# How Important is walking around during labor?



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

So we just came back from my Prenatal appointment a few hours ago, and I asked my doctor a bunch of questions I thought up to know what to prepare myself for when the time comes. When I asked if laboring women are free to move about, he said no, because it endangers the mother. Now I love my doctor, and my fiance and I were pertty satisfied - considering the fact that it will be a hospital birth - of what wasn't routine. I have very few complaints, and even then, the things that are routine I can't really complain about! I know "having it your way"(golly I'm hungry...) is a lot to ask for in a hospital setting, so I really feel like we've struck it lucky. Besides, the stuff I really care about isn't even routine, and done only if the mother wants it. So really, not being able to move around (except for going to the bathroom) during labor isn't a huge deal to me. ...But SHOULD it be?

I can understand perhaps the Birthing Staff fears if laboring mom walks around that a particularly hard contraction might make her keel over and wind up hurting herself and/or the baby. At least, I'm assuming that's their reasoning. So how important, truly, is walking around during labor? Can shifting positions accomplish the same task by helping it move along?


----------



## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

It can be the difference between a c-section for a malpositioned non-descending baby and a normal vaginal delivery. You should care about it.

They probably think you'll hurt yourself because they assume you'll have had an epidural and are likely to fall over (sometimes you can feel your legs, but often if you can you've still got patchy control of them) and hurt yourself. I would check their csection and epidural statistics, it's possible they almost never see a woman who is CAPABLE of walking safely in labour due to everyone being given an epidural.


----------



## Tumble Bumbles (Oct 15, 2009)

Wow, I would be incredibly suspect of anyone who restricted movement in labor citing the danger to the mother. Additionally disturbing, is someone telling a grown woman what they are or aren't "allowed" to do in labor. Oh Lordie, let me take a deep breath...

Given you've chosen a hospital birth, you will have to choose your battles. I think being able to freely choose position whilst laboring is one of those battles I would choose. The feeling of being restricted to change positions in labor or to choose positions you are most comfortable with is extremely detrimental to a laboring woman. I'm not trying to scare you at all, I'm just trying to impress upon you the importance of being able to freely move about to positions you instinctively and intuitively feel would be helpful to bring about the most successful and easy birth -- an inborn gift that has been given to women is the ability (when left to peacefully do so) to instinctively get into positions most favorable to them or the baby. That's why things like epidurals and hospital policy and (imo) ridiculous statements like your doctor made (no offense) can lead to a cascade of other interventions that often lead to unnecessary c-sections.

For example, sometimes walking about really helps to engage the baby in your pelvis in the most favorable position. Mama senses the need to walk about. She is restricted to the bed. Baby is in an unfavorable position and not engaged properly. Mama feels increasing stress that she can't walk about. Baby begins to feel the stress. Baby's heart rate reflects mama's stress. Staff freaks over heart rate change, BAM mama sectioned. Mama walks away saying the c-section was 'necessary' because baby wasn't in the 'right' position -- but had mama been able to walk about like she first felt the instinct too, baby could have very well changed position. This is a very simplified example of why being free to move is so important but I can't stress just how important it is.

Are you saying they are not comfortable with you walking up and down the halls? Pacing the room? Getting out of bed? I don't exactly understand. A woman should be free to move about in labor however she feels comfortable. *I will say that predicting whether walking or not walking in labor is important is directly tied to how important the mama believes it is at the time*. Something you will not be able to judge until you are in the moment. In the moment, you may not want to walk. It may not benefit your process. OR, you may not want to do ANYTHING BUT walk and being restricted to a bed will not be helpful and WILL hinder your laboring process, even if you are able to change positions.

I would exercise your RIGHT (yes, it is your legal right to move about in labor no matter what anyone may tell you) to move freely during labor.

Just my opinion. Blessings mama.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

That's the funny thing though, I also asked him if they routinely use pain medication, and they don't, it's only if the mother requests it. Obviously on my birth plan I can request certain things, do you think I should request mobility, so long as perhaps my husband is there at my side? I know positions can turn ill-positioned babies(which I ALSO asked - if laboring women were allowed to use their own positions to turn an ill-positioned baby, and he said yes), but is that not enough when you're bed-ridden during labor?


----------



## midnightmommy (Apr 14, 2008)

Something else to consider...your doctor will only be there for a very small portion of your labor. Ask the hospital too what their policy is. In all honesty what happens during labor is more up to your nurse. If they are ok with you walking, and your doctor walks in and says you need to lie down. You have the right to either tell him that this is what you want (or have someone else do it for you), and if he doesn't like it then the hospital will gladly call you another doctor or midwife. You can also tell bossy nurses to take a walk if hospital policy says one thing and they say another.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Next time I can ask for clarification. In specific, I asked, "Are laboring women free to move about?" And he shook his head, and said, "No, because it can endanger the mother." But to my other questions I am free to chose the position I feel I need to turn an ill-positioned baby, and the hospital is familiar with women giving birth in gravity-enhanced positions and have available Birthing Stools, Birthing Balls, wedge supports and Squat Bars.

Come to think of it...the answer is kind of shady, isn't it? This is my first time, so I didn't think the question would need any clarifications or second parts attached to it, 

But since I am free to chose positions, it seems like he's saying as long as I do it on the bed or besides it in the case of using a Birthing Stool, Birthing Ball, or Squat Bar.


----------



## Tumble Bumbles (Oct 15, 2009)

You presume you have to request mobility. You can demand it. I mean, in a respectful way, but demand nonetheless. It's important to remember, and always remember, you're not asking permission for anything. I would really remove "are women allowed" questions from your vocabulary. Yes, you are allowed. You are always allowed. It is your body, your baby, and you are hiring and paying these people to perform a service for you. Of course, remain respectful and professional but never forget that you need not ask permission!

So rather than,"I would like to move around during labor" in your birth plan... I would write:

"I will be moving around during labor as needed so I will require intermittent monitoring only"

The reason they don't routinely give pain medication unless the mama asks is because they cannot legally just administer pain medication without a mother's specific consent. Things such as moving about are trickier because they can just say it's not 'policy' or whatever and unless a mama knows it is indeed her legal right to do so and not be restricted to the bed, most people will just assume they don't have that right.

Blessings for a peaceful and easy birth!


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *midnightmommy*
> 
> Something else to consider...your doctor will only be there for a very small portion of your labor. Ask the hospital too what their policy is. In all honesty what happens during labor is more up to your nurse. If they are ok with you walking, and your doctor walks in and says you need to lie down. You have the right to either tell him that this is what you want (or have someone else do it for you), and if he doesn't like it then the hospital will gladly call you another doctor or midwife. You can also tell bossy nurses to take a walk if hospital policy says one thing and they say another.


There were questions he admitted to not knowing, since they applied to things that would happen past his responsibility for the delivery. I asked him in the beginning if he could answer them, or direct me to someone in the hospital that could, but he said he could so we went with it. Where would I ask? The Maternal-Fetal Department? This whole entire process can be utterly confusing. I didn't realize not being able to walk around was so important! It is kind of a pinch to the heart because we like him so much, but I've read and heard hospital births doesn't appeal to every person. I'd do at-home, goodness knows I would, but no midwives close enough by take Medicaid, and we do not have the funds to pay under the table for one,


----------



## midnightmommy (Apr 14, 2008)

Have you taken a hospital tour? They usually can answer questions then. If they can't you are already there...ask a nurse at the desk.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tumble Bumbles*
> 
> You presume you have to request mobility. You can demand it. I mean, in a respectful way, but demand nonetheless. It's important to remember, and always remember, you're not asking permission for anything. I would really remove "are women allowed" questions from your vocabulary. Yes, you are allowed. You are always allowed. It is your body, your baby, and you are hiring and paying these people to perform a service for you. Of course, remain respectful and professional but never forget that you need not ask permission!
> 
> ...


That makes sense.. Because I cannot possibly imagine that I'm the ONLY woman there who doesn't want any epidural, and I can't possibly imagine that I'm the only woman there that would take this "laying down", ....literally.

Then I certainly will exercise my right in my birth plan to move around! And goodness knows my husband will back me up.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *midnightmommy*
> 
> Have you taken a hospital tour? They usually can answer questions then. If they can't you are already there...ask a nurse at the desk.


A legitimate tour? No. But I've toured the hospital being sent place to place for this and that, although I don't think that counts. I'll certainly find someone to ask,  Perhaps I should inquire about a CNM being there at the delivery? Does that seem like a good idea?


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Having food available for laboring women apparently also isn't routine(so I bring my own, right? Which I was going to do anyways regardless), Fetal Monitoring is routine, Internal Exams are routine, as are IVs(I've read IVs are typically routine in the case the mother wants the pain meds NOW and it's easier to inject them when she already is attached). And that's everything that's routine there that poses a problem if they put up a fight.


----------



## tracymom1 (May 7, 2008)

What the doctor may have meant is that you cannot roam the halls while in labor. Hospitals like to keep you in your room for a variety of safety reasons (like if a problem arises such as bleeding or syncope you will not be far away from the equipment they need to provide care). I can't see ehy you wouldn't be able to move about your room, that is if you are not getting pain meds.


----------



## Tumble Bumbles (Oct 15, 2009)

You can decline all of that, completely. In fact, internal exams are way more harmful than they help -- ESPECIALLY after ROM (water breaking). I love this article by a midwife on the uselessness of cervical checks in labor: Cervical Exams: Who Needs Them . Internal exams can work to justify an unnecessary c-section if they feel you aren't "progressing" fast enough. "Failure to progress" is probably the #1 reason for unnecessary c-sections.

You can choose intermittent monitoring, in fact this is so much better because continuous has a high level of false fetal distress alerting (gosh I couldn't think of a better way to put that) in that it can say your baby is in distress when he/she is in fact fine -- leading to a potentially unnecessary section.

I think the best thing to do in your birth plan is to begin statements with "I do or do not consent"

I do not consent to routine internal exams

I do not consent to continuous fetal monitoring etc.

That terminology is far more assertive than "I would prefer" and far less open to interpretation. You can leave an area underneath in case you change your mind to write "consented to one at 11am" (or whatever) with your initials if you change your mind (which is always an option too).

Remembering the birth plan is only as good as the people who see it. It actually serves more as a visual aid for you or your husband to advocate for you. You can make sure everyone who enters the room gets a copy of it, or you can post it on your bed.

Blessings!


----------



## womenswisdom (Jan 5, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EchoSoul*
> 
> Having food available for laboring women apparently also isn't routine(so I bring my own, right? Which I was going to do anyways regardless), Fetal Monitoring is routine, Internal Exams are routine, as are IVs(I've read IVs are typically routine in the case the mother wants the pain meds NOW and it's easier to inject them when she already is attached). And that's everything that's routine there that poses a problem if they put up a fight.


Bring your own food, but try not to eat it in front of the nurses, since they will be obligated to inform you of the hospital policy that you are not allowed food during labor. Intermittent monitoring is appropriate for a low-risk woman, but continuous monitoring is not. Be sure to find out which they are talking about. Internal exams might be helpful if they aid in decision-making about something, but they can also lead to a diagnosis of failure to progress when in fact your labor is normal. I would ask at what point they would consider augmentation and how quickly they expect you progress. What is the purpose of the internal exams? IV access is typical policy, but that doesn't mean that you have to consent to a saline lock or that if you do consent to a saline lock that you need to consent to being hooked up to IV fluids, which mess with your blood chemistry, are usually not necessary if you are drinking freely and not vomiting. Have you considered hiring a doula? Maybe finding one in training if money is an issue?


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tumble Bumbles*
> 
> You can decline all of that, completely. In fact, internal exams are way more harmful than they help -- ESPECIALLY after ROM (water breaking). I love this article by a midwife on the uselessness of cervical checks in labor: Cervical Exams: Who Needs Them . Internal exams can work to justify an unnecessary c-section if they feel you aren't "progressing" fast enough. "Failure to progress" is probably the #1 reason for unnecessary c-sections.
> 
> ...


I began writing down "Consenting to" and "Not consenting to" the more times I revised and edited my birth plan. The original birth plan sample I was going off of had a lot of "We'd prefer" and such, but the more information I found out, such as a lot of interventions CAUSING the need for a C-section, the more times I began replacing "We'd prefer" with "Consent/Not consent to" and "by request". It makes me feel a ton better to write that, than it did to write "We'd prefer", because you're right, that does seem to leave too many open holes.

Also, I have a question; for things I find really important, even though the doctor confirmed them as not being routine, should I still write them down in my birth plan? Essentially as a back-up written by word instead of spoken and going on trust.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tracymom1*
> 
> What the doctor may have meant is that you cannot roam the halls while in labor. Hospitals like to keep you in your room for a variety of safety reasons (like if a problem arises such as bleeding or syncope you will not be far away from the equipment they need to provide care). I can't see ehy you wouldn't be able to move about your room, that is if you are not getting pain meds.


I hope so! I can't imagine I'd be bed-ridden, but have the free use of a Birthing Ball, Birthing Stool, and a Squatting Bar on the bed. Talk about dangerous. Fine - I can deal with being able to pace and not roaming the halls, but to be completely bed-ridden, ...I don't want to think about it.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *womenswisdom*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


Intermittent sure sounds better to me than Internal or External Continuous. For Internal Exams I've written "done only on consent". The only details he went into, as far as augmentation goes, is if it were a week past my due date, but didn't say anything beyond that. I was trying to rush it along because they keep the room real warm and I was getting overheated real quick. I'll certainly look into a doula - is it not too late? I'm 27 weeks.


