# why did you/do you want to go natural?



## scottishmommy (Nov 30, 2009)

how did you come to your decision? is it because your mom and friends were natural birthers? my mother had all her children naturally, and encouraged me to go natural when i was pregnant. my mother in law had all her babies naturally as well. she was a great resource. both of them were there for my labor, and they were so helpful. i think the reason that i really didn't want to use drugs though, was because of my cousin. she was induced at 42 weeks. her cervix was closed and her fluids were low. she wanted a natural birth but was open to pain relief. she requested an epidural after she vomited many times from the pitocin contractions. when she got the epidural her blood pressure dropped, and they lost her baby's heartbeat. she had severe hypotension from the epidural. i was terrified of something like that happening to me in labor. i knew that i wanted to do everything i could to have a healthy delivery. obviously thing go wrong for natural deliveries too!


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## broodymama (May 3, 2004)

When I was pregnant with my first I didn't have many friends that had kids, and none of them had unmedicated births. All epidurals and/or sections. I had thought about an epidural, but once I realized that meant I would need an IV then I changed my mind.







I have a very strong fear of needles, and just didn't think I'd want a bunch of people poking me, prodding me and doing things to me during labor. (I was right!) A week in the hospital on mag sulfate for preterm labor solidified that feeling. So I bought the Hypnobabies home study course and had an unmedicated hospital birth. My next two were homebirths and planning another homebirth this time around.


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## sehbub (Mar 15, 2006)

I joined MDC when I was pg with my first bio child. I was open to the idea of natural birth, but not married to it. I knew my mother had birthed naturally, but hers was more circumstance than choice.

Eventually I got to the point that I decided to plan a homebirth, and so therefore, would have a natural birth. DD3 decided she'd rather be born at 30 weeks, so the homebirth was obviously out of the question, but I knew that I wasn't comfortable pumping my body full of narcotics when delivering a teeny tiny preemie baby. I went through 37 hours of active labor with her, and only had a milligram of Stadol at hour 34 (which I regret) to take the edge off.

After all of that, I knew that I could totally handle this natural birth thang, and any future babies would arrive the same way.

Honestly, I loved all of it. I can't imagine being numb and not getting to feel my babies come out. Yes, it's really weird to feel the nose, shoulders, elbows, fingers, knees, etc as they come out, but amazing and exhilarating at the same time. I totally felt like She-Ra when I was done.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

You can't have drugs at home and there was no way I was going to the hospital unless it was an emergency. And as far as homebirth, I heard about it from a lady in the church nursery when I was younger and then got on a group with a bunch of 'crunchy' ladies online before I got pregnant with my oldest.


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## laughingfox (Dec 13, 2005)

I didn't know anything about the industry of hospital birth before I got pregnant with my little surprise.
Once I found out what an epidural was and how it was done (you seriously want to put a tube into my back, ridiculously close to my spinal fluid, and have me _lay down on it_??), I knew I didn't want one.
I also didn't want my baby taken away after the birth, didn't want people messing with my body unnecessarily, didn't want to be stuck in a bed attached to a ton of machines, etc.
It was a very instinctual decision.
I didn't really have anyone around who had natural experiences or offered support until later in pregnancy after I'd found a homebirthing doctor and moved across the state.


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## Sileree (Aug 15, 2006)

A big reason for me is sometimes drugs make babies sleepy so breastfeeding is harder.


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## wbg (Mar 28, 2008)

At first I had no expectation and just went with it. Had the epi.
With subsequent babies I did not, and what I found was that the pain was helpful. I know that sounds weird, but it kind of tells you what to do. So You arch a certain way, or move another way and it seems the baby makes its way out. My epi baby was a little stuck! Pushing was harder and longer and he was sleepier!
My natural births have been painful yes, but somehow easier and all resulted in more chilled babies! Very alert, great nursers etc.


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## khaoskat (May 11, 2006)

I am the odd one on both sides of the family. My SIL went natural with both of her kids, but it was not by choice. She got to the hospital too late to get an epidural.

