What helped you get through labour and have a natural birth?

[shan23]

-stalks thread-

I could have written this myself. I have family support, my mother and aunt all had natural births (my mother 5, my aunt 4) and told me "Pssssh you dont need drugs!" haha. I'm also going to try and labour at home as long as possible, I too am scared the hospital will try and pressure me to hurry things along.

Sorry I'm not much help at all, but I am really eager to see the responses

[PollyA]

-stalks thread-

I could have written this myself. I have family support, my mother and aunt all had natural births (my mother 5, my aunt 4) and told me "Pssssh you dont need drugs!" haha. I'm also going to try and labour at home as long as possible, I too am scared the hospital will try and pressure me to hurry things along.

Sorry I'm not much help at all, but I am really eager to see the responses

Forgot about logistics, Labouring at home is sooo much better. I was hoping for a home birth with DS and got to 9cm in the peace and quiet (apart from my noisiness) of my home. SOOO nice. You feel safe, your partner can eat, go to the loo whenever etc. you can play your own music, have candles. Excellent point!

[Babyluv]

I intend on staying home as long as I can also, hospy is only 5 mins down the road!

[AliBaby]

Three things helped me but thats not to say that the next time I will be able to birth DD with a natural delivery drug free. Lots of things can happen that can be out of your control, but what got me through was:

*Hot water!!!! It helped ease the pain on my back and belly so much. Those hand held shower heads are like gold!!!! Just make sure you have a hot water supply that doesnt run out. I was in the shower at hospital for at least 2hours!

*Positive self talk through labour (whch I feel allowed my body to progress). I can remember sitting in the shower at hossy saying to myself "I can do this" over and over again. It worked for long enough until it was too late to ask for an epi as I was at transition

and

*labour at home as long as possible.

[~TT40~]

I've never been through it and done it, but i've been there with a number of women who have.

Keep and open mind. You never know what will happen until you get there. The key is to listen to your body, do what it is telling you to do.

I think support is the big key though. have people in the room with you who will be there for you and with you, who will talk through it with you, for you to hold on to, who will then offer you drink, rub your back, whatever you need. People who want what is best for you (not what worked for them, because basically it might not work for you what they did) 90% of my work is me standing with the woman and just telling her to remember to breathe, that she is doing an amazing job (because she is!) and getting her though one contraction at a time, and then a few minutes later doing the exact same thing. That and I always say try everything, if it works great, if it doesnt, we try something else, whether if that is just changing position, or changing the track in the cd player. then when it does work, and it stops working we try something else.

all the best with it. but also remember you still have a few months!! enjoy being pregnant for a while longer =)

[Junglemum]

I don't think being scared of an epidural is enough. You need to be mentally aware and prepared. The thing that helped me the most was knowing that is was the best thing for me and my baby. Sure you can have a painfree labour, but at what cost? I made sure i knew all the risks of the pain relief options, so if i requested them i knew what could possibly happen. I have had two births, the first i was induced due to PE and had to have an epidural. I really didn't want one but i was at risk of having a stroke as my BP was very high so i agreed. My second was a drug free birth. I would, in a heartbeat, choose the drug free one. For many reasons it was a much more enjoyable and satisfying labour. I hope my next labour will be another drug free one.

My way of dealing with the negative comments was not to tell anyone of my intentions! ;-)

And what Polly says is spot on.....

Believe in yourself and your body! This is what it was made for! YOU CAN DO IT!
And also remember, that necessary C-sections save lives. I thinks its important to not demonise intervention completely, because you could end up feeling awful after birth. Again focus on the fact that you have made another human. That is awesome. You will be holding your baby in your arms... YOU CAN DO IT!

I forgot to add, i labored for a long time in hospital with my second birth and i was not pressured at all. I just made it clear i wanted a drug free birth and not to offer my anything at any stage. When i asked for gas at transition mid-contraction the midwife said to me "are you sure?" And i said- post contraction "no, no i don't want it" This conversation continued for a few contractions, but having her question me helped me, as soon as the cx finished i didn't want it anymore!

