(Closed) Natural, Intervention-Free Childbirth and VBAC Support Thread

• EastMeetsBarn
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: June 2012

I’m not even TTC, but I just wanted to say good luck!  If the day ever comes for me, I hope there will be a similar support thread.

• MARIE901
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: June 2011

@morkiemama:  WOW! I’m so sorry to hear. At least you have good doctors behind you supproting you through the procedure! Good luck!

• Mrs.Jansen
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: April 2012

@Audreysdance:  I sure hope that is true but one thing I plan on doing this time around that I didnt do the first two times is wait until I cant take it anymore because this way I am not so tempted to get the epideral. I was so tempted with my second but the doctor said to late. lol 

• taders
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2010

I want to join in too! I don’t have time to respond now, but just want to comment so I can find the thread later. I’ll be back! 

• Sibiohan
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: November 1999

Hi! I am not pregnant yet but I plan to be (hopefully) in the future, and when I am I will try to be as medication free as possible. Partly because in the UK you will be lucky to get an epidural even if you beg and partly because if my mother can have 6 children naturally I’ll never hear the end of it from her if I don’t try.

So I just wanted to go Good luck! I hope you all have healthy and happy labours.

side note: I do find the title of this thread a little offensive… saying you are anti something that lots of people feel they need and want during childbirth is going to ruffle feathers. You would be better off calling it the “natural child birth support” thread or something like that as opposed to alienating people that are not sure whether or not they will end up choosing medical assistance. It does sound judgemental like you are saying that having a natural birth makes you’re a better mother/woman. I know that is not what you are trying to say, but I can see why some people would get offended and upset by your choice of language.

• valerie222
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: November 1999

Number of weeks: 20

EDD: 28 December 2012

Brief Summary of Basic Birthplan: I would like to delivery naturally and without any medications as much as is possible in the circumstances. For this reason I’m giving birth at a standalone birth centre (located 5 mins from the hospital) with midwives and I have also hired a doula in case the pain of early labouring at home really gets to me! I’m also planning to do hypnobabies to try to help me to relax and hopefully shorten my labour time. I will be able to do a waterbirth if I choose as well, since the room has a jacuzzi tub.

What Makes you feel tempted: Not much! I’m terrified of needles in the first place, so an epidural sounds horrifying. But I also have no idea how contractions will feel since I am a first timer. I’m hoping that hynobabies and my doula will help me to cope.

Why did you choose to try natural childbirth: I hear about the negative things that can happen with an epidural (not being able to feel the pushing and sometimes tearing more, having numbing that lasts too long and not being able to walk afterwards for a while, not having the epidural work properly for some reason, having a catheter, etc.). Also, I find that from a lot of birth stories, sometimes getting the epidural can lead to a bunch of other interventions: having pitocin and then possibly also a c-section (this is something that happend to someone in my family).

I also really want to experience the full experience of childbirth – the build-up, the pain, and the amazing euphoria that comes afterwards. It’s my first child and I want to be present when they come into the world – I heard Ina May Gaskin speak about how it is a kind of critical experience in both growing up and becoming a mother. Most of all I just know that deep down I have the strength to do it and so I want to do my best and give it a shot.

• flamingred
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: June 2010

My epidural ran out right before I transitioned and there was no time for another. I was screaming for like 30 seconds but then grabbed hold of myself and just pushed through it, and she was out in 20 minutes. I felt like I was being skinned alive, set on fire, and stabbed.

Your body will naturally know what to do-that was the craziest thing. I had no control over the pushing or even the  weird low animal moans I was making that were  helping me with pain management. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but it was  all very weird and primal. LOL.  Good Times.

• taders
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2010

Number of weeks: 29

EDD: October 25, 2012

Brief Summary of Basic Birthplan: I would like to have a med free birth. I will be delivering at a hospital. I’ve just started to really think about my birth plan. 

What Makes you feel tempted: fear of the pain and that I won’t be able to handle it. All the unknowns that go into childbirth. 

Why did you choose to try natural childbirth: This is a new concept for me. Up until a few days ago, I thought I’d try and go as far as I could w/o epi. Now I want to try to go completely med free. I’ve really felt inspired this week. My hubby and I watched the Business of Being Born and he became very supportive of whatever birth plan I wanted. Before he was pretty certain I would need an epi and not very understanding of why women would try for natural. I think that is why my mind changed. Now that I know I have his full support, I really want to try to go med free. Also the competitor in me wants to know if I can do it w/o drugs. hehe

So what are you ladies doing to prepare? What techniques are you planning to use to get thru it w/o drugs?

I was thinking of starting with reading Ina May’s book and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. 

• taders
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: October 2010

@ieatunicorns:  What are emotional signposts that you mentioned back at the beginning of the thread? 

• MrsSanchizel
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: July 2013

I’ve never had a baby and I’m not pregnant, but I will definitely try to have my future children as natural as possible. I plan to have a home birth, and I’m not inviting any anesthesiologists, so I don’t think I’ll be getting the epidural. I believe that labor and birth are NATURAL and if people have been doing it since creation, I should be able to do it. DUH! Of course if there’s a SERIOUS problem I’ll give in to intervention but I don’t know why I’d plan to go that route. 