----------



## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EchoSoul*
> 
> That's the funny thing though, I also asked him if they routinely use pain medication, and they don't, it's only if the mother requests it. Obviously on my birth plan I can request certain things, do you think I should request mobility, so long as perhaps my husband is there at my side? I know positions can turn ill-positioned babies(which I ALSO asked - if laboring women were allowed to use their own positions to turn an ill-positioned baby, and he said yes), but is that not enough when you're bed-ridden during labor?


"Maternal request" epidurals run at 80% in the hospital i booked back-up care with for my DD's. That is the mother says "this is getting painful" and the staff say "ooh, why not have the epidural" and then write it up as a maternally requested epidural. Check their stats. If 80% of the women who give birth there have an epidural the odds are heavily against you doing without one. It doesn't mean you can't, but it does make it pretty unlikely. Likewise csection rates. If your Ob has a 60% c-section rate for first timers, you are statistically less likely to manage a vaginal birth than not. Preparation can only do so much.

Changing positions MIGHT be enough to help reposition a baby, but it depends so much on the baby and the position. If the baby is coming down a little "off" and needs to do a 90 degree rotation then you being on your knees might be enough. If the baby is tangled in the cord and needs to do a 360+ rotation to untangle and descend then it's going to need more help. The rocking motion of the walking pelvis is ideal for allowing shifts of position, as are lunges, squats and stair-climbing. You can "do" lots of positions on the bed, but you cannot move between them as freely as if you are just able to get off the bed and move about. Is it REALLY more dangerous to do lunges on the floor than on a bed!?

I'm not trying to scare you, but humans aren't really designed to give birth easily in a stressful place where they aren't allowed to move or eat normally and where they have to have needles stuck in them and straps around them/wires hanging out of their vaginas. Interventions can save lives, be sure you use only the ones you NEED and WANT and not just those the hospital or Ob deem necessary simply to protect their routine.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *GoBecGo*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


Please don't be concerned about scaring me. I value the amount of honesty coming from you and everyone else, it's much needed, especially during something as crucial as this! It will help me prepare in knowing what I may have to stand my ground in with a heavy foot. While I am trying to not let my apprehension get the better of me, I imagine everyone gathered, enforcing their levels of wisdom on me while I'm in labor trying to focus and stay relaxed, and I do not want it ruining my self-control. I had no idea that epidurals based on "maternal request" could be something so sleazy, so I made note of that to remember. I'll definitely check into the statistics. But, uh....how? Call them?

I'll make sure they know I'll be moving around,


----------



## Tumble Bumbles (Oct 15, 2009)

I know everyone is throwing a lot of information your way but I just wanted to expand a bit on the suggestion the doc had to induce or augment labor at a week over your due date. Please, please keep in mind that the average gestation for a first time mama is 41 weeks + 1 day (I am making the assumption you're a first-time mama). My own first babe came at 42 weeks + 5 days and was completely fine, and only weighed 8lbs on the nose. Please don't allow anyone to scare you with "big babies" or any of that nonsense if you do happen to go 'over' (as most women actually do).

As far as checking statistics you can call human resources for that information I would imagine. Some hospital statistics are available online as well.

I couldn't agree more with GoBecGo's comments.

Also, 27 weeks isn't too late to find a doula. I went from an OB to a home birth midwife around that time lol It's important to remember that doulas cannot advocate for you, but can help you advocate for yourself. A good doula would say things such as:

"The doctor's just asked to do an internal exam to check dilation. Do you want a minute to think about that before making a decision? You can decline that if you choose" or, "The nurse is suggesting epidural for your pain but your birth plan says you wanted to avoid that. Do you need a moment to think about it before deciding?" She would say that to you, but of course you have to make your own decisions. She is there to support you and help you find your voice to help you achieve the birth you want in situations where you may feel pressured -- as well as helping your partner be an active role in supporting you the way you need, in addition to providing labor support. A very supportive and assertive (but respectful) friend or family member* who respects your wishes 100%* can also fill this role if needed. The bolded is very important.

You still have plenty of time. Don't stress mama. Knowledge truly is power.


----------



## Italiamom (Mar 18, 2009)

EchoSoul,

First, welcome to our big community here!

If you haven't already read it, I would highly recommend Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It will explain in detail a lot of the things that mamas here are trying to gently stress. And if you've read it, then disregard my suggestion!

Also, if natural childbirth in a hospital setting is your goal, I would really, really suggest looking into getting a doula. 27 weeks is absolutely not too late to hire one!! My sister-in-law used a doula at both of her (completely med free) hospital births, and I believe in her first pregnancy she didn't hire one until 36 weeks! Your tribal area of MDC would be a great place to look, or to get suggestions from mamas who have used doulas in your neck of the woods. A birth plan is great, but in most hospitals it means pretty much nothing. A doula can help you to create a birth plan, and then advocate for your wishes when birth time actually comes. Also, Doulas can be a great resource in working with doctors in a way that doesn't leave them feeling walked on, and doesn't leave you in a position where your ultimate wishes are being disrespected. And they can help your partner to support you in ways they may not have thought of, which is nice too 

Statistics can be hard to come by. You would first try calling the hospital, yes, although most hospitals aren't pleased about giving them out, or simply don't have them. You can also try posting in your tribal area about info for the hospital you are intending to birth in. Or you could try looking at The Birth Survey and seeing what info they have.

Good luck!!


----------



## Marissamom (Dec 17, 2009)

The small hospital that I had my DD at had an epidural rate of about 80%, and they totally didn't know how to handle someone who didn't have one. I was assured by both my OB and the OB on call that I would be able to move and change positions during labor, but because they "kept losing the heartbeat" on the continuous fetal monitoring (because I kept trying to change position) they never let me off the monitor (standard to get a baseline). I had the nurse chastise me multiple times, and one time she pushed me back into laying down. if I was going to be in a hospital ever again, I would get a doula. usually the staff will be a lot more hands-off and accommodating if you have a doula.


----------



## windymama (Nov 30, 2010)

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this but stay out of the hospital for as long as you possibly can while in labour!

FWIW at the hospital where I delivered DD I was permitted to walk around off the ward in early labour provided that I returned every 20 minutes to be monitored. I was attached to an IV pole at the time as I was GBS+ and they still let me. If you can't walk out of your room, walk in your room and take frequent bathroom breaks so you're not chained to the bed.

If they really want an IV push for a hep-lock if they must have something into you. Have them discuss everything they want to do well in advance of doing it so that you have time to discuss it with your DP and doula. Remind them that you're an active part of your healthcare team!

Get the doula! I don't know what I would have done without mine. Also see if you can request the most natural labour friendly nurse on the unit (they do exist!). I ended up with one and I honestly believe that it made a big difference when I had DD.

If you hospital does a pre-registration appointment a lot of your questions should be answered then.

Good Luck!


----------



## EllisH (May 29, 2010)

You may also want to be prepared for the fact that you may not want to move (much) at all. For the larger and tougher part of my labour, I could hardly bear to move during my contractions, never mind walk. I had prepared for all sorts of positions, was aware of the benefits of walking etc., but just couldn't. It would have helped me to know that moving is just not an option for some women. (Of course, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't follow up with the hospital on this.)

I second the point on the nurse: she is your ally! I was hooked up to the fetal monitoring and just couldn't stand the strap. Because all was well with the baby, the nurse was willing to take if off and to pretend she was just putting it back on as soon as the doctor returned.


----------



## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

erm... isn't telling an adult they aren't allowed to leave from a certain location or even move.. a crime? Like, if someone were to come to my house and I was like yeah you aren't allowed to move off my couch for the next 10 hours. I'd be charged with a crime... why would it be different if we were instead at a hospital and I had MD after my name and said yeah you aren't allowed to move off my hospital bed til I say so? No one can tell you you aren't allowed to move around unless there is some real and serious risk where getting up WILL cause a problem. A normal labor doesn't have that risk. They can certainly TRY I suppose, but unless they can prove in court that it was absolutely in your best interest to stay put I don't see why you couldn't report them for the crime (can't think of the phrase used for the crime)

at any rate, when I was in labor, I did NOT want to walk around. It made things a lot worse. I sat between contractions earlier in the day and stood up for them as they got more difficult because sitting starting to get too painful and eventually I climbed into the tub and leaned forward during contractions. I was in the tub through transition and decided I couldn't stay in for a water birth (wanted to though) and got out to lay on my side on the bed. No other position would work for me for pushing.. they were all too painful to manage.

You might not need to move around.. but no one can tell you you HAVE to stay in bed and can't get up to walk around your room unless there is a very real medical risk against it in which case I assume you'd want to stay put to take care of yourself and baby anyway. You are pregnant and giving birth, not a criminal sentenced to jail time. Your rights are still 100% there despite what some OBs and midwives may think.


----------



## midnightmommy (Apr 14, 2008)

You've heard it many times. I'll say it too. Hire a doula! Many will work on a sliding scale, in trade, and the ones in training (like myself) will sometimes take clients for free so they can finish certifying.


----------



## Bird Girl (Mar 12, 2007)

I will say that the reason most hospitals have epidural rates above 70% is because most women find labor extremely painful, and they decide, as the hours of contractions wear on, that they want to have pain relief and a rest. It's not a conspiracy. A few women do not find labor painful, and some number of other women find the pain relatively tolerable, but the vast majority of women experience labor as painful and exhausting. I find that many natural childbirth books tend to gloss over the pain of labor, and tend to over-feature birth stories told by women who had a less painful or not painful experience, It's not really honest.

Anyhow, I wouldn't worry too much about what your doctor told you. He won't be there for very much of your labor, mostly just the pushing at the end, so he may not be aware of how much flexibility women typically have before transition. If your hospital has birthing balls and grab bars, then they probably accommodate laboring women regularly.

And it's your first birth, so go easy on yourself. The vast majority of epidurals do not lead to c-sections, and neither c-sections nor epidurals prevent bonding with your baby, or a good nursing relationship. I had two vaginal births, (both painful, for what it's worth) and had a tricky time getting started nursing one child, but an easy time nursing the other. Good luck for an easy birth!


----------



## CookAMH (Jun 2, 2008)

I know others have weighed in, but I think that is one of the TOP components of a good labor, especially for your first. I have big red flags about that doc of yours! By answering that way, he has shown that he doesn't really understand childbirth and views it as something to be managed and controlled in bed, with medicine. I can't see how you'd avoid an epidural, and then pitocin, by being stuck in bed. That is not how women give birth.

ETA: read the other posts. It's awesome you are thinking carefully about this and that you are asking the right questions here.

I highly recommend a doula as well since you anticipate having to push back on a number of things. The doula can be your rock to help you think through and stick with what you desire. I think you have a great chance of finding one available for your due date. That can really wear a woman down, especially when in labor. I agree that "policies" are not set in stone and YOU are the consumer here. Another reason for a doula is that she will be experienced in supporting a woman through natural childbirth. From what you've said about the hospital, you will probably not be able to rely on the nurses for any support to cope with labor. Your DH can help of course but I'm thinking of fellow womanly support.

I have also heard of the recommendation to, upon admittance, ask for a nurse who is familiar with natural childbirth. Usually those nurses enjoy being pared up with a woman who wants to labor naturally!


----------



## 98741 (May 17, 2006)

please, please, please get a doula. someone who knows how birth *really* happens in your hospital and how your doc group *really* practices will be a huge asset for you in knowing how to prepare. she will also be a great resource for questions and be there to assist and remind you while you're in labor. she can also help you stay at home in early labor which is one of the very best things you can do for yourself to limit interventions. stay out of the hospital until very late in labor (as long as all is well). please, get a doula, it sounds like you have lots of questions and could find the reassurance helpful. please keep asking here as well!! it is just helpful to have someone in person to help you and none of us can go to the hospital with you.

about the hospital tour, call the labor floor and ask for a tour and ask your questions to the nurse giving you the tour. as was mentioned my others, your labor nurse is going to know more about what's really going on than your doc because they are there the whole time.


----------



## Syriani369 (Jan 28, 2011)

I had a 36 hour, posterior baby. I did not walk around(even though i was allowed to) because I was in so much pain. I feel like it is very important to walk around now, I believe it would have sped up my labor and it also helps baby get into position. If you cant walk around I think sitting on a birthing ball and moving your hips around might make up for some of the lost movement.


----------



## SGVaughn (Nov 17, 2006)

ok...I see things from a different perspective because I've worked in emergency medicine for years

these are my personal preferences and why

Im totally ok with a hep-lock..I know what its like to try and find flat veins especially when things are going downhill fast but even simple dehydration will make them relatively flat

I am NOT ok with ringer solution for the heck of it..it swells me up like crazy

I sneak food but keep it lite...I've actually tubed a patient that was aspirating heavy food and it was nearly impossible

anyone touching you without your consent...and btw your consent can be very easily manipulated..is assault, in any state

BUT if a nurse comes in and says, "lets check your progress" and you either scoot to comply or say ok...you've given consent..in fact you've given expressed consent

I personally had to beg to be checked towards the end of my last labor and I'm glad the Dr actually did because i had a small lip of cervix left and felt pushy..I might of swelled up that lip and slowed things down if I had gone by instinct...or I mightve pushed it out of the way, who knows

and I dislike continuous monitoring because it inhibits movement but mainly because the belts are uncomfortable; I've never had interventions done on the basis of the monitoring for the record

GENERALLY most hospitals policy is to not let ANY patient walk by themselves out of their rooms anywhere...the key here is by themselves

I don't think is a terrible policy after having had to backboard and collar a patient I found hanging by his now ripped penis (foley bag) off the side of a bed because he tried to go for a walk by himelf(btw nurses and drs dont actually know how to deal with c-spine immobilization or backboarding)...sure labor is a normal part of living, but bp can drop for any number of reasons and having a least your partner present to make sure you don't go down is good

but I have had three hospital births...and never once wasn't I allowed to walk my room, the halls etc...that sounds incredibly suspect to me


----------



## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

Quote:


> I will say that the reason most hospitals have epidural rates above 70% is because most women find labor extremely painful, and they decide, as the hours of contractions wear on, that they want to have pain relief and a rest. It's not a conspiracy. A few women do not find labor painful, and some number of other women find the pain relatively tolerable, but the vast majority of women experience labor as painful and exhausting. I find that many natural childbirth books tend to gloss over the pain of labor, and tend to over-feature birth stories told by women who had a less painful or not painful experience, It's not really honest.


