Med-Free Support Thread

StephBrim24 · January 2018

Hey everyone! Let’s share ideas and experiences as we prep to labor and deliver without meds! Save the preaching for church - this is strictly to support each other as we do our best to make the choices that are right for us.
1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth?
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?
3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing?
4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?

fatstagnation · January 2018

@StephBrim24 thanks for starting this thread. great idea!

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth? The thought of a tube in my spine, a catheter, and not being able to walk around gives me more anxiety than the thought of the pain. lol.
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful? Nope. FTM here.

3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing? Um...gotta get researching this! Hypnobirthing sounds kinda interesting, but I'm not sure anyone teaches it here. Also thinking of using the birthing tub. they have them in the labor and delivery rooms at our hospital!
4. What other questions or thoughts do you have? I guess I'm just curious what worked best for mom's with experience.

StephBrim24 · January 2018

1. Baby #1 (this is #3) - I was all about the epidural. I hadn't even considered a different way. But it ended up causing a snowball effect of negative experiences. There was one large spot on my side that it didn't work for (called a hot spot - feels like literal fire torching that spot), so I kept asking them to turn it up (first time mom ignorance). It bottomed out my blood pressure but I didn't know that's why I was feeling so terrible at the time and the nurses didn't catch it, and by the time it was time to push I was still feeling out of it and weak. I'm guessing my low blood pressure is what caused my daughter to be stressed every time I pushed so they brought in the vacuum after just a couple pushes to speed things up. I had a deep 3rd degree tear from the vacuum and speed of delivery and I had to do physical therapy "down there" until was a year post partum to start feeling okay again. Because my epidural was coursing strong for me, I think that added to DD's disinterest in nursing (she never caught on and it launched me into dipping very close to full blown PPD). She was groggy, I have a flat nipple and an inverted nipple which makes it more difficult, and her jaundice kicked in quickly so she just got less interested. It took hours for me to get any feeling back in my legs so I was at the mercy of other people to even get DD out of the bassinet. So, I'm fully aware that some of that was not necessarily caused by the epidural (my ignorance played a huge part), but I wanted to have the best chances possible to feel aware during labor, minimize damage and recovery time, and to be successful at breastfeeding. Baby #2 - successfully went med-free and recovery and nursing was a BREEZE. Hence the motivation to do it again.
2. Yes - baby #2 was super smooth and med free. Biggest tips I have:
A. Anticipate that it will hurt. A large number of women go into it thinking it can't be that bad or just plan to casually see how far they can get and so they panic when the pain comes. Fear and panic is a huge cause of giving up. FWIW - the pain is different from other pain - some methods will redefine it by calling it pressure or waves - I just say it's purposeful pain. You can tell it's doing something, so it's nothing to panic about as long as you're prepared for it.
B. Have a support person or two to help you recognize the stage of labor you're in and to help you find new positions or pain relief when you're not able to think straight yourself.
C. Read something. Educate yourself on how labor and delivery can go and methods of handling it. We read through books on the Bradley method but I mixed in some Lamaze information as well.
D. Stay home as long as you possibly can (as long as you don't live too far from the hospital). Don't head in when it starts hurting...Ask your OB/midwife for how long and far apart your contractions should be to go in for a med-free birth.
3. Mostly Bradley with some Lamaze breathing and any other tips that seem helpful. I'm horrible at deep focus and meditation so I know hypnobirthing would not be good for me.
4. No other thoughts or questions for now. This was an essay!! Oh, except that allow yourself grace in all of this. If I would have been induced, I have no clue if I would made it. If my labor would have lasted longer, I don't know how that would have affected my success. There's a lot of variables that come up. You just try to be prepared for them.
*Edited for clarification

megpeg · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth?
It was so much better last time and recovery was faster.
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?
I was induced with #1 and had pitocin. Contractions came so fastball and hard i couldn't make it without a pain killer. I had Nubain. It wore off by the time I had DS but he still seemed groggy from being born before he was ready and maybe the drug.
With #2 I was med free and it was so much better. We walked the hospital and I took a lot of showers. There were no tub rooms open but I am hoping for one this time(there were 17 babies born the day she was!) DH is really good at soothing me and keeping my mind off the pain- he's a chiropractor and could feel her moving down and knew where to rub to help. I did have to fight for it a little because the nurse wanted to put a port in right away but I said no. My midwife told me to ask for her if anything was going in a way I didn't like.
3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing?
No, I may look more into them but just went with what I was feeling at the time.
4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?
make sure to be your own advocate- if things aren't going how you want or don't seem right say something or ask for another opinion.

