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No worries - the weighlessness of water counteracts the gravity, so it's important to have showers in early labour and not baths or be in pools until you are in transition (7cms). Janet Balaskas has written a book called 'Waterbirth' which is great. Do they allow waterbirths there?
I just wanted to add about the TENS machine. You can't have it in water, but it's very easy to take off and put on, so you can alternate between the two. Being so cheap to hire it's worth trying. However, have a go before the birth, you might not like it at all!!! xo
Amber, congratulations on making such a great decision for your baby. I hope you have a fantastic labour. I think that Kelly is right in suggesting that you find a support person to help you achieve this goal. My little suggestion is that you get your midwife or ob to put a big note on the front of your chart with highlighter on it saying not to offer you drugs or an epi. Most midwives are really caring people and when they see you in pain thier first instinct is to try and reduce it by offering you drugs. If they don't offer them to you you don't have to worry about being tempted when the time comes IYKWIM.
Maybe you can help your DH by suggesting a bunch of natural ways he can help you with the pain ie massage, getting heat packs, breathing with you, getting you cool drinks. I think men hate feeling usless in the face of pain so if you can show him ways to help and be proactive he might cope better. A good support person will help to support your DH as well as you.
BTW I'm due in March too - on the 22nd. Why don't you pop into the march belly buddies and chat with us here. The more the merrier.
I had a drug free birth and it was such a positive expreience. Yes it hurt but the pain is a pain that is there for that moment and once the contraction is over so is the pain! its not like having a sprained ankle or something where it aches all the time. I spent the whole time sitting on a fitness ball in the shower with the water on my back and belly. I got out when i felt i needed to push and I had actually let it go that long that she virtually fell out of me as i got up on the bed.
Even when she was coming out, it hurt but I just knew it was almost over. I only had a slight graze, nothing that needed stitches which was great too.
I do think though that if you end up having a long labour you definately need to look at drugs coz you dont want to get to tired out by the pain. Its one of those things that you can only play moment to moment. I htink having a nice midwife would make all the difference, luckily I did.
You have to trust what they are saying and make your decisions final though, not get pushed into anything.
Good luck! I cant wait to hear how you go
If you are having a long labour, the first thing I would suggest before drugs is changing positions or what you are doing. Maybe the cervix isn't dilating efficiently as the baby isn't in the best position. Walking up steps is great for getting that baby down as is walking - the best thing you can do is walk through contractions - wowee! That's the pinnicle!! See, an experienced support person can help you with this, sadly the training Obs and even midwives get at uni are all science and medical - I have spoken to many who are gentle birth advocates and they go to uni only to be dismayed at the teaching which is straightaway so science and medical based, nothing about normal physiological birth. My birth teacher actually gets employed by hospitals and midwives to teach them. How ironic. Our unis need to be teaching normal physiological birth before they teach science. Because if you ask an Ob or Midwife about alternatives before an intervention, and they wont know of any unless they have had training in normal physiological childbirth.
It seems so many people see natural birth as unacheivable, but it is very acheivable, it is so dependant on those around you, the midwives, the Obs, your family - they need to keep you active, moving, helping you keep your labour efficient, or you will be labelled 'slow to progress' etc. I wish I could all magically pop into everyone's heads and let them know what I have learnt, you would have serious doubts about how we are being treated by the medical system, and how draining they are on women's confidence and ability.
I even know one Ob who is currently practicing and tells student midwives that women know nothing about birth, don't expect them to and don't tell them to go to ante-natal classes. Many times he has come to a woman who is labouring beautifully and has reached 9cms and told them they need an epidural... epidural gets put in, woman says thank-you for saving me and mum is happy... but at 9cms - she was soooo close and I find that to be professional abuse to tell a woman she needs the drugs when she and baby were both fine, and would have been completely fine without it. You should hear some of the stories I have heard.
Well said Kelly
I leave my current employer tomorrow. We have a Ob's/GP here who insists that the woman should be on her back on the bed to give birth. Also the baby must be suctioned when on the peri. It does not matter what condition the baby is in we still have to stick that little tube down its throat and up its nose. I refuse to do this and often give him articles to read. I used to ask him why and to show me research that says his way is the way to go, as yet he has not provided this info. All of the other Midwives go along with what he wants even though they know that is is not the right thing to do. So now I dont even bother to call him untill after the baby is born. He hates this and so does the hospital management but what the hell I know I am doing the right thing I just cant find anyone here who is willing to stand up with me and say to this Ob/GP you are wrong.
Hi!
I don't think they do water births there, I haven't really checked into it. 8-[ I start my ante natal classes in a few weeks so can check then. That's a great tip about walking up stairs, I've read a lot about moving around and walking during labour and decided I wanted to have the freedom to do that if I choose. I was a bit worried if a hospital would allow it but the midwife said I can swing from the chandaliers if I like as long as I'm comfy. So I feel a lot better about them respecting my wishes of as little as possible intervention.