I don't think it's as simple as that. For one thing, a lot of women find labour extremely painful because they're not allowed to move around freely due to fetal monitoring, and/or other hospital interventions and restrictions, not least just the sheer atmosphere of the place (which was a huge factor in my labour). For another, I've read WAY too many stories of women being pushed into getting an epi. WAY too many. Nurses asking every contraction, during the peak of the contraction, basically bugging the heck out of the mother instead of encouraging her to try different positions, using massage or hot wheatie bags (which were awesome during my very painful labour) or suggesting a birth pool or whatever. I'm sure most of the nurses mean well, and simply don't get why a mother would choose pain over pain relief; so I wouldn't call it a "conspiracy"; but it is still suspect.

Also, I haven't read that many natural childbirth books, but both of the Ina May books - despite being very positive about birth - featured very painful births. Or "heavy", in Spiritual Midwifery terminology.  And the many NCB stories I've read online have been pretty darned honest about the pain. Heck, a lot of the stories on the Hypnobabies website admit to severe pain!

OP: I didn't want to walk during labour. I mostly wanted to go away and curl up in a hole and die, honestly.  But my midwife actually made me walk up stairs to make my labour progress (I had pre-eclampsia, so they had to get the baby out pretty quickly), and it worked. If I hadn't been able to do that, I might well have ended up on Pitocin, and I really didn't want that. Like SGVaughn said, the midwife made sure DH was walking with me at all times, so I didn't pass out and fall down a flight of stairs.

And remember, if by "not moving around" the doctor actually means "stay on the bed or in a sitting position on the birth ball", that doesn't just prevent you from walking. You might just want to stand and sway, rock your hips while your fiance massages your back, etc. Do you think they'd count that as "moving around"? Might pay to check!

Might I ask if there's a particular reason you're opting for a hospital birth? It sounds like you might be a lot happier in a natural-minded birthing centre or even a homebirth.


----------



## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Bird Girl*
> 
> *I will say that the reason most hospitals have epidural rates above 70% is because most women find labor extremely painful, and they decide, as the hours of contractions wear on, that they want to have pain relief and a rest. It's not a conspiracy. A few women do not find labor painful, and some number of other women find the pain relatively tolerable, but the vast majority of women experience labor as painful and exhausting. I find that many natural childbirth books tend to gloss over the pain of labor, and tend to over-feature birth stories told by women who had a less painful or not painful experience, It's not really honest.*
> 
> ...


I'm sorry, i completely disagree with the bolded statement. Why is labour at home, which every one manages without an epidural and many manage without any drugs, not painful and exhausting? In the US less than 1% of women stay home but in other places in the Western world as many as 40% do. Are 40% of women having easy painless labours in those places? How could that be?

I have personally witnessed the sort of things that encourage epidurals in hospitals. Nurses saying "no, don't move, lie still for the monitor" while women writhe trying to get comfortable on their backs and their whole body demands they get the weight OFF their sacrum. Nurses saying "please be quiet" to women who are using vocalisation to manage the sensations (i was one - my labours are manageable IF i am able to moo/roar through the contractions, if i have to be quiet they are terrible agony) and offering an epidural every time a vocalisation comes out of their mouth. Doctors saying "you're not doing very well at this (yes he ACTUALLY SAID THIS) mummy, let's numb you up and the baby can have a go on their own" - baby was malpositioned, but dr made sure mama knew it was really HER fault he wasn't descending well against the cervix, by being a silly girl and thinking she could help him by moving about during labour! FWIW that mama agreed to the epidural, but during the wait for the anaesthetist she went into the shower with her DH and did alternate deep lunges and deep squats and the baby rotated and descended and was crowning when the nurse came to see why the shower was taking so long.

When you go to a place where the "normal" labouring woman is tucked up in bed on a monitor peacefully reading a magazine while her uterus and baby work alone to get the latter born then EVERYTHING you do to work through the normal sensations of labour is going to look really weird and freak the staff out. And those staff are going to want to fix it for you, often out of kindness (i.e. they don't see epidurals as a potentially negative thing so they offer one when you seem to be in ANY level of pain) and offer the epidural over and over. And however painful or non-painful your labour is, it's unlikely to be soooo painless that an epidural is going to sound totally unattractive at the peak of a contraction. It's not about "a conspiracy" it's about the staff being completely unfamiliar with what a "normal" labour can look like. I have never dilated 1cm/hour. I dilated to 3 in the first 12 hours and then to 10 in the next 90mins. I only had an hour of ctx every 5mins with DD2, despite being at 8 before that hour began. In a hospital they do not observe normal labour, they encourage or sometimes enforce TEXTBOOK labour. If your butt didn't read the textbook you might be in trouble. How many women are augmented because "i was in labour too long" and later you find out the hospital gave them 6 hours to dilate 4-10 and then pushed for a csection? I have heard SEVERAL stories, it's not incredibly rare.

NOT every epidural leads to a csection, but some do. Not every csection interferes with bonding and nursing but some do, there are a lot of women in significant pain from their birth experiences and many more at peace with what happened but fighting the battle of their life to try for a VBAC, it is disingenuous to pretend that an unnecessary csection is no biggie.

It IS your first birth OP - it's not about "going easy on YOU" it's about you NOT going easy on your careproviders! You are not there to be a Good patient, or quiet, or keep still or not eat. You are there to get your baby out and THEY are there to SERVE you. I am not telling you this so you can "try harder" or "do better" on baby's birth day. I'm telling you so that hopefully you can maximise your chances of making the hospital work FOR you in getting the birth you want. For me, at my local hospital, it was going to be too hard, i had mine at home. There was just no way around a lot of the routines i knew were going to make too much of a difference to me, so i had to choose home. With #2 i know hospital would have been more manageable, having had a first baby fast and with very few interventions (gas and air and 3rd stage synticinon is what i ended up with) i knew i could call shots that a first-tier wouldn't be able to, but having had a homebirth i really didn't want to have to go into hospital that time, and i had DD2 completely without interventions. I am not a magical being. i don't have a better uterus than any other woman. I certainly DON'T have painless labours! I simply managed to create a situation which it was hard for anyone to disrupt in a way that would hinder my labour. That was about knowing myself, knowing the routines and expectations of my careprovider, and figuring out, ahead of time, which things i felt would help and which i knew would NOT. I actually BEGGED for an epidural when i was having DD1. I wanted to push because she was OP, despite being 3cm dilated only. I BEGGED and YELLED and HOLLERED for an epidural. And no doubt in hospital i would have gotten one. But i wasn't in hospital, i was in my own bath tub and only XP was there to hear it, and he said "it's ok, let's wait for the midwives to come back". It was transition. By the time they came back i was ready to push (they didn't let me, but that's another story!). I could write as many words again as i have already how glad i am that i wasn't in a place where they might have actually given me that epidural.


----------



## tourist. (Feb 1, 2008)

In my personal exerience, I did not want to walk at all during my labor. In fact, the mere thought of walking the 10 feet from my bathtub to my bed seemed absurd the two times I did it. Despite that, I did spend about 6 hours in my bathtub flopping around like a fish. On my back, on my side, on my hands and knees....over and over and over. If I had been in a hospital bed hooked up to anything - I just can't even imagine. From what I've seen of other births, most women in hospitals are free to stand and walk as they want up until they are administered medications.

And I guess this is going a little OT, but applies to some of the earlier comments: I gave birth at home, so naturally I was able to move as I wanted yet labor was extremely painful, moving provided minimal pain relief. It was so painful in fact that in my baby journal a week after DS was born I described the pain as "insane" (back labor due to a nuchal arm). If I had been in the hospital I would have absolutely chosen to receive the epidural, and I always wonder if that choice would have lead me to a c/s because of how hard it was to push him out. I'm not sure I could have pushed well at all with an epidural. Anyway, I'm on my way to having my second homebirth and am really excited to experience my labor... whatever that experience may be.

Oh, and I second (third or forth) getting a doula. I'm also working towards my certification so I attend births at no charge, this is pretty standard. Having a doula to support you can be invaluable.


----------



## ell (Jan 3, 2009)

My best labour tip: Stay home as long as possible. Then you get mobility, food, and comfort. Once you get to the hospital they get kind of control freaky.


----------



## treeoflife3 (Nov 14, 2008)

yeah, if I had been stuck on my back having to hold still in a bed for a monitor, I would have needed an epi too. as it was, the only reason I had just a moment of thinking 'wow I understand why people get them' is because actually wanting and getting one would have required going to the hopsital. It wasn't worth it to me. In a hospital with 'helpful' nurses offering at every contraction could have very well led to me getting one too.

Of course labor is painful and hard. I sincerely really ENJOYED doing it but it was painful and HARD. However the need for an epidural I think is exaggerated. Some women will feel the need for one regardless of what is done but I think many more would be able to go without one comfortably if they received better support and more control.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ell*
> 
> My best labour tip: Stay home as long as possible. Then you get mobility, food, and comfort. Once you get to the hospital they get kind of control freaky.


 I'll stay home as long as possible. In a way, I'm kind of hoping the labor will be long, my parents are coming in from NY, and I'd really like for them to be there for the actual birth.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *tourist.*
> 
> In my personal exerience, I did not want to walk at all during my labor. In fact, the mere thought of walking the 10 feet from my bathtub to my bed seemed absurd the two times I did it. Despite that, I did spend about 6 hours in my bathtub flopping around like a fish. On my back, on my side, on my hands and knees....over and over and over. If I had been in a hospital bed hooked up to anything - I just can't even imagine. From what I've seen of other births, most women in hospitals are free to stand and walk as they want up until they are administered medications.
> 
> ...


 I will make getting a doula my mission, 

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *GoBecGo*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


 I try not to put too much blame on doctors or nurses..I know they typically do what they do because that's the way they've been taught, and sometimes it can be difficult to accept that there are other options. I'm trying to form my birth plan to be as strict as possible(I've replaced everything with "upon consent" and "at request", and due to what a previous poster said(don't remember who...), I even wrote for the epidural to be done only on consent and with my initials. I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out what should require my initials before anything should be done. I have 100% faith in my husband, but I'm not sure his mind will be really focused during any of this, so I can completely see where a doula would come in handy. While my husband is pacing around muttering about how surreal it all is and simultaneously trying to give me support, at least the doula would have a focused mind, :-D

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


 I'll check. My next appointment is this coming Wednesday because apparently I had sugar in my urine yesterday(although I think it's from the fruit I kind of gorged on that morning), so I'll ask him then what "not moving around" actually means. Whether it means not venturing out into the hall, or pacing around the room.

We're opting for a hospital birth not out of desire, but out of necessity. I'm on Medicaid, and as far as I know, birthing centers aren't covered by Medicaid. Am I wrong in that? I thought I looked into all scenarios, but I could be wrong, it's been so chaotic these past several months! Again, I'd love to do a homebirth; my fiance's parents even joked that they don't care either way, if I wanted to I could lean up against one of the trees in the back yard and do it that way.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *SGVaughn*
> 
> ok...I see things from a different perspective because I've worked in emergency medicine for years
> 
> ...


 You're not the first person to mention a hep-lock if it must be done. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'm sure the doula will help prevent against things happening that I don't wish to happen, and *hopefully* in much the same respect putting my initials before something is started should help me realize if I really want to do it or not.

I wouldn't dream of walking by myself during labor anyway! The weather here has been so bad this winter my husband won't even let me walk outside without him because he doesn't want me to accidentally slip and take a fall. He'd NEVER let me walk around during labor by myself, 

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Syriani369*
> 
> I had a 36 hour, posterior baby. I did not walk around(even though i was allowed to) because I was in so much pain. I feel like it is very important to walk around now, I believe it would have sped up my labor and it also helps baby get into position. If you cant walk around I think sitting on a birthing ball and moving your hips around might make up for some of the lost movement.


 I've read that rotating your hips helps for a lot of things,  Like back pain, too.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *sarahn4639*
> 
> please, please, please get a doula. someone who knows how birth *really* happens in your hospital and how your doc group *really* practices will be a huge asset for you in knowing how to prepare. she will also be a great resource for questions and be there to assist and remind you while you're in labor. she can also help you stay at home in early labor which is one of the very best things you can do for yourself to limit interventions. stay out of the hospital until very late in labor (as long as all is well). please, get a doula, it sounds like you have lots of questions and could find the reassurance helpful. please keep asking here as well!! it is just helpful to have someone in person to help you and none of us can go to the hospital with you.
> 
> about the hospital tour, call the labor floor and ask for a tour and ask your questions to the nurse giving you the tour. as was mentioned my others, your labor nurse is going to know more about what's really going on than your doc because they are there the whole time.


