Why is a natural birth so important???

Liz - how long you can stay at home with ruptured membranes seems to depend a bit on your OB/hospital policy and GBS status. I am positive for GBS so am supposed to go in within 2 hours if my membranes break, regardless of whether labour is established or not to get some penicillin. I know there are varying opinions on this but that's what we've agreed with our OB given a variety of circumstances.

My naturopath has given me some caulophyllum (homeopathic stuff) to help get my contractions going if they aren't by the time my waters break or if I stall at any stage in an effort to avoid the dreaded drip. I'll have some acupuncture specifically for induction too if I haven't got moving in a few days. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Just in case anyone misconstrued my earlier comment about putting in some 'hard yards', I meant that in my particular case, I feel I owe it to my bubs to do what I can to avoid interventions, especially pethidine, as he'll have a bit of withdrawal to cope with post-birth (I'm on anti-depressants) and would like him to have to 'cope' with as little as possible on top of that. :pray: I wasn't meaning to infer that a natural birth was related to how 'hard' the mum had 'worked' during pregnancy - who knows what could happen for anyone? I could end up not coping and screaming for an epi or have some situation crop up that could mean I need a c/s. I was just talking about what I valued personally in an 'ideal' situation and not casting 'nasturtiums' in any direction. :)

Great thread BTW.

Liz, Jovie wouldn't go straight onto my boob, it took her around 15 minutes to be oriented enough to be able to suck. She wasn't into sucking at all the first 3 days though, but she had a good feed after around 15-20 minutes, and in that time the cord stopped pulsating, so the cord stopped after around 15 minutes for me. About 5 minutes after the placenta was delivered.

ETA: Jovie went straight onto my chest and I held her for the first 2 hours.

Tehya didn't feed for about 30 minutes either. She was too busy taking in the sights :)
Her cord was left attached until it stopped beating too, approx 20 minutes or so later. Not long afterwards the placenta came away.

A baby's sucking reflex is usually there in the first hour, so not always right after birth. There's no rush, the bubby has been getting all the nutrients from the placenta. Just when mum and bub are ready, things will happen. Nice to enjoy those cuddles and snuggles without the stress :)

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Drugs - my view on pain relief was purely and simply that I would not let anything pass through to the baby. I'd spent 9 months (plus pre-conception months) being careful what I ate and drank, coz of any 'risks' to the baby. Why would I suddenly pump DRUGS through to him right at the end? It was just a no-go for me.

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This is my view too. In my ante-natal class on Saturday we covered pain relief then watched a video of a birth. After the video of the birth - which was a drug free birth - so many of them EVEN after hearing of the cons of the drugs like epi's and pethidene were saying how unrealistic it was because she had no drugs! Its like its never entered their minds NOT to have drugs - or at least start without the drugs.

It will be interesting to see how many of them do end up with drugs and/or intervention.

I got to say tho - at transition, I was ready to scream for an epi myself! LOL. Thank goodness we kinda knew we were nearly there, and I was determined to wait til the OB came back.. and I was pushing by then. hehe.

So I do totally understand why people do use the pain relief, and you really do need a solid reason within yourself not to use it, coz otherwise I think it's very easy to accept it.

Its only unrealistic if you dont have good support and are informed. I had a birth this weekend, she was doing so well and had some setbacks - decided on the internal and she was disappointed to be only 4-5cms, then I got her into the bath to relax a little more, then her parents turned up in emergency when she didnt want them to (so she was very cross and couldn't focus) and again it was lots of work to do the relaxation with her when she was in transition (but she didnt know it). So it was lots of work on my part and how on earth could a partner be expected to know and do what I was able to say to her? It was intense one on one from 6pm until the birth at 3.10 to help her get focused and on track - not something we all could do off the top of our heads. She did it in the end though, despite setbacks, no drugs and would have been a normal physiological childbirth but towards the end the Ob wanted her to have the synto injection for the placenta as it was a long labour and was worried about bleeding. She worked so hard, so knew she'd need good support to get through and thats exactly what she did.

Sarah - I find it very hard to explain things to my sisters in regards to natural birth and pregnancy in general. I think they just don't "get" it because they're not in that frame of mind, iykwim? Hek, I can't even get them to understand why I'm bothering with cloth nappies let alone try to explain why part of me would like a VBAC.
You don't need to justify your reasons to them. Maybe one day in the future they will understand... and you'll be there as an incredible support.
They're perspective is probably a little selfish too. They want you to be ok and the baby to be ok... so their natural instinct would be to tell you to opt for what the Dr. says and/or another caesar.

I agree with Kelly on the need for education and support.

And Liz, I want to "tweak" the next one too! My SIL asked if I wanted another and whether I was looking forward to going through childbrith again and I said YES!! I joked that I kind of want to "improve my form" like a marathon runner would. I reckon if I managed the birth I did being in a private hospital with an OB in attendance, by my fourth or fifth I will be delivering the baby myself (LOL- but secretly I wish!)

Percy, I had a similar experience with ppl talking about drugs - in fact my only social conversation about childbirth (ie: non-birthclass related) with women who had been there involved 3 of them saying "Epidural, epidural, epidural". Sad but true.

It took two births to give me confidence for a home waterbirth aurora - it's bound to happen when you rock up in hospital at 9cm and just push your baby out - could have saved myself a stressful trip!!! Now I AM looking forward to doing it at home, in safety and comfort of my own surroundings where I will be upright (when I got there I was flat on my back and no-one thought to put me up, I couldnt get the words to ask) and I will be sure to have great birth support people. Many homebirths happen quicker because of this, not uncommon to hear them as being 4-5 hours or less etc.

It would probably take about 10 babies to get that 'perfect birth' but I am just going to go with what feels right for me, what feels safest and then birth is bound to go better ;)

Hey a guy from works wife has birthed vaginally 10 babies... 8 girls & 2 boys!
The last 3 have been born at home, not by plan... But by wife saying..., "Um, I think it's starting!" Hubby calling out to older kids to mind younger ones as he's taking Mum to hospital, going back up satirs to find baby halfway out & wife pushing!!!

He then each time has called out tothe oldest child to bring the phone he calls hospital & an ambulance arrives to babies all having been born!!!

ALL of the kids still live at home too & when they go out they take 2 mini buses... He said it used to be kinda lonely if they were going away & his wife drove one of the mini buses & he the other but now his oldest 2 are old enough to drive so he & his wife take the littlest ones & the older daughters follow in the other car!

They are the closest family I have ever met & at any work social gatherings I'd say hands down their kids are the nicest, friendliest, kindest, most well behaved kids of all!

They had their last in March last year, when asked if that's it, they both say it depends on if they get any time to themselves in the near future!!! She does pregnancy REALLY well..
He is in early 40's & she is late 30's... The most patient persons ever...

Sorry going off on a tangent there!

Still a great tangent Tracey! Hehehe. Imagine 10. What a wonderful sounding family.

ps: do they have the net at home - I'm sure she'd be able to contribute fantastic advice on anything baby related?!