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Wanting to do a natural birth.....But not sure need advice

Sarahmomof2boyzSarahmomof2boyz
in Natural Birth
This is my second prenancy and the reason Im wanting to do a natural birth is that I had the epidural with my first. I liked that I wasn't in pain but I didn't like that I couldn't have  any water/ice chips, couldn't move from boobs down, and when it came time to push I could not tell when I needed to so that whole process took awhile. I wanted to get advice from other people who had natural births and if they would do it like that again? ( p.s. I do not handle pain at all so...yeah)
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Re: Wanting to do a natural birth.....But not sure need advice

  • tokenhosertokenhoser member

    I had a med-free birth last time and want to do it again in a few weeks.

    No one likes pain. And yes, birthing a baby is painful. The thing is, it's pain but it's not suffering. It's got a purpose, it's got an end in sight, I never felt like I couldn't do it. There are lots of things you can do to prepare for labour, and that preparation is what makes it possible to get through it. 

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  • sarahpopkinsarahpopkin
    Hi! I think it's great that you want to do a natural birth. I'm a Bradley Method childbirth educator and had a natural birth with my son. It was one of the best experiences of my life. It was hard, but I wouldn't use the word "painful" in the description at all. I'm not saying I didn't experience pain...I definitely did. But it feels more like being on another planet. Your body produces natural pain-relieving endorphins that block out the pain. I would say the best thing you can do for yourself if you really want a natural birth is to get a midwife at a birth center if you are low risk or an obgyn who supports your decision (this is tricky, because having a natural birth at a hospital may end up feeling more like a battle with hospital policy and procedure). Do your research, join a childbirth class (I like Bradley and Birth Boot Camp), and get a doula and you're on your way to the birth you want. Pick up some books too, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is awesome! The more you look into this the more you'll realize your body was made to birth naturally and you and your baby work together in the process. It's life-changing!
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  • Sarahmomof2boyzSarahmomof2boyz
    Thank you for your message I will have to go and look for that book tomorrow. I really am feeling better about going with a natural birth I really don't ever want to do an epidural again.
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  • pdilly2bpdilly2b member

    For me, the best part of going med free was being able to move around and push in positions other than "on the back". Dilating took me almost 36 hrs and was pretty bad for the last 14 hrs of it, but pushing was only 20 min and I attribute that to being able to do it squatting and then on my hands and knees. I would absolutely do it again. 100%.

    It really is more about mental strength than general ability to handle pain. Classes/reading books is a great way to prepare yourself mentally for not starting to panic when it gets intense. Having a good support person - be it DH or a doula is also really helpful.

    I'll also add that your choice of care provider is really important. Many of us on here use midwives (hospital based or not) because they tend to be more supporting of letting labor follow its natural course rather than some predefined idea, and as a result tend to not push pitocin or other meds.  Good luck!

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  • TessyMessyTessyMessy member
    I had a natural birth with DS and plan to do it again this time. A family friend is a natural birth educator so I was able to learn a lot of tips and tricks from her. You should try to find a local class and also read books about natural birthing. I think its important to be mentally prepared for a natural birth and also to have a strong support. An advantage to not taking meds is that you can get up out of bed and try different positions, take a walk, some hospitals/birthing centers allow you to get in the shower or bath tub. I could not imagine laying in a bed for 20+ hours in labor and not allowed to get up! I found the most relief crouched in the shower, this time I plan to have a water birth! Good Luck to you :-)


     

     


     

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  • ridedatbikeridedatbike member

    I say try it out.  Read the books take the classes and decide whats right for the baby from there.  Thats what it comes down to right?  We all want healthy babies.  Unless something went serioulsy wrong I wouldnt birth any other way than naturally.  it was the most amazing experience of my life and baby wasnt distressed or effected by any drugs.  She was extremely alert at birth and latched right away.  if youre high risk things might be different but under normal conditions natural is a wayyyyyy less risky than birthing with interventions.  also natural doesnt mean you automatically lose access to any intervention that may be necessary it doesnt hurt at all to try.  You can always change things if anything goes awry :] i hope that helps. 

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  • LaxMOM44LaxMOM44 member
    I did medfree and loved it. Pushing was super quick and although it did hurt it was definitely manageable and I think taking it one contraction at a time helped me. I didnt look at the clock and I didn't ask how dilated I was. GL you can do it!!!
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  • llarkinburnsllarkinburns member
    I had a med-free birth and yes, it was painful, but I can say that it was the birth experience that I wanted and I would do it again.  I was grateful to be able to get out of bed to try different positions pushing.  I also used the whirlpool tub until I was about 9 cm dilated, and let me tell you that was AMAZING.  If you're concerned about pain management I'd research some techniques other than medication - breathing, different positions, moving around.  A doula might be helpful.  I didn't have one - just my husband and midwives there.  We were at a hospital and the staff was very helpful and supportive of my wishes.  Good luck!
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