 I'll stay home as long as possible. As long as we have someone there that is knowledgable, my fiance will be more relenting. He just really doesn't want any complications to arise which staying at home could inhibit getting fixed ASAP. I'll have to ask here anyway; I tried finding the statistics for the hospital and I can't seem to find any. So I think the next step was trying it out here.

Maybe at my next appointment I'll see if I can kill two birds with one stone and get the labor floor then, if it's possible right then and there.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *CookAMH*
> 
> I know others have weighed in, but I think that is one of the TOP components of a good labor, especially for your first. I have big red flags about that doc of yours! By answering that way, he has shown that he doesn't really understand childbirth and views it as something to be managed and controlled in bed, with medicine. I can't see how you'd avoid an epidural, and then pitocin, by being stuck in bed. That is not how women give birth.
> 
> ...


 For a doula, as I've said before, she'll serve as the stable mind while my husband paces around in disbelief, :-D

Gosh...I'll try and remember to ask for a nurse who's familliar with natural childbirth.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Bird Girl*
> 
> I will say that the reason most hospitals have epidural rates above 70% is because most women find labor extremely painful, and they decide, as the hours of contractions wear on, that they want to have pain relief and a rest. It's not a conspiracy. A few women do not find labor painful, and some number of other women find the pain relatively tolerable, but the vast majority of women experience labor as painful and exhausting. I find that many natural childbirth books tend to gloss over the pain of labor, and tend to over-feature birth stories told by women who had a less painful or not painful experience, It's not really honest.
> 
> ...


 I'll try not to worry too much. I know it's about me and what I feel is best for myself and our baby, 

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *midnightmommy*
> 
> You've heard it many times. I'll say it too. Hire a doula! Many will work on a sliding scale, in trade, and the ones in training (like myself) will sometimes take clients for free so they can finish certifying.


 Mass majority says I should hire a doula, so I think that's probably the way to go, lol! Ignoring that kind of majority would be an insane decision on my behalf. I'm just hoping there's one close-by, especially if one would be coming to the house when I go into labor, we do live out in the boondocks here.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *treeoflife3*
> 
> erm... isn't telling an adult they aren't allowed to leave from a certain location or even move.. a crime? Like, if someone were to come to my house and I was like yeah you aren't allowed to move off my couch for the next 10 hours. I'd be charged with a crime... why would it be different if we were instead at a hospital and I had MD after my name and said yeah you aren't allowed to move off my hospital bed til I say so? No one can tell you you aren't allowed to move around unless there is some real and serious risk where getting up WILL cause a problem. A normal labor doesn't have that risk. They can certainly TRY I suppose, but unless they can prove in court that it was absolutely in your best interest to stay put I don't see why you couldn't report them for the crime (can't think of the phrase used for the crime)
> 
> ...


 One would think it'd be illegal, and that definitely puts it in a whole new light. I can see where knowing you have the ability to move around sets you in a totally different mindframe than wanting to walk around, but feeling that you can't. I would hate to be restricted.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *windymama*
> 
> I don't know if anyone's mentioned this but stay out of the hospital for as long as you possibly can while in labour!
> 
> ...


 I'll definitely make the best use of what I have available to me. I didn't realize the doula was so utterly important, I looked into doulas and lay midwives and CNMs months ago, but I got discouraged because I couldn't seem to find any close-by. I'll try again. Perhaps all it will take is a deeper kind of motivation.

And I'll try to remember to request the most natural labor-friendly or nurse familliar with natural childbirth.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Marissamom*
> 
> The small hospital that I had my DD at had an epidural rate of about 80%, and they totally didn't know how to handle someone who didn't have one. I was assured by both my OB and the OB on call that I would be able to move and change positions during labor, but because they "kept losing the heartbeat" on the continuous fetal monitoring (because I kept trying to change position) they never let me off the monitor (standard to get a baseline). I had the nurse chastise me multiple times, and one time she pushed me back into laying down. if I was going to be in a hospital ever again, I would get a doula. usually the staff will be a lot more hands-off and accommodating if you have a doula.


 Point taken. Goodness knows if a nurse pushed me back down ....my husband would probably get thrown out of the room.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *treeoflife3*
> 
> yeah, if I had been stuck on my back having to hold still in a bed for a monitor, I would have needed an epi too. as it was, the only reason I had just a moment of thinking 'wow I understand why people get them' is because actually wanting and getting one would have required going to the hopsital. It wasn't worth it to me. In a hospital with 'helpful' nurses offering at every contraction could have very well led to me getting one too.
> 
> Of course labor is painful and hard. I sincerely really ENJOYED doing it but it was painful and HARD. However the need for an epidural I think is exaggerated. Some women will feel the need for one regardless of what is done but I think many more would be able to go without one comfortably if they received better support and more control.


Yeah.. I've heard that the "Transitional Phase" is when most nurses push for epidurals, because the women is at her most wired moment where she can be easily influenced. I've read that's the same no matter if you use Hypobirthing, and for any other calming/relaxation technique that you use.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Italiamom*
> 
> EchoSoul,
> 
> ...


No, I haven't read it! But I've heard a lot of good about it, and heard a lot ABOUT it recently, so I definitely plan to! I tried the Birth Survey, but the hospital isn't listed. Figures, :/

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Tumble Bumbles*
> 
> I know everyone is throwing a lot of information your way but I just wanted to expand a bit on the suggestion the doc had to induce or augment labor at a week over your due date. Please, please keep in mind that the average gestation for a first time mama is 41 weeks + 1 day (I am making the assumption you're a first-time mama). My own first babe came at 42 weeks + 5 days and was completely fine, and only weighed 8lbs on the nose. Please don't allow anyone to scare you with "big babies" or any of that nonsense if you do happen to go 'over' (as most women actually do).
> 
> ...


Seriously? 41 weeks and 1 day? I had no idea! Do....doctors even count that far? I know the typical time frame is 38 - 41 weeks, so I have no idea what he'd consider to be "a week past your due date". It really helps to know that. I don't care how long this guy stays in here, he can stay in as long as he wants. I'm in no hurry for him to hurry,  I can't seem to find the hospital statistics online, unless I'm not google-searching it correctly, so I'll try calling human resources, and try consulting the area here, too.

Thanks, it really is,


----------



## 98741 (May 17, 2006)

actually the true range of normal is 38-42 weeks (and yes, 41w1d for 1st timers). i'm so glad you are going to get a doula! check in your tribe here and i bet you can find some names. i think michigan is pretty good in their birthing laws so it would definitely be worth calling the birth centers and asking if they accept medicaid. good job doing everything you can to get the birthing experience you want!!


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Ah, thanks for correcting me. And thanks for the vote of confidence,


----------



## Greenlea (Apr 21, 2010)

Have you thought about getting a midwife instead of an OB? If not a doula is a must for you I think.

I had a midwife at a hospital birth. With my midwife I didn't have to have constant fetal monitoring so I wasn't required to be in bed I walked around the floor in early labor, and did different movements all around my room during labor too. It hurt the WORST when they made me stay in bed (for monitoring or other reasons). When not in labor I tend to move around with pain anyways (lke cramping or if I cut myself) so I knew I needed to move around in labor. Plus, being bed ridden during labor I feel is the worst for the mother! It is the worst position to give birth in, the baby and your body are working against gravity if laying down, standing & rocking help bring the baby down. It can mean the difference between a vaginal birth and a c-section.


----------



## Tumble Bumbles (Oct 15, 2009)

I'm not in Michigan but my first home birth was 100% covered by Medicaid so it may very well be worth looking into!

On the induction note -- just come back when you're around 38 weeks (to the birth and beyond or pregnancy forum) with a thread saying your doctor wants to induce you for: post-dates, tremendously huge baby he's predicting, low amniotic fluid, or any number of very, very common (and imo, absolutely ridiculous) non-reasons and scare tactics OBs commonly employ and you'll get pages of responses lol I don't mean to be cynical but it's so common, and with a doctor who is already talking induction possibilities at 27 weeks I would not at all be surprised.

I feel some commiseration here because it was around the 27 week mark when I really began researching and learning about the current climate of obstetric care and my eyes were opened to a lot of issues surrounding pregnancy and birth I wasn't even aware of as an intelligent woman who felt I had been proactive in getting information. The mamas on the natural birthing websites really helped to steer me in the direction of where I wanted to be and helped me find the information I needed to get there.







I switched to a home birth midwife (which medicaid paid for) and then to yet another home birth midwife at around 38 weeks. Until the baby is actually crowing, it's not too late to change directions lol

It's so wonderful to see a mama who is so invested in her labor/birth process and so eager for input and information! It's so promising


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tumble Bumbles*
> 
> I'm not in Michigan but my first home birth was 100% covered by Medicaid so it may very well be worth looking into!
> 
> ...


I'm just so stuck on who and where to call! I had a heck of a time getting medical coverage set up in order to get prenatal appointments, everyone led me round and round for weeks since it was my first time doing it on my own.

I think I remember looking up if this Medicaid here covers homebirths; and while they do cover in-hospital Midwives, they don't cover anything outside of hospitals.

My fiance and I were doing research before pregnancy was even a risk. Most of the things I've found happened out of pure coincidence(or was it...?) It seems like every other day I'm sharing with my mom new things that I've found out, and it sets us on a long-hour conversation about it, :-D I am so very fortunate to have a receptive mom who instead of being "stuck in the times", is so open and trusting of the faith that I have in these things being true. Which is, again, why I'm almost stupidly hoping for a long labor because I'd really enjoy her being there for the birth of her grandson. Honestly, I'm to the point where nothing surprises me anymore. It's all just.....so logical; disturbing the natural process warrants medical intervention.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Greenlea*
> 
> Have you thought about getting a midwife instead of an OB? If not a doula is a must for you I think.
> 
> I had a midwife at a hospital birth. With my midwife I didn't have to have constant fetal monitoring so I wasn't required to be in bed I walked around the floor in early labor, and did different movements all around my room during labor too. It hurt the WORST when they made me stay in bed (for monitoring or other reasons). When not in labor I tend to move around with pain anyways (lke cramping or if I cut myself) so I knew I needed to move around in labor. Plus, being bed ridden during labor I feel is the worst for the mother! It is the worst position to give birth in, the baby and your body are working against gravity if laying down, standing & rocking help bring the baby down. It can mean the difference between a vaginal birth and a c-section.


I think I stand more of a chance finding a doula near here than a midwife. I did the most extensive research for a midwife with the intention of having a home birth, but there are absolutely none close-by. :/ And few in Michigan take Medicaid, and the ones that did were too far out there, I wouldn't have felt right contacting them to come over. It must be difficult to want natural methods for women so much, but not make much off of it. And yes, I've read that those positions are the worst to give birth in, and purely for the comfort of the doctor. I'm increasingly amazed that pushing nature along faster than it's designed to go typically warrant otherwise unnecessary medical interventions. I share this information with my mom(and sometimes my dad if he seems receptive that day), and they're increasingly amazed too. My mom retells the routine procedures when she gave birth to my brother(she had to have a C-section for me due to placenta previa), and often wonders if she would have had the same freedom of choice that women seem to have now, or at least....which women seem to realize that they have now.


----------



## katroshka (Feb 9, 2010)

I just want to say that I had two midwife attended hospital births in upstate NY and they were, for the most part, great. During the first birth I had some problems with a nurse that kept asking if I wanted pain meds (despite my birth plan specifically stating not to ask me) and constantly putting me on continuous external fetal monitoring. My midwife had another patient down the hall so every time she would come in to check on me she would rip it all off and the nurse would later put it back on, arg. I was not in a state to refuse it, especially once transition hit, even though I would say my labors, up until transition, were very easy. So definitely consider the fact that you will be very focused on what you are doing, and may not be able to adequately focus on what your caregivers are doing. This is where the previous posters' advice about having a spokesperson, either your husband or doula or whomever, is very important. I'd say even your husband is not enough... mine was so busy tending to my immediate needs he wasn't in a place to argue with the nurse either!

That being said, I don't really have any other complaints. I had natural births, and I was encouraged to eat, drink, walk around (even up and down the halls), get into the hot tub and shower, basically do whatever I wanted. I had an IV because of my GBS+ status, but it was the type that closes off when not in use, so except for the brief times I was actually getting the antibiotic, I was not attached to the IV pole and could go in the water and everything. Also, I was still allowed to move around when I was getting the antibiotic, they just had my husband mind the pole.

I would think that if the hospital has all those friendly birthing aids (balls, wedges, etc), they are at least somewhat progressive and probably are ok with you moving around. I wouldn't COUNT on this, though, definitely call and talk to someone there. Maybe try to contact the director of labor & delivery?

As far as your OB goes, I would be concerned. This sounds like someone who doesn't trust women's bodies to know what they are doing- I could be wrong, but that's my feeling. When I had my first two girls I was on Medi-caid and I went to a practice that had 4 midwives and an OB for higher-risk pregnancies and emergency c-sections. The midwives were great and the OB really seemed to have the attitude that he was just there for when things went wrong. That's a great attitude to have! Things can go wrong and modern medical practices can be great for those times, but for everything else it should be about you directing things, because your body really does know what to do!

Anyway, I would look into finding a midwife that works with the hospital. It's more than possible to have a safe and satisfactory birth in a hospital, even one with not-stellar intervention rates, but you really need a supportive caregiver. You are getting to the point where it may be difficult to change caregivers, so I would get on it really quickly. Even if you decide to stick with your current OB you will feel better if you explored your options.

