Okay I thought I'd get this thread going... I love the birthing process. I loved giving birth to Nick. I really wanted a natural birth from the start and found that it was nearly impossible to get proper support. The weird comments and people telling me I'm nuts for trying it... So I've been there and I know how frustrating it is.

So I thought I'd throw this thread out here for any of us that are trying for a natural birth, have had a natural or just want to support those who want one. We talk about anything here and how we dealt with the pain and so on.

I personally took Bradley classes and loved them. I hope to become certified to teach some day!!

I'm here and would love to support anyone who needs it! I had both my daughters naturally, though the first was in the hospital after transferring for a looooong labor. The second was 11 weeks ago tomorrow, at home in the pool. So I've experienced the birth I wanted and being flexible when the birth I wanted wasn't gonna happen.

We're not PG yet, but have already decided to go with the Bradley Method. "Husband Coached Childbirth" (Robert Bradley) and "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" (Susan MCCutheon) were great books that helped us make our decision.

I guess I forgot to mention that we took Birthing from Within classes and I re-read the book for the second birth. The book is a bit more "new agey" but my class had a really down to earth teacher, which helped. They really encourage you to use what you know/what comes naturally/what's instinctual to deal with pain and all that's involved in birthing.

Everyone told me I was crazy for not wanting an epidural and that I would cave. I didn't :supergrin My DH was extremely supportive, especially when I was in transition and wanting the drugs (I said a lot of things I don't remember :lol: ), he told me I didn't need them to do it. We did take a Birthing from Within class and I do credit that with helping both of us know how to get me through labor.

My son came 8 weeks early, so I really didn't want to put any more drugs into his system than I knew would go in once he was here, and I didn't have the full labor experience that I wanted since they had to monitor me with the heartrate and contraction monitors but the end result was a completely drug free labor.

I did get to use the whirlpool thank god, that was a life saver!

Yes, two vital factors for a natural birth, I feel, are a supportive team behind you and WATER. Get in the water! It helps so much!

Val thats awesome that your baby didn't get more drugs than he would outside. OBviously drugs are necessary in some instances but its great to avoid them when possible.

I couldnt' agree more about water and a supportive team. The hardest thing I ever had to do was get out of the tub, the birth center I was at wasn't liscensed for water births.

Susan -- Bradley is awesome, I can't say enough good things about the method and how much I learned from it.

I had both of my kids without epidurals. And, each time, when I was begging for medication, they were born within minutes! It's only the transition time that's so painful, but thankfully, transition is the shortest time, too!

Just believe in your body and you baby!

I'm a huge supporter of natural birth. Ironically, I haven't been blessed with that option in this life, but I am still involved as much as I can be. I'm a breastfeeding counsellor and birthcompanion (basically, a volunteer doula in our community), and I own and rent out a birthing tub for home or hospital births. I strongly believe in our instincts and abilities as women to do what we were built for! There are alot of different schools of thought out there, but I think that trusting in ourselves is so so important.

Kerri
LLL Leader
Mama to Cole and Adam
Working on Adoption #3

Well I'm really bummed. Its hard enough to have anatural birth in Indy, but the birth center I had Nick at is closing. Its because of budget reasons at the hospital they say but the hospital never did anything to advertise it. If I hadn't taken a Bradley class I wouldn't have heard of it. (I switched 30 weeks into my pregnancy)

I'm just very sad over this. I hope that I can have a homebirth next pregnancy because there aren't many other options.

I never intended to have a natural birth. Actually I had 0 desire. With my first I had a full medicated epideral birth. I pushed for over 3 hours and only had her with the help of a vacuum extraction.

With my second they did give me and epideral. But it wore off LONG before I was ready to push. And frankly, I'm glad it did! It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd have been . Sure it hurt like hell, but it wasn't unbearable. I only had to push for 5 minutes and had her. I really think that having had the epideral is what made it necessary for the vacuum extraction last time.

We're TOC #2 this winter and I'm strongly considering a completley natural child birth. I feel like as long as I can change positions and possibly labor in the water I'd have no problem without drugs. :)

Mandi often times an epidural does lead to use of forceps and vaccums.

I think of all the women I know of who had gone natural the ones that struggled the most were those who didn't get a chance to prepare for whatever reason like their labor being to short so they don't know how to deal with the pain.

Yeah labor hurts no denying that but a woman get through it if she is prepared.

Well, I just want to say WOO HOO! You guys ROCK! I wish you all luck with your pregnancies or future pregnancies. I hope you all go without drugs!

