- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
Abenedict2011
member
Intro and question
Abenedict2011
member
Hello all. I am a FTM (32weeks along) and have been lurking more and more recently as my EDD approaches. I have been blessed with a smooth pregnancy so far, not high risk, and have always wanted to attempt a birth with as few drugs as possible.
I work as a physical therapist in a hospital and have seen the potential risks with an epi, and frankly, it scares the heck out of me. I also have a history of not handling narcotics well and am even leery of the pain medications postpartum.
That being said I have been ignorant to this point in actually planning or preparing for a natural birth! I do not have the funds, or at this point the time, to sign up for any formal birthing classes(hypno or bradley etc.)
So my question to all of you is what would you recommend in regards to books, online information, etc to do my best at preparing myself to attempt my goal of limited intervention birth? (I say attempt because I do not normally have the best pain tolerance.) I am signed up for our hospitals all day baby class, but not sure how indepth they will go or if that will be adequate.
In regards to support I have a wonderful family and inlaws. My husband is supportive to the end of being in the room and cheering me on, but is not comfortable at all in a hospital setting thus will not be a coach. My mother has offered to be a coach if I would like her to be. I do have an OB and plan to give birth in my local hospital.
I appreciate any and all advice you have. Sorry this is so lengthy....thanks for reading.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Intro and question
When you're reading, try to identify tools that may help you during labor (music, positions, distractions, ways to focus or relax, etc.). Good luck!
Edit: some hospital classes make the epi seem routine. The class may focus on standard hospital procedures. They may only discuss a few med-free techniques, so be prepared to so more research on your own. Not all hospital classes are like this, through.
I would also recommend reading about different laboring positions and pain management techniques. Water worked great for me but doesn't always work for everyone. I also utilized music and aroma therapy to help me feel comfortable in an unfamiliar hospital environment.
As far as books and reading Ina May is an excellent resource. Also https://birthwithoutfearblog.com has tons a great birth stories.
I would read up on natural birth in general and get an idea of how L&D can go. There are several good books by Ina May and birth without fear etc. that you may find helpful. I got the in my Bradley class and it really kept me calm during the first stage of labor because I knew what was normal and how things progressed.
Having a positive support person was a huge help as well. I hired a doula and she was the best money we ever spent. She kept me focused and calm especially in second stage when I freaked out. Maybe look into a doula and see if it would be a good fit for you.
I also had a hospital birth with an OB so one of the books I read was the thinking womans guide to a better birth by Henci Goer. It went over all the interventions you may encounter and when/why they are needed. I found it really helpful in case we came across some interventions. I felt like both my H and I would be able to make an informed choice on what was best without making decisions driven by fear.
You can do this and your body was designed to labor and give birth!
Also, like pp have said, most hospital classes focus on routine things like epis, pitocin, c-sections, etc, so be prepared that it may not be all the useful for you. Do you have the resources to hire a doula? If you don't think your husband will make a good coach, then a doula can be important. You will need someone at the hospital to help you with positions, breathing, and other natural birth techniques, while also dealing with the hospital staff. Many, but not all, hospital staffs are not natural birth friendly and will push interventions on you. You will need an advocate if that is the case.
Have you discussed natural birth with your OB/MW? Do so right away if you haven't because you will want to make sure they are on the same page as you. And find out what resources the hospital has to help manage pain. Do they have a tub you can labor in? Can you labor in the shower? The tub really helped me have a med-free birth.
And once you're read up on natural birth and feel informed, develop a birth plan. It will help you focus on what is most important to you during your labor.
Good luck!
I'm looking forward to reading a few of the books you all suggested and my mom is open to being a coach and practicing with me over the next 7 weeks.
Thank you so much. All of the support has been very helpful and given me confidence that it's not too late to pull off the natural birth I'm hoping for.
Thanks again ladies!