I want natural, just because it feels right to me. Also, I have never had pain relief on my right side when I have been given an epidural. So, if I am still going to be left feeling pain on one side, then I might as well, just learn to deal with the pain the entire time.

After my first birth, I have always been able to deal with the pain. As a matter of fact, my last pregnancy I went through my entire dilation and effacement w/o any pain. I didn't feel pain until I left the comfort of my home.


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## Materfamilias (Feb 22, 2008)

I wanted to go natural because it's, well, natural. It's what my body is designed to do. And the more I read about it after becoming pregnant, the more I felt that it was the best way to go. Experience has confirmed my feeling about that


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## Right of Passage (Jul 25, 2007)

I knew intuitivly that it was better for my and my baby's healthy to avoid intervention. That sounds awfully know-it-all like but even when I was little I knew that women should give birth the way nature intended. I would draw pictures of birth and babies nursing as young as I can remember (about 4)

As far as my influences the only birth experience I had prior to giving birth was being born and watching TLC Baby story. I was a c-section baby and we all know what the baby story births look like. I remember being 11/12 and getting upset and knowing that that mom was going to end up with a vaccum/forceps delivery and that mom was going to be a c-section, and that mom was going to have trouble breastfeeding if she tried.

In the end I ended up with an extremely managed birth and c-section delivery, followed by a natural and short VBAC, and am now planning a HBAC.


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## cappuccinosmom (Dec 28, 2003)

I always thought it seemed the most reasonable way to go, but I didn't get passionate about it until after my first birth and a bad experience with Stadol and essentially finding myself completely powerless.


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## poetesss (Mar 2, 2006)

I don't believe in that "feeling the experience" stuff that people talk about when discussing natural birth. I'd rather NOT feel the pain. That's why I did hypnobabies/hypnobirthing, but I have fast labors, and so can't get into hypnosis quickly and deeply enough.

These are my reasons why I fear an epidural more than unmedicated birth:
*don't want to be stuck on my back tied to monitors
*don't want my bp dropping
*don't want my labor slowing down and stalling, requiring pit
*don't want that pit leading to my baby's heartrate decelerating
*don't want those complications leading to a forceps or c/s delivery
*don't want to be numbed out so I have to be told when to push, and then tearing up because I pushed too hard
*don't want to be up in stirrups and legs splayed out in someone's face and having them catch my baby when I can do it myself
*don't want the post-epi complications like numbness, back pain, headaches, etc. (I have MS, I already have this stuff anyway! Don't need any more of it!)
*don't want the risk of infection from a messed up epidural

I have a hard time getting across to people that the reason I don't take an epi has nothing to do with me thinking I'm superwoman--I just find the possible consequences of an epidural more offensive than the pain of childbirth.


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## *MamaJen* (Apr 24, 2007)

When I was a lot younger I thought it was stupid to feel the pain if you didn't have to -- like it would be a rebellion against the patriarchal idea of the curse of Eve or whatever.
As I got older I realized there were valid reasons for natural childbirth, but I wasn't really interested in having babies and didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it. Then one day I was writing a story about a breastfeeding issue (I'm a reporter) and I stumbled onto MDC. I started reading homebirth stories and at first I thought it was totally fringe and freaky, but then as I read them they totally and profoundly resonated with me. It opened up a whole new universe and even though I wasn't considering having a baby any time soon, I immediately knew I would want a midwife. When I got pregnant a year or so later I went into full-blown research mode. That's when I really learned about the idea of evidence-based maternity care, the idea that the standard interventions actually often have worse outcomes than the natural models, the idea that it's important to a women to birth in a safe and comfortable environment with emotional support, and the idea that labor isn't necessarily unbearably painful. It was like an entire paradigm shift.
For me it was less about whether or not to get an epidural, and more about avoiding the medicalized hospital model of childbirth and the whole slew of interventions it entails.
I had a really wonderful gentle homebirth and I'm so glad I chose that route.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X (Nov 18, 2004)

My main reason was because I wanted to prove I was strong enough to do it. Followed by knowing it was the way babies where meant to be born and I wanted to stay as close to nature as possible. It really felt great to tell the people who said I couldnt do it that I did and have no regrets at all about doing it that way.