senora76 · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth? My last was med free and the best birth experience out of my prior 3 births. See #4 below...
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful? Yes my third son was med free.
3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing? Haha - no...walking around, sometimes screaming and crying... towards the end, my dr gave the suggestion to us to try laying down and have DH push my knees in to relieve pressure on my hips every time I had a contraction... I was hesitant to lay down cause I felt better standing up and crawling, but I must say it TOTALLY worked... I also was laying down when I pushed the baby out.
4. What other questions or thoughts do you have? Just a few thoughts - I had an amazing "walking epidural" with my first baby in 2003. Expected the same for #2 and had a disasterous experience... The epidural was not administered correctly, it did not help with pain, and it made me feel very very sick and high... I was throwing up,and felt everything. After delivery, the dr still assumed I had pain relief and didn't numb me locally for stitches...it felt exactly the way you'd expect it to. I am scared for life from that birth... so for my surprise post divorce love child at age 40, I knew I didn't want it to go down like that. I had an amazing natural hospital birth. My hospital gave me total freedom to labor how I wanted. It was my longest labor of all 3 but well worth it. Recovery was the easiest of all three and my son was so alert, eating and sleeping well from his first moments.

missnc77 · January 2018

I got an epidural with my first, and I don't plan on going med free the second time around. BUT, I do have a question for those that have gone med free. When I was laboring pre-epidural, the only way to even feel a little relief through contractions was to sit on the toilet. This meant though that I had to unplug my HR monitor to go into the bathroom, and it would always lead to the nurse coming in and trying to coax me out of the bathroom so I could plug back in. She was nice in that she tried to bring me every birthing ball, peanut, tool, etc. you name it to help out so I could stay plugged in, but really, I just wanted the toilet. I guess my question is, if you go med free because one of the pros is the ability to move around more, do they not care about you being plugged into a monitor? How do they monitor your HR so you can still move around and be mobile? I did have to be induced, so I don't know if that's why they wanted me on it, or if they didn't have a mobile option, or what? It was really frustrating.

[Deleted User] · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth? I don't want to have any of the potential complications from an epidural, and the improved recovery time of not having an epi appeals to me.
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful? Nope! This will be my first.
3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing? I have recently started with the Hypno Babies home study course online. So far I'm okay with it. I'll be interested to see how I like it when I'm in actual labor. I'm a yoga teacher and have always enjoyed meditation so this method seemed like it was for me. Though they do sort of tout "pain free birth" and I am 10000000% positive that is absolute horse shit. But I have really been enjoying the audio meditations thus far, so I'm sort of taking what works and ignoring what wont.
4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?

megpeg · January 2018

@missnc77 I would have to go back to the room every so often to sit for 10-15minutes and be monitored and then could go on with a shower or walking.

StephBrim24 · January 2018

@missnc77 - same here as @megpeg. They do what’s called intermittent monitoring so you’re free to move around and do what you want but they’d check in every so often to listen for a bit. Then you’re off and running again. I’m sure the Pitocin was a piece of their concern for you since it’s hard to say how babies will handle the contractions as they intensify. I don’t know if there’s a mobile monitoring method. It sure would be nice!

senora76 · January 2018

@missnc77 same as the ladies above but I had the added fun of being GBS+ so in addition to periodic monitoring (I think mine was about every 30 min or so), i had a wheelie iv bag drip for the antibiotics that came with me as I roamed and crawled around.

missnc77 · January 2018

Thanks ladies!

mdfarmchick · January 2018

@missnc77 With my first my water broke and my contractions weren’t “regular enough” to “progress” my labor in the timeframe they were looking for so they put me on pitocin. I stayed near the bed but the charge nurse ((who is an absolutely beautiful person)), squatted in front of me and held the monitor on me so I could use the yoga ball and move around as much as the cord allowed me. Whenever my nurse had to leave, my doula would hold the monitor on me, and MH was supporting me.