Good luck! There are many ways to get the birth you want, so take heart!


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *katroshka*
> 
> I just want to say that I had two midwife attended hospital births in upstate NY and they were, for the most part, great. During the first birth I had some problems with a nurse that kept asking if I wanted pain meds (despite my birth plan specifically stating not to ask me) and constantly putting me on continuous external fetal monitoring. My midwife had another patient down the hall so every time she would come in to check on me she would rip it all off and the nurse would later put it back on, arg. I was not in a state to refuse it, especially once transition hit, even though I would say my labors, up until transition, were very easy. So definitely consider the fact that you will be very focused on what you are doing, and may not be able to adequately focus on what your caregivers are doing. This is where the previous posters' advice about having a spokesperson, either your husband or doula or whomever, is very important. I'd say even your husband is not enough... mine was so busy tending to my immediate needs he wasn't in a place to argue with the nurse either!
> 
> ...


Thank you. I tried looking for a birth center near here, but the closest one is 45 minutes away. And gas is getting expensive... I'm pretty sure I can get a CNM to accompany me along with my OB, because the Medicaid/Health Plan DOES cover hospital-attending midwives. Thanks for sharing your positive experience; many of you guys seem to be getting red flags about my OB, which is okay! I like him because he's funny and puts me at ease(especially when I had my first pelvic exam done, I was so nervous!), but I definitely won't let him push me around into doing things my body is against. Like I've said, I try not to shelve blame on the doctors or nurses...they're only doing what they were taught, and often don't seem to think there are other methods, and since it seems the hospital is really my only option because it's much closer than 45 minutes, my best course of action appears to be to make sure I have those to vouch for my wants and desires.

I can't seem to find any statistics for the hospital online. So I think my next step was......call Human Resources I think someone said?

Anyway, wow! It's so much information to absorb. I thought I pretty much had all the chaos figured out BEFORE our boy decides to make his entrance, but apparently not, lol. Need to remember to ask for a nurse familliar with natural childbirth upon admittance..contact the labor/delivery director, find a midwife or a doula to accompany me and be the stable-mind while my husband paces around in disbelief...lol, I have my work cut out for me. Anyone else have any more suggestions before my mind 'splodes?


----------



## hasya (Jun 27, 2010)

I very strongly feel that I had a C-section due to lack of mobility. I soo soo wanted to move but as a previous poster said, once the heart rate started going down, I lost the will to fight for my rights in the interest of continuously monitoring to make sure baby was doing fine. I don't have regrets now as such, but think! If I had had normal delivery, I would be trying to re-start for another one now. Of course, if AF had returned that is.


----------



## CEG (Apr 28, 2006)

> Thank you. I tried looking for a birth center near here, but the closest one is 45 minutes away. And gas is getting expensive... I'm pretty sure I can get a CNM to accompany me along with my OB, because the Medicaid/Health Plan DOES cover hospital-attending midwives. Thanks for sharing your positive experience; many of you guys seem to be getting red flags about my OB, which is okay! I like him because he's funny and puts me at ease(especially when I had my first pelvic exam done, I was so nervous!), but I definitely won't let him push me around into doing things my body is against. Like I've said, I try not to shelve blame on the doctors or nurses...they're only doing what they were taught, and often don't seem to think there are other methods, and since it seems the hospital is really my only option because it's much closer than 45 minutes, my best course of action appears to be to make sure I have those to vouch for my wants and desires.
> 
> I can't seem to find any statistics for the hospital online. So I think my next step was......call Human Resources I think someone said?
> 
> Anyway, wow! It's so much information to absorb. I thought I pretty much had all the chaos figured out BEFORE our boy decides to make his entrance, but apparently not, lol. Need to remember to ask for a nurse familliar with natural childbirth upon admittance..contact the labor/delivery director, find a midwife or a doula to accompany me and be the stable-mind while my husband paces around in disbelief...lol, I have my work cut out for me. Anyone else have any more suggestions before my mind 'splodes?


You won't be able to get a CNM to accompany your doctor to your delivery, CNMs are independent providers who are paid separately for their service. So Medicaid will pay for either a CNM or an OB to attend your delivery but not both (obviously if a CNM has to consult with an OB during delivery etc that is paid for). So if you would like a CNM you need to find one now, see her or him for prenatal care, and they will attend you in labor.

You can check out the website www.midwife.org to find midwives in your area. Once you have that list you can simply call them to ask if they take Medicaid. Most midwife practices do. I would also consider that birth center that is 45 minutes away- 45 minutes is not long in the grand scheme of things and may very well make a huge difference. Gas is expensive but there are expenses associated with staying in a hospital for 2-3 days, food for your partner, parking, gas for your partner to go back and forth, etc.

I would honestly tell you that if I were you I would definitely find another provider. Any obstetrician who truly believes that it is dangerous for a laboring woman to move around is clearly not supportive of birth outside the "usual." Right now you have a run of the mill, typical OB who is (based on what you have said) not supportive of natural birth. Inducing at 41 weeks, continuous monitoring, no food in labor, and bedrest are all red flags. Definitely take a tour of the labor and delivery unit and ask all of your questions-- that will give you a better idea of the hospital policies. But, although your doc will not be there for your labor, he will make the decisions of what will be done and tell your nurse. She does not have the power to change those things unless he okays it (I am a nurse midwife, former L & D nurse, this is how it works). Pay close attention to how the staff answers your questions, if you ask if people labor in the shower are they clearly supportive of it, or do they say it's a possibilty.

Best of luck. Obviously women have natural and wonderful births in less than ideal settings but as a first time mom you would do yourself a huge favor to set yourself up in a supportive environment. I would encourage every woman to have a doula in every circumstance, but honestly with your provider I think you will find things so restrictive that your doula's hands will be tied on many things as well.


----------



## CEG (Apr 28, 2006)

also, the hospital will not give out stats unless you live in the states where it is mandated-- NY, NJ and one other I think. In other states they are not obligated to give out that info and typically will not. They will track it for productivity purposes, but it is not comomn knowledge. HR wouldn't have them though, your best bet would be talking to the manager of the L & D unit.


----------



## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

I think that the option of mobility is crucially important - for me, with an OP, then OT, then OA baby and a long labour, laying down felt like torture. Luckily my hospital encourages walking and moving. I did end up with an epi, but that was after 36 hours total and I'd been in the hospital for 12 hours and we tried EVERYTHING else first. My nurses were awesome.

I would really clear up what exactly that means, and look into another hospital if they truly mean that you MUST stay in bed during your whole labour. Not just because of that issue but because to me that would be a sign that the whole hospital hasn't made it out of the 70's in terms of their practices and I would guess will have other archaic practices like mandatory nursery time, mandatory formula, episiotomies, etc.


----------



## sosurreal09 (Nov 20, 2009)

I really do not want to upset you here, but a lot of times Drs say x,y,z and then when you are actually laboring in a hospital it turns out the nurses and Drs take control and demand this and that of you or keep pressuring and pressuring. I would be VERY surprised if they don't routinely use drugs. PIT is and has been pushed on every woman *I* have seen labor at a hospital.

Walking during labor is pretty vital. I had a hypnobirth in a birthcenter and the MW even interrupted me and asked me to walk around to help get the baby going.

IDK if you HAVE to have a hospital birth for some reason (I did not read the whole thread) but I would try and avoid this at all costs personally. My biggest fear is birthing in a hospital.


----------



## sosurreal09 (Nov 20, 2009)

Also my birth center was 2hrs from me, but it was *that* important. We are low income but we made it work with the gas since our insurance covered the birth.

The next baby will be at home and will cost us about $3,500. Again it is that important.

How much did you pay for your wedding? You don't think 45mins worth of gas, what a few hundred dollars if that is worth it?

IT REALLY really is! I guarantee it.








I know how stressful it can be. I had DD drug free on my terms at at a birth center at 21 y/o and with no family...just DH (then DP) and I. I had to research like a crazy woman to even find my birth center, they kept the info so hidden. I had been seeing a regular OB at my local hospital before I switched at like 26wks! I knew I could not trust the hospital or myself to not have drugs in that setting.

I don't think any amount of time or money isn't worth birthing comfortably and naturally. There is nothing more special in the whole world.

Good luck.


----------



## KayTeeJay (Jul 22, 2008)

This is what I was thinking. When I had DS2 (VBAC) I was up walking around the room pretty much from the second I got there. I also didn't want an epi. After it was determined that I was going to be admitted, the nurse put wireless fetal/contraction monitors on me. Does your hospital have those? It was kind of funny--she'd clearly not used them very often, if at all, and asked me if I was planning on walking down the halls because she didn't know how long the range was.  I was able to labor for about six hours at the hospital like that, until the shift change when the new nurse that came on duty said I needed to get in bed because she couldn't get a good reading on the monitors with me walking around. (Uh, here's a clue--I'm going to have a BABY. Soon.)

As for how important walking around in general is, I really feel that that combined with having no epi/pit was what made for a successful VBAC in my case. Will you have a doula or someone else there to advocate for you? I did end up getting in bed when the nurse asked and my son was born very quickly after that, but for me the pain was much worse on my back when it had been manageable walking around.

Good luck OP, and best wishes!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *tracymom1*
> 
> What the doctor may have meant is that you cannot roam the halls while in labor. Hospitals like to keep you in your room for a variety of safety reasons (like if a problem arises such as bleeding or syncope you will not be far away from the equipment they need to provide care). I can't see ehy you wouldn't be able to move about your room, that is if you are not getting pain meds.


----------



## KayTeeJay (Jul 22, 2008)

Double post, oops.


----------



## Mrs. MAT (Jan 20, 2007)

I found that moving around was the only thing that managed my pain. The doctors wanted to monitor me and could only pick up the heartbeat when I was in a specific position in bed - the one that did not work well pain wise! They did let me get out of bed to go to the bathroom, so I had to pee very often  I do believe that moving around is an essential part of childbirth. If I could do my first over again, I would choose a different hospital - their marketing material was great, but they really pushed meds, constant monitoring and being restricted to bed. If I couldn't get a different hospital, I would get a doula. I think it would be very helpful having someone with you who can point out what your options are instead of just following the providers preferred route (which may be easier on the provider but harder on you!). To be honest, my doctor was ok with everything I wanted but wasn't the doctor on duty when I had my daughter. Regardless, it was really the nurses that were establishing the way things were going.

This time around, I am going with a midwife at a different hospital 

As far as vetting the hospital, ask questions like "when do you feel a mom needs to be restricted to bed?" "In what situations do you monitor the mom. How is that done?" "What is your policy on monitoring pain levels? How is that done?" (My hospital considered their requirement to monitor pain levels a mandate to push drugs every time they check on you). "How many moms have drug-free childbirth? What techniques do you encourage them to use to manage the labor?" (A lot of people consider natural = vaginal, and will not give the right info if you just ask about natural childbirth). Getting them to explain their policies might give you a clearer picture of how they really treat their patients.


----------



## fairyandgnome (Dec 12, 2007)

You have gotten a wealth of great info here..and I do 2nd Ina Mays book. But the one thing I try to make sure that every mother knows is that you DO have choices. Even in a hospital setting. I birthed my twins in a hospital after I risked out of the homebirthed I had planned. Not only did I walk around and up and down the halls, I got in the shower/tub after my water had already broken (it broke before I went in), I refused IV ports, I refused continued monitoring and I still had a natural, vaginal birth with one being a footling breech, AND I did it in my room. I refused the OR even though it was "hospital policy" That may be THEIR policy.. but this is YOUR birth! Your child! And as long as everything is okay with baby.. there is NO reason for them to invade and take over. I can honestly tell you, the hospital staff were NOT happy. In fact. They were ticked off at me.. the head of staff even came and tried to get me to the OR.. but I had warned my Midwife and the OB a head of time.. I knew my rights and I was going to assert them if I needed too.

Don't get scared of what they tell you. Do your research, hire a doula who has done hers and will tell you, your options. And be strong. Have YOUR birth.


----------



## Julee (Feb 12, 2011)

It can be a huge deal! I had my son in a hospital too, but I made sure I was allowed to move around before I decided on the hospital I went to. I had a pretty long labor and the only thing that made me progress was walking all over the hospital with my doula. I had a lot of back labor, so when I couldn't walk very far anymore my doula suggested that I switch positions from my back to my knees. Once I did that the baby moved and the pain switched from my tailbone to my lower abdomen and soon I felt like I needed to push. I am sure that if I had not been allowed to move, I would have ended up with a c-section because I would not have progressed quickly enough.

By the way, my number one recommendation for all women who are pregnant is to get a doula! It doesn't matter what kind of birth you are planning on. It is so important to have someone with you who knows all about having a baby and how to help a mother with the pain and emotions of childbirth. Our doula also helped us communicate what we wanted to the hospital staff, so we didn't have to worry about anything other than having a baby. After I had my son, my husband and I both agreed we couldn't have done it without our doula!


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *hasya*
> 
> I very strongly feel that I had a C-section due to lack of mobility. I soo soo wanted to move but as a previous poster said, once the heart rate started going down, I lost the will to fight for my rights in the interest of continuously monitoring to make sure baby was doing fine. I don't have regrets now as such, but think! If I had had normal delivery, I would be trying to re-start for another one now. Of course, if AF had returned that is.


