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12-22-2012 at 4:36 PM
chiarellak
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Natural Birth?

I was thinking back to my birth experience and curious how it went with others. I wanted a natural birth (no medication), but still wanted to be in the hospital. I was very concerned beforehand hearing that hospitals were not very conducive or supportive of natural births. I wound up getting what I wanted and found the hospital staff to be very supportive and followed just what I wanted. (Although at the time I was kind of wishing someone would offer me an epidural).

I was curious if you wanted a natural birth was your hospital supportive? Did you run into issues? Or do not many people want natural births?

 
12-22-2012 at 4:53 PM
jmccall79
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I wanted a vaginal birth, but medicated. I had an epi, it took just fine with no problems! I ended up with an emergency csection and was so glad that I had the epi so they didn't have to knock me out cold. They were able to get extra doses of meds in on the way to the OR and I was ready as soon as I got in there. Not exactly what I wanted but it all went ok in the end.

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12-22-2012 at 4:55 PM
kleMcK
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Wanted a natural birth at a Hospital, and that's what I got. The hospital staff was pretty apathetic to the whole thing. I didn't get the impression that they gave a rats behind either way, to be honest.

 
12-22-2012 at 5:02 PM
preggersIN...
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I wanted an unmediated birth. I went through 7 hours of labor before they realized he was breech and I had to have a csection. I was devastated.

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12-22-2012 at 5:23 PM
Shmogan09
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I wanted a natural birth in a hospital both times and got that both times.  I felt the nurses were annoyed at first that I asked to not have an iv started.  I know they do this so it is quicker if they need to give you something but I really felt it would bother me while I was in my zone.  I didn't notice much after that, some told me after that it was fun to help a woman through a med free birth because it's rare now, while others I feel would have liked me to just get an epidural, shut up and go to sleep.

All in all my experience made me feel that you need at least your DH (if not more people, I had DH, my mom, mil and my sister) to be supportive of your decision and advocate for you.  I do not think I would have made it med free both times without DH and my mom reminding me why I wanted to do it that way. 


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12-22-2012 at 5:56 PM
CotterpinD...
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I wanted a natural birth... and the hospital and midwives were all very supportive. but was induced b/c of hypertension and then had an emergency C-section when LO wasn't dropping, I wasn't dilating, but her heartrate was coming down into the 40s.  NOT my plan!

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12-22-2012 at 6:17 PM
MrsGlaedr
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I didnt care too much about natural, but I ADAMANTLY wanted a vaginal birth. My hospital staff was amazing and so supportive... my dr, however, was not. He showed his true colors when I had to be induced on his day off... wound up with a Csection :(

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12-22-2012 at 6:17 PM
nickert200...
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I had unmedicated water births at a hospital (all 3 kids) and each time the nurses and doctors where super supportive. The Dr's all wanted to be the one to do the delivery b/c they do not get to do very many. So the doc that was on call that day was very happy she got the bragging rights.  The nurses at our hospital were also very supportive and excited to be able to be a part of a natural water-birth. 
My last birth I did have to be induced b/c of low fluid levels at 41 weeks, they had me try all sorts of things to try and get things moving before I got pitocin.

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12-22-2012 at 6:28 PM
bearsbears...
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I was pretty on the fence with what I wanted. 

When I went in the nurses were very big cheerleaders for natural birth and super encouraging...when I decided to get an epidural they were supportive of that too.

I was happy with my experience and super-happy with the nurses. 


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12-22-2012 at 7:19 PM
Jchirico
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My birth plan was to come just home with a healthy baby, and hopefully after as least pain as necessary. I definitely planned on having an epidural (I joked about walking in to the hospital backwards :), and I got one. I ended up having a c-section (after an induction due to being 41w 4days) and I was totally happy with that. To be honest, I don't really get why people are so anti c section. I figure you're either going to bust up your lady bits or your stomach, and I think I'd rather it be my stomach!

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12-22-2012 at 7:28 PM
cheese.fie...
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I really wanted a med free birth, and, from what I saw during our natural birthing class at our hospital, the staff is generally supportive and accommodating of a woman's wishes. Unfortunately, I had a planned c section at 39 weeks due to velamentous cord insertion and breech positioning. I have a lot of irrational negative feelings about my c section, but am so thankful we knew about the VCI and were able to prevent a rupture or hemorrhage.