I also love reading about everyone’s prior birth experience on here

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth?

I was able to go pain med free for my first and I would love a repeat. Basically, I have really bad reactions to pain medication with everything from Tylenol 3 to Morphine and it involves hot and cold flashes and copious amounts of vomiting. So I’m afraid of what my reaction would be to the epidural. I also really have a strong aversion to needles and the idea of one in my spine gives me nightmares. And like some PP mentioned, I would just like to avoid complications.

2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?

I left myself an out with my first—I wasn’t ready to definitively dismiss an epidural since everything I had heard said that you *had* to have an epidural with pitocin and I knew I was getting pitocin. By the time I was feeling unable to cope, DS was crowning so an epidural wouldn’t have helped at that point anyway. And honestly I think it was just a FTM not being familiar with the sensation to push—FYI, for me it really did feel like an immense amount of pressure and that maybe I had to poop, but that wasn’t exactly it.

As far as tips on how to be successful, for me it was all in the support. I’m sure that there are not so great L&D nurses out there, but every nurse with my first was so encouraging and supportive. I also had a doula and MH, who were both 100% convinced that I could do this and that was huge. My OB was also really supportive ahead of time and during. I took a natural ((med free)) childbirth class both times and there are a lot of useful tips in those on how to pain manage. You can google ice contractions and practice those ahead with YH—I didn’t practice at home but I did do the exercises in both classes with MH. I think it was especially helpful to him to have something to compare contractions to as well. For me, moving through the contractions was the biggest help. I also just focus on something outside of the contractions, like MH hands applying counterpressure or the music on the playlist, etc. The biggest thing is realizing that you have to adapt and do something different as labor progresses.

3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley?

Nope. Just the support of MH and my doula. My OB this time is known for being a huge force in helping the hospital move to a more “birth center” approach and he’s never missed a birth.

4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?

I agree with the PP who mentioned to give yourself grace, especially as a FTM. Research your options at your hospital and what each choice you make may lead to as a next step. Remember no matter what a medical person says, if it’s an emergency, it will feel like it. And either you or YH or both need to be ready to stand up for things—for instance two minutes after I walked into the L&D room with my first, the head OB walked in and was demanding I get an epidural and to consider just going straight to the OR for a C section because my water broke.

Most useful reading I did before birth was Lucie’s List’s pages about what to expect during labor and PP.

chasingroygbiv · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth?
I’m not sure I’ve quite “decided” but I’m more interested in attempting this time than with my first two. My first two I knew 100% I wanted an epidural. With my first it failed. It somehow fell out (I know, right?) and no one believed me until I started getting up to go walk to the bathroom with ease. Ha! With our second it worked well and then a few hours after delivery I suddenly had excruciating pressure in my head, so bad that I thought the top of my head would bust off. I couldn’t sit or stand. Taking a shower was impossible. I had a spinal headache and it lasted the full 10 days as my blood patch failed. I would love to avoid that this time, but I’m also scared because I’m unfortunately GBS+ this time and so I can’t exactly labor at home, especially with a 30 minute drive. Ugh...

2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?
No, other than my epi failing the first time around so I know what it feels like, but I didn’t intend to.

3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing?
No, I’m going into this completely blind, which probably isn’t wise.. should probably start reading up on it.

4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?
I’m getting super nervous is about all the thoughts I currently have.

senora76 · January 2018

@chasingroygbiv I don’t know if you read my comment above, but I was able to walk and crawl around laboring without pain meds with my GBS+ bag of IV meds my last labor... Also I have “heard” your GBS status can change altho I’m skeptical of that. I was - in 2003 , + in 2006, + in 2016 so I feel like once I got it, it won’t leave me now!

cford08 · January 2018

1. Why did you decidce to try med-free for this birth? I had a similar experience to @chasingroygbiv. FTM and I had an epidural done for a cerclage at 17 weeks. When I got home, I had a spinal headache for 7 days. Worst experience ever. I hate to say it but MH and my mom just kind of looked at me like I could get over it. Uh, no. I cannot imagine going through that with a newborn.
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful? Nope and Nope.
3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing? Bradley for me. I thought hypnobirthing may work, but I also didn't want to be attached to earphones or make everyone around me listen to recordings.
4. What other questions or thoughts do you have? I am not totally opposed having an IV and some sort of IV medication to take the edge off. Nothing narcotic, maybe just Stadol. Any thoughts?