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## ~Boudicca~ (Sep 7, 2005)

I wanted a natural birth with dd2 because my medicated, intervention packed hospital birth completely sucked. So I did a 180 for the next one and had a completely amazing, surprisingly easy natural birth.

Until that point the only people I knew that had natural births (nevermind a homebirth) were on MDC. Even after I had my 2nd kid I got crap from people that thought there was something wrong with me for making the choices I did.


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## etsdtm99 (Jun 19, 2009)

I wanted to go natural the first time mainly because i wanted to avoid a c-section at all costs.. but i ended up with pitocin, no progress then an epidural, and thank god a vaginal birth and no serious complications.. 2nd time around, even though i was much more prepared, the same thing ended up happening... but my blood pressure dropped with the epidural .. it was horrible, the clock was ticking as everyone scrambled to prepare for an emergency c-section but i came out of it somehow .. that epidural put my baby in serious danger and didn't even WORK. we're planning a homebirth next time.. i don't want to be anywhere near pitocin or an epidural ..


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## gcgirl (Apr 3, 2007)

For me, a big part of it was women have been doing it for thousands of years, and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

My mom had natural births so I grew up hearing the stories and always thought that was just the way it was. One of my nursing instructors (I'm an RN) was a CNM, she always pushed low intervention birth on us. We did OB clinicals at hospitals were epidurals were not offered. When it came time for my children, I knew that natural birth was the only way to go.


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## Kidzaplenty (Jun 17, 2006)

I was ignorant. I chose to go natural because I just did not ever think there was another way.









I never was allowed around birthing. The closest I came to seeing my brothers born was going to school one day and coming home to my mom holding a baby.









I guess I was just blessed to be so ignorant! And I am VERY glad!


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## KaylaBeanie (Jan 27, 2009)

I've said since I was four (and found out what an epidural was!) that my births would be natural, because I have a profound fear of needles. At age 12, I even had a broken and dislocated bone set with no pain medicine...I was THAT scared!

I became more knowledgeable about it after two events. First, when I was 13, my aunt had her 9th baby, and chose to have an epidural despite having 7 of the other 8 naturally with no issues. She suffered some sort of event, thought to be either mini strokes or a spinal headache. Whatever it was, she is still sick 7 years later, and frequently suffers dizziness and crippling headaches. I haven't talked to her much about it, but my oldest cousin says my aunt knows it was from her epidural. I decided that a day or two of pain could never be worth years of health problems, even if those problems are one in a million.

When I was 17, my SIL had my first niece completely naturally with a CNM, which got me reading. I quickly decided I wanted to be a doula, then decided I'd like to be a CPM. Hearing about SIL's two beautiful natural births makes me look forward to experiencing it.

So, in summary, it's a few things; my unnatural fear of needles makes me want to die at the thought of putting it in my spine, my aunt's experience, but mostly my whole attitude about birth. I know it'll hurt(unless I'm one of those lucky orgasmic birth women







), it might be long, it'll definitely be hard work, but I'm designed to do it. I actually can't wait to be pregnant and go through labor!


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## mntnmom (Sep 21, 2006)

I did have a little narcotic relief early in labor with #2. I was worried about the side effects, but it was the best option at the time. Mostly, I've avoided pain relief because of concern about the side effects. They are a valuable tool, but are SEVERELY over used. The concept of an epidural has always scared the [email protected] out of me. Then I learned that they don't always work!!! It would take an immediate danger to me or the babe before I would consider one.


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## mambera (Sep 29, 2009)

My mom had all 3 of hers without interventions (hospital-based midwife practice), so that seemed like the 'norm' to me to start with.