I'm so sorry! I've read of that happening, :/ Restricting nature, or trying to push nature along faster than what she's willing to do warrants medical intervention. It's a horrible, terrible cycle. But then again, a long time ago I made the connection that we're the only species who's routinely "forced" to give birth in er.....well, sometimes, the same position we conceived in. I'd like to see someone trying to force something that could do them serious harm, to give birth in the position they felt was best for the animal. It wouldn't work out so well, would it? I've never worked on a farm, or really *been* on one, but I think trying to force a horse to give birth in the position you felt was best would probably earn you a swift kick to the chest.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *CEG*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh! Okay. That's my bad, then, I read the information wrong. You do bring up a good point about considering the birth center that's 45 minutes away, and I had been thinking about that last night. It is only once, at least until my fiance and I get on our feet. There's just so many options to consider. I'm getting help from all over the place and I didn't expect it! Thanks, I'll definitely put more consideration into it,  I don't want to fully lean one way or another until I can find out what the hospital policies truly are, and if by "not moving around" he really meant out into the hall, or not moving around, period. In the event he meant not moving around, period, then I think I know the route I'll have to go.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *CEG*
> 
> also, the hospital will not give out stats unless you live in the states where it is mandated-- NY, NJ and one other I think. In other states they are not obligated to give out that info and typically will not. They will track it for productivity purposes, but it is not comomn knowledge. HR wouldn't have them though, your best bet would be talking to the manager of the L & D unit.


Yup...the only statistics I could find were heart problem statistics, but that was absolutely it!

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Twinklefae*
> 
> I think that the option of mobility is crucially important - for me, with an OP, then OT, then OA baby and a long labour, laying down felt like torture. Luckily my hospital encourages walking and moving. I did end up with an epi, but that was after 36 hours total and I'd been in the hospital for 12 hours and we tried EVERYTHING else first. My nurses were awesome.
> 
> I would really clear up what exactly that means, and look into another hospital if they truly mean that you MUST stay in bed during your whole labour. Not just because of that issue but because to me that would be a sign that the whole hospital hasn't made it out of the 70's in terms of their practices and I would guess will have other archaic practices like mandatory nursery time, mandatory formula, episiotomies, etc.


Definitely. I chose this one because I had heard great news about it, especially from several that gave birth there. But then again...not every women knows about giving birth any other way that what the hospital does as routine, does she? It can be so very shady, :/ I know my mom didn't, and I wouldn't have if I didn't get the idea to start researching. The fact that you can control how your birthing experience goes, should definitely be more widely available.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *sosurreal09*
> 
> I really do not want to upset you here, but a lot of times Drs say x,y,z and then when you are actually laboring in a hospital it turns out the nurses and Drs take control and demand this and that of you or keep pressuring and pressuring. I would be VERY surprised if they don't routinely use drugs. PIT is and has been pushed on every woman *I* have seen labor at a hospital.
> 
> ...


I've been thinking about the possibility of that, :/ It all seemed "too good to be true", you know? And though I never voiced it to my fiance, it almost felt like he was saying, "Yes, we do that." just to make me happy. Instinct? Or being a worry wort? I'm not really sure. I was surprised to hear they have birthing balls, and birthing stools and wedge supports, and the squat bars attached to the beds.... but walking around is a no(which, again, I will check into)? Another thing that puts up a red flag even for me is the cord clamping. In the little room where they take my blood pressure and check my weight, just outside of the bathroom where I pee in a cup, there's a poster right next to the chair that goes through the stages of delivery. Down near the bottom, accompanied with a picture says, "...and after the baby is born, the cord is clamped..." but yet, according to my OB, they don't routinely do early cord clamping? ..... But why would their poster say that's just what's DONE after baby is born?

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *sosurreal09*
> 
> Also my birth center was 2hrs from me, but it was *that* important. We are low income but we made it work with the gas since our insurance covered the birth.
> 
> ...


We're actually not married. Technically we're only engaged, but we often consider each other husband and wife even without the paper document.  He doesn't care where I do it, just so long as someone's there with the appropriate tools to fix something if it goes awry. He's a fearful first-time daddy, so I can't blame him. Thanks for the support,









Quote:



> Originally Posted by *KayTeeJay*
> 
> This is what I was thinking. When I had DS2 (VBAC) I was up walking around the room pretty much from the second I got there. I also didn't want an epi. After it was determined that I was going to be admitted, the nurse put wireless fetal/contraction monitors on me. Does your hospital have those? It was kind of funny--she'd clearly not used them very often, if at all, and asked me if I was planning on walking down the halls because she didn't know how long the range was.  I was able to labor for about six hours at the hospital like that, until the shift change when the new nurse that came on duty said I needed to get in bed because she couldn't get a good reading on the monitors with me walking around. (Uh, here's a clue--I'm going to have a BABY. Soon.)
> 
> ...


Well, an awesome member here actually PMed me with a list of helpful links and has great connections to midwives and doulas nearby, so I'm thinking I probably will have an advocate,









Quote:



> Originally Posted by *Mrs. MAT*
> 
> I found that moving around was the only thing that managed my pain. The doctors wanted to monitor me and could only pick up the heartbeat when I was in a specific position in bed - the one that did not work well pain wise! They did let me get out of bed to go to the bathroom, so I had to pee very often  I do believe that moving around is an essential part of childbirth. If I could do my first over again, I would choose a different hospital - their marketing material was great, but they really pushed meds, constant monitoring and being restricted to bed. If I couldn't get a different hospital, I would get a doula. I think it would be very helpful having someone with you who can point out what your options are instead of just following the providers preferred route (which may be easier on the provider but harder on you!). To be honest, my doctor was ok with everything I wanted but wasn't the doctor on duty when I had my daughter. Regardless, it was really the nurses that were establishing the way things were going.
> 
> ...


Great questions! They'll help a lot for the director of Labor and Delivery. I was completely stuck on what I should ask,







So those help a lot, thanks. I'll just print-out ANOTHER sheet of questions, lol! My sheet of questions for the OB was a page and a half as is.

Quote:



> Originally Posted by *fairyandgnome*
> 
> You have gotten a wealth of great info here..and I do 2nd Ina Mays book. But the one thing I try to make sure that every mother knows is that you DO have choices. Even in a hospital setting. I birthed my twins in a hospital after I risked out of the homebirthed I had planned. Not only did I walk around and up and down the halls, I got in the shower/tub after my water had already broken (it broke before I went in), I refused IV ports, I refused continued monitoring and I still had a natural, vaginal birth with one being a footling breech, AND I did it in my room. I refused the OR even though it was "hospital policy" That may be THEIR policy.. but this is YOUR birth! Your child! And as long as everything is okay with baby.. there is NO reason for them to invade and take over. I can honestly tell you, the hospital staff were NOT happy. In fact. They were ticked off at me.. the head of staff even came and tried to get me to the OR.. but I had warned my Midwife and the OB a head of time.. I knew my rights and I was going to assert them if I needed too.
> 
> Don't get scared of what they tell you. Do your research, hire a doula who has done hers and will tell you, your options. And be strong. Have YOUR birth.


I will,  I'm just.....so bad at asserting myself.







I've gotten better over the years, I think living with my fiance's parents has helped a lot, because his mom is a very.... confrontational woman. And I've eventually learned to just speak my mind. But she's just one person, and I do fear that I'd hunker down in the face of many people being just as confrontational. Honestly, if I can't find an advocate, I don't think I could do a hospital birth, but I'm not sure how well I could put my foot down and say, "You know what, no!"


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Julee*
> 
> It can be a huge deal! I had my son in a hospital too, but I made sure I was allowed to move around before I decided on the hospital I went to. I had a pretty long labor and the only thing that made me progress was walking all over the hospital with my doula. I had a lot of back labor, so when I couldn't walk very far anymore my doula suggested that I switch positions from my back to my knees. Once I did that the baby moved and the pain switched from my tailbone to my lower abdomen and soon I felt like I needed to push. I am sure that if I had not been allowed to move, I would have ended up with a c-section because I would not have progressed quickly enough.
> 
> By the way, my number one recommendation for all women who are pregnant is to get a doula! It doesn't matter what kind of birth you are planning on. It is so important to have someone with you who knows all about having a baby and how to help a mother with the pain and emotions of childbirth. Our doula also helped us communicate what we wanted to the hospital staff, so we didn't have to worry about anything other than having a baby. After I had my son, my husband and I both agreed we couldn't have done it without our doula!


I hear you all, and I agree. You all know what you're talking about anyway,  I'll find one!


----------



## heatherr30 (Aug 7, 2010)

I am reading this post with interest because I just gave birth in a hospital setting 3 weeks ago.

With my first child I was very,very happy with the way the MW supported me in my birth plan and helped me avoid unnecessary interventions. So, I decided to go with the same hospital the 2nd time.

But, with my 2nd birth I was very disappointed with the way the MW and dr apparently had not read my birth plan or taken it seriously, and the way one intervention led to another. I mean, we are not talking anything big here, but... I asked the MW to help me adjust the hospital bed so I could kneel or squat while pushing... the MW did not help me stating that the best position to give birth was laying down. As DS was already coming out there was not a lot of time to argue. So I had to push laying down. I had also requested no shouting or forced pushing during the pushing stage but that request was also disregarded. With the MW and DR coaching me when to push, however I was in an uncomfortable position and felt that I really, really needed to slow down the birth by not pushing, to give my body time to stretch. The whole pushing stage only lasted 10 min but for some reason the DR thought that was too long and I wasn't making progress fast enough and performed an episiotomy "to get DS out".

Anyway what I am trying to say is that when you are in the middle of strong labour pains it can be very difficult to fight people in authority. Also you are very much at the mercy of the actual nurse and dr at your birth, even though hospital policy may be that you can walk around, your dr will be able to discourage you from doing that because you will be too focused on giving birth to argue. I think you have a good start by thinking about your birth plan and also what you will do if you are denied to carry it out, as pps have mentioned a good support person would also be a boon. (even better if this person has experience helping women birth in hospital settings!)


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *heatherr30*
> 
> I am reading this post with interest because I just gave birth in a hospital setting 3 weeks ago.
> 
> ...


How terrible! If I might ask, what kind of midwife was this? One working for the hospital, or one that works outside of it and came to accompany you for delivery in the hospital?


----------



## sosurreal09 (Nov 20, 2009)

Also want to add a lot of hospitals by me have birthing balls and the like, but still do not want people to go in there "demanding" things like natural birth and "fighting" with people to get what you need. They also "support" natural birth, yet when I was still going there for prenatal care and I brought up to another Dr how I am not going to have any drugs period she laughed and said "that doesn't happen in real life" I was out of there fast!


----------



## Mrs. MAT (Jan 20, 2007)

I will second the thought that when you are in active labor you will probably not be in a condition to assert yourself about anything! This is where you rely on your partner and previous communications with the staff. If you are not all on the same page, the birth plan can fall apart really quickly. Ideally, you are giving birth in a place that will respect your wishes. If there is any uncertainty about how things will be handled, a doula can help prevent things from happening that you don't want because she takes a bit of the panic out of the situation and is used to trying to really communicate with the mom instead of pushing her to do whatever is hospital policy.


----------



## SGVaughn (Nov 17, 2006)

I can definitely second or third the sentiment that you may need an advocate for yourself

my husband was so worried about me being in pain with my last an so worn out himself that he forgot all of my wishes and I wound up with a nurse coaching purple pushing in my face...I really really really hate directed pushing. Its actually the ONLY thing I'm completely and utterly opposed to in all circumstances, that and grabbing me behind my knees..if I want my legs up I can hold em myself thank you. Because I hate it so much and my husband dropped the ball on it and let it go on for a couple of contractions I wound up grabbing the nurse by the wrist (because she was holding my leg) and told her if she touched or spoke to me again I'd have her arrested for assault and battery. Truthfully...I'm ashamed of how I reacted and should not of spoken to her that way, nobody really deserves that. If someone could've been there to support me in that regard it could have been avoided all together.

Because you sound a bit green I think everyone's suggestion of a doula is really excellent advice for you no matter where you choose to give birth. Most doulas are very good at remaining neutral with their own beliefs in regards to you birth and can help you get your wishes and needs met.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

The more I read about unassisted and homebirths, the sweeter the idea of "not making it to the hospital" becomes. I do fear, like some of these websites seem to say, that my fears of what will come AFTER may disturb my focus. I've been reading a lot of mothers doing homebirthing don't even feel pain, and that it's possible the stress from the hospital setting plays a huge role in that. Perhaps my focus should be more on finding a midwife and doing a homebirth... but I fear my fiance's parents would stress me out by saying constantly that "This isn't safe, you need to go to a hospital!" and that would still be stressful, :/ Any of you have experiences of giving birth while living with your in-laws? Did they make it difficult?

My mother-in-law is VERY into doctors being involved. And I wouldn't want her ruining my focus. I'm not even considering unassisted, honestly, at least not for the first time around. I think my fiance fears the possibility of complications FAR too much.


----------



## Italiamom (Mar 18, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EchoSoul*
> 
> The more I read about unassisted and homebirths, the sweeter the idea of "not making it to the hospital" becomes. I do fear, like some of these websites seem to say, that my fears of what will come AFTER may disturb my focus. I've been reading a lot of mothers doing homebirthing don't even feel pain, and that it's possible the stress from the hospital setting plays a huge role in that. Perhaps my focus should be more on finding a midwife and doing a homebirth... but I fear my fiance's parents would stress me out by saying constantly that "This isn't safe, you need to go to a hospital!" and that would still be stressful, :/ Any of you have experiences of giving birth while living with your in-laws? Did they make it difficult?
> 
> My mother-in-law is VERY into doctors being involved. And I wouldn't want her ruining my focus. I'm not even considering unassisted, honestly, at least not for the first time around. I think my fiance fears the possibility of complications FAR too much.


