questions about hospital natural birth

elizabeth102 · December 2015

Hello, this is my second pregnancy i have a 6 year old. my first labor was not what i had in mind, i was young and didnt really have much of a plan. i was induced with pitocin which made my contractions longer, stronger, and closer together. i was in pain and the nurse gave me a shot of pain medication, later i got an epidural and never got up once out of my bed during the labor and it felt not natural paralyzed laying on my back giving birth. it was very confusing why i had allnof these interventions and noone trusted my body to just do what its supposed too. this time i dont want to be induced and i dont want an epidural, i want to be able to move during my labor and if i dont want to lay on my back to push i want that option. i am wondering in what circumstances would i really need pitocin... if i was slowly dialating would that be a reason for a dr to want me to have pitocin? i feel like that is unnecessary... i recently watched he business of being born, and it changed my whole outlook on child birth. watching a baby story and 16 in pregnant they make you feel like all woman need interventions or help to give birth. i am also wondering if i have to have an IV at a hospital, what if i dont even want that? its crazy how different child birth is here in the US compared to other countries. this time around i have a midwife RN, and a different OB. this is long, just want to get some opinions! thanks

mindaa · December 2015

Since you all already working with a midwife, some of these questions are probably best addressed with her.She can review what, when and why she would make recommendations regarding interventions such as pitocin. Based on that discussion, you can create your birth plan accordingly.

sschwege · December 2015

Good questions for your MW. I will tell you that all interventions require your consent, provide you are mentally capable of making decisions you can decline anything. And they can't ask you to leave or refuse to treat you. All three of mine were med-free hospital births and I have never had an IV. A couple of good books you might consider checking out, "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" and "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth". Both books are not new so you should be able to find them at the library if you look. Even if you find a hospital and provider who is supportive, plan on spending most of your labor at home if possible. With my first I arrived at 6cm, with my second and third fully dilated, most women are more comfortable at home and it decreases the chances of being pressured into something.

paintedtulips · March 2016

It depends on the hospital. As the above posters said, check with your midwife. My hospital had wireless monitoring and I was up and moving around the entire labor!

I also highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to give birth naturally in a hospital. Its amazing! It really prepares you with your options and is so motivating and inspiring!
https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Hospital-Birth-Best-Worlds/dp/1558327185

atcwag · March 2016

My goal was for a natural hospital birth. My hospital isn't top-notch in helping mama achieve that (no wireless monitoring, no birthing tub or shower option, encouraged, but not required to push on your back, etc), but it is better than many.
I too was induced due to gestational hypertension, but still wanted a natural birth. In early labor, I did a lot of rocking in the rocking chair and hip circles on the yoga ball. I agreed (and actually wanted) a Hep Lock (IV inserted and capped off, not connected to anything).
In the end, I did end up with an epidural due to continuous excruciating contractions. I'm not happy about it, but it was necessary.

KnoxYamaguchi2011 · March 2016

I'm also trying for an intervention-free labor. You can ask for a heparin lock (hep lock) rather than an IV. That enables administration of intravenous medication if necessary, while allowing you to move around freely (heparin lock keeps the vein open but clean, it's basically a vein port, and does not connect you to a pole). Fluid drip is not generally necessary for labor.

greengirl0909 · April 2016

My biggest surprise about delivering at the hospital is how ill equipped the hospital staff was at helping me manage my pain. I think one key is to go in prepared with lots of ideas for managing your own birth. For me, I lose the rational part of my brain during labor, so having someone else prepared to suggest options to you while you are laboring will be key. Ask your provider what the standard interventions are, then explore them, and talk with your provider about what that will look like. If you write a birth plan and your provider signs off on it, the hospital staff is pretty good about following it. If it isn't in your birth plan, they may try to bully you a little. When it came down to it, there were 2 things my provider would not budge- intermittent fetal monitoring and iv access. However, like someone else suggested I did a hep lock, so the iv was there, but I wasn't hooked up to anything. I was lucky and got a very flexible nurse so while I labored in the tub we went almost an hour with no monitoring. Also, stay home as long as possible. I labored at home until I was dilated to a 7. I knew when it was time to go to the hospital.

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