Also I am an MD and during my Ob/Gyn rotation in med school I saw a LOT of highly managed births and not a single intervention-free one. I was horrified at the powerlessness of the laboring women - eg they'd be pleading to walk around and were told sternly to stay in bed with the monitor on. It seemed so dumb - obviously the women's bodies were telling them how best to get the baby out and the hospital staff were throwing up hurdles left and right. No wonder the hospital had a 40% section rate. So yeah, I *also* saw a lot of C-sections and I learned from that experience that I never, never, never wanted a C-section (or any surgery really).

I'm not strongly opposed to epidurals - eg if the woman is really tired and sapped by pain I think an epi can be helpful in giving her a 'second wind' to finish the delivery - but on balance I think if you can do without, that's a little better. And personally, I'm definitely eekier about a needle in my back than about labor pain.

Overall the best advice I got was from my mom - stay home as long as you can! I showed up to the hospital already pushing and way past the option for an epi or anything else. Worked out perfectly. Hope I can pull it off again next time around!


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## Bluegoat (Nov 30, 2008)

My first births weren't especially natural. I do tend to have a "don't mess with it" approach to medicine anyway - I don't, for example, believe in bringing down fevers unless necessary. So that is also my attitude to birth. But, I am a bit of a chicken - I can't easily relax into the whole birth thing, and with my pregnancies I didn't know enough.

I know a lot more now about the details of birth and how interventions affect them, and if it was available I would be having a home birth this time. Since it isn't, I have been doing hypnobabies to teach myself to relax and let my neocortex be a little quieter.


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## Litcrit (Feb 23, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *poetesss* 
I don't believe in that "feeling the experience" stuff that people talk about when discussing natural birth. I'd rather NOT feel the pain. .

I was one of those women genuinely interested in the experience. Not in the 'one with your body' 'bond with your baby' 'be empowered' sort of way, just 'OK, let's see what the big deal is!'

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gcgirl* 
For me, a big part of it was women have been doing it for thousands of years, and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.

Yeah, me too









And I have to admit to a certain 'macho' streak that is so frowned upon for some reason - I wanted to know I could and would deal with the pain of a normal childbirth.

I don't necessarily view epis as evil or even all that risky. I fully support any woman's right to choose an epidural for her birth, especially if it's difficult. For me it's about the aesthetics of it, the idea behind it - I like accepting challenges that are naturally presented to me.


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## GoestoShow (Jul 15, 2009)

.


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## nia82 (May 6, 2008)

I didn't know anything til I was pregnant. My mom had births without narcotics, but with plenty of interventions not by choice and it always occurred to me that birth is horrible and archaic...
Then I started research, cause I wanted the best for my baby and for me too. I came across all the studies, the websites and decided natural is better. It was then I decided I want to nurse my baby and so on. I literally was clueless before my research!!!
I used to think women who choose natural births are crazy and people who nurse longer than 6 months must be weird... I realize our mainstream society doesn't talk about these things so I am never offended if a non-parent tells me how weird I am... they just don't know and have had no reason to research it!


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## gcgirl (Apr 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoestoShow* 
Yeah. I wanted to go natural because I was led to believe it was possible, that it was the best for me and for the baby, and all the other lies we get fed. Well guess what? It didn't freaking happen.

The natural birth community led me to believe it would work out because if you plan, do this, do that, get your doula, etc., etc., birth will be a unicorns and fairies.

After what I went through trying to get a natural birth to fail miserably, I wish I hadn't known a damned thing about it. I'm sure now, a year later, I'd be a lot better off ignorant of what I missed instead of pissed off at everyone here who it did effing happen for.

Yeah, I'm bitter and angry and pissed off at natural birthers. I'd like to say more, but it would be filled with UAVs.











I'm sorry. I consider myself a cynical realist, and I can't buy into the unicorns and fairies stuff either. I do think it does a disservice to women to discuss childbirth in strictly glowing terms when it isn't that way for everyone. For a LOT of women, actually.


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## Funny Face (Dec 7, 2006)

Honestly I think it has a lot to do with my personality and my tendency to want to go against the grain.









I didn't know anyone who'd had an unmedicated birth and I wanted to know what I would have been missing.