My husband's family was very unsupportive about our choice to have our son out of a hospital. And you know what, it was the BEST decision we made for our son to ignore them. It is HARD to stand your ground with in-laws. But standing up for what YOU feel is best for YOUR child is part of being a mom. Step in to that role! Seize it! Being a mama bear can be so scary, so frustrating, but I've always regretted the parenting decisions I compromised on. On the flip-side, I never regret the decisions where I went with what was in my heart and held my ground.

I know that for a lot of very private mamas here, unassisted births are what are best for them. Me? I would have been lost without my midwife. I am so glad she was there! Having witnessed so many births, when I thought that my body was tearing itself apart, I knew I could trust her when she reminded me that my body was doing just what it should. She has become a very dear friend to me, and her presence at my son's birth is still a decision that I'm thrilled with. She will most likely be there for the birth of our next child, and I am so pleased with that fact.

A really great option for you, depending on where you live, might be a freestanding birth center. This is NOT the same as a hospital "birth center." When my son was born, I wanted a homebirth, but I did NOT want one in my home at the time. It was a noisy little apartment, and I HATED it there. The birth center offered me a home away from home I guess. Wood floors, a big four poster bed, a GIANT tub to labor and birth in, plenty of acreage and quiet. It was perfect for me, and it was run by midwives only, no connections to a hospital. Just staffed by women who only do natural birth. For you, it would keep your in-laws out of your birthing space.

If that's not an option, I know that some mamas choose to hire a doula to run interference with in-laws. Some mamas will go to a comfy hotel to give birth (unlimited hot water!!). Some mamas will go to the homes of others to have their babies (I know that there are MDC mamas who have offered up there homes for this purpose). I would post in your tribal area and see what you can find out about those options. But if having an out of hospital birth is what you want for your child, and for your birth, then make it happen!


----------



## anechka (Jul 4, 2009)

VERY IMPORTANT! I labored in the hospital for total of three hours and I walked all the time. I only sat down when I wanted to eat (I brought my food) and I ate when the nurse was out of the room. They put me on constant monitoring but the cords were long enough to allow me to walk back and forth. That was enough to get my labor going. They did not allow me to walk across the hall but honestly when you are in hard labor you are not gonna walk more then few feet at a time anyway. The room had a plenty of space to walk. My advice to you is not to get obsessed with your birthing plan; but simply do what feels right WITHOUT announcing that to the medical staff. Remember that your doctor will come to your room very rarely andt he nurses will be in and out. And you can ask your nurse to not to stay with you entire time. When my labor started I asked her to leave the room: she hooked me up to the monitor and left. The next time I saw her when I was in hard labor 30 minutes away from delivery. I was screaming very loud and she called a doctor who checked me and said I was almost fully dialated. The nurse hesitantly asked me about epidural but after I was checked by the doctor, that idea was discarded. So, during those three hours I saw my doctor twice and my nurse also twice. They pretty much left me to my own devices which was great! Only my husband was in the room with me and no one else. After I had my baby the nurse told me that I was the second woman in her prof. career (she was in her 30s) who did not get an epidural.

And last point, I wanted to mention. Try to delay your visit to the hospital. Ideally you want to get there when you are already in labor; if you get there eralier you are at risk of all kinds of interventions. I came to the hospital 10 hours after my water broke; I started having slight contractions when I got to the hospital and three hours later I had my baby the most natural way you can have in the hospital.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Italiamom*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


I feel so guilty because I've gotten so many great ideas from everyone here and haven't made a step. I'm just so undecided on what I want to do! I haven't had the chance to really sit back and think about it all. Maybe I'll take a bath tonight, baths are perfect times for me to think  What's so perplexing is earlier on in the pregnancy, the in-laws jokingly(but still seemed serious) said that they didn't care, I could have the baby leaning up against one of the many trees out back. But then a few days ago we were discussing how my parents are going to drive over when we tell them I'm in labor, and how I've been reading up on ways to tell when it's true labor, so we don't have any "false" episodes where my parents just have to turn right back. And my mother-in-law said, "Well, once she goes into labor, we're going to the hospital", and my fiance told her that we were going to wait it out as long as possible until I knew it was true, and she argued heavily against him. So now it seems they're completely against the possibility of anything happening here. Which leaves me just as stuck, because there's many reasons I don't want to give birth here, and her making it stressful is only one of the many reasons.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *anechka*
> 
> VERY IMPORTANT! I labored in the hospital for total of three hours and I walked all the time. I only sat down when I wanted to eat (I brought my food) and I ate when the nurse was out of the room. They put me on constant monitoring but the cords were long enough to allow me to walk back and forth. That was enough to get my labor going. They did not allow me to walk across the hall but honestly when you are in hard labor you are not gonna walk more then few feet at a time anyway. The room had a plenty of space to walk. My advice to you is not to get obsessed with your birthing plan; but simply do what feels right WITHOUT announcing that to the medical staff. Remember that your doctor will come to your room very rarely andt he nurses will be in and out. And you can ask your nurse to not to stay with you entire time. When my labor started I asked her to leave the room: she hooked me up to the monitor and left. The next time I saw her when I was in hard labor 30 minutes away from delivery. I was screaming very loud and she called a doctor who checked me and said I was almost fully dialated. The nurse hesitantly asked me about epidural but after I was checked by the doctor, that idea was discarded. So, during those three hours I saw my doctor twice and my nurse also twice. They pretty much left me to my own devices which was great! Only my husband was in the room with me and no one else. After I had my baby the nurse told me that I was the second woman in her prof. career (she was in her 30s) who did not get an epidural.
> 
> And last point, I wanted to mention. Try to delay your visit to the hospital. Ideally you want to get there when you are already in labor; if you get there eralier you are at risk of all kinds of interventions. I came to the hospital 10 hours after my water broke; I started having slight contractions when I got to the hospital and three hours later I had my baby the most natural way you can have in the hospital.


Yup..I read that key note somewhere here not too long ago. Not to announce what you'll do. Which is fine, I don't think my OB will remember the questions I asked, nor think I came up with them specifically, and instead got a general list offline somewhere.

Awesomely enough, we have no other option BUT to labor at home for as long as possible. My parents are driving over from NY when they hear I'm in labor, and I absolutely cannot risk the chance that "Oops! Sorry mom and dad, it's false!" and they'd have to turn right back around again. I can't do that to them, so laboring here for as long as possible is already set in stone,


----------



## zenmumajen (Dec 3, 2010)

Hi EchoSoul! I read in the beginning of this post that you have medicaid you would like to have a midwife but need insurance to cover it. Jeannie Phillpots takes medicaid and is located in Flushing. She is who my fiance and I switched to at 30 weeks because I was like you, and my OB just didn't want me to have the freedom to birth the way that I wanted to. Jeannie is a CNM and only does hospital births at Mclaren Hospital in Flint. So this shouldn't be too far from you if you are in Otisville (I read your post about needing a doula in Flint). She was so wonderful and sweet, and I am so glad that we switched. Her contact info is all here: http://www.mclarenregional.org/body.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=32&action=detail&ref=1682.

I know you are possibly considering a homebirth (which she won't do) but this is also another option for you that medicaid would cover.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Sorry for not getting back to you, zenmumajen. Things have been so chaotic! I think I've decided to birth at a birthing center instead, though. What happened during my appointment yesterday really put me off to hospital births, and how much giving birth in a hospital would make me fearful.

I thought I'd update everyone here - because you've been so helpful with advice. My appointment yesterday left my fiance and I flabbergasted and frustrated. I was given another ultrasound, based on a disagreement between us and the OB on the due date. We feel it is later, but he is going by the due date given during the first ultrasound. He told us that I either give birth by that date, or I would be induced. And if we were not comfortable with that, we would have to find someone else. Let me explain... we've been arguing about the due date, because of course, as a doctor, he is going by the date on the ultrasound as evidence, and not our genuine instincts as parents. Nevermind the fact that the due date the ultrasound gives does NOT make our baby at 40 weeks, because we didn't have sex earlier on enough for that to be the case. The date on the first ultrasound is March 17th. That said... yesterday before that appointment I had another ultrasound done. This ultrasound put the due date as March 28th, which is exactly 37 weeks, to the exact day, of the date of conception we're going by. ..Still, to him, it means nothing. He is not swinging from March 17th, and stated that very clearly. Now the one thing my fiance, I, and the OB could all agree on was that the later into the pregnancy the ultrasound is done, the less accurate it becomes. ...The first ultrasound I had was taken during the 2nd trimester, and according to what I've read, 2nd trimester ultrasounds can be off as much as 2 weeks, and increase to 3 weeks for ultrasounds done during the 3rd trimester. The most accurate ultrasounds are done during the first trimester. I essentially went through half of my first trimester not realizing I was pregnant, and spent the other half getting set up with Medicaid, so I didn't have a chance to get that much-desired ultrasound during the first trimester.

What date is 2 weeks after the 17th? the 31st. Just THREE days after the due date given by my ultrasound yesterday! We told him how March 17th went against every fiber of our being as being accurate, that it felt so totally and incomprehensibly wrong, still... and he told us straight, he can't take our instincts as the kind of "black and white" truth that the ultrasound gives because plainly, it could cause him his job. We told him that we were MUCH more comfortable with the due date of March 28th, and he again talked about how statistically, ultrasounds done later in pregnancy are much less accurate. But that first ultrasound, no matter who you go by - us, or the doctor, was done during the 2nd trimester, which means statistically, it's still off. Also, don't doctors typically give you 1-2 weeks from the date of the ultrasound(assuming the ultrasound dates it at 40 weeks)? So, my appointment next wednesday we are going to ask him, point-blank, WHY he wants to induce on the 17th if I don't go into labor before then. I had sugar in my urine, ONCE, that hasn't showed up since, and I passed the Glucose Screening Test with flying colors. I drank fruit juice that morning. This last ultrasound my AFI was low(truthfully, that morning and the day before that I hadn't drank much water - don't know why I didn't the day before, but I didn't drink much water in the morning because my bladder was ready to burst, and I thought they'd need my bladder full for the second ultrasound, just like they did with the first one. So even though I really really wanted my water, I didn't drink much, afraid I'd have an accident), so my appointment next week they're giving me another ultrasound to check the fluid levels. I really don't think I have oligohydramnios, and that it was just bad timing, because I haven't been leaking fluids, and no one's mentioned anything wrong with the placenta.

I spoke with one of the OB nurses for the birthing center close-by that I contacted. I told her the disagreement and how concerned we were, even though I knew he couldn't legally induce me. She asked if there was any medical reason, besides it being the first due date, that he wanted to induce by that date - preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, diabetes...nope, nope, nope. I didn't mention the low AFI, she didn't list it, so I didn't think of it because I was so anxious to see what could be done. And she mentioned that, unless there was a medical reason to give birth by that date, they were flexible with waiting. So she set me up with an appointment on Friday. I feel SO much better today than I did yesterday, because I wasn't sure if we'd have any other alternative options outside of the hospital that we could afford. I'd love to do an Unassisted Birth at some point, but my fiance and I are hesitant on doing it for our first child - since his major fear is hemmorhaging. Obviously my fear now is induction, even though I know that's MY choice, and I'd never go for artificial induction, unless there was a problem that warranted it. Still, I do not like being essentially told, "It's the 17th, or you need to find someone else." :/


----------



## Tumble Bumbles (Oct 15, 2009)

Oh my word. Thank God or whatever or whomever you believe in that this OB is showing his true colors BEFORE the birth and run as fast as you can to that birthing center. Ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate for dating -- they have I believe a 12 day +/- margin of error in both directions for accuracy for dating (and in reality, that margin can be larger. The 12 days is what they admit to lol). Besides, even if the "good" (ha!) doctor was correct, I went 42weeks 5 days with my first (and I was pretty sure of conception date) and she was perfectly healthy (home birth). Seriously, this guys is dangerous to you and your baby in my humble opinion. If he doesn't pressure you into all kinds of unnecessary crap, he's going to stress you to the point of being unhealthy for you and your babe.

I was totally prepared to go unassisted for our first had we not found another midwife (our first midwife was VERY medicalized, an OB in midwife's clothing lol). We're going unassisted this time. Hemorrhaging, while happens, is very rare in an environment where the mama is safe, warm, and where her labor, birth, and especially third stage is not rushed or managed. I can understand your concerns though and I think the birthing center sounds like a MUCH better alternative than this OB.

Thanks for the update, keep us posted!


