- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
Runaway22
member
Intro / Best method for natural birth with little to no support
Runaway22
member
I really want to go the natural, med-free route with my first baby. Something about being drugged up, and having those pharmaceuticals in my bloodstream (potentially in my milk) is just not ok with me. However, I have only a vague idea of what I'm getting myself into.
My SO may or may not be in the delivery room. If he is, he'll be the only one around. If he isn't, nobody will, and I'll be going solo with the doctor and nurses. My budget is tight, so I can't really afford a doula (though I may try to find a student doula for cheap). My doctor is very supportive of natural birth, but she followed that up with strong suggestions to take a class, and told me that "natural birth sounds good and natural and wonderful, but it's not all roses." I think I have a pretty good grasp on that idea 
But it worries me.
I'm afraid I'm going to go through that self-doubt phase after laboring for hours, think I'm literally going to die, and beg for the meds... and regret it BIG time afterward. Any suggestions for "birthing methods" for someone with no support group? I'm currently doing prenatal pilates, and trying to practice some yogic prenatal breathing, but I feel like that's not nearly enough.
Any/all suggestions would be great!
Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Intro / Best method for natural birth with little to no support
You might find a Hypnobirthing or Hypnobabies course or home-study to be helpful. You can use the guided audio tracks to get into the zone during labor.
The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth classes are geared toward a partner-coached approach, and since you may not have a partner/coach along this method might not fit your situation. But Bradley has a lot of good info on what labor can be like and nutrition for throughout pregnancy.
Draft a birth plan that expresses your wishes, including not being offered pain meds. You can give one to your care provider to put in your chart ahead of time, and you can also hand them to staff when you arrive at the hospital. A good book on that is Marsden Wagner's "Creating your birth plan."
I would definitely look into the student doula thing.
One thing that helps the goal of intervention-free birth is laboring at home for a good portion of the labor, in which case you'll at least need someone to bring you to the hospital, because you'll be too deep in labor at that point to drive yourself.
Good luck, and believe in yourself and your body.
I agree, I think Hypnobirthing/babies would be the way to go. It was wonderful having DH there, but if I had had to do it alone, I could have. While there are opportunities for the husband/coach to be involved, it's more about going within yourself.
I would definitely look into a student doula.
I don't have a lot of advice for you except to read and research and find ways to empower yourself.
But I do have a story. This woman's situation is not the same as yours, I know, but I found her story uplifting and I thought of it when I read our post. This is a birth story off of a website for a homebirth midwife group that I was considering before I became pregnant. Turns out that they were all booked through when I needed them and the midwives I found instead are great too, but all of the stories on this site are awesome. This one is about a woman who felt very alone and who did it her way anyway and shares a different kind of happy ending!
Just stay strong and do your best. If you cave it's not the end of the world. But I'm sure you can do it if you put your willpower to it and back it up with confidence however you find that you need to make that confidence happen.
Here is the story:
10lbs of Grace
Edit: I want to clarify that this is not a thinly veiled religious intervention as 1. It might seem that way because the woman who wrote the story is very vocal about her faith and how it helped her get through a tough time. 2. I am spiritual but not religious and while I understand and respect the author's beliefs, I do not necessarily share them. 3. I have a strong distaste for pressing my beliefs on anyone else. I wanted to share the story because she was very alone and she had a natural, intervention free birth with out any support except her friend (who acted as doula) and her midwife.
BFP #2 03/08/11 EDD 11/16/11 DD Born on 11/04/11
BFP #3 08/29/12 EDD 05/06/13 M/C on 08/30/12
BFP #4 11/01/12 EDD 07/09/2013 M/C on 12/28/12
BFP #5 04/30/13 EDD 01/03/14 DS Born on 01/02/14
BFP #6 01/11/15 EDD 09/22/15 M/C 03/09/15
Thank you all for the kind, generous input! I am honestly tearing up right now reading all of your responses. Thank you for being so helpful
*deep breaths* lol
I completely agree with pp, and just wanted to add that you should check with your hospital when you go for your pre-admission stuff, let them know that you are going to be trying to have a nucb and ask, if possible, that you be paired with a nurse that is familiar with lamaze or hypnobirthing or whatever your childbirth technique of choice is. My hospital paired me with the nurse that actually teaches lamaze and she was FANTASTIC throughout labor. She really encouraged me to continue with my birth plan and coached me through my contractions (DH was there but honestly he sort of freaked out and forget everything we had learned and practiced and though comforting was not much help).
I do agree that you should have someone there, if not SO then try and find a doula because you want someone to be there with you even when the nurses and doctors are off caring for other patients. Honestly if all else fails try and find a fellow bumpie (preferably one who has had a natural child birth), make friends and see if they can come and be your coach. I have no idea where you are from but honestly if a fellow bumpie contacted me from my area I would at least chat with her and if we got along I'd go and be with her so she wouldn't be alone.