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Natural Birth
Deciding to go natural...maybe?
Hi ladies! I am first time mom considering having a natural childbirth. I wasn't sure, but after speaking with the director of a doula service here in Cleveland, I'm thinking this may be the way to go. She was awesome and so, so positive about birth! I feel like everyone else has tried to scare me with their crazy, intense birth stories.
I'm going to use a doula no matter what, but it seems like there are lots of benefits to natural childbirth. I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to pain, so I'm scared about going through this without the epidural.
So what are your thoughts? Things to consider? I realize this is probably a topic that is posted frequently, so please feel free to direct me to a thread where this has already been covered.
Thanks!
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Re: Deciding to go natural...maybe?
First, off, congrats on the pregnancy! Secondly, I have some advice for you that may help you make your decision. Everything below is my own opinion, obviously. Not fact, just my thoughts.
To start with I'll tell you that I am a FTM that is overdue (41w2d at the moment). This is one of the things you'll need to be okay with. If you go late, you'll probably be totally miserable and hate being pregnant still. I am! But I also know that being induced means not going naturally. You'll need to be okay with waiting it out, even when it sucks!
Secondly, don't be afraid of the pain! There are many ways to have pain relief during labor that do not include drugs. Hot/cold therapy, laboring in a tub, massage, acupressure/acupuncture, meditation, relaxation techniques, and a big one, being able to change positions constantly so your body can move with the way your baby wants it to! A lot of more medicated births require you to be in a few positions that aren't necessarily conducive to helping the baby be born. It is true that when you can feel everything, you feel more in control and are more knowledgeable about what is going on. It can make your efforts feel more productive. And you'll know pushing better than if you were medicated.
Also, if you have an epidural, sometimes you can't walk around after, or move the bottom half of your body (it sort of paralyzes you). I am hoping to enjoy freedom to have control of my body afterward!
Finally, it's best to keep as much medication out of your body as possible. Remember, when you are in labor you are still pregnant, so any drugs that go into you, go into the baby.
If you would like to, go on Netflix and watch a few documentaries. The Business of Being Born and Pregnant in America. I will tell you that they are not perfect and of course are there to make a specific point so they are a little biased. But they do shed some light on some reasons why natural is better.
Like I said, I'm a FTM so none of this is personal experience for me. But I come from a tiny town in Scotland, and we all have our babies naturally - it's so rare for a hospital to be considered! I've always known that my body was made to do this, and I can do it! You can too.
Good luck! But remember, it's your birth so you can make your own decisions, and no one will think poorly of you if you choose to go a different route.
I've had two amazing natural births. hardwork? Sure. Painful? Sure. More than I could handle? Absolutely not.
It's impossible to explain how labour feels, but it is different to pain from an injury. It's your body doing a job and you keep getting little breaks between contractions.
Many women hit a wall where they think, "I can't do this." That's almost certainly when you're in transition and almost at the end. Think about things your partner could say to you to help you push through. Maybe reminding you of how close you are, what a great job you're doing, or of the reasons you want a natural birth.
Like pp said there are lots of ways to alleviate pain from massage and hot water to meditation techniques, and like pp said it's your birth so do what suits you.
You might also want to think about what you'd like after your birth and if your birth facility will accommodate those things: delayed cord clamping, dad cutting the cord, dad catching the baby, immediate skin to skin contact and time for BF, delaying eye ointment/vaccinations/weighing, not bathing baby, do you want to keep the placenta, baby rooming in with Mum rather than going to the nursery etc etc etc
There's a lot to consider when you enter into childbirth thoughtfully. I think the best thing you can do is to educate yourself on your different options. If you end up with an epi that's fine, but you'll know why you chose it/ it became a necessity.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
I was far from being "hard core" but I did want to at least attempt to go natural. I had GD, and it seemed like I was doomed. But I was able to have an almost-completely natural birth experience- the only intervention I had was cervadil. I was supposed to get pitocin in the morning but I didn't need it. The cervadil put me in labor.
I'm not going to lie. It is painful. The worst part was what nobody warned me of- I got very sick during transition. I threw up a LOT. But I did a lot of focusing, breathing, and trying to go to my happy place.
You can do it!
I'm in Cleveland also and just wanted to say that we have a lot of great natural birth resources here once you start looking. I plan to use the holistic birth center at St. Johns in Westlake. There are also a few hospitals that do labor and/or birthing tubs and have midwives. You just need to ask and be willing to switch providers.
Good luck!