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2nd Trimester
MidwestSeashell
member
Does your birth style reflect your lifestyle?
MidwestSeashell
member
I wrote a similar post on the Natural Birth board.
I'm curious is your intended style of birth (medicated, unmedicated, water birth, birth center, home birth, hospital, c-section, etc) is a reflection of your lifestyle outside of pregnancy. For example, are you planning an unmedicated birth but in daily life (outside pregnancy) take a lot of pharmaceuticals and OTC medications? How about your dietary habits? Are you gung-ho on gluten free organic and planning on getting an epi as soon as possible?
Just very curious whether ladies birth styles are a continuation of their lifestyles or if it seems to stand alone.
Of course, I understand that sometimes plans don't work out and even if you're planning an unmedicated birth you may have complications that make it impossible and likewise you may be planning a medicated birth and end up giving birth in the car on the way there. I just mean your intended style.
Thank you.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Does your birth style reflect your lifestyle?
I'm the opposite.
I'm pretty scientific in my way of thinking -- as in, give me hormonal BCP any day of the week over assuming I can use NFP and not get pregnant.
But, due to BP issues, I avoided the epi the first go-round and will this time around, too.
IDK, I am probably more holistic than the normal person or the average people I know. But I am really not that crunchy, trying to be --but really not yet. Middle of the road?
Anyway, I am pretty crunchy when it comes to birth. I would love to have a natural homebirth. DH is not onboard with that so I will be trying a NB at a hospital.
BFP #1- 11/7/10 ~EDD 7/20/11 ~M/C (bo) 12/6/10 @ 8wks ~Missing my Little Firework
BFP #2- 9/11/11 ~EDD 5/25/12 ~M/C (mmc10w)11/4/11 @ 11wks ~Missing my May Flower
BFP #3- 02/21/12 ~EDD 11/1/12 Audrey Lee Born 11/4/2012
BFP #4 ~EDD 6/20/14 stick baby stick!
Thank you for all the replies!
I am super-crunchy (as they say) Massage therapist and aspiring herbalist, organic, vegan, make my own cleaning and body care products, haven't taken a pharmaceutical or even tylenol for 7 years and am planning a unmedicated water birth. I'd prefer at home but due to regulations in my state (NE) we are opting for a free standing birth center.
One plus that I hadn't expected is that since I'm already a crazy hippie to most of my friends and family I haven't gotten much, if any, surprise or flack for planning an unmedicated birth center experience. I think they got all that out of their systems long ago...
While I'm not a big med taker (the strongest pain pill I take is Advil and I don't like to take abx unless absolutley necessary) I did take bcp. I'm a planner. I hate surprises. I took bcp until DH and I were ready to TTC both times and got pg both times on the 3rd cycle (had a missed m/c on cycle #2 TTC the first time).
As far as birth I wanted to go natural. I hated the idea of a needle in my back and having no control from the waist down. I didn't want an epi b/c I had heard that the risk of them not fully working was higher than a spinal. I'm glad I didn't b/c I ended up w/an emergency c/s and they were just able to pop the spinal in and get the baby out quickly. My SIL had an epi that didn't fully work and needed a c/s. She ended up being put under completely and her DH couldn't be in the OR when the baby was born.
This time around I'm opting for a RCS. We don't live near family or a ton of friends right now so "knowing" when the baby will come so we can fly in some help w/DS is more important to me than a VBAC (the planner in me). I have someone to take DS in the event of and emergency, but the plan is for my mom to come. Also, we know this is our last so I will be having my tubes tied at the same time.
I'm pretty holistic and natural. I avoid drugs at all costs and tend to take the natural route over the "modern" route.
I've already made it clear to my midwife that no doctors will be around me while in labor. I don't want to be offered any drugs. I plan to deliver med-free, the way nature intended.
This is me too!
'Til He returns, or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I stand.
I am not a super 'granola/green/hippie/natural/whatever you want to call it' person. I tend to approach each situation independently and evaluate how I want to handle it, rather than having an overarching life philosophy, I guess. We recycle and try to conserve, not be wasteful, exercise regularly, and be healthy in general. I love me some advil for headaches, and don't stand between me and my sinus pills, but I always ask if an antibiotic is really necessary, because I had a doctor once tell me 'we can give it to you if it will make you feel better, but it won't really do anything!'
