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April 2013 Moms
Peony230
member
Who else is considering natural birth?
Peony230
member
I haven't made a birth plan yet, but I knew from the beginning that I would like to go drug-free. STM's who had natural births, what did you think of it and what can I expect? Are there other FTM's who are considering natural birth as well? If so, why? Also, I am keeping it in mind that I will have to be flexible and be ready for a birth plan to change.
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Re: Who else is considering natural birth?
I am not even considering a med-free birth!! Epidural asap, please! I want to enjoy the experience, not be in agony the whole time!!
Not sure what you mean by "natural" birth? Do you mean vaginal vs c-section? Or do you mean med-free?
I've had 2 vaginal births before, so I am fairly confident that's the route I'll go this time around as well - But if that option somehow is no longer safe for me or my baby, I will not hesitate to have a c-section.
As for going med-free, I already know I'm going to need pitocin. With both girls, my water just broke and then NOTHING happened. My Dr isn't comfortable with the baby spending more than 24 hours in the womb after the water has broken (and neither am I), so pitocin it is for me.
Now pain meds... I hope I either go so quick I don't have time for them OR that I do have time for the epi and that it rocks my world (had one with DD2 and it didn't live up to my expectations at all)
This. I'm growing a baby and shall birth it one way or another - that's about as natural as it gets.
Ginny DX 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Charlie DX Specific Antibody Deficiency & ASD
This is so me. Even if my OB would let me try a vba2c, I would be getting that epidural as soon as possible. My back labor with DD1 was excruciating.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
// I love you too. //
^^ This
First time, had an epi but it wore off. I was so miserable and bawling from the pain. I don't want to experience that again; I want to enjoy the process. Totally having an epi again!
There is a whole board for Natural Birth that the OP can check out as well.
I hired a doula and am doing the Hypnobabies home study course. My OB refused my request for delayed cord clamping so I am on the hunt for a CNM to switch to. I am planning on a med-free, low-intervention hospital birth but know that things can change in a heartbeat.
Over-40 parents...what we lack in vigor, we make up for with cunning.
Everyone's labor is so different, it's really hard to tell someone what to expect. I did a natural/med-free birth with DS, and plan to do so again with this LO.
The best advice I can give you is read up on labor and delivery, so you know a little bit about what to expect as far as contractions, what back labor is like, different positions that may help your labor (giving birth on your back is not the best way), etc. I got a few books from the library and it REALLY helped. We can't afford birthing classes, so I've never done one, but I've heard that it helps to look in to the Bradley method and other classes like that.
It also helps to have a knowledge of all of the various interventions that you can request, so if you do get overwhelmed, you know what to ask for. You don't have to go straight to the heavy stuff that knocks you out.
Be sure to ask your doctor/midwife what they allow and don't allow. The hospital I delivered DS at was pretty med-free friendly, but I knew from the get-go that they don't allow you to get in the tub, and they do allow you to be monitored intermittently and use a birthing ball, squat bar, etc.
As for my particular L&D with DS, my water broke at 2:30am and my contractions were 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long from the beginning and only got shorter and stronger from there. I think I handled the pain pretty dang well (I have a high pain tolerance, though), but it was the lack of rest that really got to me. I ended up laboring for 15 hours and then pushing for 2 more hours and it was HARD because I was so exhausted. But, he came out eventually, and I felt amazing afterwards!
Long story short (too late!!), get educated. Know what you want and what you don't want and be VOCAL about it once you go into labor. Educate your SO. Look into getting a doula to help you keep to your plan. Every little bit helps.
Baby #2 | BFP 5.18.12 | "Baby January" lost to us 5.30.12
Baby #3 | BFP 7.25.12 | Peter Timothy due 4.7.13
My "birth plan" has changed drastically since I got pregnant. I so desperately wanted to do a home water birth, no meds, when I first got pregnant. My doctor said this was not advisable, as I have a heart condition and apparently will have to be monitored. So then I planned on delivering in a birthing center, no meds, with the possibility of getting meds if something happened. Then I decided that I didn't know if I could handle the pain, especially because of my heart, and decided to just deliver in the hospital that my OB has rights in and probably get an epidural. And now, we're planning on an elective induction, because the hospital is an hour away and my husband works really far away and we only have one car, etc etc so I want to make sure he can be there and I won't have to take an ambulance... so I'll at least be getting pitocin.