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12-22-2012 at 7:44 PM
pinkshades...
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I had a natural birth but at a birthing center. I'm glad I did because I didn't want anyone offering meds or else imighthave taken it.

 
12-22-2012 at 9:12 PM
lancyjo
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I wanted to bring home a healthy child, and have a safe delivery. Other than that, it didn't much matter to me.

I was induced at 40w 2d because of high blood pressure and extreme swelling.

My OB and his staff, as well as the hospital staff, were great about all of my choices. They asked me what I wanted to do, and never acted biased one way or another. I never felt anything but supported by them. They were even supportive when I wanted to try "one more time" with the pitocin to have Aria vaginally. [Her heart rate had been dropping, and the pitocin had to e be stopped and restarted 3 times.] I wouldn't have been sad had I had to have a csection, I'm just irrationally terrified of any sort of surgery.

I wanted an epidural and they tried to give me one about 16 hours in, but it didn't take. Aria was born vaginally, transverse, after 42 hours of labor. I only pushed for an hour and 17 minutes. [and pushing out a baby that was laying on her side hurt!]

I guess because I didn't go into my "birth experience" with any expectations, I wasn't able to be disappointed. I will say that because I experienced having a child with no pain medication, [even though that wasn't my intent!] I would probably try to go medfree if there were a next time. It was empowering and exhilarating.

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12-22-2012 at 9:12 PM
Jessicamer...
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I wanted a med-free birth at the hospital (we don't have any local birth centers, and I didn't want a home birth) and I did get my wish. My OB was very supportive and my husband said he even heard her in the hallway talking to the nurses to make sure that they understood what I wanted. There was actually never a point for me where I even felt like I needed/wanted anything for pain, so I consider myself to be very fortunate!! They did get a little concerned about his heart rate shortly after I started pushing, but I only pushed for 20 minutes so I don't know how things would have gone if it had taken longer.

The bad? I lost a lot of blood and had trouble delivering the placenta. It did not have to be manually extracted, thank goodness, but the blood loss really took a toll on my post-partum recovery, both in the hospital and once I came home. I was offered a blood transfusion, but at the time I didn't realize the extent of my blood loss and I declined. I realize now that it would have helped me heal and recover much more quickly. Also, I had a 3rd degree tear, inside and out.

Overall I am happy with my birth experience.  I know there is so much that we have no control over, and I'm thankful that I did get the primary things I wanted (vaginal, med-free).




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12-22-2012 at 9:54 PM
joie12
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I wanted to be med-free up for the majority of it, but definitely wanted an epidural for delivery at the hospital. My body had other plans, and I was med-free the entire time. I did have an IV, but frankly since I arrived at the hospital fully dilated and ready to push, I wasn't terribly impacted by it.

ETA: Whoops, forgot about the reception I got about being med-free:

The nurses were pretty good. I didn't like my intake nurse, but that's only because she insisted that I had to get off the toilet and into the delivery room. Honestly, the toilet was the only comfortable place for me. I wish I had been able to have the baby on the toilet. My doc was amazing, super supportive of it - especially since it wasn't quite what I had planned. When she came by the next day she was going on and on about how impressed she was by me. Also she complimented me on my hair - which was such a needed boost to my ego at a time when I was feeling less than attractive. I loved her.


 
12-22-2012 at 10:36 PM
footnotegi...
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I did unmedicated birth in a hospital (well, induced so there was cervidil/cytotec and then two days later, pitocin) and the staff was very, very supportive of my choice. In part that was because my family doctor and my perinatologist were both very much behind keeping down medical interventions as much as possible due to my particular complications (clotting factor, allergic to lidocaine, on blood thinners) but the hospital that I gave birth in was already at least somewhat supportive of that. I was one of only two women doing unmedicated birth that weekend (the other was giving birth to twins) and they made sure that the nurse with me starting from the point they gave me pitocin had also been trained as a midwife. 

I was never offered epidurals or any other pain killers, and they made sure to suggest frequent changes of coping strategies (birthing ball, squat bar, walking, getting on all fours, and i spent transition in a warm tub) and they worked hard to keep me mobile even though I had to be on an IV and monitors (off IV during the time between having the cervidil removed and the pitocin started, making sure I had wireless monitors, etc).  