[Babyluv]

Thankyou so much for your responses ladies.
I am determined to birth my baby naturally (so long as bub isn't in danger), I guess I just need to work on my confidence & start telling myself my body can do this. I need to sit down with my OB and discuss my hopes. I don't feel like I really know him as the appointments i've had so far have been quick check the HB and off you go sort of appointments. It's hard to have confidence in someone when you haven't really had a chance to talk to them about your concerns and how they feel about natural birth/interventions/drugs/c-sections etc.
As for interventions like vaccuum/forceps I need to be a little more open minded, if it was medically necessary then I would still get to hold my baby straight away and enjoy that skin/skin contact & immediate BF etc.
So much to think about & consider but at the end of the day I guess I need to continue to prepare myself, expect pain, knowing it's good pain because it means bub is coming & also believe that this is what my body was made to do and that I can do it.
Thanks for the encouragement and advice ladies

[Babyluv]

I made sure i knew all the risks of the pain relief options, so if i requested them i knew what could possibly happen. I have had two births, the first i was induced due to PE and had to have an epidural. I really didn't want one but i was at risk of having a stroke as my BP was very high so i agreed. My second was a drug free birth. I would, in a heartbeat, choose the drug free one. For many reasons it was a much more enjoyable and satisfying labour.

Wow Junglemum that must have been scary for you & of course like you I would do what was medically necessary for myself and bub at the time. It's great that 2nd time round you got to have a drug free birth, was your BP high for that preg also? What does PE stand for?

[CeCe]

Hi Babyluv and shan23.
I'm just approaching my own first birth so can't speak from experience but I've also had people (some who haven't even had children) tell me to go straight for the drugs or epidural. This has really been getting on my nerves as I'm going through a birth centre which means those methods are not your first option.

DH and I attended a Calm Birth class to help us prepare as a couple. It was great in that it defined my DH's role and gave me information and techniques to manage through labor, such as relaxation and visualisation.

I think what's helped me is to understand the process of what the body actually does and to have faith my body can do it. The other factor for this is that as I understand it, fear of the process can increase pain, probably due to your resistance to the process. My main aim is to go with the flow, accept what happens and be surrounded by people who will support you and provide the loving environment you feel safe to birth in.

As for intervention, from what I've learnt it may depend on your choice of care. There are generally greater intervention rates in private care vs public etc. Perhaps if you are worried about that consider a doula, or ensure your partner is aware of your wishes so they can stand up for you when you may be in a state not to do so for yourself. If they are forcing something on you which you are not sure about ask what options there are, what are the outcomes of each treatment path etc.

Wishing you both well.

[HotI]

Lots of reading, and thinking why i wanted the things i wanted and why i didn't want other things.

"The thinking woman's guide to a better birth" is a great book. Books by Ina May Gaskin inspired me and let me know that birth can be done without intervention.

[helle]

i had midwives that were pro drug free labours so I didn't have a problem with being pushed to hurry up etc.
However I was induced (I was 9 to 14 days overde... I had 2 due dates ) and constantly monitored with a CTG - i would have opted to be monitored weither i'd been induced or not so this didn't phase me the slightest.

From what I have heard from other woman, it is very disapointing when you go in with this amazing birth plan and it all goes to pot. Your baby hasn't read your birth plan, and may have plans of their own. So I opted out on writing a schedule for how Jacksons birth was going to go.

My advice would be to go in with an open mind, the difference between a drug free birth or a c/s could be the life of your baby. Go in not affraid of what your body is going to go thru, because it can handle it! Welcome each contraction as it's a step closer to your LO, and do what you need to do to get thru it. I found moaning to myself helpful & calming... even if it made me sounds like i was a cow XD

Also, take a comb with you and during contractions dig the teeth of it into the fleshy part just below your fingers as hard as you can ROFL. It's a pressure point for pain

GL! xx

[nellnell]

Traveller and Polly have some great points, among others.

I have had 2 induced labours (both ARM and Synto) for medical reasons, and laboured drug free through both. BTW, I consider gas as a drug, but I know some don't.

You totally have to believe that your body is built for birthing and that millions before have done what you are doing, even though you feel like you are the only one at the time. Keep telling yourself that you are strong, healthy, willing to do this.

My midwives offered me drugs during both births, and my DH jumped in for me both times supporting my wishes and telling them that I wanted to do this by myself. Support is crucial. During my second labour (36 hour induction) I was starting to doubt my ability at the 33hr mark and nearly caved in. My DH was my rock and dealt with the midwives questions.

Hot water is wonderful - for my short period without being connected to an IV - the shower was bliss. I hate to think how much water I wasted in that blissful hour.

Try not to be scared. Being nervous is normal as you haven't experienced it before, but use this to your advantage and channel your energy into positive thoughts for you and your baby.

GL with it all.

