I was wondering if anyone one had a positive natural birth experience. Many of my friends are warning me of how agonizing it is and how I will beg for the epideral. But does it have to be this way? It’s not so much a natural birth that I want as much as it is to avoid unecessary medications. Any tips and advice to achieve a natural birth? So far I have no complications and baby is head down. I am 33 weeks.
All the answers I got are great.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
A natural birth is the way to go if you can. Sure it hurts but with each contraction you are that much closer to having that baby. Once the whole ordeal is over you really don’t remember the pain as much as you do the experience.
you can try finding a lamaze class in your area…sometimes hospitals offer them or can at least give a referral…there are women that go natural
i thought about it but after my water broke and the contractions got more intense i decided on an epidural
just remember…YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE YOUR MIND
first of all congratulations!! =) i think natural birth is something that is different for everyone… i also think that it all depends on what kind of mind set you have going into it. if it’s something that you’re really determined to do and passionate about, i think it will be fine. i’m not saying that it won’t be painful haha but women did it for millions of years before the epidural… so if that’s what you feel is best for you and your child, go for it! good luck!!
Well I had one natural and one with meds and the first was natrual, I personal didnt think that it was that bad and I had all back labor both times. I think that it depends on the person and weather they think that they can handle the pain or not. But I say put it in your mind that you will be fine and that you can do it and it will be fine.
First congrats to you. I had my daughter Natural birth. I am 31 weeks pregnant and I will be having my baby natural birth also. If everything goes ok i think you should it is best for the baby Natural Birth . Yes i have to say it is painful but it was worth it . Tips to achieve natural birth try and take lamaze classes and think of your beautiful baby . I didnot take any of those classes which i should of done but getting me through the natural birth was eating ice and being able to see my baby
Best Of Luck
i had a very positive natural birth. it lasted eight hours and i spent most of it in the shower on an exercise ball. midwife tried to give me the gas but it made me vomit so that was out the window. i recommend leaning over a beanbag for the pushing it made the birth relatively easy. do alot of walking in the next few weeks if you can. it makes you more fit and makes the whole thing easier, i was talking to the midwife while pushing and she said it was amazing! i walked every single day of my pregnancy. good luck and don’t be scared.
My cousins first child was born all natural.She said it was like pooping out a water melon.The next time she had a baby she had an epideral.I hear that if you have a baby in a bath tub or in the water it will take away some of the pain when having a child naturally.
There’s no way to achieve a natural birth..if something that happens naturally…if you opt to now have an epidural that is your choice, I had one and it didn’t even work so it’s not a guaranteed thing anyways.
Diane go for the natural birth you do need a coach however to be there for you also find a focal object some thing you can focus on maybe a vacation spot or something /someone along those lines……as you stated being medicated has its drawbacks…..as you have probably noticed already anything that you intake baby gets it first..so if its spicy beware baby isn’t going to like you much LOL…..Good luck….I would be interested as to your experience…and I’m sure there are other moms to be out there who would read your experiences. There is going tobe some discomfort but the end result is well worth the discomfort….also babies who deliver natural have higher apgar ratings than medicated ones…you can go for the epidural at any time before actual birth…which is 10 contimeters dilation…Good Luck
With pain medication comes nausea, headaches, dizziness, loss of sensation and connection with the experience of childbirth, drowsiness, and of course, reduction in pain. Congratulations on exploring the possibility of a natural birth, with so many of your friends encouraging you other wise. I had a natural birth of a baby girl, 8p 4, when I was 17. I used the gas for the last hour of my labour. Women have been having babys for many years, your body knows what to do. My advice is to learn about all the types of pain relief and keep them for a back up. A hot shower will do wonders when you are in labour. Also, in your birth plan, write – do not ask me if i want pain relief if i want it i will ask. Then it becomes all your own decision. If you need to, during the labour, you can arrange for pain relief, but bear in mind for many women it makes the experience horrible, becuase as I mentioned, it has many side effects. A natural birth, is best for mum and bub. Be brave and best wishes.
i have had to natural births and plan on another one soon. i had no major problems at all. with my daughter i got to the hospital when i was a 10 and ready to push! my son i was a 7. my pain don’t set in until iam ready to push. and my son was also born looking up so the biggest part of his head came first. so yeah that burned a bit. my friend wanted a natural birth also but her labors last forever. both of my kids came in under 8 hours. so i think if you have a short labor its easier to have a natural labor since you don’t get as tired as fast. you can alway try going the natural way and if it gets too hard you can ask for some pain meds. don’t feel bad if you do need meds cuz a lot of people do take them and it don’t make them any less of a women either. good luck in the comming weeks
i had both of my children natural.
one was 7’3 and the other 8’14.
everyone told me the same thing too. it is going to hurt like hell. even the nurses were trying to convince me.
it depends on your tolerance level. but to me natural is the way to go. the contractions were painful but with right breathing techniques you can control some of the pain.
take lamaze classes to help you deal with the pain.
Take Lamaze classes. Practice, practice,practice the breathing techniques. Get a bag or sock and fill with rice. It can be microwaved and used as a heating pad in the hospital. Bring a rolling pin with you to the hospital. It sounds odd but it works as a great tool for a back massage. Last go to the library and get some books on birthing. They usually have great ideas on comfort measures and birthing positions.Make a birth plan. Write your wishes down and take them to the hospital with you. This gives the nurses an idea of what you want your experience to be.
