natural birth

JWiety030411 · November 2011

At the recommendation of a pregnant friend, I started watching the documentary "The Business of Being Born" last night, which is all about natural births vs. traditional hospital birth procedures (many including pitocin and epidurals). I completely recognize that obviously, this movie is biased toward the natural birth position - but it does present a lot of interesting information that I've never heard before, and 30 minutes of the movie basically had me moved from "Perhaps I'll look into natural birth" to "I'm almost positive I want a natural birth." I'm not going to judge people's decisions either way, because how you give birth is most definitely a personal choice and every woman is different, but I'd HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is curious about natural birth! (If you have netflix, it's online!).

allisonmarie22 · November 2011

I really enjoyed it, and while I as pretty certain before that I wanted a natural birth, my mind was definitely made up after watching it. I won't, however, be going the home birth route.

sassafras007 · November 2011

I agree that the movie was informative and I think people should get all the information we can...

However, sometimes it is not a choice on how you give birth and this is why it is important to know all the ways it could go...

JWiety030411 · November 2011

allisonmarie22:
I really enjoyed it, and while I as pretty certain before that I wanted a natural birth, my mind was definitely made up after watching it. I won't, however, be going the home birth route.

Agreed - I have heard that even in hospitals, there is sometimes a special room dedicated to women who want to deliver with a midwife naturally. I have to find out at my first appointment what's available locally for us.

bookworm982 · November 2011

Any idea where I can find that since I don't have a Netflix account? I read Pushed by Jennifer Block, and that's what got me convinced to have a natural birth (but in a hospital to reassure dh). I want to read and view more on the subject in preparation, and this documentary sounds wonderful

sassafras007 · November 2011

I could have written that....

briderx:
sassafras007:

I agree that the movie was informative and I think people should get all the information we can...

However, sometimes it is not a choice on how you give birth and this is why it is important to know all the ways it could go...

THIS! I really wanted a med-free birth but I developed pre-e the last couple weeks of my pregnancy. I never even considered that I would have to be induced, put on magnesium and eventually have a c-section. I was very unprepared for that situation. It is definitely helpful to know what could happen and realize that it could happen to you.

lindsaybethmiller · November 2011

I think in order to have the "perfect" birth you have to be completely ok with knowing it might not go the way you wanted. I had an emergency c-section and was heartbroken about it for a couple of weeks because I had spent so much time working on my "birth plan" and had never even considered that things might not go my way. So for everyone that wants to do natural births - that's fantastic and I wish you the best, but just be prepared that things can go way differently than you expect.

DawnLilly · November 2011

i haven't seen it. we all know about epi whether we are going med free or plan on getting an epi. i just want to throw out there how appalled i am at the use of artficial oxytocin (pitocin) in human women. i use it in dairy cattle and then considered using it when my furbaby was whelping. most breeders use it so i researched it more. what i learned about the effects made me sick to even use it in the cattle. i couldn't believe when i found out it was given to women as well. picture a tube of toothpaste one of your hands at the base of the tube and the other above that. with natural contractions the the hand at the bottom squeezes first the the hand above that and the muscles contract in a progression like that. with artificial oxytocin the muscles contract at the same time (making them stronger and more painful). both hands squeeze the tube at the same time. so just using my experience with other mammals so no one calls me out... but a calf or pup often times gets stuck in the birth cannal because there is no progression out of it. we don't have forcepts or sucktion so it usually turns into an emergency c-section. sorry that turned out to be longer than i planned. i'm slightly passionate about the use.

khagan9368 · November 2011

I had NO intention of having a natural birth with my daughter but I ended up waiting so long to go to the hospital that I was fully dilated upon arrival - NO epidural (I was not a happy camper). Moral of the story - you never know what's going to happen.

This time around I'm heading to labor and delivery at the first cramp, no way I'm going through that agony again. Good luck to those of you that opt for med free delivery.

stemms8810 · November 2011

briderx:
sassafras007:

I agree that the movie was informative and I think people should get all the information we can...

However, sometimes it is not a choice on how you give birth and this is why it is important to know all the ways it could go...

THIS! I really wanted a med-free birth but I developed pre-e the last couple weeks of my pregnancy. I never even considered that I would have to be induced, put on magnesium and eventually have a c-section. I was very unprepared for that situation. It is definitely helpful to know what could happen and realize that it could happen to you.