[Babyluv]

Nellnell 36 hrs Wow well done! Did you feel at all like you were being pressured to hurry up? Was a CS ever suggested because you were labouring for such a long time? I want to be allowed to labour for as long as my body takes without feeling pressured to have a CS so long as bubs and I are not in danger & I guess I worry about wether or not the hospy might get tired of waiting if it takes a long time.

[belfie]

I'm subscribing so I can come back later and reply properly when I have more time...
Did i get a vaginal birth? yes.
Was it induced and assisted? Yes, induced, gas, epi, failed suction & forceps. So certainly not un-assisted nor drug-free
Would I do it again? in a heartbeat
What helped me not become a c-section? doula, doula, doula, doula, a million times over I cannot say it enough - words cannot express how truly brilliant she was in a team with my DH.

Back later with more!

[Junglemum]

pre-eclampsia, and nope no sign of it second time around. I was pretty disappointed first time around, but knowing that it was necessary to ensure the safety of my and bub i was at peace with it all, but the second labour was by far better.

[Junglemum]

i noticed you're in melbourne, i did a fantastic workshop with Rhea Dempsy called transforming pain in labour. It was fantastic, more-so for DH than i. I was pretty well informed, but it really helped bring DH onto the same page and understand my desire for a drug free birth. It made him a rock solid support person.

[AndiE]

Hi there,

I was in a similar frame of mind to you when pregnant with DS1 ... I very much wanted a natural, drug-free birth free of intervention. I ultimately came to the conclusion that I had to educate myself about how I could achieve my aim. Fortunately I've had two drug-free, natural births free of intervention. My births weren't overly long and were without complication, with both boys head down, bum up. I'm possibly one of the "lucky" ones to achieve what I wanted, but I think my confidence in my abilities, my determination that I wouldn't have any drugs and my understanding of what my body was doing helped enormously. And TBH ... one of my best mates birthed her bubs drug-free and I thought "if she can do it, I can too ).

How I did it ...
* Lots of reading up about the birth process, what happens to your body in all stages
* Hypnobirthing course - pure gold, as far as I'm concerned
* Ensured my DH understood totally what I wanted and was supportive (he was)
* Acupuncture weekly for 2-3 months prior to birth - I'm convinced this helped me during my birthings. DH also gave me pressure-point massage (albeit he's no masseuse - spl?) which complemented acupuncture.
* Made sure my Ob knew exactly what I wanted for my birth
* TRUSTED MYSELF and my body 110pc. I just knew I could and would do it. When other mothers pooh-poohed me for saying I wanted to do it drug-free (cos "that's what drugs are for"!!I) I wouldn't get ticked off - I just smiled nicely and said "well, whatever, but I'm going to do this MY way".

I agree that you have to be a realist about the birthing process though - sometimes there are hiccups and your birth may take a different turn to what you expected. Personally I came to an "understanding" with myself prior to my births that if I didn't have my drug-free, natural births - ie, an unexpected medical emergency - then that would be ok to. I didn't want to set myself up for a mental fall if my natural birth plans came to a spectacular end. Obviously your safety and that of your baby is paramount.

I had a terrific Ob who supported my birthing intentions - particularly so when I was pg with DS2, I guess because I'd "proved myself". But I do agree that in the throws of birthing, medical staff can have a huge impact on you. For arguments sake, my DS1's heartbeat was dropping off - lower than normal - during the final phases of my contractions. Fortunately by that stage I was 9-10cm and ready to push, and within half an hour he was born. However I guess if I wasn't at that stage, or my pushing phase was considerably slower it could have ended differently. Who knows? Anyway, the midwife (not the best in the word unfortunately) started making comments that the cord could be around the baby's neck (it wasn't). If I wasn't so inward focused and certain that I WOULD have my natural birth (I wasn't in the mood to argue ) then I might've become anxious/afraid etc. Obviously fair comments for her to make, but I'm just highlighting that words etc during your labour can cause a reaction in the birthing parents. We felt she should have kept her remarks to herself, and later my DH actually told her and another midwife to take a conversation outside our birthing room when they started waffling on about another birth in front of us. Won him big brownie points!

Main thing for me - trust yourself and your body and have a good support partner during your birth. You can do it ... trust me. My boys' births were the most empowered moments of my life.

[Nettie]

Sorry I haven't read through the whole thread (short of time tonight!), but I have two dot points...

• R..E..L..A..X
• The Pink Kit

If you can learn to consciously relax your muscles when a contractions starts, they are much less severe and easier to bear... that's how I got through (I only had gas that I wasn't sure was turned on!)