Even though you want a natural birth, review your options on pain management. There are other things then epidurals. There are many women who come to the hospital wanting a natural birth. They end up changing their minds and do not know what type of pain relief they want. It is hard to go over the benefits and risks of a pain med or epidural, while a woman is having a contraction. Just know all your options
Natural is awesome, if you can do it. I have had 3 medication-free labor/births. The only “intervention” I had was with my third; they broke my water because I’d been in labor for 7 hours and hadn’t progressed much in about 3-4 hours. It only took about 45 minutes for her to come out after that! It wasn’t bad at all, the worst part was the final contractions right before she was born. My first two natural births were a breeze, I was amazed at how easy it was because I was expecting the worst.
My advice is to take it med-free as long as you can, if you really feel you need medication then take it… but at least try NOT to! (I’m pro-natural birth, but I know thats not always realistic, I’m not an all or nothing die-hard!) You just have to breathe through the contractions and try to rest when you can; take it one contraction at a time. Its not THAT bad. Don’t let anyone freak you out about it–I had people telling me the same things your friends are telling you, but I’ve done this 3 times now. It can be done.
I can’t reccomend Pethadine enough. Epidurals are bad news.
I’ve had 2 babies and they were both natural births with Pethadine and I never tore at all. Yes it hurts but it is so worth it. Epidurals leave you completely numb and relying on the Doctor for when to push, 1 friend of mine was in labour for 34 hours and tore severely with an Epidural, needless to say she hasn’t had any more children. Also her recovery was longer.
Try for a natural birth if you can. Having said that if things take a turn and the Doc suggests a C section then don’t feel like you have failed, if your baby is born healthy simply be thankul and enjoy it.
Best of luck.
have had 5 drug free births. I’ll try to make their stories as short as possible.
My oldest child was born when I was 18. From the moment I discovered I was pregnant, I was consumed with fear about the birth. I hate pain. I wanted to learn everything I could to avoid pain. I wanted to find some strange medical condition that would encourage my doctor to knock me out at 8 months and revive me 2 months later (because I heard recovery was painful, too. So I read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on about childbirth. When I had read everything at the public library, I went to the local University library and read all the medical textbooks. When I finished, I began to read every birth website I could find. What I noticed was this: The people who spoke of birth as horrible, were the ones who had used the drugs. All of the natural birth stories I was reading spoke of labor very differently, one woman even referred to her contractions as “baby hugs” what could be sweeter? I was also now more afraid of the consequences of the drugs than I was of the pain. Drugs lead to increased C-section likeliness, increased use of forceps and episiotomies. Drugs can lead to difficulties nursing. My mind had shifted, and instead I became more interested in natural birth. I took a Bradley childbirth class, which was very helpful. I chose Bradley over Lamaze because I learned that Bradley defines “success” as a drug-free birth, while Lamaze more or less just prepared you for what the hospital would be like ( maybe so you’d be a more compliant patient.)
It’s time to make a long story short, she was born in the hospital after 17 hours of labor with no drugs, no IV, no episiotomy, no nothing. I was so proud.
Baby #2 was a much shorter story. I ate 5 Arby’s roast beef sandwiches for $5.00 and picked up a movie, Dr Doolittle. My husband fell asleep on the couch watching Dr Doolittle and when it was over (I didn’t see any of it, I was in the bathroom) I woke him up and suggested we leave for the birthing center. It was 45 minutes away and she was born on the highway 15 minutes from our house.
Baby #3 took a little while longer. I knew I was birthing when I awoke at 8am, but I didn’t have any contractions, I just “knew” and sure enough by 4pm they were getting stronger. We had a home birth planned and I started having second feelings about the midwife we had chosen. I simply didn’t call her. The baby was born in my kitchen, surrounded by my other kids, and my 10 best girlfriends, and my in-laws.
Baby #4 was born after laboring in the bathtub at home for about 3 hours. I got out of the tub, got into bed and pushed (without an urge to push) for about an hour. I really was in pain. I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t working. Finally, my water broke (exploded) everywhere and she was born (without pushing) in seconds. IN retrospect, I should have just relaxed since I didn’t have a pushing urge. If there had been a midwife present, she probably would have broken my water before that point, but the baby was repositioning herself a lot during those contractions, so it was probably for the best that she was allowed the waters to move around freely. Some advice- NEVER push without the instinct, it was pointless, I wore myself out and ended up with like the only hemorrhoid I have ever had.
Baby #5 was born in my bathroom. I was overdue, my husband came home from work around 2a.m. and gave me a head-to-toe massage, then we went to bed (great way to induce labor!) I awoke about 5 hours later with contractions about 2 minutes apart, I couldn’t catch myself, I stumbled into the bathroom (It took me 4 contractions to walk 12 feet) I got into a hot shower and swayed my hips until the hot water ran out. When I got out I was dizzy and nauseous. I called for my husband in between contractions (still 2 minutes apart) and laid my head on the cold porcelain tub and, I believe, I passed out momentarily. When I came to, I could feel her passing through me. I called to my husband again (he was sound asleep) and she was born at 8:02 AM. She let out the teeniest little squeak of a cry and he flew out of the bedroom to investigate this unfamiliar sound. (As if my cries were so familiar!)
Baby #6 is due later this year, I wonder what special story will be added to my collection.
also, see
http://www.birthasweknowit.com
http://www.pregnantinamerica.com
http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com
NATURAL BIRTH IS THE WAY TO GO. IT DOES HURT, BUT THE SECOND THE BABY IS OUT, YOU FORGET THE PAIN.