than your DH to assist throughout labor) to pretty much anyone wanting a natural birth in a hospital.

christina627 · May 2011

induced at 23 past EDD in hospital with PIT, and went without painmeds...planned homebirth though.

mssab08 · June 2011

I had a natural hospital birth attended by a midwife. My hospital had a pretty high c/s rate, but had birthing tubs available for waterbirths. I agree that your experience is determined more by the dr that is delivering you than the place where you deliver.

novlove11 · June 2011

I too want a natural birth and am researching my options. I am lucky enough to have found an OB who says he will support whatever decisions I make. This makes me more comfortable in knowing a natural birth will be possible for me in a hospital setting. I don't have a doula, but my hubby and I will be taking natural childbirth classes and are reading a lot of books on the subject.

Chanels26 · June 2011

I had a natural birth with my second child. It was in the hospital with an OB, my mom, grandmother, and no classes. You can do it. I did come in dilated to 6 and had my LO 2 hours later. Best experience ever! Felt like superwoman.

MawrtyrB · June 2011

DH insisted on us going to the local baby factory for our first delivery. I hated it. We did take a doula which helped but they definately weren't nice to me for wanting a natural delivery. Having her was a least a little buffer between us and the staff. The triage nurse didn't believe I was even in labor. I will admit to flipping her off when they rolled me past her 3 hours later with a baby. Another nurse asked why I was even there if I wanted a natural birth. My contractions were 3 minutes apart. How long was I supposed to sit at home?

We technically had a hospital delivery with our twins but it was like night and day. We went to this little hospital about 40 mins away. They built a new regional hospital nearby so what remained at the old hospital was basically a birth cernter setting in a hospital. Full C-section capabilities if necessary on site. The local midwives all work out of this place. It was absolutely amazing. Everyone was so supportive. I had a natural birth wtih my twins which is practically unheard of these days. Insurance usually covers these type of midwives without any problems.

SmallandNeedy · June 2011

I did! My birth story is in my sig. Our hospital has a midwife program.

superned · June 2011

I had a natural birth in a hospital with an OB (and an OB resident and a med student!) and no doula. The hospital where I delivered is very natural birth-friendly, so the nurses were totally on board with me doing my own thing. DH was beyond amazingly supportive and we were able to have the birth I wanted in a hospital.

CheriCO · June 2011

I delivered DS with a midwife in a hospital. The midwives deliver on the low risk floor, not a separate birth center, so we had to deal with a nurse who seemed to be not at all familiar with natural birth. Other than that, everything went great. DH and I took Bradley classes and did not hire a doula. It was a good experience, but this time we chose to see midwives at a free standing birth center. One step further removed from unnecessary interventions, IMO.

Mrs.Greeko · June 2011

I delivered DD1 naturally in a hospital with an OB. My OB told me if I wanted a natural birth I needed to labor at home as long as possible. I showed up to the hospital at 9cm dilated. Even then I still had to fight (unsuccessfully) for some things. I did not have a doula. I only took the class offered by my hospital. It can be done. That said I see the appeal of using a doula, especially in a hospital setting. At 9cm I was not able to fight effectively, DH was not there initially and was concentrating on me so he was also not able to fight effectively. They are tricky to using words meant to scare you into interventions and making you seem like an abusive mother or a crazy cakes if you question or fight certain things.

All that said I vowed as I walked out of the hospital not to deliver another baby in a hospital unless there were severe medical needs making it impossible to deliver elsewhere. I delivered my second at a free standing birth center and had a much better experience. Third will also be delivered there.

If you don't have the choice of a birth center or home birth then you should have a doula, you should use a midwive instead of an OB and you absolutely should labor at home as long as humanly possible!

abell77 · June 2011

Yes, I had a natural birth in a hospital with a CNM. No doula, my husband and I took Bradley classes.

pdilly2b · June 2011

Me! I had a midwife (swithced from an OB at 32 wks), but no doula. My husband and I took Brio classes to prepare. I would have wanted a doula had I not had a midwife. The only intervention I ended up having was an artificial rupture of membranes at 8 cm since I'd already been in labor for 32 hours and wanted to move things along.

GypsyMomma2009 · June 2011

we took bradley classes before baby#1

I had 2 natural hospital births both with a doula

novlove11 · June 2011

superned:
I had a natural birth in a hospital with an OB (and an OB resident and a med student!) and no doula. The hospital where I delivered is very natural birth-friendly, so the nurses were totally on board with me doing my own thing. DH was beyond amazingly supportive and we were able to have the birth I wanted in a hospital.

That's amazing, and what I am hoping for with my first baby!

novlove11 · June 2011

Jack's Birth Story was beautiful!!

CircleInTheSea · June 2011

I did with ds. We went with CNM's, but actually had an on call FP assist with delivery bc the midwives were all at the clinic that day. The Doc was wonderful & *most of the nurses were supportive. Our hospital has since cut the midwife program so this time around I'm planning a homebirth. With dd, we were in intervention heaven in the hospital (different hospital than ds's birth...) and it really made me want the natural birth for ds. It can be done, but honestly, it can be an uphill battle.

Blackvelvet · June 2011

in the hospital with a midwife and my Dh and sister to help me though it was fast and not very interesting but i got what i wanted no itervention

sschwege · June 2011

I had a med-free birth at a hospital and it was a great experience. I was fortunate that my hospital was pretty pro-natural childbirth and I was under the care of CNMs. I didn't have a doula and never really considered hiring one.

I agree with pp that you should labor at home as long as possible. Also take a tour of the hospital and find out about hospital policies. Additionally I would write up a birth plan and present it to your doctor/MW to see how it is received.

Good luck, it certainly can be done!

forensicmama · June 2011

This is what I'm planning on, too. With DD, I gave birth to her with a failed epidural... it was a nightmare. I'd rather have more control over what positions I can get in, etc. (I was numb from the knees down... arghhhh...). I'm looking forward to this. I think it'll be a thousand times better.

JillShari · June 2011

I did twice.

PinkPearlGirl · June 2011

I haven't had my baby yet, but we are using a CNM at a hospital and our insurance covers her. In addition, we also hired a doula. Our CNM recommends we have a doula.

robyn2201 · June 2011

I had DD naturally in the hospital with an OB and doula. I definitely recommend having a doula! She was amazing.

If you have the option to go with a midwife do so. I wish I had to option but all the local hospitals, that I could go to, that are near me don't have them.

littleshopofyorkies · June 2011

Thank you so much for all your posts and giving me links to stories! This makes me feel so much better!!

AnneEB · June 2011

I've had 2 natural births in a hospital and they were both great experiences. With my first baby, the nurse asked me once if I wanted something for the pain, I said no, and she never mentioned it again. The second time I was considering getting one but the doctor said that I was progressing so quickly that she thought I could make it without one. She was right - DS2 was born less than half and hour later

I did not have a doula either time.

Mrs.Leah.Maria · June 2011

I had a med-free hospital birth without a doula, but it's all credited to the amazing nurse who actually even ended up delivering my DS!

Anyone have a natural hospital birth?

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