Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (Full Version)

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3cappuccinosmom -> Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 2:34:42 PM)

For those interested. [:D] Of course, now that I've started it, I've run out of time for today. Will have to get back to this tomorrow. But go ahead and discuss in the meantime if you like.

Just for clarity--this is a thread for supportive and positive discussion about natural childbirth. It's not an exclusive members only club or a doctor-hating thread. I'd just like to keep it from getting into heated debates.[;)]



Royal.Fortress -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 2:40:18 PM)

I'm looking forward to discussing with you about this [:)]



PrudentWife -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 2:57:29 PM)

I'll probably just lurk. I thoroughly enjoy all topics about natural health, but since I don't practice natural childbirth, I probably don't fit in as a poster.

I'm glad the OP stated that this doesn't have to be an MD bashing thread. I'm of the opinion that natural health and natural childbirth CAN be achieved under the care of doctors, you just have to find the right one.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 3:02:44 PM)

just for the information in it in case someone wants to read it again, HERE is a link to the older version of this thread...mod might want to lock it though so that no one posts in it instead of in here.



Desert_ratt44 -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 3:05:10 PM)

I'd love to lurk on this one as well. I keep going back and forth on what I want to do when I have a baby. I am terrified of labor because I'm such a wimp with pain, but I'm also terrified of needles and I've heard about the negatives of an epidural. Now I have to figure out which one I'm terrified more of!

I'm trying to glean any info I can so I can have much knowledge in all things babies and childbirth before I ever get pregnant.



Tea-Tea -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 3:53:02 PM)

I'm looking forward to lurking here as well. I didn't go "natural" with my recent birth--I was in too much pain to care about them sticking me in the back. I had some weird things happen in my right leg while they were administering my epidural and it didn't take on the left side or lower part, therefore I still felt the pain. I hope to make it without an epidural next time.



EmilyAnn -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 4:03:49 PM)

I am 18 weeks pregnant and planning to have a homebirth.

quote:

I am terrified of labor because I'm such a wimp with pain, but I'm also terrified of needles and I've heard about the negatives of an epidural. Now I have to figure out which one I'm terrified more of!


That's how I felt at first too. Now I have done a ton of research and talked to a lot of women about their positive birth experiences and I am no longer scared of labor. I am actually looking forward to it!! I have a low tolerance for pain and I have "white coat syndrome" and am terrified of needles. When I go to the doctor (any doctor including the eye doctor and dentist) I get really nervous and my blood pressure and heart rate go way up. Any time I know I have to have anything done involving a needle I have a meltdown. I have cried, hyperventilated, and even passed out because the fear is so great. It is very embarrassing for me and I try not to get all worked up about it, but so far I have not been able to overcome this phobia.

I feel like I will be able to manage the pain much better in my own home surrounded only by people who love me and are there to support me. I have 2 wonderful midwives who will be assisting with the birth. My husband will be here and since we will be at home he will be able to have a more active part in the labor and delivery. My mom and sister will also be here. The midwife will be providing a birthing pool and I will also have a birthing ball. Because of my fear of doctors and hospitals, I feel like I would not be able to be in control at the hospital.

I am seeing a great doctor as a "back-up doctor" and he is doing things like blood work and ultrasounds and prescribing medicine. He knows me and my husband and he is supportive of our plan to have our child at home. He will be available to us if something happens and I have to be transported to the hospital.



Consecrated2God -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 4:15:17 PM)

I think I'll lurk, too! I've had five natural births out of six (four of them homebirths) and greatly preferred them all, even my most difficult one, to my hospital birth. [:D]



clag4christ -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 4:16:34 PM)

I have wanted natural births with both of my labors but neither worked out that way. With Hannah I was induced and with Jael I think I just needed a little bit more support as far as massage, etc. to get through it without the epidural. If the Lord so blesses us again I hope to try to go natural again. [:)]



Royal.Fortress -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 4:18:26 PM)

That's great, Emily! What a blessing that you have a doctor willing to be your back-up ... I've heard they're pretty rare!!