I am planning to breastfeed exclusively, but not to cloth diaper.
I am planning for my LO to get all his recommended vaccinations, but I will be discussing an altered schedule with his pedi to limit the # of shots he gets at once to be able to identify if he has any reactions to them - because I have a history of reactions myself.
The jury is still out on epidural/pain meds vs. med free birth. I haven't gotten all the info yet, and I want to make an informed decision. So far I only have well-meaning relatives' advice - my mom who hasn't had a baby in 15 years (I am sure things have changed...), my SIL who says 'get a c-section, it's so easy!' like you can just sign up in advance to have one, and my cousin who is of the SUPER organic, non-vaccinating, no drugs lifestyle, which is more extreme (for me) than I am willing to go. There's got to be a happy medium...
Love 06/2005 | Marriage 05/28/2011 | Baby! Peanut born on his due date, 9/30/12
Interesting... I'd say sort of for me. I definitely wouldn't call myself granola because I do a lot of things mainstream, but I do generally eat healthy, exercise, recycle, try to buy local, etc. And my desire is to have a med-free birth in a hospital setting. I also plan on taking placenta capsules and cloth diapering. So my perinatal choices are probably a little more granola than the rest of my life.
This is totally off topic and a bit of a rant, but I just have to say that the gluten free trend drives me nuts! GF does not equal healthy. All GF means is that you're avoiding wheat protein, and only individuals who have celiac sprue or a gluten sensitivity really benefit from the diet. In fact, you can eat a pretty crappy GF diet these days with all the GF cookies, crackers, and other junk food available. /rant
Ha I totally agree with the bolded. It amazes me how clueless adults are today about what is really healthy. Can't tell you how many times I've seen a mommy friend of mine feed their LO a PB&J on white bread, carrots with ranch dressing, sweetened applesauce and juice for lunch & call it a healthy. Hello sugar.
As far as me, I'd call my lifestyle middle of the road. I avoid meds when I can. Recylce when it's possible. Try to eat local/organic when I can, but we still do/use a lot of non-crunchy things. My planned delivery will be as natural as possible. (I had an epidural 7 years ago with DS and really want to aviod it this time. Not because the experience was bad, but because I think it can be better w/out the drugs.) I plan to BF and cloth diaper, but will give all vaccinations possibly on a delayed schedule.
Yes, you're absolutely right. I threw "gluten-free" in there more as a option (as some people do consider it a part of their lifestyles) to get people to understand what I was talking about, not intending for it to mean the gluten free is inherently healthy.
I agree that unless you've got gluten intolerance or celiacs, the only way GF is going to benefit you is if you replace cookies, crackers and the other processed carby junk with fruits and veg not just GF versions of the same...
I'm not planning to go entirely unmediated, but I don't want an epidural. Every woman I know has advised me against it if I can possibly stand not to have one, and I'm worried about complications already enough as it is, so I'm going to do everything I can to avoid it. I won't refuse other forms of pain relief if they're safe enough, though. I do take OTC pain relievers when I'm in pain (except lately).
I'm not really gung-ho on a special diet. I try to eat as well as I can and make sure not to pig out on stuff I shouldn't be eating, like cookies or ice cream. I try to eat fruit and vegetables when I'm feeling hungry, but it's not time for a meal yet. I don't bother with organic or anything, but I avoid anything that could potentially cause some kind of trouble or negative effects if I were to eat it. And that's how I usually am.
Be careful with this, because often times it's the nurses who are asking about medications to try to "push" you to request them, so they can ask the doctor. Doctors aren't in the room hardly at all during labor. I do completely agree with you, though. I don't want the MENTION of a drug brought up to me.
I would say possibly? I'm not crunchy by ANY means, but I try to eat organic when I can, recycle, take the least amount of meds possible, and I'm going for a natural water birth. It will be at the hospital, as I don't own a house and delivering a baby in an apartment seems not right to me. I don't wanna scare anyone. lol. I'm actually meeting with my doctor tomorrow to make sure we're on the same page on this subject!
The bolded part about being gluten-free doesn't sit well with me. I hate that gluten-free has become a fad diet. Gluten-free is my lifestyle due to Celiac disease. Am I gung-ho, you bet I am. Am I gung-ho by choice, hell no.
