Natural Birth
fyrefairie
member
advice and reassurance from 2+ Ms
fyrefairie
member
I am aiming for a natural birth...being a FTM i haven't completely ruled out an epi but it would be very dsiappointing for me and definately seen as a last resort. I've take a class and lurked here there and everywhere and felt pretty optimistic...now that my due date is in a few weeks I am wavering in my confidence. Pregnancy hasn't had any complications, I will have to have IV antibiotics due to a congential heart issue(just precautionary and does not cause me any issues, have to get them when i go to the dentist as well), but I'm hoping not to be tied down to too muich equipment for as long as possible. I guess I'm just looking for tips or thoughts from those who have been there
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Re: advice and reassurance from 2+ Ms
I have had two natural births and my advice is to be as educated about childbirth as possible. Things aren't going to go exactly according to plan and if you know all (or most) of the options relating to whatever curve ball you are thrown you are much more likely to stay calm. Which IMO is very important to achieving a med-free birth.
I know a lot of women that choose to not let an epidural be an option because they feel like if they know they can have it then they will end up getting it. That is not how I approached it, I think for me knowing that it was possible if I felt I wanted it helped me to not feel like I wanted it. Almost like a situation where you want something more because it is off limits versus not feeling like you need it because you know it is there if you want it. So for me it was good to go into it with an epi as an option but most women that are trying to go natural don't feel the same way.
As far as the antibiotics, you should request a hep lock because then they can dose you with the antibiotics when you need them but you wont be hooked up to the IV the whole time. Which will allow you to have more mobility.
Have faith in yourself! Women gave birth without pain meds for thousands of years and you can do it too. I truly believe that anyone (barring serious complications) is physically capable of a med-free birth. Good luck!
Absolutely educate yourself. But I also think it's one of those things that you're going to just do regardless or you're not. It will be hard and it will hurt but it will also have an end point. With my first I was literally begging for an epi or a C-sec. But I was also at the point where it was time to push so the pain was not going to get any worse than that, I was practically done. It also helps to have supportive people around you.
I also think the fact that I had told so many people that I was going to do it med free helped me stick with that. I didn't want to be a liar
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It is completely normal to be nervous. No matter how many books you read there is no way for you to really know what it feels like until you have experienced it. Just try not to let your nerves shake your confidence. Have faith in yourself, you can do it!
I agree it's normal to be nervous of the unknown.
I've also heard lots of women who say they had to "ban" an epi as an option to ensure they didn't cave. Where as for me I went into it knowing what I wanted to achieve but relaxed about all the different options.
I think what was most important was knowing why I wanted to avoid different options so it wasn't justa bout, "oh this hurts and I don't like that."
In all honesty though I never hit a, "I can't take this" wall, so I never had to resist an epi.
I think a big part of a successful natural birth is making your environment as relaxed as possible for yourself. For me I love being in the hospital because I'm fearful of the "what ifs",but others find hospitals stressful. So consider who you have with you and what you can do to feel as relaxed as possible.
Another big thing is to be well-rested, hydrated and have energy giving snacks. Some people have very quick labours, whilst others are in it for the long haul. So resting early on in labour, and drinking fluid will help keep your energy levels going.
Good luck. As pp said, you absolutely have it in you to get through this.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
You can do it! I agree that educating yourself as much as you can is key! If you haven't already, read natural birth stories (like Ina May's books). And have your support personal on board - your partner, your provider and anyone else who will be at your birth - make your wishes very clear now and let them know how they can support you in meeting your goals.
As for the IV antibiotics...I had antibiotics both times as I was GBS+ (incidentally, I have a heart murmer and at one time was told I needed antibiotics before the dentist and during labor - apparently the recommendations have changed in recent years though as I was told right before I got pregnant the first time that I wouldn't need them - that may not apply to your issue though). I had a heplock so I didn't have to be hooked up to the IV when I wasn't being dosed. And even when I was hooked up, I was still able to move as I wanted. DH just pushed my pole if I wanted to walk or something.
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My first son was a med-free birth that turned into an unplanned c-section (I labored and then pushed for 4+ hours). Even after that, I still planned to go med-free for my VBAC.
I don't know when you have to be at the hospital because you need antibiotics, but my plan of attack with both births was to ignore my contractions as long as possible, which worked out pretty well. By the time I had to really focus on getting through them, I was at or almost at transition. Make sure to request/push for having your IV taken out and replaced with a hep/saline lock when your not on antibiotics (this is assuming you don't need them continuously during labor). Good luck!
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)