A spin-off of "who do you want in the room": what type of birth do you want?
Epi in hospital? Natural in a hospital? Birth center? Home birth?
With baby #1, I did natural (Bradley method) in a hospital. I plan to do the same thing for future baby #2. Needles scare me, I was far more scared of the epi than the pain of childbirth. Home birth makes me too paranoid to even consider for myself, I'm way to scared something would go wrong.
Re: what type of birth do you want?
I'm trying for baby #3. I'm thinking of switching OBs and hospitals this time. There's a hospital near me that is certified baby friendly and has a new birthing center right in the hospital. I'd really like to try that. You're not allowed epis in the birth center, but you can have IV meds.
For my first labor I had a little bit of IV meds. For my second, I had no meds at all (not that I had a choice, he came so fast). I wanted to go med free anyway, and I'd like to again for #3.
son#1 born 6/2010
son#2 born 4/2012
son#3 born 7/2014
Oh no!!! Did u have a c section?
With DS I really wanted to go to at least a 7 before getting an epidural. When they checked me in I was a 4/5 I went 3 more hours and begged for an epidural (my contractions were a minute or less apart and already off the chart when I got there). They checked me right after it was put in and I was a 7/8. Although I got what I wanted in that department after 18 hours of labor and 3 of pushing with no results I had to get a C-section which was in NO way the plan. I wanted anything but a C-section but after 2 asthma attacks, my heart rate being too high, the OB giving me the option of 1 more hour of pushing with 20% chance of success I gave in and got the surgery.
Really hoping for a VBAC this time if they'll let me!
Started Dating 03/04/2007 ~ Got Engaged 04/23/2010 ~ Said "I Do" 03/19/2011
Started TTC #1 11/2011 ~ BFP #1 03/28/2012-EDD 12/02/2012 ~
Greyson was Born by Unplanned C-Section on 11/20/2012 @ 8lbs 9oz 21 inhces
Started TTC #2 07/2013 ~ BFP #2 10/11/2013-EDD based on growth is June 26th
Liam born by Repeat C-Section on June 20, 2014 @ 8lbs 2oz 20.75 inches
Pipsqueak born 6/9/14
I had an induction w/DD but I was able to deliver without pain meds which was what I wanted. DH and I took Bradley classes to prepare. I loved giving birth and had a really great experience and would go "natural" again in a hospital given the chance. However, because of the NAIT issue (my body attacks baby's platelets), even though I'll have treatments during pregnancy, there is still a risk baby will be born with low platelet count, which puts him/her at risk of a brain bleed during delivery. So I will have a c/s more than likely. I'd love to have a "family centered/natural" c/s, but I don't know if I'll be able to talk my drs into it.
TTC #1 since 7/08 After 3 years, 2 losses, 3 rounds of IUI, and one round of IVF, we finally have our dream come true! DS born 7/30/11
TTC #2 off and on since 7/12
It is what I wanted for DS BUT I was 41 1/2 weeks and was induced so the pain came fast and quick once they stripped my membranes I labored in a tub for a while then things got intense. It was at that time that I requested meds... A few hrs later I got them - it felt like torture! I would prefer not to be induced next time if possible since DS/I were showing signs of any distress as a result of it. We both developed infections related to the length of the labor bc of poor dilation etc so I'd rather wait till baby is ready and try a natural water birth
With all that being said- DS is healthy and happy and we're willing to do it all over again any way we can
H&H is all we really want right.
Buuuuut if I could choose, I'd like a midwife at a birthing center. There's none around me, so I know ill be at a hospital but my midwife already told me they definitely work with your birth plan, which I would want an unmediated birth.
"Your truth is different from my truth, and we're both right."
TTC since March 2013. BFP 4/13/13, blighted ovum discovered 6/6/13, m/c 6/8/13.
BFP 11/10/13, EDD 7/25/13 - stick little owlet!
Another natural birth! I wanted a homebirth but I love my midwife too much and she only delivers at the hospital. The local hospital made an error with DS2 and it resulted with them treating him and admitting him to the NICU unnecessarily for several days; we almost didn't make it home for Christmas.
Fortunately I had a better birth with DS3. Although they did take him to the NICU for observation and abandoned me alone in the room while I hemmoraged. Since I knew what to look for I called another nurse and she helped me get to the restroom to pee.
