Natural birth, no doula or classes...

Edkitten · February 2013

Hi ladies,

has anyone out there had a natural birth without special classes or a doula? I can only afford our local hospitals birthing classes. I cannot afford a doula or any additional classes. Is it unrealistic to think that I will get through labor and delivery med free without additional classes/doula?

thoughts or book recommendations please.

Thank you so much

aylafsu88 · February 2013

IMO an important factor for a natural birth is surrounding yourself with positive people. For most women that is a doula but it can also be a friend or family member. Do you have someone who can provide you with positive, encouraging support during labor? The other thing you can do is read up on natural child birth. There are a lot of books out there (Ina May, Henci Goer etc) that focus on natural birth. They have information on child birth , interventions, and positive birth stories. Many women do not take a natural child birth class but have successful med free births. Read up and educate yourself on natural birth and find yourself a supportive coach. You can do it!

RoseSnocker · February 2013

In addition to reading and having supportive people around you, try looking for the free services in your area. My husband and I are attending classes at a "crisis pregnancy center" and we pay nothing. It's a great environment and we can earn points for every class that goes towards freebies. We've got BCBS insurance and are not in crisis but the classes are free and who doesn't appreciate that??

pearlsonthebeach · February 2013

just wanted to add that all the midwives and doulas I have encountered on this journey are 100 willing to work with you re: payment.

whether that's a reduction in price or an extremely reasonable payment plan, you might be surprised what you are able to work out.

and yes, either way, as PP said, it is important to surround yourself with some kind of positive support. you can totally do this! good luck, hope you find the plan that works for you. :

MidwestSeashell · February 2013

I went natural with no classes or doula. I did birth at a birth center with a midwife, though, so it was an supportive environment anyway.

I just read voraciously, talked to other mamas and watched a lot of birth videos.

You can do it w/o classes. Women have been giving birth as long as there have been humans. We are up against some different challenges than our ancestors though, especially if you're birthing in a hospital that isn't really NB friendly.

Know that you can do it because you can!!

AmyRI · February 2013

I think it depends on your care provider, hospital, support people (SO and family), and how strong your motivation is.

I did it twice, having only taken the hospital's 6 hour birth course and not having read much either. Honestly my motivation is what got me there - I am terrified of the epidural needle. It didn't matter if things got tough... it still wasn't as bad as that needle was in my head. It also helped that I had a pretty pro-NB hospital and a provider the first time that didn't care what I did, and a great MW the 2nd time who was there helping me for the last couple of hours.

Do your best to learn coping techniques because you never know what will work for you. And concentrate on whatever it is motivates you to have a NB.

tokenhoser · February 2013

"The Birth Partner" is a great book for both you and DH.

Some student doulas will attend a birth for free or very inexpensively to work toward their certification.

You can do it, but I agree that surrounding yourself with support (like a well educated DH, friend, and/or family member) will help a lot.

Edkitten · February 2013

Thank you! You ladies are awesome

holly753 · February 2013

I have had four unmed births in hospitals,two with mid wives two with ob. I never attended classes or had a doula.I didn't have a birth plan written out. You can do it if you are determined. Good luck

annabelle.27 · February 2013

I did. I figured my body didnt need classes to theach me what to do, especially since the curriculum is usually written by men who have never laboured. I did not feel the need for a doula since I knew my husband would be a great support and I kind of cringed at the idea of having more people around than was absolutely necessary. In the end, my labour was so fast there wouldn't really have been time for the doula to arrive anyway so I am glad I went with my gut.

I did read books about natural birth so I knew a bit of what to expect.

dosafyre · February 2013

I did it without either...twice. We did the generic labor/child/breastfeeding hospital class...and I did lots of online research and read natural birth stories. I also used my yoga "breathing through the pain" experiences and had a supportive/calming husband. I tend to not want other people around me for something as intimate as labor...that makes me more uncomfortable.