I also read a lot of birth stories and there was something so very different in how the story was told by moms who went natural or who had going natural as their goal.

It grew from there.


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## craft_media_hero (May 15, 2009)

1. I wanted to be able to feel in order to push. I was terrified of the paralyzed feeling that friends had described to me from their spinal/epidural. I felt that being able to feel what was happening was pretty important, you know?

2. I wanted my baby's first moments to be clear. She came out aware, calm, and very focused on the people who were present at her birth. I didn't want her to come out doped up.

I never, ever thought that it wouldn't hurt. That is just silly to think that if you do all these things, that it won't hurt. In fact, I had heard so many horror stories and so many people trying to talk me out of natural birth, that I kept expecting it to get worse and worse, and it didn't. It hurt a lot, but was manageable by sitting in hot water, moving a lot, moaning, and using counterpressure. I kept waiting for it to get to this peak of pain, and then next thing I knew, I was pushing a baby out. So it does hurt, but it's not so bad as the horror story tellers will make it out to be (then again, I didn't have back labor or an breech or anything like that).

ETA my mom and other women role models had classical medical/surgical births. I had been a support person for two natural births for my sister, so I did have an idea of what I was in for, although my sis' experiences were very different than mine (she was in the hosp the whole time, mostly flat on her back, whereas I was the squatting, moaning queen of my home til I went to the hosp 30 mins before dd was born). So I don't think that my mamas had a lot of bearing on my choice. I just wanted to trust my body and let it happen.


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## dulce de leche (Mar 13, 2005)

My first two were fully medicalized hospital births with epis and pit. Then, when I became pregnant with dd2, I felt very strongly that I should go natural. I couldn't get away from it. I prayed about it a lot and got a doula. My mom was very pro-hospital birth (her easiest was a scheduled C-section) and dh didn't believe I could do it, but I knew I had to.

We labored at home until I was at 7, went in to the hospital and labored another hour or two until I was ready to push. Then the OB and nurse went completely white and got very, very scared. Turned out that until my water broke as I was ready to push, they didn't realize that she had a prolapsed cord. The waters had been cushioning and protecting it, and her heart rate had stayed fine. She was out in four pushes, and the L&D nurse, who had never seen an unmedicated birth, was amazed. Dd2 was perfectly fine. My OB told us that if I had had the regular epi/pit cycle it would have been an emergency c-section, but probably too late to save her.

This time around, not only are we going natural, but also having a homebirth (as soon as dh is persuaded, anyway







).


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

For me it has very much to do with the connection to my body and baby.
If I am going 'natural' - then I will be better connected to my body during labour and this will leave me better connected to my baby. This all adds up to a more probably peaceful and natural childbirth (less likely for something to go wrong) - the way it should be for both our health and attachment when baby is finally here.


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## justmandy (Sep 3, 2004)

Hmmm...thanks for this thread. I'm 39 weeks with my 4th and planning my first natrual birth. Sometimes I think "What am I doing?? This is nuts!" I'm a little scared and have no idea what to do...having all the choices is a little overwhelming. It was so much easier to nod along with the Dr. and let them make all the decisions.

So now I get a chance to read all your responces and go back to remember why I did chose this path.

With ds2 my epi didn't work, the dr. didn't make it. I discovered birth wasn't that bad. There was lots of chaos in the delivery room. No one ever showed me my son, there was yelling (okay some was from me) and equiptment falling apart and it was not what I wanted for teh first moments of ds' life. I thought right then "I dont' need anything this hospital has to offer."

Then I got pg, decided to homebirth, I'm a little weird anyway, so I've really only gotten support, some stupid questions but none of the horror stories I've heard. People expect it of me.

It also really fits my family. I homeschool, we do everything together, we are very close. When a baby is born, it's not Mommy's baby, it's everyone's baby, I couldn't imagine going away from my family for this huge event and my kids not being able to experiance it.


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## Astraia (Jan 1, 2009)

My family has a weird response to pain meds- we need a LOT of them (and I mean a LOT) in order to feel any affect from them. And by the time they've kicked in I start to feel weird and weepy (my sister is the same) and wish I hadn't bothered to begin with.