 
12-22-2012 at 10:59 PM
MollySm
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I wanted a vaginal birth with an epidural.  I delivered at a different hospital than my own, so while I should have been with midwives, instead I had an OB.  The main reason I wanted a vaginal birth was that I had to go back to work 1 and a half weeks later, and I'm not sure I would have been allowed to drive, or able to carry all 3 of the children after a c-section.  The anesthesiologist was great - even let me keep my bra on (I hate to have it off!) while I got my epi.  My nurse was fabulous.  He helped me rotate up onto my knees when she just wasn't moving down, even with all the wires everywhere and the fact that I couldn't feel or move one leg.  My OB wasn't the most comforting ever, and I think she would have gone to a C-section if I hadn't been so pushy about it.  But she let me go even though it had been past 24 hours since my water broke, and helped me get Lucia out.  Lucia was sideways, so it took 30 hours, 3 hours of pushing, the doc reaching up to spin her, and a vacuum to get her out.  

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12-22-2012 at 11:27 PM
goldenleav...
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I had wanted a vag birth with my first but had an emergency c/s. It was terrifying and by the end I was just hoping for a live baby!

I had the option to vbac because we knew she'd be small and I declined. The worry surrounding Lauren's birth gave me enough anxiety, I just wanted her out ASAP once I went into labor!

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12-23-2012 at 11:08 AM
NatesLady1...
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My hospital was pretty supporting of natural birth. That was my birth plan although I ended up with an epi at 5 to 6cm (that was what the nurse said, "either 5 or 6cm, I can't tell for sure!," as I was screaming bloody murder while she had her hand in me and I was having contractions). The hospital had whirlpool tubs in almost every room, although you are not allowed to deliver in them. Women near me who want to try for a natural birth tend to go to this hospital to achieve that because they are known to be supportive about it. I felt like when I was admitted that my wishes were taken seriously, and other than the IV I KNEW I had to have because I was positive for Strep B (getting that IV was hell, don't even go there), I was not asked or pressured to do anything more than just deal with the pain how I wanted to. I will say that I wish the nurses would have been trying to actually HELP me deal with my pain or find something that helped me one-on-one versus just kind of leaving me alone (although I had DH and a good friend with me as a "coach"). It could be that I simply wasn't at the hospital long enough for them to have done that though as I got the epi maybe 1-2 hours after finally going to the hospital. I will say that the staff was VERY supportive of my natural birth plan for delivery/post-birth as far as no eye-goop, no shots in the hospital, etc. They even went out of their way to place her directly on my belly once she came out even though they knew she had meconium and they would have to suction her. They suctioned her before she was all the way out and then did some while she was on my belly. They only let the respiratory team do their thing for her AFTER I had touched and seen her for a minute or two. They warned me before I delivered her that they might have to take her right away, but thankfully they were able to still safely care for her this way. It meant so much to me that I could see her and touch her immediately. I definitely felt that my natural birth plan was completely respected and I was even more impressed that the staff did not seem to throw all the other parts of my birth plan to the wind once I got the epi. That meant so much, and helped lessen the guilt I had felt for getting it.

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12-23-2012 at 12:17 PM
jju_stb_jj...
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My hospital asked what I wanted when I got there and never tried to sway my decision. I waned to go as long as possible before getting the epi. Now when I got there my water had already broke at home and I was not getting contractions and not even dilated. I was 36 weeks and 6 days. So they had to start the pitocin to get things going. I made it to an 7 before asking for the epi but by the time the anesthesiologist for there and after 3 tries then finally getting it right I was already at an 8 almost 9. I had ds vaginally and only pushed 3 times.

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12-23-2012 at 9:40 PM
KatelynEA9...
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I ended up needing to be induced but still planned on going pain med free. There was a problem and I ended up with an epi. They forgot to turn on the machine though. I was numb for about an hour. It was gone before I delivered. 


 
12-24-2012 at 1:33 PM
ryry1977
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Our hospital has a 3-room section/area that is just for a med-free birth (with water birth if wanted).  I did this and loved it!  It was great.  If you do decide to have drugs then you have to leave and move to the regular wing of the delivery.  I was hoping for a water birth...but it went too fast!  So very good everything :)

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12-26-2012 at 8:44 PM
Nate&Teren
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I went in wanting a med-free birth, and the hospital staff was VERY supportive.  After 20 hours of labor it was me who suggested perhaps it might be time, and the hospital staff even suggested I see if I can make it through one more contraction to make sure that was what I wanted.  It ended up being the better choice for me.  I was exhausted and not handling the situation well at that point, and there were still a few hours to go (I was only 5cm dilated at 20 hours).

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