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May 2021 Moms
SkilledSailor
member
Unmedicated Birth November Check In
SkilledSailor
member
Hello everyone! By now most of us have had our first and maybe even second appointments. Thought this could be a good time to start these check ins. Let me know if there are different questions you think would be better for this check in.
FTM/STM/STM+?
How is it going with your practitioner?
Appointments this month?
Current birth plan or goals?
Questions?
FTM/STM/STM+?
How is it going with your practitioner?
Appointments this month?
Current birth plan or goals?
Questions?
Re: Unmedicated Birth November Check In
How is it going with your practitioner? good, been using the same practice since I first got pregnant, and while I like some of the doctors more than others, I have no real complaints.
Appointments this month? Thursday for a 12 week check-up. I'm guessing it will just be a quick doppler check, and asking if I have any questions or concerns.
Current birth plan or goals? My plan is to have an in hospital unmedicated birth with the assistance of a doula. I've used the same doula for all my births, so I have to talk to her about what her current status is, although I'm praying we will be done with COVID by the time we're ready to deliver.
Questions? None really, I've already had 3 unmedicated births, so I like to pretend I know what I'm doing.
How is it going with your practitioner? Pretty good, I’m using the same practice I did last time but my OB moved. The practice is generally very supportive of unmedicated birth goals. I am also getting Monitrice care from a midwife at home, she would also function as our doula. I really like her, she’s more experienced than the doula I used last time, and if things get crazy she’s also very experienced in home births.
Appointments this month? OB and midwife appointments the week of Thanksgiving along with progesterone blood draws.
Current birth plan or goals? My last birth was only 8 hrs total of labor, and I ended up realizing I was pushing at home in my bathroom (we did make it to the hospital). I have a fear that it may be super quick this time, so having the midwife at home makes me way more comfortable. My last birth was a great experience except the panic to get to the hospital on time. I’d also love to birth the placenta myself this time (manual removal last time 👎🏻 do not recommend 😂).
Questions? None right now but I appreciate this thread. I’ve literally met no one else (in person) who has had an unmedicated birth on purpose, so I’ve often felt lonely (or crazy). The epidural has never appealed to me.
How is it going with your practitioner? So far so good. I moved to a midwife (and new practice) for this baby. There are OB's in their practice, but they are very supportive and encouraging to the midwives. I am going to rotate the next few appointments to get to know the different midwives.
Appointments this month? Next Wednesday for my 12 week appt. We've decided to skip the genetic testing and wait to find out the sex at the 20 week appointment.
Current birth plan or goals? This is my first unmedicated birth (my first two were inductions with a non-natural-friendly practice) so I'm excited. I've done a ton of research since having baby #2 because I decided that IF we had a third, I wasn't going that route again. It will be in a hospital, so I've been reading Natural Hospital Birth and it's been helpful. I've also been listening to a few different podcasts and talking to my close friend (who's had 3 home births) who said she would be my doula
Questions? I would love any other book/podcast recommendations. We plan on taking a Bradley class and I've got Birth Without Fear on my list to read next. DH has The Birth Partner as well.
@Magheeta I love The Birth Hour podcast, each episode she has another mother come on and tell her birth story. It's so great to hear others' stories. On the one hand it gives you an idea of what might happen, and on the other it teaches you that birth is so unpredictable you have to go into it with an open mind. She has all sorts of birth stories on there, home-births, medicated, unmedicated, doula, midwife, even planned and unplanned C-sections. I know some people tend to focus on listening to the type of birth they are planning, but I listen to basically every episode, I find it so fascinating.
How is it going with your practitioner? So far so good. Only had one appointment with the midwife but they're open to me trying this unmedicated. I do have some risk factors this go around that we'll monitor.
Appointments this month? One on the 10th. I think I'll have the NIPT blood work done then. I'll also see a different doctor this time since they rotate through them.
Current birth plan or goals? I'm hopeful for fully unmedicated in the hospital. There is a chance I'll get induced at which point I'd love to try and stay unmedicated after that which I know is difficult. I had an epidural last time but it didn't work on the side I needed it to (DS was stuck in left hip, epidural fully numbed my right side).
Questions? No, glad to hear about the book recommendations though! I've read the natural hospital birth but plan to re-read it since it's been awhile.
FTM/STM/STM+? STM
How is it going with your practitioner? I'm switching to a new place and I've heard good things about this place. Much more affordable since I don't have insurance this time around. But about the price of my co-payments last time.
