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July 2019 Moms
nolemomma14
member
July 2019 Med Free Labor & Delivery Thread
nolemomma14
member
I thought we could use this thread to ask questions, share any resources. If any of the STMs have already had a med free birth and want to share their experiences, I think that would be great as well! I know it’s still early on, but figured it would be nice to have this as we get farther along!
Re: July 2019 Med Free Labor & Delivery Thread
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Like @nolemomma14 I'm definitely interested in hearing about other women's birth experiences.
Like @nopegoat I did like the freedom I had of moving around during labor. I would like to go med free again this time. I read Ina May’s book last time. It was very informative but would love any other recommendations.
@Bear14+ 100% agree that while having a plan is great, things can change so quickly, that it’s important to keep an open mind. Healthy baby and mama is the number one goal!
ETA a friend of mine sent me the hypnobabies soundtracks and said they really helped her so I'm going to try it!
I think part of it is recognizing how you deal with pain and stress and focusing on what you can do during labor to help that process along.
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I fully support your choice and would actually like to have a home birth myself so I'm curious as to what your Dr/midwife is recommending.
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I want to Labor at home as long as possible, but am also terrified of not getting to the hospital in time. The hospital is about a 25 minute drive, maybe a bit more with traffic. My second came two hours after my water broke. I know all labors are different, but I feel like I would be cutting it close!
@nolemomma14 I think having the side of the road is one of my biggest fears. I have super quick labors too. My last one my water broke on its own we left immediately and made it to the hospital with only 25mins to spare.
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We are also 25 minutes from any hospital even though we live in a people-dense area, we just happen to be spaced perfectly between the hospitals with baby delivery centers. And I’m so worried it’ll all go down in rush hour which will make it closer to 35-40 minutes.
I wish I could go to the midwifery, but the only one covered by my insurance is about 30 minutes away with no traffic on a route that always takes 1 hour or more because of traffic unless it is the dead of night. Not risking that! With summer, the baseball stadium is between us and the birth center, so that is a no.
But our hospital was the first in CO to be named baby friendly by whichever organization gives that designation. I’m looking forward to our tour to really understand what is available to me.
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Trust your body. Say affirmations. Hire a doula if possible. Do your hw. And relax.
I always thought labor would be like an endurance sport but what makes the biggest difference is how calm and relaxed you can remain despite the wave of contractions. Also, for me pushing was the easy part. It wasn’t s short few pushes for me by any means but the pressure really changes when the baby is on the brink. It’s a whole different feeling.
My midwife has no concerns and has attended many home vbacs. The risk of uterine rupture is about 0.4% higher during vbac births than births without prior c/s (I forget the exact figure, but I'm almost positive it's this).
In Washington MW's liability insurance does not cover them when attending these births, so my insurance due not cover it and we are paying out of pocket for the birth. Incidentally, it's illegal in Washington to vbac at a birth center.
I have an older friend who is a doula and she HIGHLY recommends it for an efficient labor. You start taking it around 35 weeks at a dose much lower than what is recommended and work up so you are taking the full dose when you are full term. She says it prepares your uterus to do its job well when you’re in labor and is supposed to make for a quicker labor.
Of course do do your own research, but she swears by it.
I was induced with cervidil (a medication that is in sort of a tampon form that is supposed to help your cervix start to soften and dilate) and my water broke at around 4:30 am the morning after the cervidil was inserted. At about 10pm that night (yes, 16 hours later) I decided that the epidural was the best choice. I am epileptic and knew that if I had a seizure from not sleeping for 2 days, I would have to have an emergency c-section and the seizure would endanger me and the baby. The epidural was as awful as I thought it would be and I hated every minute.
I wasn't ready to push until about 18 hours after the epidural was inserted. They gave me more meds, but by that time the epidural had become INEFFECTIVE! I essentially had a med free delivery and felt every little thing. By that time they had ramped up the pitocin to levels that made me feel like I was breaking in half with each contraction. Felt it all. I could even get up and walk to the bathroom a few minutes after delivery.
Be open to other options, but realize that epidural medication can become ineffective if your labor and delivery lasts a long time.
Telling women to have a backup birth plan is like telling someone on a diet to bring a donut with them "just in case." It doesn't make logical sense to tempt yourself with a fallback plan if your goal is not to use it. I say, empower each other and encourage other women to reach their goal. Birth is HUGE and IMPORTANT and birth affects us for the rest of our lives. Having a personal goal does not mean that we don't care about our baby's safety. We have a right to our own choices in birth, period. And I say, be a hero! Be a hero for your baby, your family, and most of all, for yourself.