This exact thing happened to me. I am very much about educating yourself about all the options in case your birth plan doesn't go as planned.

JWiety030411 · November 2011

bookworm982:
Any idea where I can find that since I don't have a Netflix account? I read Pushed by Jennifer Block, and that's what got me convinced to have a natural birth (but in a hospital to reassure dh). I want to read and view more on the subject in preparation, and this documentary sounds wonderful

You can rent it on many places that rent movies (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) and Amazon also has copies that you can buy for fairly cheap as well. If you don't want to pay, you can do a one month trial of Netflix for free

JG362009 · November 2011

sassafras007:
I agree that the movie was informative and I think people should get all the information we can...

However, sometimes it is not a choice on how you give birth and this is why it is important to know all the ways it could go...

Yep. Unfortunately, until I had the exact opposite of what I planned, I really bought into a lot of the BOBB mentality. You can't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need.

JWiety030411 · November 2011

Ladies, thanks for all your thoughts. I'm aware that my birth - natural or otherwise - may not go as I plan it, but as natural birth seems to be the less talked about method in society today (it was very difficult to even locate a midwife in my area!) I want to make sure I'm extra educated on that - because I doubt that if I go to a traditional OB that they will be able to explain those options to me very well. I just don't want to go into pregnancy assuming that I don't have any other options besides the drugs route.

hehehe922 · November 2011

Try the library as well, that's where I got it from!

megperk72 · November 2011

After experiencing the pain, there is no way I could do it med free unless I didn't have a choice (ie. happens too fast).. Good luck to those who do, I just know I'd rather be as comfortable as possible.

bookworm982 · November 2011

hehehe922:
Try the library as well, that's where I got it from!

I just looked, and my library has it. Looks like I'll be picking it up next time I'm there.

MidwestIrishBridea · November 2011

I watched it a few years ago and I completely agree. The epidural is for your benefit and there's documented risks for the baby. My thought was, "what kind of mother would I be if my first decision as a mother, I did something that favored my comfort and convenience but in doing so, knowingly put my baby at risk?" that just doesn't settle right in my soul. For me I'm doing a natural water birth because it's the best way to manage pain naturally and it's an easier transition into the world for a baby.

LadyTyler · November 2011

I watched it with my husband which I think was REALLY helpful. He understands why I want to aim towards a natural birth now more fully than just supporting me because he loves me; having some tangible information put in a movie made it easy for him to digest.

Despite my hope for a natural birth, I'm doing plenty of reading about various possible interventions so I can do my best to prepare for them. My birth requests will have a section on what interventions we would like to try first and what I would like to have happen if there is an emergency. I feel like it makes the most sense to plan for both a straightforward labor & delivery and one with more interventions; just because there is a chance for problems won't deter me from aiming for an intervention free birth, but I am also preparing for the chance it won't happen that way.

AmKaSaw · November 2011

Bring on the drugs! Stick out tongue

Seriously though, i don't know at this point. I'm hoping to be able to decide when I get to the hospital.

HRTB16 · November 2011

Good luck to all the natural birth ladies out there! I admire you. Smile I am not interested in a natural birth for myself, but I think the movie looks pretty interesting. I think I'll get it on netflicks tonight!

I agree that it is each woman's choice and a very personal one which shouldn't be judged by anyone else. This is #3 for me- first 2 I had pitocin and an epidural, and I plan on doing the same with this one. (Well, the epidural at least, but hopefully this one will decide to come on it's own and I wont need the Pit!!)

Under.the.Rose · November 2011

I think it's great in that it promotes natural birth as something women shouldn't be afraid of... however I didn't like it's promotion of home births, which in my opinion involve risks not worth taking.

I had DS in a hospital with my midwives and it was great! I wasn't able to "go natural" because of a pelvic injury causing me to try an epidural which didn't work anyway (the pressure against my pelvis was intense because DS couldn't pass through) and have a c-section... however, going into it not being afraid of anything made all the difference I think. I only really felt the pain when I didn't stay calm and control my breathing.

dosafyre · November 2011

There's a "Natural Birth" board on here too...for anyone interested.

It's good to mentally prepare yourself to go natural and for labor...and yes, sometimes things don't go 100% as planned...but the body really does (usually) know what do to and makes some powerful painkillers of its own.

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