Aa
All natural?
So I have been seeing and reading some other ladies posts about if they should have an epidural or go natural. I am starting to wonder the same thing! I had an epidural with my son and it was amazing! I enjoyed the labor and I was able to relax and I actually had him within 8 hours! I was also induced. so I thought with my baby girl this pregnancy I would want an epidural but im stating to change my mind once I read that its not as bad as you make it, that the contractions are worse then the actual pushing. So I was wondering if any of you ladies could give me some advice or stories about your personal experiences! :)
I went natural and yes it hurt bad! But it's the kind of hurt your body is made for, I say you should try it and if you feel you can't then get the epidural no harm in that, I also tore with my daughter but I didn't feel that pain different than the pain I was already feeling because there is so much pressure and stuff going on down there
All terrific suggestions! I'm excited for another all natural birthing experience. Yes, it's painful for a bit, but with the right mindset and relaxation techniques completely bearable! It is the most empowering thing to know what your body is truly capable of and to be fully present during the birth of your child... Not to mention to have your baby born fully alert. I love Ina May gaskin, also the Bradley method. Jens comments were spot on. I also agree you have to have your mind and heart set on going all natural... Once you hit transition you will want to give in and get the drugs.. this is the point where you have to be the most committed to the type of delivery you want! Good luck and God bless!
I was told the most helpful way to prepare for natural labour is to listen to lovely stories like some of these ladies have posted :) Id also really recommend Ina Mays guide to childbirth x
I had my daughter all natural 3 months ago. & Yea labor was not how people made it out to be. I was expecting the worst pain ever and no that was not what I got. My labor was 7 hours long I was only in pain for about 3 or 4 hours and like I said it was not that painful. I pushed about 5 times and my baby was out, my doctor did cut me down there but she numbed it so I didn't feel it when I tore and after it wasn't painful it just felt very sensitive down there. Pushing was super easy not painful at all it's was the best part of labor no more contractions just the urge to push. It's such a big relief nothing can compare to it.
Good luck & i wish you the best! You can do it you just have to have your heart set to it ♥
Good luck & i wish you the best! You can do it you just have to have your heart set to it ♥
Thank you guys so much! Great advice! I am still thinking of trying and see how it goes! I did get a pain medication with my son through my iv. I dont remember what it was called and it didn't numb the pain but it did take the edge off! That helps a lot. But it made me very out of it. I couldn't see straight. :/ it only lasted abt an hour. and I dont remember if the epidural was offered or if I asked for it. I just told them I couldn't handle the pain anymore. But I was in pain the whole night and day before I had my son and I wld breathe through them and try my veey hardest to relax and it did help just keep me calm. lol. But I had bad period cramps growing up also and it was horrible! But it did kind of help prepare me for the contractions. A hot shower use to help me with that so I might try that when I go into labor :)
I always had really bad period cramps, so contractions to me just felt like a terrible period mixed with an upset stomach (the kind where you have to go poop a lot). My 2 were born natural and this one will be too. You just have to close your eyes and breathe through each contraction, they only last one minute each then you get a short break from the pain. And as for the tearing, just tell your doctor to give you a local anesthetic (called lidocaine) when you start to tear. They just inject it at the site with a syringe. When it's all said & done its really not that bad, it's a very empowering experience. If you psyche yourself up and go into it thinking "i probably can't do this" then it's not going to go well and you will probably fight each contraction by tensing up your body which makes it feel worse. I think you should give it a try, there's no shame in throwing in the towel if it gets too much for you.
Raven, I got small tears with both of my kids and I didn't even feel them until after the birth when I went potty. At that point everyone will feel them. :) also if you do a water birth, they don't do episiotomies since the water help to relax the muscles down there and allows for more expansion without having huge tears or needing to be cut. That was how I did it and I would do it that way over an epidural any day!! And if you were doing a natural birth, they would likely numb the area with a local before doing any cutting :)
I'm a ftm due in a week tomorrow! But I've heard from my mother she went natural with me and was in labor for 36 hours! She said it was the worst thing she ever felt in her life but was very rewarded with a little life in her arms. She said it was worth the pain. But she had an epidural with both of my younger siblings and said she felt nothing at all. Just depends on your pain tolerance I guess. But 36 hours is very long to me. Ive decided to get an epidural.
Oh btw they fail mention you can have tearing down there, and that i heard hurts bad. But with epidural you won't feel it or if they have cutt. But you will have deal with it after wares off.
Little pain? No alot of pain. Honestly when someone told me it worse pain ever. They wasn't lian! I couldn't handle it so I got epidural. No more pain after that
I've had 2 natural births and do have some advice to give :)
1. Re-lax-ation!!!!!!! That is seriously what makes a night and day difference between labor. With my first, my labor was so short that I had no time to practice the relaxation techniques I had learned and I wasn't able to get in the swing of things until after transition. Once transition passed and I was pushing I was actually falling asleep in between contractions. With my second, labor was slower and it never really got to the point where I couldn't handle it. I was able ease into everything and it was amazing! I had my aunt and best friend there and both of them said it was the most relaxing thing they have ever seen.
2. Knowledge is power!!! Learn as much about labor and and birth as you possibly can! Birthing positions (squatting, standing, all-fours, etc), birth types (water, etc) (I can't think of any other types right off the top of my head besides water or not water, Lol), stages of labor and what happens in all of them, emotional sign posts, which are more accurate predictors of where at in labor you are than how dilated your cervix is.