I also hate not being in control. I don't like feeling foggy or like I can't make my body do what I want it to do- which is why alcohol and drugs (like, say, marijuana) are so horribly unappealing to me, even at the stage in my life where EVERYONE was doing it. The idea of being numbed from an epi or cloudy from stadol is terrifying to me, not to mention that when it kicks in I'd probably panic and start bawling.

Of course, this didn't occur to me when I was thinking about birth options. I'd watched a few episodes of A Baby Story, heard my SIL and other relatives birth stories (hospital births, they thought they went GREAT) and was horrified and knew I could never do that. I have authority problems, I like forging my own path, I don't want anyone to tell me what to do, and hospitals give me panic attacks at the best of times- so for me, the hospital sounded absolutely revolting.

I knew my mom homebirthed with my youngest brother, though I don't remember it, so I knew the second my little pee test came up + that we'd get a midwife, no if's, and's, or but's and nothing DH said would have dissauded me (lucky for him, he didn't care so we didn't need to fight about it!)


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## Engineering_Mama (Jun 24, 2008)

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted a natural birth. I wanted to be able to feel my child being born. To me it just didn't/doesn't make sense to want to miss such a huge part of my child's life, her birth. I'm sure others don't feel they missed out, but I would have.


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## Tizzy (Mar 16, 2007)

My short answer: Someone mentioned something about getting a medal?


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## Eresh (Jul 17, 2007)

Because being in a hospital, numb, "tied" to a bed by half a dozen wires, with perfect strangers sticking their hands in my vagina sounds like it belongs in a horror movie. I'm slightly claustrophobic and don't like strangers touching me. And I don't like hospitals.

And a hundred other reasons
-- a friend had her daughter, unassisted, in her bath tub at home.
-- I don't like taking medicine / pain killers.
-- I didn't want to go down the cascade of interventions.


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## Belle (Feb 6, 2005)

It was all because of my dh.









At the beginning of my first pregnancy I was convinced that I wanted to get an epidural at the first contraction. My dh convinced me to take a natural childbirth class so if there were some reason an epidural was delayed that I would have the skills to cope with the contractions. This seemed to make sense. So I reseached different methods. We ended up taking Bradley classes. I'm sure the instructor had me pegged for a c/s when I mentioned at the first class that I didn't care whether I used drugs or not. By the end of the series I felt confident and prepared for a natural birth.

Through fighting tooth and nail, I had a natural birth in the hospital. It totally blew me away how great it was. I wanted to tell everyone about. The problem was, nobody wanted to hear it.









I've since trained to become a doula and I've attended a few births, but couldn't deal with the on-call work.

Six years ago I never would have imagined that my second child would have been born at (gasp) home.


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## Plummeting (Dec 2, 2004)

I guess I just always figured that if I _could_ do it, there was absolutely no reason I _shouldn't_. I knew that drugs have side effects and there's simply no way that it can be as safe to do it with drugs as it is without. The difference might be small, but really..._all_ drugs have side effects and for some people they're really dangerous. I'm glad interventions exist for when they're needed or even simply wanted. I just don't think that I should rush out to use them simply because they exist.

Additionally, it goes against my whole nature to let people _do_ things to me, which is the best way I can describe how I feel about drugs - they change it from a situation in which _you're_ doing something to a situation in which people are doing something _to_ you. They're giving you medication, hooking you up to monitors, telling you when you can move, telling you how to push and when to push and so on. It's like you take your personal power and hand it over to someone else. I value you my autonomy way too much to relinquish it for the sake of comfort. For the safety of myself or my baby I would do it. For the relief of pain I would not.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

I don't really know. I never even considered doing it any other way (which makes my five c-sections just that much more frustrating). Some of it was probably that I was absolutely horrified at the idea that I'd been _cut_ out of my mom. I don't ever remember being anything but horrified by it. Part of it was probably that I don't really like drugs and medications (notwithstanding my teenage drug use) and don't even use anesthetic for dental fillings. But, those are only pieces. It just never crossed my mind to think of pregnancy or birth as something that required any kind of medical intervention.