@StephBrim24 great thread idea!

stlbuckeye132 · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth?

I initially thought I wanted to try med-free just because women have been doing it since the beginning of time, so I should too sort of as a right of passage or something. Since reading more about it, I'm also definitely interested in the easier recovery and ability to move around during labor as needed. However, I completely reserve the right to change my mind! I'm hoping I won't though.

2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?

Nope, FTM here, and I have no idea what to expect.

3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing?

I'm taking a four-week series of classes at my hospital that is geared toward med-free birth, so I'm just going off of whatever they teach me there!

4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?

I'm so clueless on the entire process. Do they always want to start a port for an IV as soon as you get there? Should I refuse that if I'm trying to go med-free?

megpeg · January 2018

@stlbuckeye132 they do try to get one in you right away at my hospital ( I forgot my birth plan and so the nurse didn't know what I wanted and just assumed I wanted drugs.) she kept telling me that if I didn't do it then it might Be hard to stay during contractions later and I may need it to deliver the placenta. I stayed firm and told her we could deal with that when the time came. And then my midwife came in and said the same thing.
I didn't want one out in because it would make it too easy to chicken out plus I hate needles.

sassypants2010 · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth? I got a lumbar from a scared student as a teen that messed up my back so I refused to get any epidural and I metabolize iv meds quickly so I just didn't want to mess with pain drugs. But technically since I was induced not completely med free, but pain med free.
2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?
Don't focus on the pain, find a focal point that can distract you.
3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing? Bradley mostly, but I actually combined the two by using parts that worked best for me from both.

StephBrim24 · January 2018

@stlbuckeye132 - as far as the iv goes, that’s up to you if you want to try to fully reject it. I requested a heplock - basically they put the little port in your hand and cap it off. Then it’s not connected anything. I’m fine doing that since it wasn’t in my way and then they have immediate access to a vein if something goes wrong and I need anything administered immediately. I know that bugs other people but it was the perfect middle ground in my mind.

mdfarmchick · January 2018

@stlbuckeye132 Like @StephBrim24 I had a heplock in my hand. It was hospital policy in case anything went wrong and they needed to take lifesaving measures. It never had anything to do with pain meds or anything else. Obviously they used the port when they started me on pitocin because my water had broken and my “contractions weren’t progressing the way they wanted.”

I recommend getting the heplock earlier if your hospital has a policy about them because when contractions are coming harder and faster, the last thing you want to do is have someone try to put a port/heplock in and miss or something or have it go in when you are in the middle of a contraction. Not that this is because I had them miss the vein entirely in my hand in the middle of a contraction or anything. Or because I had a bruise from it for a month.

StephBrim24 · January 2018

Anyone else here totally obsessed with reading birth stories? I know some people do better with more information and others do better just taking things as they come. When it comes to big things in my life, I read allllllll the stuff. Anyone have interest in previous successful med-free birth stories being posted here to read to give you an idea of the many forms of normal? Like I could post mine and @megpeg , @senora76 , @mdfarmchick and other moms who’ve experienced it could share their stories? Prediction: they’d be rather lengthy. Is that good? Bad? Helpful?

stlbuckeye132 · January 2018

@StephBrim24 I'd definitely be interested in hearing other people's med-free birth stories. I've sort of been avoiding the birth stories in other BMBs because so many of them are like, "IT WAS AWFUL," and I'm trying to just focus on positive thoughts for now and not freak myself out about all the things that might go wrong.

tristaesco · January 2018

I used hypnobabies for my first birth... slight different from hypnobirthing. You basically learn to hypnotize yourself but your in control and it works. It does take a time commitment and effort to prepare. I liked being in control and being able to takes walks and go In the bath. I went epidural free though my regrets were letting them convince me to break my water for me... which I believe led to my episiotomy and pushing for three hours. I’m also going to add to my birth plan to have the nurses avoid coaching me to breath hold and push, also known as purple pushing. Hopefully someone can read this and learn from my mistakes!

Gingermom15 · January 2018

*lurking*

As some others have said, the heplock is mainly for emergencies if the status of you or baby changes quickly. If you hemorrhage, for example, the IV meds are metabolized in seconds whereas intramuscular or subcutaneous is minutes.

