Labor/Delivery Methods

LOL No horror stories! Sorry.. i liked that one!

I am talking with dh about a water birth. Not sure though.. we'll see.

Planned csection. Read up on this, you never know and it is better to have some info. Be prepared, just in case.

is more power to you!! You have WAY more guts than I do! Please don't take this as a slight to your plan, but my Mom said "I had you natural, why aren't you going to do that for yours?". My response was "I'm smarter than you are Mom!!"

I way appreciate the people who are able to do natural, but I just know I'm not one of them. I'm an uber whuss!!

GL and I really do hope you are successful!!

Oh, and like the other person said, at least look at what other things could happen (c-section, other pain solutions other than epi). Its so much nicer to be able to have a handle on things in there rather than trying to get info when your in pain.

Jen

I cant wait till the movie comes in at the library.. The Business of Being Born... I think it will help me get into the right frame of mind. I have had many deliveries before with no problems at all. Labor, delivery, mom and baby have always done perfect. I do have low blood pressure issues but thats really not a big deal. Its always worked out. I have done it natural, epi, and shot of demeral sp?. I wanted to try something new. Keep the last one memorable! hehe Still addicted to YouTube deliveries. hehe

Hi there, sorry I just realized this is a bit long! My birth "vision" (instead of plan b/c things don't always go as planned - hence the overwhelming # of C sections out there) is to have a natural birth.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED

With the guidance of my pre-natal yoga teacher who is a doula, I'm researching hypno birthing. BTW, yoga is a GREAT tool to practice for labor with the focused breathing and reaching deep down inside - which is really necessary to get through labor). Also I'm DEFINITELY going to employ a doula, which will greatly reduce the risk of a C-section. Use helpful birthing positions....not lying on a bed which closes up the birth canal. Try to give birth with assisted squatting etc. There is REASON people did it this way for thousands of years - it helps labor, not hinders and slows it down. Why many doctors and hospitals still stick you in a bed is a mystery. Having a doula to speak for you and know what you want and run interference when you are in pain and cannot think is crucial.

Employing these methods gives one a better chance during a long labor, when doctors and the hospitals want to get you out of there and usually end up inducing labor. Inducing labor INCREASES your chances of a C-section, not to mention makes your contractions much more painful with Pitocin. Also, transition is the part of labor when most women giving it a go naturally think they "can no longer go on" "are tired", etc. and yell "give me the drugs!" If you can get to transition and through it THAT is the worst part. You can do the rest of it.

Again, knowing all of this and planning for it or envisioning is NO guarantee it will happen. But the benefits of having a natural, drug free childbirth outweigh the fear of labor pain, so its worth a shot. I have genital herpes (never an outbreak) and it is possible I will have an outbreak during labor and have no choice but a c-section and there go my plans. Or something else happens during labor and I can't stick it out, and there go my plans.

So, all I can do is:
1. research (ask a variety of experts and read up)
2) ask myself what is best for my baby
3) ask myself what is best for me
4) have a vision
5) find someone to help me support that vision and carry it out (doula, midwife, hubby, partner, friend, etc.
6) ignore the naysayers. In my case, women who have had babies LAUGH at me when I tell them my vision. "Aw honey, you do NOT know what you are in for. The pain will be unlike anything you can fathom! You'll be ask for the epi in no time. Don't be a hero. You won't get a prize for enduring the pain" ( I know, completely unbelievable. Why someone would not support me succeeding at this baffles me.) Just because someone else tried natural and had to change their plan does not influence me one bit.
7) Be prepared for other scenarios in case they arise.

AND ABOVE ALL: No regrets and don't beat yourself up if your birth vision gets altered. You do the best you can do... but give yourself credit to rise above the hard stuff. Trust yourself. Trust your baby. Trust your body. Trust the process!

Best to you - I hope your birth vision happens as you wish!

Hi, I don't think it's too early to think of a birthing plan. I plan to go Natural, again. with my first I did have a dose of Nubane, which I'm told is like Demerol. I really didn't like the way it made me feel. My second I went completely Natural. However I was induced with both, I don't have anything to compare it to, but it is intense. but like the pp said u do have to go deep inside urself to gain the power. I was going to look into the Bradley Method with my second, but I guess I didb't have the time, once I decided. So i think I'll do that this time. My nurse was a former Midwife, and that really helped!!!!!! I am going to do everything in my power to request that nurse, since I know she still works at my hospital!

Good Luck, U can do it

Thank you guys so much! I know that I may need a c-section or even an epideral if worst comes to worst, but I want to at least try for a natural birth, I have always been interested in it and I really think that I can do it! It's good to know there are other women out there who have had them! The thing about it is that I know in the moment its going to hurt like hell, but once its over you never really remember the pain. Kind of like with morning sickenss. When I was in my first trimester I just kept thinking, why would me or any woman in the world want to have kids when it makes you feel so crappy... but now I can't even remember the pain that I was in! So thats just what I have to remember. When I am in the moment its going to hurt, but afterwords it will be worth it! And if I have to get a c-section then I have to get one, I just want what is best for my baby!

Here is my plan:

1.Week of March 8th get an u/s

2.See Dr after u/s

3.Dr tells me baby is over 11lbs

4.Next day I go in for an induction

5.Labor all day long with DRUGS!!!!

6.Have Baby around 10 pm.

7.Go home 2 days later

8.3 months down the road run far far away

3.Dr tells me baby is over 11lbs


8.3 months down the road run far far away [/quote]




11 lbs???????????????? I could not imagine! My last and biggest baby was 8lbs 11oz... my lightest was 6lbs 15oz. But what kills me is the 14 1/4" head and shoulders!

