2nd time moms who went med-free with their 1st...

SeaSoul · August 2011

...are you preparing as well as you did the 1st time? I find I am very complacent about it this time. Maybe it's because I've done it before, and I just assume I will again? That said, I didn't do a whole lot to prepare for my 1st, and am glad it all worked out, but I think I could stand to prepare more this time. I'm just not that "into it" - still very much into the idea of a natural birth, just not as proactive about it, I guess. But that's the way it's been for the entire pregnancy. With a toddler at home, me working outside the home full-time, and the novelty of pregnancy absent this time, I'm just not focusing on this pregnancy/baby as much as I did with #1. (I feel guilty saying it!)

I'm hoping the drive will kick in soon. Have considered taking a hypnobirthing class, doing prenatal yoga, hiring a doula, and reading more. I just need some inspiration so I'll actually DO it!

Anyone else feel this way?

Virginny · August 2011

Actually, I'm pretty darn excited about the labor and delivery. I'm praying that it'll go as fast and easy as last time, but I've heard many times that each pregnancy and delivery are different. So I think I'm going to need to prepare for different scenarios this time like: going late/possible inductions, what is baby is breech, what if I don't progress as quickly, how will I labor at home with DS here, should we get a doula again this time.

I began re-watching the Business of Being Born, and some natural videos on Baby Center. I've also been brushing up on newborn breast feeding info.

SeaSoul · August 2011

Virginny:
Actually, I'm pretty darn excited about the labor and delivery.

One of the reasons I wanted another child (other than the obvious) is to go through the birth experience again. It had a profound effect on me. But for some reason since I've been pregnant I haven't been feeling that same passion. Again, I still fully intend to have a med-free birth if at all possible, but I'm not excited about it yet. I'm hoping it'll kick in as I get closer to meeting him/her!

JLG95 · August 2011

Yep. We're old pros at this mommy stuff.

I took the hypnobirthing class and read a bunch of books with the first. This time, I'm not so motivated. Too sick, too busy.

I figure when I get closer to the due date, I'll bust out the "Rainbow Relaxation" on my iPod and re-read the "how to push out a baby" sections of my books.

Virginny · August 2011

Sea Soul, I'm sure it'll happen again. Maybe you just need some downtime....sounds like you've got a lot going on!

VABride2008 · August 2011

I'm with you, I haven't really prepared much. For me, mentally preparing myself helped the most with LO #1.

CheriCO · August 2011

I'm with you. We took Bradley classes last time, I went to prenatal yoga, read a bunch of books. This time, I'm really excited to experience natural birth again, but I guess I just don't feel like I need to do much to prepare. I'm delivering with CNMs at a free standing birth center, so I don't feel I have to fight for anything I want. With DS1's labor & delivery, I got in the zone and didn't need anyone to help or do anything. I know every labor can be different, but I guess I just feel like things will be fine and I don't need to prepare. I may change my mind and start freaking out in 10-15 weeks...

I have been doing my kegels and some of the other Bradley exercises, but no visualizations or anything.

Germanwife2b · August 2011

Honestly, I feel the same way. I am so wrapped up in already being a mommy and all that that entails. I would LOVE to take a hypnobirthing class (which my friend and fellow bumpie LindseyJW as offered to me) but the logistics of taking the class (getting a babysitter, carving out the time, etc) are much more daunting than they were when the only child I had was the one in the womb!

I have also CONVINCED myself that I will have a 3-4 hour delivery. I believe it will be a whirlwind delivery and everyone involved will just barely make it to my house to catch the baby :-) I am not sure how to get this birth story out of my mind, but that is what is there.

We will get excited my friend...it just might not happen today.

KidsRN · August 2011

With LO#1 I took a natural labor/birthing class, read a bunch of books and did prenatal water aerobics 2x/week up to the day I went into labor.

With LO#2 - I didn't exercise at all....it was too hard with feeling nauseous and the headaches I had the 2nd time around, plus having a toddler to chase after too! Nor did I read any additional books. I went into it thinking "I've done this before, I can/will do it again". And I did

katcarls · August 2011

I didn't do much preparation with the first one, just took the generic hospital class and did some reading about natural childbirth. I might look into a doula this time but that's probably it.

lovelylinz · August 2011

I went without pain meds the first time around, but had an induction at the recommendation of the OB. Major issues with that when we could have just waited for baby to come on her own. I was rather traumatized by the whole situation. For baby #2, I did the hypnobirthing class and went with a midwife and I LOVED that. Much better birth experience, what with the laboring at home and calm atmosphere in the midwife suite of the hospital. I highly recommend it.

iris427 · August 2011

I didn't go med-free with my first but I attempted it. I had a med-free VBAC with my second and I was kind of complacent for a while too. People have been having med-free births since the beginning of time without spending 9 months obsessing over it first, kwim? You have plenty of time to hire a doula and take a class, but even if you don't, you can still accomplish your goal.

GL.

star173 · August 2011

YES! I'm a 3rd time who went med free with the 2nd, so I think I count.

I of course want to go med free, and it's important to me, but I lack that passion that I had last time. I am considering switching to a hospital that is more natural birth friendly because I feel like I don't have the "fight" in me to assert myself. My friend, God bless her, is sending me the hypnobabies kit to borrow so I will be doing that. Otherwise, I have only told myself a million times that I will do my yoga dvds and go to the class, lol.

nosoup4u · August 2011

I kept meaning to do prenatal yoga again when I was pg with DS2, but it never worked out...the most I did was listen to the Hypnobirthing track when I was feeling really stressed and couldn't fall asleep. I think I did reread a few parts of the books I had, but that was it.

And labor was okay! It was a very familiar feeling, and I remembered to relax and breathe through them early on. The only time I felt like I hadn't prepped enough was during transition (well, I didn't realize it was transition at the time), and then I went straight to wanting to push, so it was a moot point. You guys will be okay even if you don't get a chance to prep again!!

anna7602 · August 2011

I'm not pg again yet, but I can't imagine researching and prepping for things as obsessively the second time around as the first. The biggest thing for me was to collect positive stories the first time around since everyone always wants to tell you about their horrific emergency c-section or about their 58 hours in labor or about how everything went wrong at the last minute. I don't deny that these things happen, but I wanted to go into the birth experience with positive thoughts. I read a ton of Ina May Gaskin stories about natural births and tried to talk to people who had the kind of birth experience I hoped for.

Since I was lucky to have the birth experience I hoped for with DD, I think the knowledge and memory of that would help get me through the next labor and delivery without much additional prep work. The only big thing on my "to do" list in that respect is to find a new doula since my previous one has since retired.

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