I wanted to do that too, but it didn't happen. I had a very long labor with contractions that just wouldn't let up - I had to be induced. I COULDN'T do it without the drugs. I ended up in the pushing stage for at least 4 hours, getting NOWHERE! I ended up with a c-section, so it was totally opposite of what I wanted. I also actually wanted to have a water birth - yeah right! I ended up having so many different drugs and Carter was born crying and very attentive. His eyes were open and he was checking out everything. He was a pro at nursing from the moment he saw the boob!

I am not telling you this because I think you will change your mind once you get into labor, I'm just letting you know that it will be okay if you change your mind and can't do it. Everyone's labor is totally different. Mine was unbearable - if we only knew that my pelvis was just too small, I probably could have avoided a lot of pain. Then, I have a friend who really never was in much pain at all with her labor - I mean, she really didn't have PAIN, she was just uncomfortable - so of course, she had no drugs.

I wish you all the best of luck in going for a drug free labor.

I just want to say while I don't think I will ever experience a natural childbirth, but I honestly admire those of you who have/will. As it's been mentioned, having a supportive partner/team is EXTREMELY important. I love my husband, but even after the classes (at which he frekin' LAUGHED during breathing exercises) he was NOT very helpful.

Ofcourse every labor is different and everyone's experiences are different and there's no way to know what can happen during birth but there are many things that can be done to help make a natural birth possible. But even if all those are done in some cases things happen that require people to get pitocin which often leads to an epi (from what I've heard and read about pit contractions they are a lot worse) or to have c-sections. Thats just part of the process and can happen to the most prepared person out there but in most cases preparation can help a lot. A supportive birth team is very important, if a DH can't or won't be supportive a good doula can make all the difference in the world.

So for those of us that have been there lets talk about what we did to prepare ourselves.

I did the following.

I found a method that works for me.. Bradley.
I practiced the exercises. I practiced being in various labor positions such as squats to get good at it.
I changed providers to get into a setting where I can have a natural labor without being hooked up to monitors or forced to stay on my back.
I labored in water which helped me tremenoudsly.
I only allowed people who would have positive attitude anywhere near me during labor. This meant I couldn't have my own mom with me but it was important to me to have a natural birth.
I read a lot.
I had a birth plan and told no one to offer me any drugs. And to remind me to wait 10 minutes if I asked for them. (Which I never did, well not out loud I couldn't talk towards the end of my labor :lol: )

I don't think I said it before, but I would highly reccomend a doula. We had one and she was great! They have been through this many times with many women and know so many things that can help you. DH didn't know anything and why should he? Those classes we took were not helpful at all. I needed him there for support, but I needed the doula for coaching and guidance. I am not sure how I would have made it through what I did without her!

I totally agree! Having someone on your side is so helpful. Statistically, having a doula reduces your chance of having meds, episiotomy, cesearean, and lots of other interventions.

Your husband or Mum or whoever else is going to be there is often so involved in the emotion of the birth that they don't have much left to give you. Or they just don't know how to help because this is new to them too.

It can really take the pressure off your family to have someone else there who can advocate for you and run errands or talk to the staff if you need to. Someone who has seen it before and knows everything will be alright. Birth can be scary because it's intense and emotional, and we're not used to bearing everything out in the open.

Kerri

As someone studying to be a doula I agree with that :lol

But I didn't use one... I didn't fully understand the function of a doula until after our birthing classes. But I'm lucky in that my DH was just awesome and almost played the role of a doula himself :lol But I know he's the exception rather than rule. All though even then there were a few instances where when I look back having a doula would be nice... one of them being right at delivery. DH caught Nick which was wonderful, but it would have been nice to have a doula up by my side supporting me rather than just DH catching the baby. Also after birth, the midwife was examining me, DH was giving the baby his first bath and I was feeling pretty alone... I actually called my parents just to have someone to really talk to at that point because I was feeling so many emotions and felt a little ignored (not that it was anyone's fault because they were all doing important things but its just how it worked)

Well - My daughter was born 12 days ago. I was induced because my water broke and I didn't go into labor. I was on pitocin for 14 hours with continious monitoring of the baby and me. I didn't get any pain meds...a fact which I credit to having a wonderful husband and an AMAZING doula who supported both of us. She had enough knowledge to demand that I be allowed remote monitoring and knew that I could still get in the shower, tub, etc. When they wanted me to get out every hour for blood pressure, she suggested using an actual cuff, rather than the machine which cannot get wet. In general I had great nurses, though. I was adament that no one offer me drugs, and no one did thanks to the support of my doula and husband. (though at the very end I was toying with the idea of mentioning wanting drugs, but then it was time to push!) My midwife was wonderful and never asked if I was in pain (duh, YES!), but just kept saying what a wonderful job I was doing.

