mo2 Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 No I'm not pregnant but plan on becoming that way again someday. :001_smile: I just was thinking about how different I felt after each of my children's births. I didn't have an epidural with either one, but with my first one I had lots of IV narcotics and then a spinal injection. I was drowsy for days, and itchy. With my second one, I got to the hospital only 2 hours before the baby was born. I did receive one shot of Demerol, but after the initial head rush, I couldn't even tell I had received any medication. After the baby was born, I felt so much more AWAKE and able to handle things. I was up and about immediately, instead of wanting to sleep away my days. I went home after 23 hours, rather than the 3 days I spent in the hospital with my 1st dc. Now, I'm not attributing this entirely to the drugs, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I wasn't so doped up with my second one. However, I am not at all pleased with the way I handled myself during my second childbirth. In fact, I am downright embarrassed of the way I cried, shook, and begged the doctor to "please just get it out of there!" The nurses kept telling me to lean forward when I felt I needed to arch back (or was it vice-versa?) but I couldn't tell them what I felt because I couldn't catch my breath long enough to talk. So, because I like to be over-prepared for things way in advance :D, who has some resources for me on different methods of natural childbirth, and what would you recommend? ETA: Oh yeah, my second baby was also much more awake and able to nurse better than the first, possibly due to the drugs (?), which is another reason I want to go natural next time. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 I used hypnobirthing methods with both my births... I was in the hospital, but went totally natural. I also used a doula with both, which helped me to focus and use my tools. I can honestly say I loved both experiences, really enjoyed the actual process of giving birth. The key for me was to practice, practice, practice... by the time the actual deliveries came along, I could go into a super relaxed mellow state instantaneously. This is the method I used: www.hypbirth.com If you watch her video, dh and I are in it talking about our first hypbirth. It really is fairly miraculous the way you can control your own body, your perception of pain, your stress level, etc... but preparation is the key! Feel free to email me if you want more info or to hear my long-form birth stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 hypnobirth, as Kay said, and Bradley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Bradley :thumbup1::thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 waterbirth. I'm trying for a water-birth w/ this baby. Water is such a natural pain relief for labor and so natural for the birth of the baby. As to what your nurse said about not arching your back...many nurses and doctors even have absolutely NO IDEA about the actual way in which a baby is born. I mean, the mechanics of how a baby is positioned in the womb and how it turns and maneuvers to actually "get born". A woman who is unmedicated knows her body and instinctively will position herself in the best way possible for baby to come out. Your arching your back was probably in response to your baby moving down and allowing baby more room to pass through the pelvis. Anyway, I'm reading some great books...Labor Progress and Optimal Fetal Posisitioning in preparation for this birth. Both tell how the traditional methods of "pusing" are really not the best ways to deliver (i.e. sitting scrunched up with your head to your chest, knees back, etc.). The baby acutally has to then "go uphill" to get out! Anyway, check out waterbirth resources, Bradley and the books I mentioned. As to screaming and yelling and crying, etc....all NORMAL! I'm horrible during labor! Whatever gets you through. Bradley will actually help re-direct the screaming and help you use more of a low, moaning sound. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay in Cal Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 FYI: We did take Bradley classes, and they were great! We used the positioning, etc, learned there with great success... I mentioned hypbirth because I think that was the technique that really helped me to have that total peace and relaxation throughout the delivery. But they are not mutually exclusive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 18, 2008 Share Posted April 18, 2008 Oh, if you are a dr. or nurse...please note that I don't mean you any disrespect by my comment about not knowing about the actual physiological internal maneuverings of a baby when it is being born. Just my experience from having 3 hospital births and being present at several more. I re-read my post and just wanted to clarify that it is must MY opinion b/c it did sound a bit harsh and know-it-allish! So sorry! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyB Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I cannot recommend this book enough! I have used this method with all 5 of my births and I loved each and everyone of them. I was a little lax with my last 2 and didn't practice as much as I did with my first 3 and could definatley tell a difference in the births. They were still awesome but not as controlled, short as the first 3 births. My friend didn't listen to me with her first 2 births but after over 36+ painful births she did and her last 2 were about 8 hours from start to finish and she loved the births. The key to these books are Relaxation and a certain position that they have you in for the first stage of labor. I love, love, love this book. It is a easy read, book with practice "contractions" that you and your partner do together. Caution though, there are pictures of a birth in the book and she is na*ked. My uncle and aunt used this book and my uncle wouldnt' practice unless she was na*ked because "that's what the book shows" :lol: Anyway I highly recommend this to anyone having a baby, thinking of having a baby or who knows anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Well, first of all, I don't think you should feel even remotely "ashamed" or "embarrassed" based on how you behaved during labor. There's absolutely no need, and I'm sure that no one (not nurses, doctor, your dh) thought less of you... Bradley is useful... I think it's worth pursuing, but ... The thing that was problematic with Bradley for me (and that I mention because of your request for the doctor to just "get it out" -- *for* you) was that it focused so heavily on the husband's role. I know, in retrospect, that I was looking to dh to sort of "save" me when the going got tough. Just as, in a way, you were looking to the doctor. But the thing is, he couldn't. It was just darn hard work that *I* had to get through. And no amount of him reminding me of the goal was going to help that. Just recognizing that (and that's about myself -- not everyone who goes through Bradley, but because I saw a similarity there between what you felt and what I did, I thought I'd bring it up)... Just recognizing that fact between one birth and the next made a huge difference for me. There wasn't going to be any "saving" going on -- I was just going to have to do what had to be done. Does that make any sense at all? I also had a tape that a friend had given me of hypnobirthing-type birth affirmations and I listened to it in the car while pregnant with dd. I thought it was a little hokey ;) but I decided I'd just go for it anyway. And I *did* find them helpful, I think. I never did full-on hypnobirthing, but what I gained just from those tapes was indeed helpful to me. There's more out there to read and think about, etc, etc. But I think that's plenty to recommend for now. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted April 19, 2008 Author Share Posted April 19, 2008 Thanks so much. I guess I should have mentioned that I live in podunk-ville and my resources are limited. I wanted a homebirth last time but no midwives in the area. No doulas either, which I really, really want. :sad: No waterbirths. No Bradley classes. Lots of epidurals. Lots of C-sections. No one under 16 in the birthing room (I wanted my dd there). My kids can't spend the night at the hospital with me. The list of rules goes on. So, basically, I am going to be doing this natural thing on my own. Book recommendations are great. Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 My favorites are Ina May Gaskin's Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (just brilliant) and Henci Goer's The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. My favorite piece of advice was from Gaskin's book: let your monkey do it! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisychics Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I don't know what your beliefs are but this really helped me. I had two natural childbirths :001_smile:. Christian content: Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize: http://www.amazon.com/Supernatural-Childbirth-Jackie-Mize/dp/0892747560/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208566671&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MySerenity Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 Bradley and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth were awesome! The latter really helped my mom to understand my birth choices. (We homebirthed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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