----------



## babymommy2 (May 14, 2009)

I haven't read the responses yet, but do you think he meant it endangers the mother becasue walking is dangerous (which it certainly isn't, that is complete nonsense!) or that it endangers the mother because you can't be on a continuous monitor, which really is not necessary unless you are having a particulariy high risk birth, or if you have an epidural you will be on the monitor the whole time. I've given birth in 2 differnt hospitals, a total of 3 times, I walked, it was never discouraged. I've taught prenantl classes for a several years, I don't know any prenatal instructor who would say something so crazy or know an Ob who would say that either. It is truely odd! walking in labor is very good! it is a distraction in early labor, to helps the baby to turn, it will make your labor go quicker. Like I siad before I cannot see why it would not be encouraged, unless you had to be monitored constantly, or had a prolapsed cord or some emergency like that, in which case you;d have a c/s immediately anyways. In teh hosptials I am familiar with, they don't use continuous monitoring,just intermittent, for an uncomplicated delivery with no epidural.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Tumble Bumbles*
> 
> Oh my word. Thank God or whatever or whomever you believe in that this OB is showing his true colors BEFORE the birth and run as fast as you can to that birthing center. Ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate for dating -- they have I believe a 12 day +/- margin of error in both directions for accuracy for dating (and in reality, that margin can be larger. The 12 days is what they admit to lol). Besides, even if the "good" (ha!) doctor was correct, I went 42weeks 5 days with my first (and I was pretty sure of conception date) and she was perfectly healthy (home birth). Seriously, this guys is dangerous to you and your baby in my humble opinion. If he doesn't pressure you into all kinds of unnecessary crap, he's going to stress you to the point of being unhealthy for you and your babe.
> 
> ...


I'm hoping his reasoning for wanting to induce on the 17th if I don't go into labor by then is strictly based on the low AFI level. But I've had no decreased fetal movement, nor am I leaking fluids. But then again, somewhere in the back of my conscience I feel we were leading up to this, regardless of the AFI level, because this isn't the first time we've talked to him about our misgivings for the March 17th due date. Our last appointment we talked to him about it, and he said the same exact things that he said yesterday; the ultrasound is his "science", it's his "only proof", he's sorry but where we think I conceived just doesn't add up to what his "science" proves, and I'm measuring at where he thinks I should be this far along. But I also know a woman who's pregnant for the first time can measure bigger than average because it's her first pregnancy. I'm not denying the possibility our son *could* come around the 17th of his own free will, but I haven't experienced any pre-cursors to true labor; no decreased fetal movement, no loss of plug, etc etc... I *think* I had minor, irregular contractions last night after sex, that I can only describe as pressure waves, but I have no reason at all to believe that the 17th is, or should be "the day". According to my calculations, if our earliest date of conception is correct, March 17th he'll only be 35 weeks old, and while able to survive outside the womb, I'm not willing to push his entrance into the world sooner than he would like. I understand our OB fears being sued if something should happen if I go "over due"(and yes he did throw the "dead baby" card), but surely our instincts and the pure fact that we didn't have sex early enough FOR our baby to be 40 weeks on the 17th should count for something! But apparently not. As he put it, the ultrasound is "black and white", like the Bible, he equated it to. We cannot prove the date of conception is as we say it is, but the ultrasound can "prove" the due date is what it says it is based on our boy's measurements.

I know many complications are due to medical intervention, and that home-birth is not as inherently dangerous as it's made out to be - but the fact remains I wouldn't want to give birth here. This place is too stressful on a day-to-day basis(fiance's mom possibly developing dementia), and I think my fiance's fears would inhibit his ability to react quickly and efficiently if something should go slightly wrong. He doesn't seem to have a problem with a home-birth in successive pregnancies, but is real uncomfortable with a home-birth for the first time.

I will certainly keep everyone updated.  I appreciate all the genuine concern of the moms and moms-to-be here. Besides, who else would I rant to? My fiance's mom agrees with our OB based on the date we told her I was pregnant, which, upon reviewing the possible dates of conception with my fiance after the appointment yesterday, is not accurate enough. And my parents, while real interested in all this stuff, I can only rant to so much.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *babymommy2*
> 
> I haven't read the responses yet, but do you think he meant it endangers the mother becasue walking is dangerous (which it certainly isn't, that is complete nonsense!) or that it endangers the mother because you can't be on a continuous monitor, which really is not necessary unless you are having a particulariy high risk birth, or if you have an epidural you will be on the monitor the whole time. I've given birth in 2 differnt hospitals, a total of 3 times, I walked, it was never discouraged. I've taught prenantl classes for a several years, I don't know any prenatal instructor who would say something so crazy or know an Ob who would say that either. It is truely odd! walking in labor is very good! it is a distraction in early labor, to helps the baby to turn, it will make your labor go quicker. Like I siad before I cannot see why it would not be encouraged, unless you had to be monitored constantly, or had a prolapsed cord or some emergency like that, in which case you;d have a c/s immediately anyways. In teh hosptials I am familiar with, they don't use continuous monitoring,just intermittent, for an uncomplicated delivery with no epidural.


My best guess? I think he said it, referring either to an innate fear, or just regular hospital protocol that if a laboring women suddenly experiences a particularly hard contraction, she could take a fall and hurt herself and/or the baby. We covered, in previous responses to this thread, that it's possible he may have meant not to walk the halls, and that walking around the delivery room was fine. Plus, apparently the way the hospital runs I would be(iiiiiiif they had their way, that is) on Fetal Monitoring the entire time, regardless whether it was high-risk or not :/ Anyway, it's not looking like I'll be giving birth there, anyway.


----------



## Smokering (Sep 5, 2007)

No advice, just wanting to give you a virtual hug for the stress of this situation! It must be very frustrating to feel trapped by so much unreasonableness!


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smokering*
> 
> No advice, just wanting to give you a virtual hug for the stress of this situation! It must be very frustrating to feel trapped by so much unreasonableness!


Thanks,  It's much appreciated. It really is frustrating - especially to find this out now, and be left with so little time. Though, thank goodness, it seems to be working out.


----------



## FoxintheSnow (May 11, 2004)

At this point, he can't really tell you to go find another OB. He has to keep you as a patient. In most states, if not all an OB has to give a patient 30 days notice to drop them and seeing as it's march 4 and you are due at the end of march, that's not possible. You can switch on your own accord but he can't drop you. Have you check the Michigan tribe on mdc? Maybe they can help find you another provider. It can be tricky since you are so close to the end, but it's worth a shot. I would strongly not suggest going unassisted if you are not prepared or educated about it.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *FoxintheSnow*
> 
> At this point, he can't really tell you to go find another OB. He has to keep you as a patient. In most states, if not all an OB has to give a patient 30 days notice to drop them and seeing as it's march 4 and you are due at the end of march, that's not possible. You can switch on your own accord but he can't drop you. Have you check the Michigan tribe on mdc? Maybe they can help find you another provider. It can be tricky since you are so close to the end, but it's worth a shot. I would strongly not suggest going unassisted if you are not prepared or educated about it.


I know legally he can't drop me, and it's a line often used by OBs to get their patients to do what they want them to do, since their patients feel they have no other choice. Fortunately, though, this Friday I have an appointment with the OB at the birthing center close-by,  The receptionist at the birthing center even said if worse came to worse I could just walk in when I'm in labor, but it wasn't the ideal method, and I chose to do this the right way. I want to know the birthing center's routine procedures, too, even though I know statistically, birthing centers are a lot less likely to intervene. I would hate walking into any place to give birth with absolutely NO idea of what the typical routine was.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Update! My amniotic fluids are much better - no concern at all now. We discussed with our OB extending the date he was pushing for delivery, and he was willing to give us until the 31st of March(this is when he believes me to be at 42 weeks). He believes us when we say when we had sex, but as he put it, as a medical doctor in the field, it's not enough proof, whereas the ultrasound is the only proof he has to go on. Despite where we may think our baby is at gestationally, he feels uncomfortable prolonging the pregnancy past the 31st, based on his "proof" that I would be 47 weeks at that point, and fears the possible side-effects that can come with a post-term baby. All in all, as I've said before; we do like this doctor, he does seem to listen to us, and it was awesome for him to have given us that 2 week extension when in our previous appointments he seemed SO adamant on the 17th. This, of course, does not mean if I don't go into labor by the 31st that we're artificially inducing. This does not mean we will be bullied at all into doing something that goes against our instinct and better judgment. We hesitate switching doctors at this point in time, in the event that yes, even if the birthing center is more lax on ultrasound due dates, the fact of the matter is that's still going to be their proof, too. The advantage we have here is that our OB knows us now, knows that we don't bend to "This is what the ultrasound says", and knows our thoughts and beliefs on the matter. Anywho, enough rambling. We are very satisfied with the turnout of this appointment. And I'm happy to know my amniotic levels are where they should be,


----------



## JudiAU (Jun 29, 2008)

I would be very very uncomfortable with a doctor that said that. I get the "everyone has an epidural" or "that is not real life" because, yes, that is hospital birth for many women. That is the doctor's experience. But someone who thinks that a woman should not move in labor if unmedicated is um, crazy? totally unexperienced with natural birth?


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *JudiAU*
> 
> I would be very very uncomfortable with a doctor that said that. I get the "everyone has an epidural" or "that is not real life" because, yes, that is hospital birth for many women. That is the doctor's experience. But someone who thinks that a woman should not move in labor if unmedicated is um, crazy? totally unexperienced with natural birth?


We still haven't clarified with him exactly what he meant. Either he meant walk around the hallways, or walk around the room. Given that there's a squat bar, and birthing ball and birthing stool available, I now have a hard time believing he meant one couldn't walk around the delivery room, and instead meant the hallway. As near as I figure the hospital probably fears that if a laboring women were to walk around the hallways, and suffered a particularly hard contraction, she could take a fall and hurt herself and/or the baby.


----------



## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

...edited to delete everything I wrote because I should have read the whole thread first.

Goodluck with your birth mama. I hope everyone is happy and healthy.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ldavis24*
> 
> ...edited to delete everything I wrote because I should have read the whole thread first.
> 
> Goodluck with your birth mama. I hope everyone is happy and healthy.


Thanks! My fiance actually clarified something today that had me worried - he said months ago if there was a problem he'd fold like a bad deck of cards - but failed to mention he trusts my instincts and would only fold to the OB if I felt something was wrong. Otherwise he's behind me 100% of the way. This makes me feel much better.


----------



## Ldavis24 (Feb 19, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EchoSoul*
> 
> Thanks! My fiance actually clarified something today that had me worried - he said months ago if there was a problem he'd fold like a bad deck of cards - but failed to mention he trusts my instincts and would only fold to the OB if I felt something was wrong. Otherwise he's behind me 100% of the way. This makes me feel much better.


I know about frustrations with the spouse. I have my whole own thread devoted to my DH's utter panic at the idea that I want a HB...I am working on bit by bit and he is coming around but when it is your first baby it is very very different. I actually had a hospital birth for baby 1 and used a midwife....he's seen me birth, he knows I can do it without meds because I didn't have any.

Your fiance will see you in a way he never thought he would. A woman who is TRULY capable of anything. If you ever have more children I think the panic (assuming all goes well) is greatly reduced.

Have fun and goodluck! I think what helped me through the worst parts was remembering or trying to remember that each ctx brought me closer to meeting my LO.


----------



## Lilygoose (Oct 27, 2009)

You might be. I had a natural hospital birth at a branch of our hospital system that was a women's hospital. Although they were honest about not specializing in natural birth, they presented themselves as being natural birth friendly. And in many ways they were (it helped that my midwife had done a fair amount of natural births-especially when my 11 pounder got stuck and she was able to safely continue my natural birth and help get that baby unstuck pronto). However, I had to yell at a random OB to stop asking me if I wanted an epidural-my birth plan distinctly stated not only to not offer one, but to try to persuade me to wait if I started asking, which I never did. The nurses were kind and supportive for the most part, but it was easy to tell by their reactions that they did not have much, if any, experience with natural birth and did not quite know what to do with me. I handled it all really well for the most, they had a tub, which I spent a huge portion of my labor in, but I was in the pushing stage with an 11 pound baby for over 2 hours-I had a really hard time finding my rythm. I should have paid better attention at my Bradley classes. It was painful, and while I wasn't screaming or anything it was still apparent that it hurt, alot. This kind of freaked them out. They were overly impressed after my labor with what had happened. Several of them admtited to having no experience with natural birth. Yes it was a difficult thing, but women have been doing this since the dawn of time and painkillers are only a recent invention. So you could very easily be the only woman there who does not want an epidural or to just take it laying on your back.Also you might want to learn about the cascade of interventions-so while one thing may not seem that important to you-such as walking around-it may be thing that leds to another thing, that leads eventually to interventions you really don't want. I started out simply not wanting pain meds. Before learning about birth through my Bradley classes (and it doesn't have to be Bradley-there are lots of other approaches) I would have consented to an IV, pitocin, etc. without realizing the effects they can have and how labor can be stalled when not allowed to simply flow along its natural progression. And definitely check the c-section rates of your hospital-it doesn't have to be a deal breaker if you have the right supports and knowledge, but if it is high (mine was 30%) you will need that help and support to prevent the potential for people who aren't knowledgeable about natural birth from coercing you into things you don't want, b/c scarily they really do think some of these things are necessary even for women whose births are low risk and going fine all on their own.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EchoSoul*
> 
> That makes sense.. Because I cannot possibly imagine that I'm the ONLY woman there who doesn't want any epidural, and I can't possibly imagine that I'm the only woman there that would take this "laying down", ....literally.
> 
> Then I certainly will exercise my right in my birth plan to move around! And goodness knows my husband will back me up.


----------



## EchoSoul (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks for the advice,  According to the internal check yesterday at my doctor's office, I'm 2 - almost 3 cm dilated,  It's 2 days past the due date from the original ultrasound our OB was so hung up on, and so far my only signs have been a random, dull ache at the pit of my uterus that happens randomly throughout the day for a moment. We're still thinking the March 28th due date is gonna be more accurate, even though I still don't think I'm gonna give birth until April. I didn't know it was so common(from google searches) to be 2 cm dilated at 35 weeks - HAH! More proof that we've been right about how far along I am, and that the ultrasound gave inaccurate information,


----------

