My plan is for a medication free birth, barring any complications that necessitate intervention. I am preparing for this through education and practicing principles from different med-free protocols to minimize anything that could negatively impact this plan. It's a goal that I don't take lightly and that no nay-sayer can really distract me from.
@lalala2004 you'll love the Bradley method for giving you more insight into how your husband can coach and support you through the process. Who needs a doula when you have him! The book Husband Coached Birth by Bradley has been a great resource for us in learning more about this.
I'm going to give it a shot, but we'll see how it goes. My main reason for wanting to go without meds (if I can) is just so that I'll be able to write about the experience more accurately and use it for story material, which is possibly not the greatest reason for doing things in the world, but I've done a lot of other dumb stuff for that reason so welp.
Anyway, if it doesn't work out, no big deal, I've got no real reason to turn down an epidural. But I figure, why ask for it before you know for sure that you actually need it?
I hope I can go for that, too! But it will depend on what my beloved placenta decides to do... If it doesn't move (currently placenta previa) I can say bye bye to an unmedicated natural birth... Fingers crossed!
I did a hypnobabies class through my clinic and it was amazing!
I had a natural birth and other nurses that weren't helping me kept peeking in to see if I was actually as calm as they said, which I was.
I also took prenatal yoga and imagined being in labor and practicing calm during stressful times.
It's pressure not pain.
It's intense not pain.
It's your body doing what it should. Relax and let it happen.
I LOVE this! Great advice for FTMs or moms trying unmedicated birth for the first time.
Another vote for hynpbirthing here. We used hypnobabies last time, and I was laughing and enjoying my very long birthing through transition during my daughter's birth. We had a complication at the end, mostly avoidable, that hypnobabies didn't see me through and I had meds for. But I feel very confident that this baby will be born comfortably and easily without the help of medication. We'll be doing a hospital birth again, considering water birth. Undecided there. Same superb midwife, and I highly recommend a doula, mine was my freaking rock. Also another vote for Ina's May's Guide to Natural Childbirth.
@lalala2004 you'll love the Bradley method for giving you more insight into how your husband can coach and support you through the process. Who needs a doula when you have him! The book Husband Coached Birth by Bradley has been a great resource for us in learning more about this.
Thanks for the suggestion! We'll have to check that book out!
We are planning natural and at home. I'm another reader of Ina May and also you should watch "The Business of Being Born" we found it on Netflix and it completely solidified all my reasonings for wanting to birth this way.
@Pascal86 Since you have trained for races you might really like the Bradley method, it's a 12 week course and they teach you what to expect during each stage of labor, pain management techniques, and help you and your coach/partner rehearse and role play, they also go over what intervention options there are and what decisions you may be faced with if they are needed, they give you exercises to help strengthen your body for birth and much more! Check out Bradleybirth.com and click on course content. The site will also help you find a class that's in your area if you decide it's right for your family. Hope this is helpful!!
I'm doing a natural birth since I'm having my baby at a birth center. My mom had three natural births (one epidural didn't work, one baby came too quickly, and one was born at home) and we're pretty similar. She used the Bradley method and actually has been teaching me that since I was little. It's what I used every time I got a tattoo, just focus on breathing and turn in on yourself is the only way I can describe it. I'm not worried about the pain. It's not going to feel awesome, but at the end you get your baby so it's fine.
I've had two unmedicated births and hope to do the same this time! I'm here to say, "you can do it!" It certainly isn't easy, and I completely understand there are times it isn't possible, but don't discourage yourself. The key for me was to move, move, move throughout labor. I hated sitting down. Once I did that, things progressed fairly quickly and that made it doable.
With DD I had an open mind but I did have a birth plan and I did NOT want pitocin, or an epi.
My water broke at 5am and I wasn't progressing. As in not even a half cm for hours. The decision was made to start pitocin (the devil drug) and I labored for hours with contraction on top of contraction until the baby's heart rate dropped. I tried other interventions before the epi but to no avail. It was probably at 5pm that I asked for the Epi and was so grateful that I did.
I am by no way discouraging a med free birth, I know it can be done! But for me, after hours of trying, the epi finally gave my body a chance to relax. And once I was relaxed, I started to progress. I dilated steadily throughout the night and by 9 am the next day I had a beautiful baby girl in my arms.