TW

my son’s cord prolapsed and we almost lost him. In these situations every second counts, thankfully he was able to be maneuvered off his cord and my doctor had him out in less than 4 minutes with no damage due to lack of oxygen. No IV access adds to those precious minutes when a c section is life or death.
Also, working in critical care I have seen emergency situations with no IV access and it’s awful.

You our ladies can absolutely, 100%, accomplish your goals of a no-intervention birth. I have faith in all of you and I promise I am not here judging or preaching! Just food for thought for those who are on the fence

megpeg · January 2018

I will start the birth stories-
About six in the morning I woke up having contractions. I got up got a shower and watched some tv. I let DH sleep until his normal time and then told him he needed to call the office and tell them he might not be in that day. He did and then got up and got a shower and got ready. Contractions were about 5 minutes apart so we went in to the hospital to get checked. I mad early him drive around a little extra because I wanted to make sure this was it. We went in and I got checked and they said things were happening but not enough yet so we walked around the hospital for an hour and came back and checked again and were admitted.
We went to the room, dropped our stuff off, talked to the nurse and midwife and got to walking. It was about 10:30 at this point. We walked, I labored in the shower, and were intermittently monitored. My mom stopped by after she dropped DS off at school for an hour (1-2 I think) I was being monitored and having "lunch." (Broth, sherbet, water) then the midwife came in and we decided that at 3:00 she would break my water. We walked for the hour and then she broke my water. I went in the shower for 15 minutes and labored there bent over slightly and moving my hips back and forth to help her move down. Then I went and bent over the end of the bed still moving my hips while DH massaged my back. I wanted to lay down then. They put the monitor back on and kept losing her heart beat because she was coming down so fast. (At one point I know I pooped.) They put the bar up so I could put my legs up to push. I pushed for 10 minutes and her head was out. The next push I put my arms down there and helped pull her out and right up onto my chest. Then after the cord stopped pulsating DH cut it. I delivered the placenta. I had a quarter inch tear that she said they normally wouldn't stitch but because I have red hair she said they had to because we tend to bleed more. Because of my GD Her blood sugar was low so she had to be given formula in a little cup so she could slurp it and didn't get used to a bottle. DS was at the hospital waiting and got to meet her when she was about 45 minutes old.
There were 17 babies born that day so we never got to move to another room. We were there until 5:00pm the next day to get normal testing done.because of the low blood sugar she had to be poked to get a blood sugar every two hours through the night which was exhausting because it seemed like everytime we got back to sleep they came in.
any questions ask I am more than happy to answer anything I left out.

tristaesco · January 2018

It works if u want to work and believe in it and practice it enough! I did it! I felt pressure... some strong pressure but manageable and made it without epidural. Never even came to my mind to ask for one once

tristaesco · January 2018

I would make a birth plan type it out and provide copies for obgyn ahead a time and bring some to hospital

senora76 · January 2018

Happy to share my pain med free birth story too - I had regular contractions for a few days...it was 10 days before my due date with my 3rd son... my 2nd son arrived 5 weeks early so I figured it was probably time... I was checked in around 9:30am at 3 cm.. I wasn't in any crazy pain - they monitored my contractions... since I am GBS+ I needed 4 hours of antibiotics before delivery... they monitored my progress for 2 hours... contractions were regular and steady and not painful and I wasn't really progressing past 3cm... but since the contrations were regular and I needed the 4 hour iv bag, they started it at about 11:30... at 3:30pm I was only at a 4 and they broke my water (so yes, pain med free but I think you could call this augmented somehow...) I immediately jumped to 6cm and sh!t got real immediately. My contractions were just as regular but brought me to the floor crying and screaming... and then I was fine... then on the floor crying and screaming... then okay. I planned on having my older sons (at the time 13 and 10) with me but I could tell they hated seeing me like that so I told them they could go and wait outside and I'd call them back in after their brother was out... they were happy with that LOL I didn't expect my mom to be there (she wasnt in the other kids births) but i was in so much pain I couldn't tell her to leave and she has never been speechless in her life not knowing wtf to do for me. I had periodic monitoring every 30 min or so, but for the most part I was walking and crawling with my iv bag.. once my screams were really one on top of the other my dr rushed in and said I was only at a 7 - I lost all track of time I have no idea what time it was... he suggested I lay down in bed (which I really didnt think I wanted) but I was tired and he said if DH pushes my knees up into my pelvis each contraction it would help... and it totally did. It became like a game of DH pushing my knees in to get through each contraction... all I had on my mind was getting through the next contraction... by about 7:30, the dr checked me and I was 9 1/2 and I said I don't care I feel like pushing... he said if he could move the tiny bit out of the way I'd be ready...did not feel the ring of fire - it was a relief to push but I did feel a sharp pain when I tore at one point... I listened carefully to my dr and tried to do exactly what he said... slow easy push, tiny grunting pushes, another slow push, slow and steady, etc whatever he told me to do, I did... and it didn't even take 5 min and he was out... all warm and slimy on my belly and I got to hold him for a very long time and nurse him before they weighed him...it was magnificent. I did need a ton of stitches, and for those, the dr did give me a local anasthetic shot... I felt the shot but not the stitches, but none of that pain mattered. My recovery was easy - I wore an ice maxipad/diaper... and was walking around pretty much right away. Stitches dissolved in about 3-4 weeks.