It is true, you never know what your birth experience will hold. I desperately wanted to avoid IV's and continious monitoring, but I had both the entire time. I wanted to labor mostly at home, but I labored entirely at the hospital. Everything didn't go 'right' but my birth was 'perfect' for me.

I've been thinking I want a natural birth (I know I still have quite a while to read up and figure it all out). Are there certain books you would recommend for me to read? I'm in a small town, and I don't think they do any water births here, and I've never heard of anyone using a doula here. Any help I can get, I would greatly appreciate.

How did all of your husbands deal with you having a natural birth? My DH cannot stand seeing me in any type of pain, so I don't know how well he would take it. Did you prepare your DH somehow for the birth? Like I said, I have so many questions and would love all the help I can get. :)
~Michelle

Rosie you rock!! Seriously you're one of the first people I've heard of making it through a Pitocin labor attached monitor with no drugs!! That is just awesome. Way to go for toughing it out. The hardest part of my labor was being on my back attached to the monitor for 45 minutes, much less the entire time. I don't think I would have made it under those circumstances

Michelle -- Henci Goer's Thinking guide to a better book is a great one. Dr. Bradley's Husband Coached Childbirth goes over the Bradley Method and I liked it a lot. As for preparing your husband if you can take a Bradley class I really would. Even if you have to drive I think its worth it. My DH was like yours at the beggining but the Bradley classes focus as much on how the husband can help you as it does on the birth itself. I know my DH felt like he was a part of it and didn't feel helpless which I think he would have without the classes.

My plan was to go drugless. After almost 24 hours of contractions i had a shot of Nubain. It slowed my contractions down so I had pitocin. It was still over 6 hours later before I began pushing without further meds. I loved it!!!

I have seriously considered becoming a doula.

I just did my Doula training this past weekend. It was awesome!! I can't wait to start attending births.

Where does someone who is interested in becoming a doula start? Where is the training offered... at hospitals? Thanks and congrats on your training Lisa :)

www.dona.org has resources and a list of trainings coming up.

thank you mommy2nick... I left my current career after having my 2nd daughter and moving to another state and now I'm a sahm to my 2 daughters. I've been thinking for awhile now about what I could do and this may be something I'd like to explore since I believe the work that doulas do is invaluable. Congrats again on your success thus far! :)

Don't you just get so passionate after a training session? I had one two weekends ago with Henci Goer and my partner doula and I were just on fire all the way home and ever since. It reminds you what you're doing it for, you know?

Kerri

Kerri -- OMG you met Henci Goer!! Seriously I can't begin to tell you how jealous I am, I LOVE LOVE her readings.

You are so right though its so exciting after a training session. I just loved it! It is such an empowering feeling. Two more months till Aug. and I can start taking births!! I just can't wait.

jkl -- definatelly look into it. The training class is just so awesome. If you feel strongly about birthing you'll enjoy it.

I had no intentions of going into labor drug free. I mean - I practically cry when I stub my toe and thought there was NO way I would be able to push a baby out of me without any sort of help.To my complete surprise, when I went into the hospital I was already 8 cm dilated and past the point of being able to take any type of pain medication. The look on my face (and my DH's face - he knows I hate being in pain!) when we heard this news must have been quite funny. But anyway....did it hurt? I am not going to lie one bit. It hurt like H*LL! But would I do it all over again? H*LL yeah I would. It really wasn't too bad (and it's true you tend to forget!) and I was so proud of myself and SO proud of my amazing body. Giving birth is one of the hardest things a woman can do and it is trully a miracle. I just had no idea that it could happen to me and I could live to tell about it! In fact - I do plan on going drug free next time if I can! :nod:

Lynn thats awesome that your birth went so well!! I'm jealous at how fast it was :lol:

I had no intentions of going into labor drug free. I mean - I practically cry when I stub my toe and thought there was NO way I would be able to push a baby out of me without any sort of help.To my complete surprise, when I went into the hospital I was already 8 cm dilated and past the point of being able to take any type of pain medication. The look on my face (and my DH's face - he knows I hate being in pain!) when we heard this news must have been quite funny. But anyway....did it hurt? I am not going to lie one bit. It hurt like H*LL! But would I do it all over again? H*LL yeah I would. It really wasn't too bad (and it's true you tend to forget!) and I was so proud of myself and SO proud of my amazing body. Giving birth is one of the hardest things a woman can do and it is trully a miracle. I just had no idea that it could happen to me and I could live to tell about it! In fact - I do plan on going drug free next time if I can! :nod:
This sounds a lot like me! I planned on having drugs but that didn't work out and I went drug free. After that *if* we ever did have more children I would definelty do it drug free again! I just love the satisfaction and accomplishment I feel from giving birth to her with out drugs. It is amazing what we can do!