Appointments this month? First appointment at 12 weeks on November 13th. I had more appointments than I liked last pregnancy but I still wonder if the last week of the first trimester is too late for the firat appointment. And we planned to wait until the anatomy scan so I will have no idea if my due date is correct, because that was part of why we got pregnant. It was 5-7 days before my estimated ovulation, I can't remember now and so I don't know if my due date is mid may or early June like some of the apps say.
Current birth plan or goals? VBAC in a location that is very anti VBAC. So for the best results, I plan to do most of active labour at home, unmedicated, no induction, no pitocin or epidural. The blessing is that my previous was C section as a breech so that is very promising, but I will only be 20 months post surgery so that is ok, but a little risky. Also, I won't have a birth partner and maybe very negative nurses. So I need to mentally prepare myself and do a good job of active labour at home. I've been researching a lot and talking to neighbours who have given birth in the same hospital. But I'm welcome to more resources, even in Spanish (I need to have all the vocabulary and information perfected in Spanish, a little undaunting, but I think I'm doing well so far)
Questions?
My main goal is to not waste a lot on the birth, but I wonder if I should invest in doula for the home portion. I'm terrified of staying at home too long and then either giving birth in the car, (which doesn't seem too bad to me) or having a ruptured uterus and dying because I didn't have a c section.
How is it going with your practitioner? Great so far! We haven’t talked in depth about labor and delivery yet other than in terms of my blood thinners but I know she’s supportive of having a birth plan and a doula.
Appointments this month? Regular OB check in on Thursday
Current birth plan or goals? So the reason I’m not sure if this counts—I’m on blood thinners throughout my pregnancy for factor v Leiden blood disorder. There is a chance they will induce me around 39 weeks in order to safely time my injections. But even if that does happen, I plan to go without an epidural and without any pain medication. I’ve never responded well to pain medication, and often find the side effects to be worse than the actual pain. So I figured I’d take that mentality into labor and delivery. Of course, I’ve never given birth! So what do I know?! I’ll be in the hospital (it’s less than 5 minutes away!) and am interviewing doulas this week.
Questions? None at the moment just happy to know you ladies are here and have experiences to share! Will check out the books and podcast mentioned above—thanks!
@ckmb_1250 the longest shortest time podcast has an episode or 2 where she interviews Ina May.
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
@ccmrc143 of course that counts! I've heard that an induction can be more painful that regular labor, so I really admire you for wanting to try to go without the epidural. Good luck! and good luck with finding a doula.
@mrosek91 I'll definitely check out The Birth Hour, too, as well as The Longest Shortest Time @mkc3888.
@ckmb_1250 I've been following a lot of local doulas because they have really good prenatal information and classes here. I really should ask them how they support public hospital births a least and then go from there.
I am really appreciating this thread, you guys have provided some great information.
Here's a link to a free prenatal class that someone may find useful. There are three videos about 40 minutes each covering breathing exercises and a variety of things you and your partner can do to prepare for the birth. These things usually help make a nonmedicated birth manageable and possible in some cases.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQxlSOrlkzk8-qbErtA7sig
How is it going with your practitioner? Good, I really like her
Appointments this month? Next week to try and get the heartbeat. The doppler picked it up but it wasn't audible last week.
Current birth plan or goals? Hoping to avoid pictocin with every fibre of my being.
Last time my water broke and nothing happened for 32 hours or something ridiculous.
Questions? None right now.
**TW in spoiler**
How is it going with your practitioner? So well! I looove her. I really feel like I can ask her any question and she likes that I do so. She may or may not be the one to deliver this baby, but with my sad history, I know a lot of the OBs in that hospital and would be comfortable with any of them
Appointments this month? I had one today and baby said Hi on the doppler! I have my NT scan on Friday and I'm getting a cerclage put in on Monday. Next appointment with my OB is on November 26.
Current birth plan or goals? As with when we were trying to conceive, this pregnancy, the products I consume, my preference would be to go without medical pain management. I like to think that with the right preparation, the right tool, that's something I can achieve. And I would love to prepare for it! This is as detailed as it goes for now as I slowly dive into this topic, which I may or may not be able to do until the third trimester, or at least viability week. I know this part won't really be up to me, but I would really like to avoid a C-section. As tragic as my mentioned TW was, it was also a beautiful moment and I can only imagine how it feels when the outcome is good.
Questions? Does anybody have any resources regarding hypnobirthing?
Also, what do you ladies specifically refer to when speaking about "unmedicated" birth