kalawa · January 2018

I plan on going med free again, hopefully.
My med free birth started with my water breaking at 1:30am. I know I was already at 4cm dialated from cervical checks. Minor contractions, but being my second child, and already dilated, headed to the hospital. Got admitted by 2:30am and was 6cm, and then the contractions really started. It felt like the back labour I had with my first birth. Found out its because I was at 9cm, then 10cm by 3:45am. 20 kind of pushing, and he was here! The nurse almost had to catch him. So overall, it was a 2.5hr labour, start to finish.

Cowboycorgi · January 2018

Med-ish free birth story:

At my 38 week appt I was diagnosed with pre E, and sent to the hospital. My doctor decided we would do a slow induction and start with a low dose cervical dialator. He said that the whole process would probably take a day or 2 because baby and I were stable and I was only dialated to 1.

After the required 2 hours in bed, I sent DH Home and proceeded to watch the Office. The nurse could tell I was a night owl and suggested I take a sleeping pill, and wind down with a bath so I could reserve energy for the next day.

After 10 mins in the bath I noticed back discomfort and it seemed to come in waves. I called the nurse and she decided to check my progress. I was at 4, so she suggested I call my husband back and get back in the tub.
i really just felt super tired from the sleeping pill and achey.

After getting back in the tub, my water broke... then it was REAL! Several nurses helped me back to bed and decided to check my cervix even though it had only been 10 mins. I was at a 9, and not very happy (lol!)

luckily the doctor and my husband got back in time. A few pushes and baby was in my arms. Labor and delivery was less than 2hr total, no tearing, but my eye was swollen from digging the side of my face into a bean bag while pushing. I delivered on hands and knees, which felt like the best position for me, I don’t think I could have lasted squatting on the bed.

The pain sucked, but it was Manageable... and helped the sleeping pills wear off!

cford08 · January 2018

@Cowboycorgi I want your labor story. I need quick and dirty....

stlbuckeye132 · January 2018

@Cowboycorgi probably a stupid question, but if you were in the tub when your water broke, how did you know your water broke? Can you still feel it even though you're in a tub of water? ha showing my FTM ignorance over here!

Cowboycorgi · January 2018

@stlbuckeye132, not a stupid question AT ALL!
Yes, I could feel it a bit because I was sitting down and could feel a sudden relief of pressure in my abdomen. What really gave it away was the audible ‘pop’ sound that echoed in the bathroom, and suddenly the bath water looked like it had clear ‘pulp’ in it... like orange juice pulp with no color.
I have helped with labors before, but had never seen the texture. Later the nurses told me they had seen it before, but not always.

Also, there was no doubt because contraction felt so so much more intense after my water broke. It went from ‘I’m uncomfrtable’ To ‘Im having a hard time breathing and walking’

That was my first, I’m very curious to see what happens with this second labor and delivery. My doctor thinks it will happen very fast, so I’m happy I only live 15-20 mins away from the hospital.

