Aa
ladies who have had a natural birth!
Basically I want to try to have a natural birth. This is my first pregnancy and I've been doing a lot of research. The hospital ill be at has a birthing center so in case anything goes wrong I won't be far from a Dr. I just want to know some of your experiences. Anything I should look for in a midwife? How did it feel for you? Were you comfortable with the experience? Anything you're willing to share I'd like to know. Please and thank you :)
Ive been thinking natrual is way better. Its my first child as well and my sugera told me that ever since she got the epidural her back has been mest up ever since
Remember, if you really want a natural birth, you have to be determined. A lot of women will hit a vulnerable point in their labor when if someone even suggests the epidural, they'll take it. I'm glad it wasn't even available for me. No one could suggest it and it wasn't even in the back of my mind.
In the U.S. we are starting to focus so much on the pain aspect we don't hear about the joy and empowerment of labor!
In the U.S. we are starting to focus so much on the pain aspect we don't hear about the joy and empowerment of labor!
I've had 10 drug free active births, and I think the trick is to keep off the bed and stay active,, using breathing, movement and hot water for pain relief, my last birth was an unassisted water birth and was an amazing experience, my labours have ranged from 10 hrs to 1.5 hrs long, if you want to do it, and everything is progressing as it should then there is no reason why you cant :)
hey there,
good for you for wanting to go natural! its an amazing experience!! to get ready for an all natural birth my husband helped me to perineum stretches for a full month before my due date. you can look them up if you are interested. the results for me was that i did not tear at all. the doctor said he put in two stitches as a 'just in case' but i didn't need them. so if you are concerned about tearing its something to consider. it also helped me to not shy away from the 'ring of fire'. i recognized the sensation and knew to not stop there and that baby was really close to being in my arms.
i also drank raspberry leaf tea the entire last month. 3 cups a day is what i did. it helps to ripen your uterus and get it ready for the delivery. i don't have any proof to back it up but i thought it might help and i would say it was a positive experience. i plan on doing a the tea again this pregnancy.
the stretches are for first time moms but i do plan on doing a few leading up to the big day just to get that sensation worked on a bit.
my delivery was 6 hours, water breaking to baby in arms. i did accept the gas when i was 6 cm to pushing. and i was certainly in my own little world. my husband had to answer questions for me and i mostly answered questions with my hands (we were learning sign language for baby signing) so yes, it is very important to have people around you that you can count on and who know your birth plan.
i agree, it was like having a bad bm and the instinct to push is like no other. follow your body it will tell you what to do.
best of luck!
good for you for wanting to go natural! its an amazing experience!! to get ready for an all natural birth my husband helped me to perineum stretches for a full month before my due date. you can look them up if you are interested. the results for me was that i did not tear at all. the doctor said he put in two stitches as a 'just in case' but i didn't need them. so if you are concerned about tearing its something to consider. it also helped me to not shy away from the 'ring of fire'. i recognized the sensation and knew to not stop there and that baby was really close to being in my arms.
i also drank raspberry leaf tea the entire last month. 3 cups a day is what i did. it helps to ripen your uterus and get it ready for the delivery. i don't have any proof to back it up but i thought it might help and i would say it was a positive experience. i plan on doing a the tea again this pregnancy.
the stretches are for first time moms but i do plan on doing a few leading up to the big day just to get that sensation worked on a bit.
my delivery was 6 hours, water breaking to baby in arms. i did accept the gas when i was 6 cm to pushing. and i was certainly in my own little world. my husband had to answer questions for me and i mostly answered questions with my hands (we were learning sign language for baby signing) so yes, it is very important to have people around you that you can count on and who know your birth plan.
i agree, it was like having a bad bm and the instinct to push is like no other. follow your body it will tell you what to do.
best of luck!
i plan to have a natural birth. this is my first baby n im 17. im 27 weeks today and im very mentally prepared at my next doc appt im gunna be asking her every question i can think of lol
I had my son all natural and they had to do an episiotomy. In all honesty its not as bad as people say. I mean in no way is it a pleseant experience but its definitely do-able. I am currently 14wks pregoand plan on going at it all natural again. :)
I went completely natural in an in hospital birth center in San Diego. I was in labor for 17 hours and it was way worth it!! My husband and I took a class together and he understood how important it was for me to go natural so he was 100% supportive. We took a Bradley class which was priceless!