I'm a repeat c/s and am happy with this. I never dilated past 6 cm with my first and he was having late decelerations. He weighed 8lbs 9oz. My c/s went great so I'm just hoping for the same with the next. I will be scheduling for March 17th. St. Patty's Day. I'm due March 20th. I was a week late with my Ds so I don't think I'll be going early but we'll see.

Kellie

April with my last the Dr said he was a little over 10lbs. He was 8lbs 8oz.

This one is already measuring at 1lb and he should only be 10-12oz. So I am guessing about the 11lb u/s. I think he will be around 9 something.

At 20w2d's my little peanut weighed 11oz. So does that mean im going to have a 15lb'er? hehe Mine typically should weight 8+lbs if i go on time. My last was on time.. on his due date.. and he was 8 11. I want a 6lb'er man!

Well I had a 10 lb 9oz'er...DD with my first, so my OB is going to keep her eyes on this one, she was off by over 2lbs with her guess on the day she induced me...3 days late. She said she won't do an U/S though, since I am able to deliver a big baby, she will just not let me go late.

I had an Epidural with my DD and will do the same with this one...I will walk into the hospital with my butt facing the OB, just so she knows I am ready....I might even draw an arrow on my back....LOL.

Power to you ladies who want to go natural...I was in the delivery room with my best friend at age 22, after seeing that...I can't imagine doing it, or why she wanted to do it that way, I wasn't out of it at all with the Epidural and my daughter was wide awake when she was born, it didn't slow me down at all either, I took a 4 hour nap once I got it, was 3cm when I got it and woke up 9cm, so that was nice.

The one thing to think about as a First Timer, is you have NO IDEA how long labor could be, could be 10 hours, could be 30...I had full back labor, no break between contractions they were on top of each other, some women don't have pain like that all throughout all of labor, so its all about what your labor is like...one of my GF's wanted to go natural...18 hours in she got an Epidural...I can't imagine 18 hours without pain meds...and I have a high tolerance for pain. I would be exhausted.

My ds was 9.9 and my doctor said this one will be bigger. Nothing like giving birth to a toddler! At least there will be no confusing my baby with anyone else's in the nursery. I am very grateful to have a csection!

excuse me, did you say 14 1/4"??????????????

My 8lb 8oz was a week early, but he was measuring right on time at u/s. When I had my u/s I was 18 weeks 4 days and he was at 1lb

I had 4 natural and 2 c/s and this one will be c/s. My biggest baby was my son at 7# 6oz. He was c/s due to breech. My largest vaginal birth was 6# 7oz dd who is 15 years old now. I seem to have smaller babies. The others were 3# 12oz , 5#12oz, 2#12oz and 1#12oz. 3 of my chldren were born at 31 weeks. I think natural is gratifying to me and would rather do that any day than c/s. Yes its painful but after baby is out ...no problem. With c/s its just so long of having pain.

Andrea, your little girl is adorable... love your new pic.

I joined the trend and changed mine, too...

cheers,
Amy

Amy: Thank you, Wow!!! That such a beautiful picture. Hows the new job going? Is it as cold there this morning as it is here? 25 degress this morning. Im certainly not ready for winter.

I agree, ur wedding pic is beautiful! Love the dress!
and diddo on ur little cutie!!

With my DS, I had an epidural and it was soo good that I could not feel anything! Not even to push. So DS was vacuum extracted, which caused a 3rd degree tear. The recovery was horrible!

I am going to try to go au naturale. I have no problem requesting another epi if I need to.

Every morning before work I watch "House of Babies" on Discovery Health. I love that show. I watched one episode where the woman did not speak any English and she and her DH were yoga instructors (or something along those lines). She was giving birth and was sooo serene and did not make a peep. She acted like she was simply passing stool or something! It really inspired me. I have a pretty high pain threshold, and I feel if you mentally prepare yourself, whether its through yoga, the Bradley Method or whatever, you end up having a nice calm delivery and a calm momma.

A friend of mine had both of her children at home in one of those big inflatable tubs, she had a midwife and a doula. I have so much admiration for women who go the natural route.

My Mom had my sis and I naturally, not by choice though. Back then in the military the fathers had say on whether or not women received pain meds, my father opted for my mother to not receive pain meds, despite my mother begging for it. My Mom said she was so pissed and was in so much pain that she did not yell or anything, she said the Dr. even did an episiotomy on her as well (with no pain relief). After she had my younger sister, my mother had her tubes tied, she did not want my father to put her through that again. Also she said at the military hospital they herded all the pregnant women like cattle with multiple women giving birth in one room, she hated it. Then they had treated the new fathers to a celebratory luncheon, while the new mothers were cramped in recovery.

My experience with my DS was so not that. I was treated like a queen! It was great being pampered.

Sorry for being so long.

Thanks aquaopal, I read your post about the Discovery Channel thing and went out and got a prenatal yoga dvd LOL so I am going to start it tonight and see if it helps! Only 5 more months will tell lol

I also checked out that House of Babies thing. I tried Youtubing it but found nothing. The site wouldnt let me see a sample video but i would love to see what that show is all about. I dont have those types of channels. Maybe i can get a friend to Tivo it for me. I am up for anything new..

April my Dr said at 18 weeks they should be about 10oz, so yours is right on Target.

The House Of Babies is that the one where they have the babies at the midwives office. The rooms are nice and look like a bedroom?