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Natural Birth
Am I nuts?
I will be having my first baby in August and I would like to have her naturally. I cant really say how I'll feel when it comes down to it but I want to try and go as long as I possibly can without pain meds. I know of course there is a point of no return where the option isn't even there anymore. My mother had 3 children naturally and women have been doing it for centuries. I have a very high pain tolerence (so i think). What do you guys suggest?
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Re: Am I nuts?
You can absolutely do this. Your body was made for it. However, I'm not a fan of the "try and go as long as I can without meds" approach. I view childbirth as a very significant mental and physical event-many people compare it to a marathon, which I think is fair, so we'll go with that analogy.
If you wanted to run a marathon, you wouldn't sign up and just say, "I'll just run as far as I can until I can't anymore." You would train and prepare your mind and body. (IMO) You have to treat childbirth the same way. In my personal experience, those who go in with the approach you listed above (wait and see how things go), end up getting an epidural pretty quickly.
I used Hypnobirthing for my first birth (and will for this one as well) and had an amazing, fantastic experience that I wouldn't change at all. Many people are also successful with the Bradley method, Hypnobabies or using breathing and relaxation techniques they learn through yoga.
Basically, my advice is to educate yourself on the resources that are available to help prepare yourself for a med-free delivery. Educate yourself on the reasons why you DON'T want intervention.....because those can become powerful motivators as well. Once you choose something that fits for you, practice, practice, practice!
Also, make an informed decision about your healthcare provider because they will heavily influence your success (ex: if you choose an OB who isn't really on board, during the labor process, they might start to push unnecessary interventions on you vs. if you get an OB/MW who truly is on board with your desires for a natural birth, they can help make it a wonderful experience).
Look into a doula if you feel you need additional support that your partner may not be able to give you.
Just one other note--it's great that you have a high pain tolerance (I do, too) but 95% of natural birth is mental, not physical, so you really have to have your MIND prepared (see above
)
Best of luck to you and ask lots of questions here--the ladies are very helpful.
Obviously you're not nuts. The majority of the ppl on this board are considering NB or have had at least one. As you said, your mother did it. Simply do your research and get in the proper mind set. This is a great place for advice and information. GL to you.
BTW: I loved Ina May's guide to childbirth. I am doing the Hypnobabies homecourse study. There is hypnobirth as well. You can search TB for previous posts about differences between the two. Same goes for the Bradley method. I also really enjoy watching natural birth videos on youtube. It made it easier to imagine my child's birth and gave me confidence.
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The only things I have to add are take a child birth class, and make sur it offers breathing techniques. AND, do not say, "I'm going to TRY" the majority of women who go in with a wait and see plan end up with epidurals. Tell yourself "I will not need pain meds."
As far as the pain threshold... All I can say there is...take the class. The pain can be pretty intense in transition.