Give me pain meds! My epidural didn't work with my son until I started pushing, and feeling all those contractions are not for this girl. I am having our second son in less than 2 weeks, and I am petrified of the same thing happening. Call me a wimp or whatever, but the way I see it, me having a baby with pain meds, without pain meds, vaginal, or section, i still gave birth to a miracle and that is all that matters at the end of the process.
I wouldn't of been able to scream if I wanted to.. I was in so much pain expelling any sound to simply talk was almost impossible.. You've gotta concentrate! I've been there for all my sisters kids and hers was nothing like the movies either..
I just watched that movie! I loved it it seemed so calm and less hectic and traumatic. I really thought doing it on your own was the stereotypical woman screaming with her face turning blue but it really wasn't like that at all in the video or from anything I have read.
Btw, my son was 8lbs 9oz. He was "sunny side up," so I did have lots of back pain during labor. Since it appeared my water had broken, we had to try to get labor going. It did, but since my son didn't tuck his chin his head wasn't in a position to dilate me. So my midwife used a foley bulb (sp?). That got labor going FAST! I was up all night with contractions and back pain and when we went to the birth center the next morning she gave me benedryl and something else to help me sleep between contractions. That's all the meds I got. He was out by about dinner time. I tore pretty badly because of his head not being tucked and his shoulder popped out too fast (midwife let my hubby do most of the delivery and he didn't know to put pressure on baby to ease him out when I pushed too hard). Honestly, the idea of tearing was the only thing that made me nervous to think about beforehand, but at the time I really truly didn't even feel it. It just burned a little more to push after tearing than before. There are far fewer episiotomies done now and for good reason. You heal better and faster and many people wouldn't even have needed them if just given time.
It's all in how you approach the pain, your mindset about it. Also, it makes a big difference if you have a midwife who doesn't focus on "push, push, push." Check out the article about how too much focus is placed on getting a woman to push on midwiferytoday.com.
It's all in how you approach the pain, your mindset about it. Also, it makes a big difference if you have a midwife who doesn't focus on "push, push, push." Check out the article about how too much focus is placed on getting a woman to push on midwiferytoday.com.
My firstborn was a natural delivery at a stand-alone birth center. I'm doing it again this time!! It was a fantastic experience. I'm completely convinced it's the best thing for the baby and the mother. Fewer risks, less liklihood of c-section or fetal distress, faster recovery for mom, less traumatic for baby... lots of reasons.
Browse some articles on midwiferytoday.com. they're fantastic. Also watch "the business of being born" (netflix). Fantastic and gives a MUCH more realistic view than tv and movies!
Browse some articles on midwiferytoday.com. they're fantastic. Also watch "the business of being born" (netflix). Fantastic and gives a MUCH more realistic view than tv and movies!
Thank you ladies you've been very helpful! I believe my baby will come when she's ready and my experience will be unique I just wanted to speak with someone who had actually done it naturally since movies and tv seem to dramatize and scare people.
I had been having real contractions DAYS before I was finally admitted. Not exaggerating I dialated very slow even when they were intense and about 2 minutes apart. I was admitted 4 cm at a little before 10 pm waited till I was 5 cm and finally opted for the epi... I was TERRIFIED of the epi. I even asked the doc if he had ever paralysed anyone before lol. But I was exhausted and they weren't slowing up and still 2 mins apart. Thank goodness I did get it because around 2 am nurses ran in to stop contractions because they were one right after another to the point it was putting my baby in distress. But even with the epi I was still able to move ( I'm sure that's not normal) I could feel the pressure of the contractions just not the pain. I could even move my legs they just felt like they were asleep and very heavy. I ended up letting it wear off when it was fine to push. Pushed for 4 hours straight and needed up getting a c-section. I wanted a whole natural birth as well but I had N O idea what to expect. Just keep in mind things happen and your baby will cone one way or another. Good luck!
Yes I couldn't sit down on a hard surface comfortably for what seemed like a year, I'm tall and skinny so I guess my narrow a s s didn't like pushing baby out
Wanting to be prepared Is a really good idea.. Anything that will make you feel more comfortable with labor is excellent, but keep in mind everyone has different experiences with labor, sorta like snowflakes no two are alike.. For me I had an obgyn and I absolutely love her she's still my doc 5 years later with baby number two! I was induced due to being over due.. Other than the evil pitocin drug I had no medication, my labor was 12 hours I pushed for 31min my daughter broke my tail bone when she was born too. People will tell you it's not that bad and some 'like me' will say its the worst pain imaginable.. You won't know till its happening to you. The only thing that got me through was focusing on breathing, sheer stubbornness of not wanting drugs and I swear transcendental meditation sounds like hippy junk but it helps.. I'm going drug free again even though Im dreading it.. It's so worth it for me because of personal reasons..