We had a supportive hospital our first birth though, the nurses were wonderful...and the second time I knew when and how to speak up for myself.

jinnymb · February 2013

With my second i had an ob medfree birth. i had only taken the hospital class for ds1. make sure your dh is 100 committed. We got the epi with ds1 cause neither of us were 100 committed.

It is totally possible. i found the ina mays guide to childbirth to be really inspiring. labor at home as long as possible and talk to your obs about your plans now so you know of any resistance you may face so you know what to avoid.

this time we are having two super pro med free bith friends as our doulas. they are doing it for free and have labored naturally themselves. if you havd any likeminded experoenced friends see if they will back up your dh.

alliejoe · February 2013

tokenhoser:
"The Birth Partner" is a great book for both you and DH.
Some student doulas will attend a birth for free or very inexpensively to work toward their certification.
You can do it, but I agree that surrounding yourself with support (like a well educated DH, friend, and/or family member) will help a lot.

Many of the women I know doing doula training are required to attend births free of charge, so like tokenhoser said, that's a good resource.

I didn't take any birthing classes but I read everything I could get my hands on and I gave birth with midwives at a hospital.

I'd try to be very aware of statistics of the hospital you're going to birth in (theire csection rate, etc) and know whether your doctor is on board. If the hospital/doctor aren't NB friendly I'd labor at home as long as possible.

Dman85 · February 2013

I didn't take any classes or have a doula. I read the Natural birth the bradley way book and read a lot online and on these forums. My husband was a wonderful coach and support. You have to go in with the mentality that you CAN do it and stay positive!

footnotegirl · February 2013

I had to be induced (over due date, high risk pregnancy with clotting danger), but gave birth otherwise med-free (no painkillers, no epidural). My husband and I took one class at our local parenting center which was a single full day class covering child birth, nursing, and infant care. We had no doula or midwife, my husband was the only non-hospital staff who was with me during the whole process (it was a 3 day induction). My family doctor did stop in twice to see how I was doing because she is amazing.

The most important things for me were:

a) Be prepared for what the usual experience is like and the most common variations.

b) Make sure you know what you want, what you are willing to bend on, and what circumstances you are willing to bend for.

c) Find out how you are best able to cope with pain and/or stress.

d) Make sure DH (partner, friend, coach, etc) is fully aware of what to expect, what you want, and how to best help you cope with pain and stress and backs you 100%.

icdimeo · February 2013

I did not have a doula with either of mine. With my first in 2009 I read the hypnobirthing book and did take a class. The book gives you so much information. The class is great if you can afford it but if not I think just using the meditations and all their suggestions in the book along with getting your partner in line with what you want. Make sure they know what questions to ask and to just continue to be an encouragement. With my second in 2012 I didn't go back and re-read or do any classes. I simply used the CD provided with the Hypnobirthing book and knew what to expect. If you have a mindset that you can do it, you WILL do it! My first was 9lb 9oz, 12 hours of labor (in a hospital) with no drugs and I argued to keep them from "taking" him. My second was 9lb 2oz, 3 hours of labor in a birth center (HIGHLY recommend checking out a birth center). I can honestly say that I enjoyed the labor and was able to relax through the labor although I was COMPLETELY relaxed with the 2nd and I believe that is why she came so much quicker! Good luck, YOU'VE GOT THIS!

Joyfullnoise · February 2013

Totally think you can do it!
No doula here either. For me, I hold reservations about a woman stepping into a motherrole for me after the loss of my own mother.
Look into a prenatal yoga dvd or download rainbow reflections for free on your ipod and practice visualization? Still think you can be prepared without class setting.

babywisher · February 2013

Dh and I took a Lamaze class at our hospital. I read the Ina May book that I can't remember the name of. That was the extent of it. We had a hospital birth. Everyone was great! Dh was such a great help. He kept me breathing correctly and staying positive. It is totally doable if you have the right support system. Good luck to you.

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