3. If you are planning a hospital birth and want to go natural, tell your ob/midwife your plan and pay attention to how they react. My first midwife was a CNM and I told her my wishes for a natural birth. She basically told me there was no describing what labor is like and I would end up asking for an epidural. If your care provider is not acting supportive now, they will try to pressure you and scare you into getting an epidural. If that happens, I would either consider changing providers or hire a doula who is a professional support person who knows what is normal and what is not and will tell you what is actually necessary and what is not and will be your support telling you you can do it. They are good because in the moment when you are unsure of yourself, which is the emotional sign post of transition, she will be there to tell you it is almost over and to not give in to threats of labor getting harder, or a c-section if labor is not progressing as fast as your doctor would like, etc.
4. Do not give in to being induced via pitocin. Pitocin contractions are not natural contractions, which make them more painful and not as effective. If your pregnancy goes past 40 weeks and your doc is threatening induction, that is also a good time to consult your doula first, if you have one. If your doula thinks induction is a good idea based on your personal circumstance, she will likely give you ideas for trying to naturally induce labor or if you don't hire a doula, you can look up ways online or ask here!!!
5. Have a birth plan. A birth plan is beneficial so your doctors and nurses know what you want and don't want. Obviously there may be cases where you have to change something, but it helps as a guideline if things are going smoothly.
6. Stay up when giving birth! Most doctors like when women give birth on their backs spread eagle, but the fact is that it is in no way beneficial for mom or baby. You end up having to fight with gravity rather than working with it. And the spread eagle with legs as wide as they go actually narrows the birth canal resulting in tearing and/or a need for a episiotomy. The most efficient way to birth is actually squatting because it shortens the birth canal the most. I haven't personally done it squatting, but it's what I hear. I may try it this time.
Sorry for the novel. These are just some of the tips I can think of right now.
1. Re-lax-ation!!!!!!! That is seriously what makes a night and day difference between labor. With my first, my labor was so short that I had no time to practice the relaxation techniques I had learned and I wasn't able to get in the swing of things until after transition. Once transition passed and I was pushing I was actually falling asleep in between contractions. With my second, labor was slower and it never really got to the point where I couldn't handle it. I was able ease into everything and it was amazing! I had my aunt and best friend there and both of them said it was the most relaxing thing they have ever seen.
2. Knowledge is power!!! Learn as much about labor and and birth as you possibly can! Birthing positions (squatting, standing, all-fours, etc), birth types (water, etc) (I can't think of any other types right off the top of my head besides water or not water, Lol), stages of labor and what happens in all of them, emotional sign posts, which are more accurate predictors of where at in labor you are than how dilated your cervix is.
3. If you are planning a hospital birth and want to go natural, tell your ob/midwife your plan and pay attention to how they react. My first midwife was a CNM and I told her my wishes for a natural birth. She basically told me there was no describing what labor is like and I would end up asking for an epidural. If your care provider is not acting supportive now, they will try to pressure you and scare you into getting an epidural. If that happens, I would either consider changing providers or hire a doula who is a professional support person who knows what is normal and what is not and will tell you what is actually necessary and what is not and will be your support telling you you can do it. They are good because in the moment when you are unsure of yourself, which is the emotional sign post of transition, she will be there to tell you it is almost over and to not give in to threats of labor getting harder, or a c-section if labor is not progressing as fast as your doctor would like, etc.
4. Do not give in to being induced via pitocin. Pitocin contractions are not natural contractions, which make them more painful and not as effective. If your pregnancy goes past 40 weeks and your doc is threatening induction, that is also a good time to consult your doula first, if you have one. If your doula thinks induction is a good idea based on your personal circumstance, she will likely give you ideas for trying to naturally induce labor or if you don't hire a doula, you can look up ways online or ask here!!!
5. Have a birth plan. A birth plan is beneficial so your doctors and nurses know what you want and don't want. Obviously there may be cases where you have to change something, but it helps as a guideline if things are going smoothly.
6. Stay up when giving birth! Most doctors like when women give birth on their backs spread eagle, but the fact is that it is in no way beneficial for mom or baby. You end up having to fight with gravity rather than working with it. And the spread eagle with legs as wide as they go actually narrows the birth canal resulting in tearing and/or a need for a episiotomy. The most efficient way to birth is actually squatting because it shortens the birth canal the most. I haven't personally done it squatting, but it's what I hear. I may try it this time.
Sorry for the novel. These are just some of the tips I can think of right now.
I loved my natural birth experience. Its definitely true that contractions hurt more than pushing. I was also worried about the pushing bt to be honest I didnt evem need my gas and air for that! As soon as the head pops out ur not meant to carry on pushing so hard, my midwife told me to cough instead and as I did my baby girl was delivered! If u cough at that time instead of pushing then u wont tear as much. Its actually got me looking forward to my next labour lol! Hopefully it will go as smoothly :)
Definitely. Wasn't fun especially since he was born at 36 weeks. I enjoyed the delivery after the epidural was given. I was in active labor for 14 hours. Did you ask for the epidural or was it offered? Did you try other pain management? The only thing they let me do was the tub and that made contractions worse.
Oh no! Im glad everything turned out okay! How scary! Yea I mean our bodies are made for this but when ur stressing and in labor I know its not that great for the baby either so when there is something to help make you more relaxed id imagine your baby to be more relaxed as well :)
That is my plan as well. Just see how I do. With my son I was so tired and couldn't relax they were worried I couldn't push. Then we lost his heart beat and found it again, they made me either do epidural and see if that relaxed me or plan for c section.
Your welcome! Im interested also in hearing people's experiences because quite frankly I feel like I couldnt handle the pain but its inspiring stories that make me want to try! Lol and thank you for sharing! shorty0325 im thinking ill see how it goes. Just take it contraction by contraction lol
Went natural with my first. I plan on doing the same with this one. It was a little painful. But the minute I heard her I forgot all about the pain
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