LeahS927 · January 2018

I have no serious intention of having a med-free birth (wasn't sure with my first, but contractions were really bad/I'm a bit of a wuss, so I had an epidural), but I just wanted to say thank you for calling it 'med-free' instead of 'natural'. That word affects so many women who so desperately want a 'natural' birth, and then require an epidural or C-section, and feel like birth was so 'unnatural' for them. There is nothing unnatural about giving birth! So... thank you... and now back to lurking.

sar_bear · January 2018

@stlbuckeye132 I can second the “popping” sound/feeling when the water breaks. I had a relatively fast labour with my first (6hours) without meds and my water only broke after I was more than 9cm dilated. Because the head was so low against my cervix, not much liquid came out, but I instantly felt it and called the nurses to check. The rest of the water came out when the head was delivered (neck in the birth canal)...my husband described it as a waterfall/spray hose just after the head was out, lol! Seems like there are lots of variations to when and how things happen in delivery.

mdfarmchick · January 2018

So my birth story is kind of long and rare...

I went in with regular contractions at 38 weeks and I was about 3 cm dialated. MH, my doula and walked the hospital halls and stairs until I was able to be admitted at a 5. When they were getting me settled in my room, they had a tech come in to put the port in my hand and she was new. She missed the vein entirely and I was in the middle of a contraction. I have never felt so much instantaneous pain, and since she was new and learning she was kind of digging around in my hand. I couldn’t speak through the pain at all. In fact, not to be dramatic, I thought I was going to pass out. I ended up with a huge bruise on the back of my hand for over a month. Anyway, the pain triggered my flight or fight response and my contractions immediately switched from 2-3 minutes apart to 3-8 minutes apart with no real pattern. I ended up going back down to a three and my doctor reluctantly advised me to go home and try to rest.

This sent me into prodromal labor for the next two weeks. I also had anxiety about labor and the hospital after that which isn’t conducive to going into labor. Ha. Anyway I woke up at 6 am on 39+6 and felt this urgency to pee. I struggled out of bed, took two steps and felt a huge pressure and then a large amount of water. Since I was half asleep, I was convinced that I was peeing myself. Lol. MH cleaned up the puddle ((thank goodness for tile floors)) and I got in the shower. We called the doula and my prodromal labor contractions slowly settled into a rhythm. I also texted my doctor, who wasn’t too concerned but advised me to head to the hospital by 1 pm since my water had broken. We packed bags, I labored on the yoga ball and we walked around the neighborhood a few times. At 1, I called L&D and advised them we would be coming in. We grabbed lunch for my doula and MH on the way, and coffee.

Checking in was annoying because a different doctor than mine wanted to check me to see how dialated I was—and after my first experience at the hospital, I had decided that one person was going to check me instead of everyone who wanted to. It’s a teaching hospital so it seems someone always wants to learn off of you. ((Roll eyes)). Anyway, when you are in labor and a dude doctor isn’t listening to you about your body and your rights, you kind of lose patience. The nurse had to pull him out of the room. My doc showed up, and we decided the charge nurse would do all checks and they moved me into a labor room. Because my water had broken, intermittent monitoring was out of the question but my charge nurse was amazing and she physically held the monitors on me so I could still move around and use the yoga ball. That allowed MH and the doula to try to help with pain management as much as possible and to set up the room the way I wanted—strong lights with the overhead lights off, and my playlist going.

Anyway by 6 pm, I wasn’t progressing as quickly as they wanted, so they decided to start the pitocin drip. It took about an hour to check me again, get the pitocin lined up and to refuse the epidural. I also had to argue with the Head of Women’s Health about my right to refuse the epidural. So I think it was about 7 when the pitocin actually started. My charge nurse still held the monitors on me and we agreed to check my dialation in 4 hours. She ended up turning the pitocin up to 12 and for me, the pitocin contractions felt like fire—the Johnny Cash song Ring of Fire May have been playing on repeat in my head.

Around 8:30 pm I started to feel “different” like I had a lot of pressure. I asked to go to the bathroom and then I told the charge nurse that I felt like I needed to either poop or push. Ha. She got me back to the bed and we agreed to do an early check... she got a funny look on her face and told me that she could feel his head.

