Natural Childbirth

[ShannonMcCatholic]

Thanks Blue. It means a lot coming from someone who seems to wonder "what if" about a couple things. I am ALL for the birthing tub. I have horrendous cramping during my periods (obviously when I'm not pregnant) and that is the first place I go. The same for any other pain or stress. I think they'll have a much harder time getting me back out.

I actually have a preference for the shower as opposed to the tub- I HATE to be sitting while I'm in labor.
I like being in the shower on my hands and knees with thewater running on my back- our standing leaning against the wall kind of rocking.

When I go to the birth ball- I like to lean over it, on my hands and knees. This way in between contractions, I can collapseover it, an when the contaction comes I can roll upright. I also take the ball into bed with me when it's time to push (I strongly urge you to stay outta the bad as long as possible-- for some reason once you're there people keep wanting you to be on your back, with makes labor hurt like 1000 times worse!). I usually push on all fours with the birth ball- and squat if I need to get the baby out quickly.

There are three certainties about labor- it's hard, hard work, it hurts really bad, and you CAN do it! If you are not induced- then even the strongest contractions coming back to back last no more than 90 sec. Just keep telling yourself- I can do anything for a minute and a half! Knowing that it is going to hurt, I thimk prepares you not to be frightened of the pain-- just keep thinking "This is what my body is supposed to be doing. I know it hurts, but it will be over..." I often think about how "By this time tomorrow, I will have my baby!"

Also when you feel yourself pulling away from the pain (which is the normal reaction to pain)- try torelax your shoulders, open your mouth, and relax downinto the pain. If your shoulders are shrugged or your teeth are clenched- then you are too tense. My husband's job is always to make sure my shoulders are relaxed and my mouth relaxed and slightly open. Another tip-- make sure the sounds and noises you make are low in pitch-- Ooooohhhhhs, and aaaaahhhhhhhhhhs. If they are high in pitch-- you are tensing up--eeeehhhhhh, and ahahahah-- indicate that you are not relaxed (make these sounds and see how your mouth is relaxed when making low sounds and tense when you make high sounds).

Lastly- if it becomes the most prudent course of action to take medication- do not beat yourself up-- you are doing your best to make truly informed choices for the wellbeing of you and your baby. You want to be free to make the best choices- and fear keeps us from being free. It will be helpful for you , when you can sit quietly to imagine your birth from start to finish (baby in arms, nursing well) as you wish it-- and also to imagine it the way you most fear, again start to finish. Look your fears in the eye- see how you would react, see what would be the best way to hadle things, what you need during those times. I firmly believe this frees you up to make decisions based less on fear, and more on self knowledge.

God bless you-- and may you have an awesome, awesome birth!

 

[jazzbird]

You can do it Emily!!! I can't give you any advice from personal experience, and you've already gotten so much great advice and encouragement, but I couldn't help chiming in here.

The fact that you will have a doula should help a lot. That's awesome. Make sure she keeps those nurses away with their medication offerings. Make it very clear to the staff from the start that you do not even want them to ask you.

In addition to what has been said here, I would highly recommend reading natural birthing stories. They are great encouragement and will boost your confidence. I love Ina May Gastin's books. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth has about 100 pages of birthing stories and another 100 pages or so of great practical information. I bet most libraries would have it.

I'll be thinking of you in the coming weeks.

 

[Joykins]

You can certainly do it. I had my second med-free. I found that while the contractions were still mild, I could breathe and moan through them. During transition I was biting my own fingers during the contractions until my mom told me to squeeze her hands as hard as it hurt. THAT helped a lot. Fortunately my labor was short, and it was only really bad during transition, which was only about an hour but felt like forever.

My first was an attempted natural childbirth but ended up transferring to a hospital and getting a c-section after complications during the pushing stage.

So, my helpful hints:

1. Get a doula or a midwife, or your mom, or *someone* who is supportive of your choice to labor naturally to support you and help you in your natural pain relief alternatives (hot rice sock, massage, hypnobirthing, relaxation, Bradley--whatever). While husbands can make good labor coaches, my experience was that mine was *too* emotionally involved in what was going on to be helpful in the labor-coach kind of way. Make sure that your medical care person -- doctor or midwife -- is supportive of your choice.

2. If there is a jacuzzi tub to labor in, get in. That *really* helped with my first. My second was much more painful because the hospital didn't have a laboring tub (and my VBAC required more monitoring).

3. Educate yourself. Learn about the methods of natural childbirth, and what works for other people. Learn about other kinds of childbirth as well. Sometimes labor takes an unexpected turn. If by some twist of fate you end up needing a c-section or some other kind of anesthesia, it helps to know and understand about what will happen.

 

[bliz]

(I strongly urge you to stay outta the bad as long as possible-- for some reason once you're there people keep wanting you to be on your back, with makes labor hurt like 1000 times worse!).

Let's repeat that...

I strongly urge you to stay outta the bed as long as possible!!!

 

[Picture.Of.Obedience]

see i couldnt get out of bed too much because i was all hooked up to stuff sinve i was induced. it made it hard to get around, so i was in bed the whole time and got the epi asap.

