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Natural Birth
atcwag
member
Lurking....questions.
atcwag
member
Hello all -
I'm mostly a lurker, but greatly interested in natural birth. I'm trying to learn as much as I can now (TTC) so that I can make informed decisions in the future.
Just a few things that have come up lately that I'm interested about:
1. I like the idea of laboring @ home as long as possible. If you stay at home until you aren't comfortable there anymore, don't want to put clothes on to leave, car is the worst imaginable place, etc. Will your water have broken by this time? I'm just wondering that if you get to the hospital @ 6-7cm.+ dilated, would water have broken by this time? If not, what is the issue with having them break your water? I'm just seeing this as a no-no in some birth plans and wondering the natural birth logistics behind it.
2. Why do some natural birth plans include limited (or no) internal exam?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Lurking....questions.
1. Everyone is different. There's no way to tell when your water will break - some will break before labor begins, other times you can actually give birth with your waters intact. Mine broke with #1 when I started pushing, with #2 it broke right before I started pushing so it was pretty far into my labors. I think the issue with having someone break your water, especially if you're in the hospital, is that it puts you on the clock, they won't let you labor more than 24 hours or so after your water has broken. It can also make your contractions a lot more intense which might not be what you want.
2. Internals don't always give you a good estimate of how far along you are in your labor...or at least how far you have to go, it's not always a linear process. With my first I took 5-6 hours to get from 4-8cm and then it was less than an hour to get to 10 and have my baby. I was a little discouraged when I heard I was only at 8 after so much hard work, so sometimes not knowing is better. Also the exams are uncomfortable, so limiting them can be better for mom.
All of this. I will just say, I don't remember my internal exams being uncomfortable. I was on the toilet for one of them. There was so much else that was uncomfortable going on, that her little hand didn't bug me in the least. My midwife already had a policy of doing as few internal exams as possible after the water had broken to minimize the risk of infection.
It seems true to me that it's not a linear process. I think 5-7 was the longest road ever. 7-10 was like a blip. A very intense blip.
1. My water broke on its own at about 8 am. I labored at home until about 4:30 pm. I wanted to stay a bit longer, but H was having a meltdown and my pain was getting intense, so we decided to head over to the hospital. Right after we made that decision, my contractions got really, really painful and suddenly I was begging to go to the hospital. If you're totally ok with getting in the car with messed up hair, a crazy outfit, and your nips hanging out, you're probably ready (totally exaggerated example, lol).
I always associated getting my water broken/getting multiple internals with getting an infection. You have a greater chance of developing an infection if your water is no longer creating a barrier.
Also, although dilation/effacement checks are crappy indicators of progress, its easy to get discouraged if you've been laboring for hours only to find out that you haven't dilated "enough."
I labored at home as long as possible - I wasn't totally sure I was in real labor b/c I was so relaxed. I waited until I didn't feel safe at home (Bradley class labor sign that you are in transition) to head to the hospital; we had a 15 min. car ride. To be honest the car ride wasn't horrible, but it was harder to get in a comfortable position through the contractions (I had been laboring on my hands & knees). They were probably the most painful during the car ride. I had on loose maternity capri exercise pants & a tank top when I arrived at the hospital. We put towels down in the car at the last minute; my water didn't break until about 1 minute before I started pushing (so at the hospital). It certainly could have broken in the car! I was 9.5 cm dilated upon arrival at the hospital; labored for about 20 min, pushed for 10 and baby arrived.
If you are far along in your labor & progressing there would be no reason to have your water broken (that I can think of). If you have them break your water early in your labor, it starts the hospital's "time table" of when you have to deliver - b/c once the bag of waters is broken, then the risk of infection goes up. I personally do not want anyone messing w/ my water b/c I don't want to be on their time table. If your water hasn't broken and you aren't progressing, technically you can still leave the hospital and try again later (unless there are other medical issues, obviously)
I prefer to limit internal exams because 1) before you are in labor, they don't really provide useful information. You can walk around 3 cm dilated or more for weeks and it doesn't mean you will go into labor that day - so why bother w/ the exam? 2) During labor internal exams increase the chance of infection, 3) Internal exams give the drs information re: how far you have progressed, which might make them antsy to start interventions if you haven't progressed fast enough based on their time table.
Everything everyone has said so far.. but I also want to tell you not to get too fixed on specifics of a plan, especially so early! If you plan on doing the GBS test for example, (which is performed late in the 3rd tri, it's just a swab), and you end up positive and want to take the antibiotics for it, you're going to need that ASAP when you're water breaks.
Also, policies and "rules" for hospitals/birthing centers are going to be drastically different depending on where you are and who you're seeing. I was convinced I would not deliver in a hospital until I found a midwifery unit employed by the facility. Explore everything and everywhere in your area!!
My answers from my past labors...
#1 Water breaking...mine broke first before labor started for both my kids. I still stayed home for awhile to labor - if you get a pack of slim depends to have around, it's easy to labor at home without making a mess and you can still walk, do lunges, sit on the birth ball etc.
That being said, you can easily get to being totally uncomfortable with clothes, the idea of a car ride, etc. without your water breaking. One little tip that a few friends and I have found for car rides to the hospital during transition...don't stress about the seatbelt - I just threw mine off every time a contraction started. Use oh-sh!t bars above the door to help you move/get butt off seat during a contraction, and if you have an SUV or larger backseat, just sit back there or kneel on all fours back there during the drive.
#2 Mine included limited or no internal for awhile b/c I didn't want to know and be disappointed. During my first (typical over 24 hour unmedicated birth) I wasn't checked until awhile in and was only 4-5 cm, when I thought I was done. For the second I didn't want to be disappointed, so I'd rather just wait until my labor signs and urges seem to indicate that I was in transition to see. I think I was only checked once at that second one and was like 9 1/2 cm.
...baby #3 is here...
I can only answer from my experience so here goes
1. My water broke before true labor started. I had sporadic and extremely mild cramping throughout the day but then it just broke on my way into the super market. I went to the hospital when contractions were like my worst period cramps and I was 4 cm.
2. I didn't want people poking around my business. I've also heard that exams can introduce bacteria and other things, but personally; I didn't want to be poked.