Worries--Natural Hospital Birth

Kate0034 · August 2015

I'm pregnant with my first and would like to have a natural birth. I was SO nervous to discuss this with my doctor because I don't live in a very "natural friendly" area and people have terrified me with horror stories of how doctors here know nothing about natural birth and are not supportive of them. I've heard that if you want an intervention-free birth here, you better be ready to fight.

However, my doctor actually asked me what I would prefer and when I said natural she didn't blink an eye. She told me not to bother with the hospital's birthing class because it's more geared toward epi and that I'll want a natural birth class--when I said I wanted to do Bradley she started telling me different instructors' names and how to sign up. She also said that the hospital she uses has done a lot of Bradley births and the nurses are very familiar with it and many have done it themselves.

My question is.. Is this a good sign!?!? I took it as that but I don't want to be naive. I went to my appointment fully prepared to run away and call a midwife, but I was so reassured that now I'm thinking I'll stick with the hospital birth. What do you think?

(Side note:: the only options in my state are a hospital birth with OB or home birth with midwife. Midwives don't work in hospitals here and we have no birthing centers. As I'd rather not have a home birth with my first, I'm hoping a natural hospital birth will work out!)

sschwege · August 2015

Sounds great! There are some wonderful hospitals and doctors out there. All three of mine were born med free in a hospital they were so supportive, I didn't homemuch as have an IV in my arm.

You could ask more detailed questions in the coming appointments to get a better sense:
Do you support intermittent monitoring?
Do you encourage eating and drinking?
Will you support mother directed pushing?
If my bag breaks and labor doesn't start how long are you comfortable waiting?

These are just a few ideas. Regardless labor at home as long as possible. As supportive as my hospital is I was still giving myself the best shot by staying home. With my first I arrived at 6cm with my second and third I was ready to push.

SharonB222 · September 2015

When would your OB arrive to support you? Since hospital birth with m/w is not an option for you, I would make sure the OB is there earlier or hire a coach/doula. Some DHs can do that (there are great books for them), but mine doesn't have the personality. I have done two hospital natural births. One with OB and one with m/w (recently available). I regret that I did not have support during my labor with the OB - the L&D nurse was all business and the OB didn't arrive until I was pushing. Doable but unpleasant. (It was probably good I was there since I had a retained placenta.) I loved the support during my labor with m/w - the L&D nurse was better and the m/w arrived sooner than later and helped me through most of the active labor, and all of transition and pushing, etc. My DH liked the m/w better also - told him exactly what to do which wasn't much.

Congrats on your pg! FX for L&D!

JodyRC · September 2015

I would agree with the ladies who've already responded. If you are looking for a natural birth, be sure you prepare/have the resources you need. Many labor nurses in today's healthcare culture have more than one patient, so can't provide the labor support you might desire. MDs often do not push with their patients until they are close to delivery. A doula, or friend/family member who has experienced birth, or a partner who is up to it and willing to read some of the great material out there, can really help you when you are laboring. Staying home as long as possible is also a good option, assuming nothing about your pregnancy is high risk. At home, you can labor in a comfortable environment and not have to worry about IVs, monitoring equipment, etc. Also, prepare yourself. Take that natural childbirth class, and read about coping options/practice your relaxation techniques. As much as I also hope for a birth that is as natural as possible. I, too, will opt to be in the hospital setting in case of an emergency. Best of luck, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

Marettie · September 2015

Sounds very promising but I suggest a doula as well. Mine was super helpful in my all natural hospital birth

kaylalduval · September 2015

It sounds like your OB is open to the idea of natural and the fact that she mentioned The Bradley Method is very promising! The Bradley Method is VERY natural! The classes can be expensive but I think they are totally worth it! It is very involved for the daddy so make sure he is on board! You can always ask if you can try it out and see if it's something you guys like. 86% of Bradley Method births are natural! That is a pretty big percentage! Definitely something to look into! Also looking into a doula or a friend/family member/or even your husband being your coach sounds like a great idea for you! Just make sure they know exactly what you want so they can be your voice and communicate your needs to the doctor! Congratulations on your pregnancy hope everything works out for you!