I'm 17 weeks pregnant and also planning a homebirth. Since I'm in Canada, though, it's my midwife who's doing my prenatal care, including ordering U/S, bloodwork, prescribe certain medications, etc.

I'm hoping to have an invention-free birth [:D]! I'm hoping that labouring (and birthing!) at home in my own environment will help me to manage my pain - it will also be good to not have the option of pain medications barring a hospital transfer. My midwife said that the #1 reason she transfers women is for pain meds.

We may rent a birthing pool (haven't really looked into that yet!), and we may hire a doula.

I'm soooo excited about the birth! I read the books Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth (both by Ina May Gaskin) and they're filled with POSITIVE birth stories.

I'm not 100% anti-doctor for pregnancy/birth - I do recognize that there are some conditions that need to be managed by doctors and that birth is sometimes safer in hospital. I also recognize that there are some women who truly feel the safest with a doctor in a hospital. However, I truly believe that the vast majority of births are safe, do not require intervention, and can be best managed at home. (I do, however, have an issue with a high-risk, surgical specialty doctor [ie. an OB] attending 'normal' or low-risk births ... but that's just me, and I'm happy to explain my worries to anyone should they ask!).



EmilyAnn -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 4:53:45 PM)

quote:

That's great, Emily! What a blessing that you have a doctor willing to be your back-up ... I've heard they're pretty rare!!


It's very rare here. There are only 2 in all of North Carolina that I know of who openly support homebirths and one is only 15 minutes from my home. North Carolina is not a homebirth friendly state, we actually have laws against it. Midwives can be fined or spend time in jail for assisting with homebirths. I am a member of a natural birth advocacy group that is trying to get that law changed.



Royal.Fortress -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 4:58:33 PM)

Wow ... whatever happened to 'the land of the free'? [&:]



Scarlett20 -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:03:17 PM)

Even though I only found out yesterday that I'm pg and therefore 4 weeks along my plan as of right now is to have a waterbirth under the guidance of a midwife.
Like Kim I'm from Canada so my midwife will be responsible for all my pre-natal care and I shouldn't ever see a doctor unless a complication arises. I'm not entirely sure that I want to have a homebirth (if I did it would be at my mom and dad's as they have a big jacuzzi tub[:D]) and will have to think about that one throughout the pregnancy. In our city we have one birth centre, it's not like a hospital at all (no doctors and so no drugs can be administered) but they do have 3 birthing rooms fitted with large jacuzzi tubs and any "tools" that a midwife might need and are aloud to use. A plus side to this centre is that it's only a 5 minute drive to the nearest hospital should there be any reason to go there. Right now I'm thinking that's my best bet but who knows, I guess I have a while to think about it[8D].



Royal.Fortress -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:06:25 PM)

Scarlett - where are you from? My area of the country doesn't have birth centres ...



Scarlett20 -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:10:12 PM)

AB. I think the one that we have in my city is one of the only ones, if not the only one. It's a private service so to speak as you have to pay to use it. Also in AB you have to pay to use a midwive, as it's not covered under the health plan. Which I'm fine with, according to my girlfriend who used the midwife team that I want to use it was worth its weight in gold from the experience she had with them!



Royal.Fortress -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:11:30 PM)

Ah, I see! I didn't know that midwives weren't covered across Canada ... I just assumed they were! Oops! Are they still regulated?



Scarlett20 -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:17:28 PM)

I think AB is the only province where midwives aren't covered! For the life of me I'm not sure why as I would think it would be cheaper for the province to pay for the use of a MW as opposed to an OB. I'm thinking they may change that soon, maybe for some of my future children[:D].
I'm sure they're regulated to some degree as they have to be certified by some association in AB. In my city I think they're only 9 registered midwives and that's for 1 million plus people! Needless to say they're very busy but the fact that one has to pay deters many.



paulsbride -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:54:08 PM)

quote:

I'm not 100% anti-doctor for pregnancy/birth - I do recognize that there are some conditions that need to be managed by doctors and that birth is sometimes safer in hospital. I also recognize that there are some women who truly feel the safest with a doctor in a hospital. However, I truly believe that the vast majority of births are safe, do not require intervention, and can be best managed at home. (I do, however, have an issue with a high-risk, surgical specialty doctor [ie. an OB] attending 'normal' or low-risk births ... but that's just me, and I'm happy to explain my worries to anyone should they ask!).