• ieatunicorns
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: December 1999

@taders:  When you read Bradley birthing books they explain how emotions can sometimes tell where you are in the birthing process. Ex.-If you are smilingfor a picture you probably haven’t hit tranisiton yet. I hit a point where things were progressing quickly and I completely panicked and started saying that I couldn’t do it-this is a sign that you are near or in transition.

• runsyellowlites
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: April 2011

I am SO glad to see this thread for all the upcoming mommas! I completely agree about how disheartening the way childbirth is viewed here…. I always find it a tad ironic how it was our feministic movement that got us here and it ultimately was us giving over control to someone else (at that time it would’ve most definitely been a man) as opposed to rising up and telling the world that they wouldn’t tell us what our bodies were capable of doing! Seriously I felt more feminine birthing my child completely natural than I did hooked up to machines and on drips of this that and the other. Anyhoo I thought I could put in my 2 cents. =)

Number of weeks: 4 months postpartum

EDD: April 1, 2012 Acutal Delivery: April 12, 2012 @ 12:14 a.m.

Brief Summary of Basic Birthplan: I planned a completely natural homebirth

How it actually panned out: I spent the majority of my labor at home & needed to be transferred at 9 1/2 cm due to DD’s heart rate staying high (primarily in between contractions) and my inability at that point to help get me to a place to push.

What Kept you Strong: Reminding myself that my body knew EXACTLY what it was doing and that was just along for the ride helped GREATLY! Breathing, Vocalizing, and Moving however felt best in that moment. I didn’t take any birthing classes and read Ina May’s book Guide to Childbirth like it was my Birthing Bible!

What Made you feel tempted: There were 3 incidents that made me feel discouraged and incapable.

1. I hit transition and then got checked and was “a good 7″… I REALLY thought I’d be a “good 8 maybe a 9” with how I was feeling so it was the first blow to my confidence….. Next time I plan on not getting checked after I hit 6cm. My body will tell me when to push so no need keeping track.
2. DD’s heartrate starting staying high just just through contractions but between them. I had already battled getting my b/p down so her hr going up and me not being able to do anything about it was frustrating
3. I had an anterior lip at 9 cm, probably from lying back so much in the tub, so with DDs heartrate up and not being able to start pushing until the swelling went down I officially threw up my hands and said “I’m done take me to the hospital”. Next time I know that there are things that can be done to reduce the swelling so I’ll try and remember that if it comes up again.

Why did you choose to try natural childbirth? My situation was a tad different than most b/c my ONLY choices where a natural homebirth or an automatic repeat cesarean. After research and weighing the risks of each I found that the risks of a homebirth vbac (habc) were STILL lower than an elective repeat cesarean. Easy… After that and researching extensively other interventions my choice was only more validated. I just couldn’t wrap my head around accepting the risks associated with common interventions if they didn’t outweigh the risks of not using them. In the end I know that I made the very best choice for my baby regardless of how trying and incredibly incovenient it was for me, b/c as awesome as it was going through some 41 hours of consistent contractions unmedicated it was anything but convenient… DOABLE… but definitely not convenient. Lol. For any moms needing encouragement my birthstory is posted here

FOR THE MOMS WITH “FAILED” INDUCTIONS

I had a failed induction with my first and totally understand. It wasn’t until a conversation with my MW at a postpartum appt that I realized it was NOT my body failing me. Infact my MW told me this:

A failed induction is NOT a woman’s body “failing” her; just the opposite, it’s doing what is was made to do… KEEP BABY IN against all outside interference until baby and body are ready.

If you had a failed induction then stand proud.. Your body did EXACTLY what it was supposed to do… Unfortunately, it didn’t line up with what medical professionals felt needed to happen. 😉

• BirdofaFeather
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: April 2010

Number of weeks: 18

EDD: January 15, 2013

Brief Summary of Basic Birthplan: I’d like to have a med-free, unnecessary intervention-free birth. I have a doula and Darling Husband is reading the birth partner to be better prepared.

What Makes you feel tempted: I think I have a pretty low pain tolerance and have no idea how I will react in the situation.

Why did you choose to try natural childbirth: Strangely enough, it’s a control issue for me. I can’t control what will happen, so these are all preferences, but I feel like the less interventions, the MORE control i have over the situation. if i can get over the fear, I think that preparing my body for what it already knows how to do will allow me the most control. Instead of getting induced, epi, etc where I don’t know what the consequences will be as it seems like it’s different for each person! I also want the best chance of recovery and i’ve seen friends go through REALLY bad recovery with c-sections. since Darling Husband will be in school FT and we have no idea how much time he has off, I want to be as well as i can be.

• bakerella
• 7 years ago

• Wedding: September 2010

I just wanted to note that I talked to the OP when I saw that she wanted to change the title of the thread and did so for her 🙂  Best of luck to all of you ladies, wishing you a happy and healthy 9 months!