[Open] Poll: C-sections and vaginal births

[gracepaints]

I can't speak from experience yet, but I also wanted to plug "Birthing from Within". It has really interesting insights into childbirth and dealing with pain.

 

[BananaCake]

Thanks that helps a little. But I think until I go through it a first time, I wont be able to see it as anything other than a lot of fear and a lot of pain.

I'm scared too and I'm going all natural. But we just got to keep giving it to God. If Jesus could endure the pain of crucifixion in an earthly body, surely we can endure child birth! Remember, Jesus "endured the cross" because of "the joy set before Him" (Hebrews 12:2). He knew what His sacrifice would accomplish. But in all honestly, even He prayed to God that if there was another way, that God would take this cup.

Often, I think about situations sometimes that I can't imagine living through, but that's because if God asked me to go through it, He'd give me the grace in that time to go through it. I don't have the grace now, so I can't imagine it. But I'll have the grace then.

I also think of the words of Jesus in John 16:21: "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world."

Let's all pray for each other!

 

[KillerV]

hey hey hey...the meds made it easy for a while lol They at least let me sleep for a few hours. Now, Pitocin, that makes labor really hard and really painful.

I agree that pitocin is awful! I didn't need it,but my best friend was on it for 9 hours and she still was progressing! I felt for her big time!

 

[CrystalBrooke]

ONLY 9 hours?! That would seem like an eternity on pitocin, but imagine my 16 hours Just to end up having a c section...let's just say my OBGYN wasn't on my Christmas list anymore!

 

[Leanna]

Induction is bad. Say no to induction!

 

[CrystalBrooke]

Well since it was my first pregnancy and I was just so anxious to meet her I said "Go ahead", when really now thinking back on it, I should have told him to just send me home so I could go into labor on my own, because when he checked me at his office that day I was 2 cm. Oh well, she's here now, that's all that matters...and next time I'll know better

 

[Green Orchid]

All this advice is so enlightening!

RoseofLima, I need to take notes on everything you say!

Jgonz, I ordered the Bradley book today, I can't wait to read it!

BananaCake, these verses are great!

 

[jgonz]

Another tip~ Look at each contraction as a Wave... and surf the waves. Take one contraction at a time. And remember that it Will end.

Personally, I'd rather be in labor than have a migraine. At least labor contractions come and go... a migraine doesn't let up. (And I've heard other women who have chronic conditions say the same thing~ labor was Easy compared to dealing with their other types of pain.)

 

[sparassidae]

Another tip~ Look at each contraction as a Wave... and surf the waves. Take one contraction at a time. And remember that it Will end.

Personally, I'd rather be in labor than have a migraine. At least labor contractions come and go... a migraine doesn't let up. (And I've heard other women who have chronic conditions say the same thing~ labor was Easy compared to dealing with their other types of pain.)

Yes yes yes!

Childbirth only rates about an 8 on my pain scale. Arthritis is a 10!

 

[CrystalBrooke]

I did like how I was able to monitor my own contractions, that helped me a lot. Altho once I started laughing really hard and the machine spiked lol!

 

[KillerV]

Induction is bad. Say no to induction!

My induction went perfectly! However I was a week past due and very ready to give birth but I needed just a little push,he just didn't want to come out!

 

[KillerV]

Well since it was my first pregnancy and I was just so anxious to meet her I said "Go ahead", when really now thinking back on it, I should have told him to just send me home so I could go into labor on my own, because when he checked me at his office that day I was 2 cm. Oh well, she's here now, that's all that matters...and next time I'll know better

Yikes!! I would have beat up my GYN,haha

 

[CrystalBrooke]

At that point, I was ready to hit anything!

 

[Sign Of The Fish Burger]

Well since it was my first pregnancy and I was just so anxious to meet her I said "Go ahead", when really now thinking back on it, I should have told him to just send me home so I could go into labor on my own, because when he checked me at his office that day I was 2 cm. Oh well, she's here now, that's all that matters...and next time I'll know better

I told my husband when the time comes to NOT let me do this. I told him regardless of how silly and out of my mind I will be, to not let me go to the hospital until I have to, that I want to labor on my own at home until I HAVE to go in. Hopefully he'll have the guts to do so when the time comes

 

[CrystalBrooke]

You already know what you're doing! I was a week past due so when the chance arose it was hard for me to turn it down because I just wanted to be able to hold my baby in my arms so badly! I wasn't thinking about how she'll come soon enough when she's ready lol..I hear that going into labor naturally is so much better than being induced. My mom had both, but never had any pain meds, and she said that the natural labor was much easier than the induced one.

 

[katelyn]

You know I must have had the strangest experience with pushing. I did not have the urge to push, and it didn't feel good. It didn't feel bad either, but the contractions were hitting me like a freight truck and I finally decided I could either sit there whining about it all evening (I was at 10 for a while before I came to this conclusion) or I could push the baby out-- so push I did. I did NOT feel the ring of fire although at one point she told me not to push and so I didn't (which I found not to be a problem because I had no urge)

I didn't have the urge to push with Noelle...my midwife had to check me and tell me that she was at +2 to make me believe that it was time to push. (Up until that point, I too had been sitting there whining. )

I also didn't feel the ring of fire with Noelle...but I *really* felt it with Natalie; that kid sat there crowning for what seemed like forever! I'm guessing the difference was because Noelle was my second baby.

 

[Leanna]

Well since it was my first pregnancy and I was just so anxious to meet her I said "Go ahead", when really now thinking back on it, I should have told him to just send me home so I could go into labor on my own, because when he checked me at his office that day I was 2 cm. Oh well, she's here now, that's all that matters...and next time I'll know better

I understand. I didn't know much about induction when pregnant with my first either, but I went into labor just past 38 weeks so I never had to face it.

When pregnant with Maya, I had an interesting induction conversation with my CN midwife the day before she was born. Hehe, I dare say she walked away not being real thrilled with me, but hey I told her I wasn't going to be late anyway and sure enough she was born at 39 weeks.

Induction is no good unless there is a medical reason.....

 

[Athene]

I had 2 on medications, pethidine (spelling?) which is a morphine derivative, it made me sick and woozy - not something I'd recommend.

With my 3rd I went pain med free and yes it hurt lots but afterwards I felt on top of the world , I gave birth in the morning and I was home mid afternoon compare to my first two where I was so tired and ill afterwards.

Words of wisdom for women planning on going pain med free. First of all good on you.

Avoid doctors like the plague, don't see one unless you have too - if you put yourself in the care of a doctor you are much more likely to have an interfered with birth, and you are much less likely to feel satisfied with your ante-natal care then if you are with a midwife.

If you can afford it get a doula, there are accredited agencies where you can hire one from, if you can't get a doula then consider having a woman you trust in with you who has had a natural birth herself.

Choose to have baby in a mid-wifery led unit.

 

[LovesEnduringPromise]

Do you lose weight faster if you have had natural birth rather than c-section?

 

[Redstiletto]

So we learned about induction, c-sections and medications to relieve the pain last night in my childbirthing class.

I dont want to be inducted, I dont want a c-section, I dont want an epistomy, I dont want medication, I dont want pain though either!

Has anyone ever used TENS?