I really want to do it natural too. Ive heard its better to tare then get cut... I have no idea this is my first and I just want a healthy happy baby. I'm unsure how labor will feel. I'm 32 weeks 6 days and have had some painful Braxton hicks I had 6 one night in less than a hour and after that hour they just stopped ... I'm looking forward to labor and delivery. I can handle pain pretty well but God only knows we will see how things go and I will get pain meds if I feel like I need to. I heard getting to 6 cm dialated is the most pain after than it goes much faster ... Good luck ladies
I would highly recommend a natural birth in the sense of natural V induced. I had a 3 hour natural labour with my daughter and it was surprisingly easy. (easier than I expected!) I used the gas only, and although she was 10 days overdue, she was still only 7lb1oz, luckily.
My son on the other hand was induced at 40+8 at 7am and born at 9:30pm. And he was OP which caused a lot of back pain. I have decided with this bub, that if he/she is a month overdue and 10lb, I'm still not getting induced!
They are my experiences, but yours may be different. But personally, o believe it will come when its ready!
As for pain relief, sure, why not!? Although I've never liked the idea of being stabbed in the spine. It is painful, and I felt the gas worked fine! I don't know if the actual gas did anything, but focusing on breathing on the mouthpiece was handy! Lol
Just do what feels right for you. U will know what you want when you want it! All the best!
My son on the other hand was induced at 40+8 at 7am and born at 9:30pm. And he was OP which caused a lot of back pain. I have decided with this bub, that if he/she is a month overdue and 10lb, I'm still not getting induced!
They are my experiences, but yours may be different. But personally, o believe it will come when its ready!
As for pain relief, sure, why not!? Although I've never liked the idea of being stabbed in the spine. It is painful, and I felt the gas worked fine! I don't know if the actual gas did anything, but focusing on breathing on the mouthpiece was handy! Lol
Just do what feels right for you. U will know what you want when you want it! All the best!
Labor isn't sharp pain at all, its more of a dull rolling pain, so I can see where your friend is coming from. Really it'll be more mental than anything else. You can do it if course, most ppl opt for meds simply because they can, which depending on the person makes since "work 'smarter' not harder" types. Talk with your midwife about what your other pain medication options are, most ppl only know about epidurals because that's what's most commonly talked about.
I am open to medical suggestion and obviously if my midwife feels I need something I will do it and I will trust her so yes I want someone I can trust. Pain killers I am open to just not an epidural I want to be in control. My husband will be there but he's not the comforting type so he will probably just be off to the side watching. My pain tolerance is ok I guess I'm definitely not one to complain about menstrual cramps and I've been having Braxton hicks the past weeks or so but neither of those hurt at all. Sorry if this is tmi but a friend told me it felt like she was taking the biggest poop of her life. If that's the case I think I can take it. Don't get me wrong I don't expect it to be a walk in the park or easy in any way I expect pain and hardship but I want to overcome that by being as prepared as I can be
My labor was a short and fast one too, 5 hours. Another factor in drugs or not drugs because if it had been 20+ hours, I'd have HAD to have something!! Lol
I didn't go completely natural, I only got to a 5 before I caved and got an epidural. However when I was doing it naturally my breathing is what kept me sane. Practice the breathing techniques early so that you know what your doing. I hadn't practiced it at all so I had a hard time getting fat it right in the midst of pain. It can be done though you just have to go in with that in your mind that you can do it. Gold luck
Depends on how natural... Like if they suggest an episiotomy (sp?) would you be willing with no pain meds?!?! Someone you trust is a must and who can obviously keep you calm. There'll be a lot to take in with this being your first, will your significant other be present?!?! Often I've heard it's the spouse that will cave (as their the ones witnessing you in 'discomfort') and talk you into the drugs. What is your tolerance for pain prior to pregnancy?!?! I think it wasn't as bad as women make it out to be but it wasn't a cake walk either. I wanted the drugs more so after labor because of the swelling and discomfort, but not so much during.
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