So anyway, my plan now is to be induced, so I will have some meds there, but to labor without the epidural for as long as possible, maybe even the whole time. I am a FTM so I do not know how I will handle labor, and between that and my heart I have opened up to the possibility of getting an epidural if I think I need it.
Sorry for the novel!
Maybe this is common knowledge, but I didn't know it - I signed up for our birthing class, expecting to pay the price listed on the hospital's website ($80) that we didn't really have but were going to come up with from somewhere, and it turned out that my insurance covered the whole thing!
Maybe you don't have insurance, I don't know your situation, but it's always worth looking into. I had no clue that insurance covered stuff like that. I also read somewhere that someone's insurance covered a breast pump for them, again, I was surprised.
My insurance company covered both of these.
I believe, If you can't afford the classes, they will waive the fee if you meet their financial aid requirements.
I would like to attempt a med-free birth with as few interventions as possible.
I think I can do it too, providing that my labor/the time it takes me to dilate to a 10, is not too long. With DS that took 14 hours so by the time I was ready to push, my epi had worn off and I felt all of the 3.5 hours of pushing... however that wasn't as bad as getting pummeled by the contractions while you're in labor/waiting to dilate, because at least when you're pushing, you're doing something about the pain/pushing in to it and getting somewhere with it.
Also as PP's mentioned, I would like to be able to get up & move around while in labor and try different pushing positions etc. I was stuck on my back with DS and I think that maybe I wouldn't have had to push for as long if I'd of been able to try squatting or something.
Tyler (10/29/08)
and Lily (4/21/13)
I'm hoping for a med-free/low-intervention birth. MH and I have been taking Bradley Method classes and I feel pretty prepared and confident about birth. So long as everything progresses safely, I will be happy to go drug-free.
You should also check out the Natural Birth board for more resources! Awesome gals over there.
I had a med free birth on the first round and will be attempting that again on this round. I will say that when I got to the hospital that I was asking for an epidural though. It's no joke. Childbirth hurts like a b!tch, but for me, it ended up being worth it. My labor progressed really fast. We stayed at home and I labored there as long as possible and that is really what kept me from getting the epi.
The part that blew my mind was that literally the moment baby was out and in my arms all pain was GONE! poof. I felt amazing afterwards and baby was so alert and content and we just had a great first day together. That reward was well worth the few short hours of pain I endured to have my baby come out the way she did. And keeping this memory alive in my head while laboring this time, is going to be the motivation I need to not get an epidural again.
**Just a note: I have absolutely NO judgement at all for people who choose to get an epidural. We all have different pain tolerances and birthing experiences so if what you choose is an epidural, that is great. We all have the same goal in mind......healthy baby in the end!**
I had a med-free birth with my daughter and plan to again as long as everything is going well. It was obviously very painful but it was not beyond what I could handle. Now I don't even really remember that part. Just be educated about the process so you know what to expect and keep in mind that whatever you're feeling is temporary. I didn't take a class beyond the basic one at my hospital for all moms and my husband and I watched "Laugh and Learn about Childbirth", which is cheesy but educational for a first timer.
Make sure you talk to your dr about what you want to do so you can find out if they'll let you walk around some instead of constant monitoring, labor in the tub, etc.
Beyond that, do not let other women freak you out. People will try to talk you out of it, and they will do that by trying to scare you. Just thank them for the advice and make the choice that's right for you. Staying calm is one of the best things you can do. And, like you said, be prepared for things to change, healthy baby and healthy mom are more important than following a plan to the letter.