Overall, yes, my birth plan is how I live my life. I have had a lot of medical interventions due to my undiagnosed Celiac disease and have been adamant about limiting medications and procedures ever since. I want a non-medicated birth and would prefer a water birth but that is not supported at the hospital I have to use.
Thank you! I already responded with my opinion and was on my soap box for a minute too. It's actually very difficult to have the comforts of breads, treats, crackers, other bread substitutes, etc and have them be healthy for you.
I understand that people with Celiac disease don't have a choice in avoiding gluten and of course it is on a whole different level than people who try to avoid it because it seems to help their digestion a bit to eat less of it. However, that doesn't mean it isn't a part of anyone else's lifestyle. I know quite a few people who don't have Celiac disease who consider their gluten-free a part of their lifestyle. As I stated before, I used it more as an example of a current health-conscious trend in our culture rather than a full on indicator of a healthy diet.
Also, why do you hate that it has become a fad? Doesn't the increased awareness and subsequent clearer labeling that is a result of this fad make it easier to make sure you aren't eating any gluten?
Day life I rarley take medicine. Maybe Ibuprofen or tylenol every once in awhile and an occasional Zpak when needed. I try to let things run its course though.
I very much planned on getting an epidural b/c my pain tolerance sucks and I had no desire to feel all of that. I ended up with induction(cervadil/pitocin) epidural, emergency csection and some serioulsy good pain meds while in the hospital. Once home I didn't take anything.
This time for a couple of weeks I thought about a VBAC but in the back of my mind was really ok with having a RCS. All it took was OB to say he didn't think I was a good VBAC candidate and I was convinced RCS it is. I think that reflects me. I try to find the most convenient ways to get through situations and I am a serious planner. RCS was a perfect fit for me.
Oh and I don't do BCP. Any BCP pills, kills my S drive and it seems other methods(even pills) are always getting recalled. That scares me. I did take the BFing friendly BCP right after LO was born. Since that can be a woman's most fertile time the thought of getting pregnant that quickly scared me enough to take BCP for a little while. Otherwise DH and I are careful and I monitor my schedule. I know that is not fool proof but really nothing is unless you are fixed.
I would say absolutely yes. I am a scientist by nature and by training. I worked in biomedical research, and plan to go back into it later on down the road (after I'm done homeschooling). I don't rely on what other people's interpretation of research is. I want to read the journal article myself. And then I look very carefully at how the researchers did the study and how well their 'conclusion' actually meshes with what their results versus their 'conclusion' fitting an idea that they wanted to push and essentially putting out biased catch-phrases. For this reason, when I was first deciding whether to have a homebirth with my first child, I read as much scientific literature as I could get my hands on. My conclusion was that a homebirth would be as safe or even safer than a hospital birth, and that there were other positives that made it the best choice for me. I've had 3, and am planning my 4th homebirth. Unless I am in a situation in which I know that pharmaceuticals are needed, such as when I have a severe infection that requires antibiotics, I avoid them in pregnancy and in my every day life. If a dietary supplement or change will help or solve the problem, I reach for that first. If I need something in addition, I'll use some herbal remedies and on occasion will use certain homeopathic remedies. I avoid pain medication in every day life, and so will certainly avoid it when what I take could affect the development of my baby. I believe that much of what is deemed "okay" is not researched thoroughly enough, and is quickly accepted by those in the medical profession without question. They are quick to jump to the next new technology, no questions asked, without vetting things properly, or answering all of the remaining unanswered questions. And if you ask those questions, instead of being heralded as being scientific, as one should be, you are seen as crazy. (Being truly scientific means always asking questions. When you read a study, you ask if they approached the study with the right initial questions, if their sample size was big enough, if they obtained the correct data, if they mixed groups within their sample, what their findings logically lead to, etc.. If you aren't always asking questions about the world around you, you aren't being scientific. Doctors are not taught in medical school to be scientific, unfortunately. [Nor are they taught about natural childbirth and how it progresses normally with no intervention.])
On the other hand, I also have learned that often my initial feelings on something--my intuition, you might say--often (but not always) mesh well with what I find when I go through the research, if there is research available on the topic. I have learned to listen well to that intuition...if I have to make a quick decision without time to research, I rely on it. If I have time to research, I check it out. I am a spiritual person, and I feel that childbirth is a very spiritual occasion for me.