We had a wonderful nurse who advocated for us in the NICU. He just needed to Breastfeed. He had some gunk in his throat from coming out so fast and by the time it worked its way out, he was in the NICU and there was talk of admitting him while they waited on the test results even though the xrays and all his other stats looked perfect. She got me to nurse him and he was 100% after that and made sure that they let us move into the recovery suite.
So actually writing all that out made me wonder if I should give some more thought to a homebirth but I probably won't. Overall, it was a good experience.
One thing I do want to do is to not wash baby for several hours and maybe not until we get home. Because of all the hubbub with DS3, he didn't get his bath for 6 hours and OMG his skin was so incredibly soft. The vernix absorbed into his skin and it felt like silk. I also have since read more about it and the birth covering actually protects them from germs too.
9 angels in heaven-3 in my arms and 1 in the NICU
Mono/di twin girls: Josephine born to heaven and Evangeline born Earthside at 25w
DH already tries to give me pep-talks about natural birth and how great I would be at it... but really, I asked the dentist to put me under for a filling last month (he wouldn't). I am really squeamish.
Maybe I'll warm up to it after carrying for so many months, but right now...
Me-31, H-27
**Loss 1-Cycle 7(June 2013) at 5w6d-CP**Loss 2-Cycle 11(October 2013) at 5w4d-CP**
**Loss 3-Cycle 14 (January-February 2014)-M/C dx 2/10, EP dx 2/24, MTX 2/25**
Beta Hell--hCG finally down to 0 - 6/20/14
SA normal. Genetic testing normal. Hormonal testing normal.
HSG 6/30/14 - found blocked left tube and 2 'bubbles' on uterine wall.
Hysteroscopy/Lap--8/4/14 - Tubes unblocked. Polyps removed from uterine wall. Septum removed.
9/30/14--Off the bench! Unmedicated TI through December 2014
BFP 12/14/14!!! Beta #1, 12/16: 990 Beta #2, 12/18: Over 2000! Beta #3, 12/22: over 8000!
U/S #1, 12/23: gestational sac, possible heartbeat
U/S #2, 12/30: HEARTBEAT! 128bpm, measuring right on at 7w EDD: 8/19/2015
U/S #3, 1/9: BPM in the 180s, IT'S HAPPENING!!!
With DS1 I pushed for 2 hours before asking for the epi. I was terrified of the needle but it was completely painless and instant pain relief. I ended up pushing for almost 3 more hours (yes, 5 total) before I relented to a c-section. He was positioned totally wrong and was completely stuck. I'm hoping that history won't repeat itself and I can deliver vaginally without meds - but I'm 100% open to getting an epidural if necessary.
There is a midwife in the area who also lets you do water birthing at home, you can purchase or rent a birthing pool to set up at the house and that sounds fabulous!
It took me a LONG time to convince my husband but then he remembered that his grandmother delivered all 14 of her babies at home and they all survived just fine. We are only 10-35 minutes from 3 different hospitals so that helps a little too.
Now we just need to actually get pregnant! ;-)
That is what I want. That said, I live half an hour from the nearest hospital, and the one my OB delivers at is even further :-/ So I will likely end up with a natural birth in the birthing center at the hospital. I have a holistic OB who advocates for and practices natural childbirth and her hospital has a birthing center, so I'm thinking that is what I will probably do. I guess I'll just have to see when the time comes.
TTC #1 8/2012~Chronic Pelvic Pain Condition began 10/2012~Told I was crazy by many doctors until a good specialist DXed a labral tear and bone impingement in left hip 4/2013~Surgery on left hip: 5/31/13 SUCCESS!!! Pain flares to continue indefinitely (but mostly gone).
Resumed TTC 6/2013~Chronic stomach pain and distension: 8/2013~TTA 1/2014 Until Resolved ~7/2014: Trip to the Mayo Clinic--SUCCESS!! Finally on the road to getting better.
Resumed TTC 7/2014! Third time's the charm....8/2014 Visited the RE~DX: MFI/low morph~Straight to IVF with ICSI! 9/2014~Transferred 1 perfect beautiful 6AA blast with 10 to freeze!!!~10/8/2014: BFP!!!! EDD: 6/17/15 STICK LITTLE BEAN!!! IT'S A BOY!!!!!
I am entirely too scared of hospitals to give birth in one...