Kate0034 · September 2015

Thanks for the feedback everyone!!

As far as having a coach/support, my husband is very on board and that's a big reason we're taking Bradley classes (they train the husband to coach during labor). I considered getting a doula as well, but may just wait and see how much DH and I learn in the Bradley classes and then decide if we need it or not. DH is super supportive (and an athletic coach by profession haha so definitely a motivator!) and I have a lot of confidence in him being able to support me!

The main thing I worry about is fighting hospital policies. I think it will help that my OB seems open to natural birth (many doctors here are not), I just hope she actually is if it comes down to making certain decisions.

Copernicus08 · September 2015

At my 12 week u/s with my DS, the tech said to me, "Did you know you have a fibroid? You might need a C-section." From that point on, I was paranoid about not getting my natural birth. My OB told me not to worry about it, but for six months I did ...

When I finally went into labor, the OB asked me what I wanted for pain management. I told him that I wanted to try to go natural, but since I was laboring all night I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to handle it so maybe I wanted the epi ... He suggested I labor in the jacuzzi tub for awhile to relax. I did, and an hour later I was pushing out my DS, epi-free.

Moral of the story: Give yourself and your OB credit, and believe that you will have what you want! :-) Good luck!

blondekates1 · September 2015

Sounds very promising that your OB is not only listening to you but also providing resources to meet your needs! I am in a similar situation but slightly different in that my hospital is VERY natural friendly, but I am pregnant with twins, which automatically puts me in a high risk category (even though this is my second pregnancy and I'm 33 weeks with zero complications thus far). I have up until now had to be very firm in my stance against unnecessary tests, pills, and ultrasounds. Given the way the prenatal appointments were going, I decided to hire a doula to make sure that I have the support I need to make the decisions that are right for me during labor. I am very excited about the doula that I've hired. We are totally on the same page, and I feel confident that nothing will proceed without my consent. You are very lucky to have a good coach in your husband! My husband is a little bit like a deer in the headlights during labor :-)

I also recommend the book Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds by Cynthia Gabriel. It is written largely from the perspective of someone who knows what it's like to have to manage through hospital protocols that are not super natural-friendly. Good luck!!!

Malonb · September 2015

My OB office has both midwives and physicians so it's pretty neat, they also have a midwife and doctor at the hospital they work with on call 24/7. The downside to that is because they rotate shifts, you're bound not to know exactly who will be there to do the actual delivery(it would be awesome to know the person who's doing it) so i'm very much considering a doula. When i went to tour the hospital's birth center i asked what was the % of women who actually deliver without any medication...it's a mere 5-10%!

That got me paranoid, so far i have no signs of complications so i'm still optimistic. My mom will also ideally attend the delivery, we haven't really talked about my preference to go natural but when i told her i was prego one of the first things she said was 'get a c-section, specially if you want to still have a romantic life'. Yikes!

2.red.heads · September 2015

Sounds promising to me!
I have had two natural hospital births. The first one was a 25 hour induction (2 weeks late) and the 2nd I showed up to the hospital at 10 cm. lol.
It's definitely not the norm to go natural around here but the nurses and my midwives were super supportive. I think when it comes down to it everyone has a certain pain tolerance (and a mental pain tolerance!). You will know early on if you want to throw in the towel and the epidural. Childbirth hurts like hell but it doesn't last forever!

jamiem522 · September 2015

No matter what you decide those Bradley classes will be the best investment for educating during pregnancy! You could always go with the ob and if you get a weird vibe, switch to midwife (at which point your Bradley instructor would help you with referrals and anything else you might need!) good luck!

lmc929 · September 2015

I had a natural childbirth at a hospital without a Doula - just my husband. My nurse was awesome and afterwards she and the doctor both thanked me for the experience and said it was "refreshing" to be part of a natural childbirth.

You can do it mama!

BalancingJane · November 2015

I had a natural hospital birth without a doula, but I had my husband and a close friend who is also a nurse in the room with me. They were really good advocates and able to help articulate what I needed when I was deep into labor and not very capable of advocating for myself.