I'm thinking the same thing. I am a FTM and would also like to have a natural drug-free birth. I guess my reasoning is kind of along the lines that I would like to keep it as free from medical extras as possible (like I wouldn't want to be induced, no drugs unless absolutely necessary, no extra u/s', etc.) I feel like this is what my body was made to do and I would like to do it without anything "assisting" me. My mom also had all three of her kids naturally and I would like to try to do the same! Keeping that in mind, I have an extremely flexible birth plan so far...it's pretty much that natural birth is what I'd like to do, but if that needs to change for whatever reason, then change it will.
We can't wait to meet our Blake Katherine!!
I'm a FTM, so I'm not sure exactly how well I'll be able to deal with the pain, but I would very much prefer to go without meds and just tough it out. I have good pain tolerance so hopefully this will work out.
That being said, if I DO end up needing pain medication, I will try anything else available before getting an epidural. That's great for other moms who don't have paralyzing fears of needles, but I'm NOT letting anyone put anything like that in my back, thanks very much.
Thank you for all the feedback, you ladies are awesome! I suppose I should have specified that I meant a med-free birth. Everyone is different and I have nothing at all against women who choose different methods of pain management. After all, being a FTM with no prior experience of what labor truly feels like, I would prefer the least amount of medical intervention but I realize it doesn't always go according to plan.
ALL of this.
While I will be giving birth in a hospital, I want as few medical interventions as possible. Things on my list that I want to avoid: Induction, IV fluids, constant/internal fetal monitoring, epidural, episiotomy, and of course, ultimately a C-section.
I'm sure someone else has mentioned it already (I didn't read all the replies), but do some lurking over on the Natural Birth board. I've learned a lot, and any questions I did ask, everyone seems really supportive and helpful.
Right now, I'm reading The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Natural Birth (Henci Goer), which is very informative but I will admit, a pretty biased point of view. I also plan to read Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way (Since there are no Bradley classes in my area), and Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth. Delivering in a hospital makes me feel safer because help is close by if I need it, but it also makes me extremely nervous as to how they are going to handle my wishes for a natural birth. I'm a FTM, and I want to be as educated on my options as I possibly can be.
I attempted a med free home birth with my daughter. I was in labor for about 24/25 hrs before we decided to transfer to a hospital. Once I was there I had the option of getting an epi and resting or getting a c-section. I had been projectile vomiting the entire time so I was really dehydrated and exhausted the whole time and experienced back labor because of my daughter's position. I'm not telling you that to scare you by any means, but I didn't realize that things might not go as planned so it was hard to change the plan at the last minute. With all of that said I was really happy with all parts of my daughter's birth experience. I loved being home for the most part and the hospital we transferred to was really great as well. Although I had to get an epi in the end I know I did everything possible on my part to get her out without it, which was a great feeling.
This time around I am having a hospital birth because I can't afford the out of pocket expenses of a home birth again. I'm seeing a midwife who will be the one to deliver and the hospital I'm delivering at (the same one I delivered my daughter at) has the option of water birth, which is awesome!
I would recommend taking a class that is directed at those who are going med free (ex. Bradley). I've heard good things about Hypnobirthing too. I would also recommend hitting up the Natural Birth board for support! If this is the way you want to bring your baby into the world you should do it!
STM mom here, but with DS I had the intention of going without the epi.. yeah that didn't happen. I had a birth plan and everything too. Most of which went out the window. I'm all for having your plan set out and known, but also be aware that things may not go as planned.
This time around I'm probably going to go with the epidural. But still hopefully again 'naturally' vaginal birth.
Make a pregnancy ticker
Thanks for the advice, ladies! We do have insurance, but we're in that special group of people that have decent jobs, crappy insurance, and not enough extra money to pay for "extra" expenses like birthing classes. What fun.
We're also just above the cut off line for financial aid type stuff. Since I'm not delivering at a hospital, they won't waive the fee. The birthing center offers Bradley classes, but we're already paying out-of-pocket to deliver there so insurance won't cover that. So, we're stuck. 
I did fine with DS, and the midwife thinks everything should go similarly (but hopefully shorter!!) this go around, so I should be okay.
Baby #2 | BFP 5.18.12 | "Baby January" lost to us 5.30.12
Baby #3 | BFP 7.25.12 | Peter Timothy due 4.7.13