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## Storm Bride (Mar 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Plummeting* 
Additionally, it goes against my whole nature to let people _do_ things to me, which is the best way I can describe how I feel about drugs - they change it from a situation in which _you're_ doing something to a situation in which people are doing something _to_ you. They're giving you medication, hooking you up to monitors, telling you when you can move, telling you how to push and when to push and so on. It's like you take your personal power and hand it over to someone else. I value you my autonomy way too much to relinquish it for the sake of comfort. For the safety of myself or my baby I would do it. For the relief of pain I would not.

Oh - and this, I think. I'd never really thought it out, but this is also part of it. I find medical procedures (most emphatically including having a needle put into my spine!) really hard to handle from this perspective.


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## ShadowMoon (Oct 18, 2006)

I've always been drawn to natural, earth-based practices, healing, eating, etc. I always try to listen to my body and listen to what nature has to teach me. This part of my life was no different.


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## jacie87 (Jan 17, 2009)

DH's family has all done natural births, except for 2 c-sections because the babies were transverse. When we found out I was pregnant, he had no interest in taking me to a doctor. I could have made the appointments and found an OB myself, but I was the shyest person you ever met, and I didn't even want to make a phone call to order a pizza. Since I didn't have any support to set up a hospital birth with an epidural and episiotomy in my birth plan (I didn't know better) then I was kind of forced into planning a UC.

At first I was uncomfortable with it, but once I realized he was serious about not helping me if I wanted a hospital birth and OB then I started doing the research about how to have the baby at home, came to the conclusion that he was right, and I no longer wanted the hospital/OB either.

I did end up at the hospital (ironically, DH's family scared him into thinking we couldn't do it at home







) but I still had my natural birth. The doctors and nurses were so annoying that I would never want to go through that again. It only solidified my desire to birth naturally at home, and so now I'm pg again, due in 2 weeks, and going to have a UC this time.

My reasons for a homebirth: I have no interest in having an IV, I don't like being told what I can/can't eat/drink during labor (they would only allow me ice chips. I desperately wanted water, but if I let the ice chips melt then they would take it away and replace it with another cup of ice chips...), I don't like the idea of a doctor putting a time limit on my labor, being home is more comfortable and less noisy...

My reasons for a natural birth: I think it's healthier to not have drugs in mine or baby's system, and also there's a far lower chance of a c-section.


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## jtrt (Feb 25, 2009)

I am a RN and felt profoundly uncomfortable during my OB rotations in nursing school. It felt *wrong* to subject women and families to the typical high-intervention hospital scenario. I was only 21 at the time but I remember feeling ashamed while participating in what I considered to be dehumanizing procedures in the hospital.

When I became pregnant at 29, I knew I wanted absolutely no part of the hospital scene. We had our firstborn at a freestanding birth center with a CNM and it was lovely! Hard work, different from my family's expectations or experiences, but perfect.

Our next two babies were born in the water at home with the same CNM. We are expecting a new baby in a few weeks and will birth her naturally at home too.

Amy


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## MegBoz (Jul 8, 2008)

Oh, I love discussing this.
NO ONE I know, at all, had a natural birth or tried for one. As a matter of fact, right until the end, my MIL kept saying, "Humph! Natural birth! Well you just wait until you feel those ctrx."







DH was instructed to keep her away from me at the end.

#1 reason for me was to avoid a CS. I was 100% confident in my body's ability to birth a baby vaginally.







I'd joked for years that I had "child-bearing hips!" I knew it would be a much tougher recovery for me & then more difficult if I had to have a RCS with #2. Didn't want to be faced with caring for an infant + toddler while recovering from major surgery again!

I knew the CS rate in the US was astronomical! When I read "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" I learned the truth & shunned medicalized birth because of the damage it does & how it leads to the cascade of interventions that are hard on the baby & mama & lead to CS.