After that, things were kind of a blur for me. She went to call the doctor and get everyone ready—they tried to tell me they needed me to wait to push and well, that wasn’t going to happen. I ended up on the bed, on my hands and knees with MH supporting me and pushing. It took 17 minutes and three pushes and we had a baby boy. The staff was so unprepared because “FTMs always push for at least an hour” that my doctor passed MH the baby while they were getting set up. MH snuggled the baby on my chest, he eventually got cleaned up, still on my chest and MH got to cut the cord.

For me, the worst part was delivering the placenta. It wasn’t even terrible—it was just more pitocin contractions without a baby at the end of it. Lol. Anyway, the nurses, and my doctor credited the lack of epidural for my lack of tears. I ended up with some “skid marks” down there but nothing big enough to require stitches because DS was born with one hand tucked up by his cheek.

orbmaker · January 2018

@mdfarmchick just reading this thread for the first time. thanks for sharing! sounds so exhausting (with a happy ending, of course!). I hate that you had to argue with so many people in order to do what you wanted! I'm realizing, having started to read a few of my books, that I've been simply assuming my midwife will kind of "shield" me from unnecessary interventions, but am now realizing that I should have detailed chats with them beforehand AND be prepared to advocate for myself (and prepare my husband to advocate for me), too.

orbmaker · January 2018

1. Why did you decide to try med-free for this birth?

One reason is that I truly fear the epidural (I'm an ER nurse and for whatever reason have a really hard time assisting with a lumbar puncture, whereas I basically tolerate everything else) and the potential complications, esp spinal headache.

I also believe that it will actually be easier and potentially safer than the medicated alternative.

2. Any previous experience going med-free? Any tips to share on how to be successful?

nope! first-time mama here.

3. Are you using any specific method? Bradley? Hypnobirthing?

I'm about halfway through "Natural* Childbirth the Bradley Way" and am finding it really helpful. It's a partner-coached model and am definitely going to make my husband read it, too. Also have a hypobabies book, which I plan to peruse, though it seems like Bradley is more straightforward/simple/collaborative at first glance, which I like.

We can't afford any fancy classes (Bradley or otherwise), though I'd be game if we could (seems like an easier way to get in simultaneous prep/practice with your partner - no procrastinating! We are taking a nurse-led childbirth class (5 sessions, $160) at the moment, which is kinda hodgepodge, but still fun. I know a lot of the technical parts of birth from nursing school, but my husband has no clue, and he's finding it helpful.

*don't agree with the "natural" label used here.

4. What other questions or thoughts do you have?

I like the idea of my husband catching our baby! As of today, lol. He doesn't know yet. Has anyone tried that?

cford08 · January 2018

@orbmaker DH wants to try to catch the baby. If he fumbles my son, I will have to kill him!

mdfarmchick · January 2018

@orbmaker MH might do it this time—he jokes he almost had to the last time since the only other person ready in the room was my doctor but for the first time I wanted his support and I was also worried about scarring us for life if he saw a baby come out of there. I don’t know why—I’m not really rational when I’m pregnant. Lol.

My strongest advice, no matter how you end up laboring ((with or without pain meds, with or without a c section)), is to remember that you get to advocate for yourself and you can say no to things like cervical checks ((they are very subjective and one nurse may measure you at a 3 and another at a 4)).
The second time I went in to have my baby I refused to speak to anyone when I was in the middle of a contraction because that did two things—distracted me from the contraction and could cause them to change a little, and also gave the impression that I wasn’t in “active labor” because I could still talk. I mostly had MH talk for me and he would ask them to leave the room so we could talk things over, my doula would break down any medical terms or interventions so we understood better and then when they came back, MH would give them our answer. And the best advice, which is kind of backed up if anyone here read the C Section thread that I got from the birthing class with my first, was that if it’s an emergency, it will feel like one.

Also, here’s some fun reading for anyone that wants a laugh ((but seriously, having a Birth “Plan” is a good idea just because it gets you, YH and your OB/midwife/etc all on the same page—but remember babies aren’t in on your plan so be flexible

))
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/jamie-and-jeffs-birth-plan

fatstagnation · January 2018

Me to DH: Do you want to see it actually coming out?
DH: <freezes. stares at me.>
Me: You can say no. I wouldn't want to see that. I just don't want to take that away from you if that's what you want.
DH: Uh...
Me: You can think about it.

LOL I don't think he'll be catching the baby!

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