This time around, I hope to progress quickly, therefore avoiding pitocin altogether. I feel confident that if I can just avoid being induced, than I can have the med free birth that I envision. But again, I plan on going with the flow.
Moral of the story, is just keep an open mind. Sometimes the birth plan looks great on paper but when it's go time, it can change altogether.
I am excited to hear everyone's birth stories in May! I hope we all have the birth that we envision!
The way I see it, women have been doing it for centuries with out pain medications. If you choose to and no medical issues arise, there's no reason you can't go without pain medication! Personally, I said I was going to "see how it goes" and I didn't last very long with my first. I think if you really want to succeed at it you need to decide that you CAN and WILL do it without pain medication (barring any medical issues requiring it, of course) before you ever go into labor. I've made that decision already this time around and already feel that I have a better chance of actually making it this time.
Ideally, my plan is to be as pain free as possible. However,I have been dealing with placenta previa, so I'm really hoping it resolves itself and I'm not forced into a c-section. This is also my first successful pregnancy so labor/delivery itself is scary to me. For some reason though, the thought of an epidural is scarier so I still have to research medication options if a c-section is needed. Wishing the best of luck to all of you!
With my oldest I had a natural birth and I was induced with my second and had the epidural. Recovery after natural was almost instant and so much easier while the second time around was terrible. This time I would like to have a natural birth again but I am not a martyr and will opt for the epidural if needed.
My OB was honest and told my husband and I that she did not think an anesthesiologist would do an epidural on me. I have spina bifida. We have put that option completely out of our options. I have agreed to other forms of pain management if I felt the need. Knowing it isn't an option, I know I can't change my mind, and I need to focus on the end game. I believe I can do it. All the females in my family had their kids without. (My hometown hospital didn't offer them as an option.) Again, knowing it's off the table makes the decision for you.
So I love this discussion, but I do think it's important to mention that what we're talking about is a med free birth. Every birth is "natural" in that a mom brings a baby into the world. Sometimes the term natural birth hits a nerve with gals who either have to have or choose to have meds and/or interventions because the phrase implies that a medicated birth is UNnatural. I realize I sound like the PC police, but just wanna look out for moms who might be tender regarding their births. I know I beat myself up horribly for needing pitocin and an epi for DD's birth.
folamij please keep in the back of your head that a c-section with an epi will be much preferred to a c-section with general anesthesia. The pain control with an epidural is just so much better. I do hope you can have the med-free birth you envision!!
Mama to Three Girls: Twins born March 2014 at 26 weeks due to preterm labor and our 37weeker born May 9th, 2016!
Re: Are any other May 2016 Moms considering a natural birth?
Anyway, if it doesn't work out, no big deal, I've got no real reason to turn down an epidural. But I figure, why ask for it before you know for sure that you actually need it?
My water broke at 5am and I wasn't progressing. As in not even a half cm for hours. The decision was made to start pitocin (the devil drug) and I labored for hours with contraction on top of contraction until the baby's heart rate dropped. I tried other interventions before the epi but to no avail. It was probably at 5pm that I asked for the Epi and was so grateful that I did.
I am by no way discouraging a med free birth, I know it can be done! But for me, after hours of trying, the epi finally gave my body a chance to relax. And once I was relaxed, I started to progress. I dilated steadily throughout the night and by 9 am the next day I had a beautiful baby girl in my arms.
This time around, I hope to progress quickly, therefore avoiding pitocin altogether. I feel confident that if I can just avoid being induced, than I can have the med free birth that I envision. But again, I plan on going with the flow.
Moral of the story, is just keep an open mind. Sometimes the birth plan looks great on paper but when it's go time, it can change altogether.
I am excited to hear everyone's birth stories in May! I hope we all have the birth that we envision!
Knowing it isn't an option, I know I can't change my mind, and I need to focus on the end game. I believe I can do it.
All the females in my family had their kids without. (My hometown hospital didn't offer them as an option.) Again, knowing it's off the table makes the decision for you.
Mama to Three Girls:
Twins born March 2014 at 26 weeks due to preterm labor
and our 37weeker born May 9th, 2016!