 

[Kiwi]

I had no pain relief with both births, although with the first one I had something that acted like a seditive to speed up the contractions, but it didn't take the pain away. I think it depends on your attitude to pain in general. Now, I am not so good with pain, in fact I used to faint immediatly if I hurt myself, but giving birth was different. It was very painful but in a different kind of way, I call it 'pain with a purpose'. I've had typhoid and that was heaps worse pain. I used a Swiss ball (called a birthing ball on this thread) both times and it was great, all I wanted when I started contractions was my ball, I couldn't stand sitting on the bed. I would rock through each contraction. Also I couldn't stand my husband touching me, isn't that wierd. I was just in my own little world with fierce concentration focusing on breathing properly and pushing. Here everyone has a midwife, giving birth is free, it is paid for by the government. My midwife was great. I would say be very flexible with your ideas of giving birth, things happen that you can't control sometimes and you just have to roll with what ever is best for the baby and you.

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

Also I couldn't stand my husband touching me, isn't that wierd.

No--I hate anybody touching me AT ALL when I'm in labor!

 

[MyLittleWonders]

I too couldn't stand to be touched by my husband during labor, except with my second when he'd provide counter pressure to my lower back. I don't think I minded this so much because 1) he only did it during contractions and really strong and it really did help and 2) I didn't have to look at him because he was behind me. *LOL*

 

[dews]

I have had three children without pain medication. It feels really good afterward knowing that you accomplished something so big. These are my tips:
1. Don't scream. You will make the pain worse and it will not benefit your dialating.
2. It is just you and your baby. Talk to it during labour. If you need to escape from the looming nurses and need privacy, go to the bathroom. I spent my whole labor there once.
3. Try standing. Gravity makes the labour faster.
4. Dance with or without a partner. The back and forth movement was quite soothing for me.
5. Do your *stuff* in the toilet before the pushing phase. You don't want to poop on the table.
6. Be persistant and encouraging with yourself. "I can do this. It isn't much longer and I will see my beautiful baby" or " No. I don't want an epidural". Once you get to the pushing phase, the pain will not be the same and you will never remember the intense pain of labor or "the burn".
7. Some people absolutely cannot handle labor. If you feel you have to accept the drugs, it is ok. Every woman who goes through labour is a champ.
8. Work on your flexibility. I thought the nurses were going to rip my legs off during labour when they almost put your knees to your face and spread them open. Sorry about the graphicness. Afterwards, I could hardly walk.
9. Pray through all your contractions. " Please God, help me through the next contraction!" or something like that.
10.Don't ask how far along you are. They have told me before that I was only at 6 cm. one time and it made me think that I couldn't go all the way to 10 cm. without pain medication. So, don't ask. It's discouraging.
11. Print out all these threads and take them with you to the hospital because we all believe you can do it. Go for it!!!

 

[EmSchmem]

OK how long did pain last after for those of you who managed to go without meds.

 

[JustMandy]

I've put in my 2 cents already but dews reminded me of something when she suggested praying. My husband's grandmother had 2 very hard labors. The first was 7 days long of full on intence labor in the hospital (they didn't do pitocin or pain meds much then) I asked my MIL how her mother did that and she said she was in a Catholic Hospital that had a Crusifix on the wall. The whole time she staired at it and told Jesus "If you could go through that I can go through this" What a woman huh?

BTW when are you due?

 

[EmSchmem]

August 4th. Never knew 14 days could seem such a long time.

 

[jenniferstell]

I went natural with both of mine. I did have a little shot of something to take the edge off the pain, though. I'm so glad I did it that way!

edited to say:
As soon as the babies were born, I went numb down there. I guess it's God's way of medicating!

 

[dews]

After labour, my pain lasted for about a week (if you don't tear). Bleeding can take awhile to disappear (a week for some people, a couple of months for others). I guess it depends on the size of your baby. My biggest was 8 lbs 10 oz. The pain goes away faster if you don't have an epidural IMHO.

 

[Leanna]

Its not true that the pain goes away faster without an epidural. It has nothing to do with pain medication. It depends on your birth, if you don't need a c section recovery doesn't last as long unless you have an episiotomy ESPECIALLY it lasts a long time if the baby does the episiotomy and not the doctor. THere is no way me not having pain medication would have made recovery better. The fact is I was majorly swollen from 4 layers of stitches after he tore himself into the world.... not from pain medication.... honestly. Where do we get these facts.

 

[Princessperky]

...
1. Don't scream. You will make the pain worse and it will not benefit your dialating.

I love all the other points, but if screaming helps go for it, if not skip it, don't scream or talk or fail to scream or talk based on any worries of anything, I honestly have no real clue how loud I was (or wasn't) I was busy .

BTW pain after was nothing compared to the baby delivery, kindof like taking meds for a grade 10 headache, still prolly hurts but the reliefe of being down to a 3 or 4 is wonderful! (so long as you think of it that way. The rebound pain after an epidural might be bad, I dunno I was to relieved at not having the pain of stiching anymore after DS (epi didn't stop that pain, and the numbness didn't set in for a time on me, but once it did life was fine, just don't try to walk to the bathroom wihtout some support!)

August 4th is comming soon! but well, you might not get to have the kid on the 4th, sorry, you can make it, and in the meantime keep getting all new stuff on here .

 

[dews]

A nurse had told me that when I was in delivery. Maybe she just didn't want to hear me scream . Her advice helped in my future deliveries though.

 

[jazzbird]

A nurse had told me that when I was in delivery. Maybe she just didn't want to hear me scream . Her advice helped in my future deliveries though.

I have read this a lot too. Lower, more throaty moaning is supposed to help you relax more. Makes sense if you think about it. Screams tend to tense up the body which is precisely what you don't want when trying to give birth.

 

[EmSchmem]

UGh. I just want this kid out NOW! PRONTO!!!

 

[Princessperky]

I think if you are wasting energy screaming it is counterproductive, but if you are wasting energy trying NOT to scream that is rather counter productive too .