I would love a home birth, but it's not a safe option for us.
I am really excited that I've found an amazing woman who is a "doula in training" - she has a few children herself and was going to school to be a doctor, then decided she'd rather be a mid-wife. So as part of her process of getting to be a mid wife she decided to be a doula for a while.
I don't expect her to know *everything* and yet I feel comfortable in the knowledge she does possess and am relieved that she will be there in the event of another crisis with this birth.

I have a question: What positions have y'all labored in?



Consecrated2God -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 5:55:31 PM)

quote:

I have a question: What positions have y'all labored in?


All of them! [8D] I think I delivered in a different postition for each child. [;)]



ChelseaRae -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 6:41:47 PM)

quote:

I think AB is the only province where midwives aren't covered!


I'm in AB too!! This is why I got stuck delivering in a hospital with a doc... it won't happen next time, we will be moving back to BC before our next baby. You are so lucky to have a birthing center nearby!

I wanted a natural birth more than anything but when it came down to get induced or get sent 5 hours away to a different hospital I went with the induction.


Kim, I don't think I knew you were in Canada... or I did and convinced myself you were in the States... where are you?



lexie -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 7:55:21 PM)

quote:

For the life of me I'm not sure why as I would think it would be cheaper for the province to pay for the use of a MW as opposed to an OB.


It costs $3000 for a midwife in Alberta. I am sure that if OB's weren't covered under OHIP, I would have paid a whole lot more than that to bring my daughter into this world.



Desert_ratt44 -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 8:13:40 PM)

I'd have to figure out what my insurance covers. I don't know if you're familiar with Kaiser, but you can only go to Kaiser doctors and I'm not sure if the cover mid wifery.

Thanks for starting this thread Maggie! It's getting the wheels turning in my head so I know what I want to do when the time comes.



JoyfulWife -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 8:18:17 PM)

Ooh! My favorite topic [:D]

I have a long term goal of becoming a childbirth educator (going to start working on this one next year), lactation educator, and once the kiddies are grown, a doula. Mostly I'd like to work with young moms in crisis pregnancy situations who might not have access to good childbirth education classes and support.

I have had one birth - natural, and at home. When/if (hopefully!!!) we have our second child, we plan to have another homebirth if things stay low-risk for me. I, like EmilyAnn, also live in NC but am hoping by the time we have a second child that midwives will have complete freedom to assist homebirths.

quote:

I have a question: What positions have y'all labored in?


I've labored in squatting position, hands and knees, knee to chest (I hated this one), modified squat, birthing stool, walking around, standing, lunging, pretty much anything that seemed to help labor! When my daughter was born, I was in a supported standing squat position. I highly recommend this position - you have gravity on your side!

Here is a cool link to different laboring positions that Maggie had put in the old natural childbirth thread - Labor Positions



paulsbride -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 8:32:33 PM)

Thanks JoyfulWife!! [:)]

I guess I should be more specific and ask what favorite/recommended positions are! [:)] I am going to bookmark that site -looks great!



Consecrated2God -> RE: Natural Childbirth-support and discussion (1/10/2008 8:51:20 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: paulsbride

Thanks JoyfulWife!! [:)]

I guess I should be more specific and ask what favorite/recommended positions are! [:)] I am going to bookmark that site -looks great!


You know, I think it's different for different pregnancies. I hated the birthing stool for my first and second and loved it for my third. I delivered my second on my back, which is supposed to be the worst position, but it was the only one that worked for me during that particular delivery. It's just whatever feels good at the time, I guess! [:D]



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