I am now pregnant again and hoping for another non-medicated hospital birth, but I switched hospitals and OBs. My previous experience ended fine (healthy baby, birth plan followed most of the way), but I had to fight over things I was told I wouldn't have to fight for, and my OB wasn't there for the delivery. I ended up with the on-call OB who was a real jerk (thankfully he was only in the room for the last forty minutes).

The nurses were mean to me when I first came in: rolling their eyes when I said I didn't want meds, acting like I was being a pain when I asked them to let me out of the bed to move around during labor. But by the time it was clear that I was really not going to ask for meds, they totally changed their attitude and became very supportive. I think they'd just seen so few non-medicated births that they didn't believe me. I'm hoping that now (five years later), the trend has shifted some and it won't be such an odd request.

The bottom line is, if you have support from both your OB and the support you'll have in the room, you can definitely have a great experience in a hospital.

crsanchez87 · December 2015

sschwege said:

You could ask more detailed questions in the coming appointments to get a better sense: Do you support intermittent monitoring? Do you encourage eating and drinking? Will you support mother directed pushing? If my bag breaks and labor doesn't start how long are you comfortable waiting? These are just a few ideas. Regardless labor at home as long as possible. As supportive as my hospital is I was still giving myself the best shot by staying home.

This. I had a natural hospital birth with just my husband in the room. I had a great experience and plan to do it the same way with the next baby. Just ask all the right questions. Type up a birth plan and have a copy for your partner/significant other so they can look at and advocate for you if needed.

RissKay · January 2016

In my experience, hospital policies tend to be geared more towards what they will or won't allow in a birth rather than how they'll control your birth. For instance: some won't allow a tub, or a birthing ball, but they won't tell you that you *have* to get up and walk around (though they might strongly encourage).

It sounds like you should definitely look in to a doula who has assisted at that hospital before. They'll be able to better advocate for you and ward off some of the unwanted suggestions. Otherwise, take a natural birth class with someone familiar with the hospital and go so that you can ask them about the policies and ease your mind a bit.

jmknox · January 2016

I echo a good experienced doula and the Bradley classes

. You need to labor at home as Long as you reasonably can to avoid as many hospital interventions. An experienced doula who has attended many births can help oversee and get you there right on time. My husband was very skeptical (about hiring a doula) but post partum he admitted that her knowledge and support was worth her weight in Gold and he could just focus on helping me during contractions. There is something so natural about having an experienced birth attendant like that... Just the way it's been done for centuries. HTH

iamcaro · February 2016

OP, that sounds really good. I have to tell you that I was in your shoes less than a year ago with my first pregnancy. I too live in a town with just one hospital with very high induction and CS rates and about 98% of women here get epis. I was definitely in the minority for the birth I was planning.
In your case, you could probably skip the hospital birthing class but DO take a tour of the hospital. Usually you can call the ask to do it and one of the nurses will take you around the answer your questions. The hospital will have different rules and procedures than your doctor so you'll want to find out what to expect before the big day. For example, I didn't know I would have to go ALONE into triage (while in labor, of course) before getting placed in an L&D room. I was horrified, but it all worked out.
I fully understand the anxiety you are feeling that the hospital and doctors are going to steamroll your birth plans, but in my opinion it is a waste of energy. Make the best decisions you can and realize that some things are out of your control. The best thing you can do to alleviate your nerves is to find a good doula to be there with you. Birth is unpredictable and she can help you navigate the changing terrain as you encounter it in an unfamiliar setting (the hospital). Just having her there will make you feel you aren't vulnerable and alone against the world!
If you are having trouble finding a doula near you (I had a hell of a time), I recommend reaching out to doulas in a nearby town or city and explaining your situation. I reached out to several within a few hours of me and one of them ended up leading me to a wonderful doula right here in my town! I had no idea she was here, and because her services aren't used so much here she was also really affordable!

Mdev01 · February 2016

This does sound like a good sign! Beware of the labor nurses though...all it takes is one bad one to ruin your experience or try to talk you into pain meds. You can always have a loved one talk to the head nurse to get a different nurse assigned to you if you don't mesh.

peregrinefalconx · February 2016

@Kate0034

Have you had your baby yet? Would love to hear an update.

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