Thanks for the invite Dachlostar, will definately pop by! :D
I wish I had known that before I went into labour. I was in the bath and not even close to 3cm which I eventually got to and my labour slowed down if not stopped. Ended up with an emergency C-sect but wish I had some more info beforehand.:
Great thread.
hehehe Gemma - well I hope I am able to start showing everyone how useful a birth attendant can be - this is just a tiny preview ;)
Alan, thats so awful that there are people out there who insist that their way is the "right" way. It makes working in that environment a nightmare, good on you for trying to work for the family involved rather than the Dr.
i had a drug free labour and ouch! but i dont regret it, it was a great experience at least i wasnt drugged up and could actually remember everything:
Tulip,
I'd guess that if you already know his way of showing support etc, that it will show whilst in labour & although it may not be vocalised, as you will know his ways, it will help you through the pushing etc... does that make sense?
I think just having my Dh there with my drug free labour helped..
I had drugs with my first & had my sis & Mum with me...
I still enjoyed both labours, just differently!!!
I know what you mean Tulip!
I'm very concerned about my DH ability to cope with everything. I've started warning him I might yell or not want him to touch me at some points so I hope he'll be okay with it.
I'm just hoping that during ante natal classes they teach things like that, this is our first so I don't even know what I should be warning him about! 8-[
There's a book called 'The Birth Partner' by Penny Simkin that might be useful to him, also an article on BB which is in the men's section but I really ought to update it, as I have stacks more tips now than when I wrote it!
It's great they leave you alone for the birth, it really is a natural process and not a medical event. It's a very scary thought though for most women to surrender and trust your body - we'd rather leave it to the 'experts' in this day and age but they don't always have your best interests at heart, rather their's - which could be a combination of anything really, convenience, litiation, comfort level (i.e. some wont like to be involved in a twin vaginal birth or breech etc as they have no real life skills in it - one of the joys of too much intervention, they lose their hands on normal birth skills).
WA has a great community midwifery program, every other state is at the complete envy of you guys over there!!! It's the easiest place to acheive a home waterbirth, which is fully (I believe) funded by the government.
I don't know is anyone has already suggested this (I didn't have time to read all the posts) but when I had DD I had a "birth plan of sorts". It was just a rough idea of what I would like to have ideally but it I changed my mind that was ok. DH and I spoke about all the things and wanted and my prefered drug options. I was trying for nothing but if the pain got too bad I wanted too try the gas as a first option and then if it was too intense I didn't want the Peth and would go straight for the Epi, but at each of these stages I had to ask 3 times (at 3 different points of time or for 3 consecutive contractions because some are worse than others) before DH would ask the Midwife to give it to me.
I had gas in the last hour and asked for and Epi only once but DH knew I didn't really want it because I only asked once so I didn't have it. We are doing the same thing again this time. I will go as far as I can with nothing but water and focusing on DH and then if I ask 3 times I'll get what I want.
Good luck, I hope it all goes well.
Jorja
Hi Amber
I have two boys and gave both to both of them without drugs. I used Hypnobirthing and will guarantee to you that birth does not have to be painful. If you believe that it is a natural process, and can get your body completely relaxed, then your body takes over and, without you fighting against the contractions, there is no real pain and no need for drugs. The effectivness of this varies from woman to woman.
I also used the bath to help me relax, and gave birth to my youngest three weeks ago in the water, which was a lovely experience.
Another huge factor in remaining relaxed was having helpful birth companions who knew what I was trying to accomplish and were happy to help me through it. One of my birth companions was also my midwife and this helped tremendously.
Throughout both labours I would have been begging for drugs if I was in pain, but luckily I was not.
Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy and your labour
Mel
Thanks for your comments on HypnoBirthing Mel!
It's hard to guarantee a labour without pain though, I recently attended a birth where mum was very anti-pain relief and anti-intervention (most motivated I have worked with to date), she worked hard at hypnobirthing but after two days of the water breaking and a sluggish labour, she had to be induced. She was getting very strong contractions on the drip, and after two days of trying to get labour going, she was exhausted and asked for an epidural, but we managed to get her to try the gas instead.
She worked so hard on everything to keep it intervention free, the partner was right into the hypnobirthing too and she had three of us supporting her. But the uterus can react in different ways to induction / hormones and some are very sensitive to it, others not. Same goes with any labour, but I agree HypnoBirthing is great - it helps with the focus and pain / tension / release etc... definitely worth it.
Thanks for all the tips, I really hope I'm able to do it!
I don't feel any stress about the labour or the pain, I'm just looking forward to meeting her so I'm hoping that motivation will be enough to get me through.
This is my first though so am completely ignorant about what it feels like etc. I just hope the type of labour you have is hereditary, mum had 4 hour labours with all of us.
Is there any indicator of the type of labour you'll have? :-k