At that point, around 22 W, I decided I'd just "Suck it up & deal with the pain." (I'm tough, I didn't worry that I could handle it.)

Then I read "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" & realized, yeah, birth is likely to be painful, but probably manageable for the most part, and overall _fabulous!_ I started looking forward to it, as opposed to something I would merely "endure."









Thankfully, it was awesome! Fast, not that painful, great! Planning HB for whenever we conceive #2.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

I have a few reasons...

1. I was abused as a child. So the idea of letting someone numb my lower body and then touch/put their fingers/hands into my vagina is NOT HAPPENING. I would rather be in screaming agony than let anyone do that. I am fine with medical examinations etc. SO LONG AS I AM AWARE and able to be in control.

2. I am scared of hospitals. I spent most of my teens in and out of hospital with my terminally ill mother (heart attacks, a stroke, surgeries for heart problem and then later cancer, radio and chemo appointments) and my BP shoots up by about 20 points (diastolic too!) when i walk in the door. No amount of non-understanding people (medical or random) saying "but maternity isn't for ILL people" makes that go away.

3. I want to know if i can do it. With #1 i had a homebirth. It was what a lot of people would call "natural" but i used gas-and-oxygen (entonox 50% mix) for the last 40 or so minutes and had syntometrine for the 3rd stage (for no medical reason - nervous midwife). So to ME it wasn't natural. I didn't ask for either, they were just handed over by the (NHS) midwife who i'd never met before and who kept telling me i wasn't in real labour yet and not to push until DD's head actually crowned. This time i'm super excited to birth again and to go all-natural (luck and nature allowing of course). The "active" stage of my first labour was 89 minutes, so i'm hoping i can handle the intensity, but i have a REALLY great midwife and i'm going to ask her to just leave the entonox at home







I know people say there are no medals, but if i do it that WILL be a medal for me, it means a lot to me to know i can do it (i can't tell you how great it was to have a fast easy birth with DD after years of thinking, because of my abuser, that my body was dirty, ugly and broken). I know after having DD i was super-happy with my experience APART from using the gas (which didn't even help!) so i know that how i'll feel after will be medal enough for me!

4. I have a lot of friends who had natural homebirths, so it's not weird to me, but equally i have friends who have had inductions and elective c-sections too, so whatever happens i have people i can talk to. I was born by elective c-section at 37+4 ("because it was half term and your sister could look after your brother" - my mum). My brother was born at 31weeks by emergency section (with classical cut) after an awful praevia abruption which nearly killed both of them. The other 4 of us were born vaginally, without drugs, even my sister, #4, who was posterior, born at 44+1 after a 96 hour labour. So i knew i could do it, and also that fate could intervene. I was kind of raised with the idea that birth was normally uncomfortable but satisfying and safe, and that if, IF it went wrong in some way, surgery was also a perfectly fine way to bring a baby into the world.

5. Assuming 1-4 weren't the case i can't think of any drug (other than the one i used with DD, entonox) which doesn't carry simply-not-worth-it risks for me and/or the baby. And having gone to all the effort of growing them, i wouldn't risk them over something like pain. Physical pain is nothing to me. It's almost by-the-by. But then i'm very lucky, my threshold for pain is quite high, i've ridden fences on horseback with a broken arm, gone around for 4 days unaware that my wrist was broken, and my birth was not as painful as the 3rd degree ankle sprain i sustained at age 19, luckily (or not, since that's probably why i tripped) i was drunk at the time, which numbed the pain somewhat.


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## JennTheMomma (Jun 19, 2008)

With this baby I'm having a homebirth, no meds there.


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## scottishmommy (Nov 30, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoestoShow* 

The natural birth community led me to believe it would work out because if you plan, do this, do that, get your doula, etc., etc., birth will be a unicorns and fairies.


i never got the impression that there would be magic from a natural birth. everyone i talked to said it would be very painful and unpleasant. and that was coming from all the natural birthers i knew. i'm glad i didn't expect anything special like that because i would have been very disappointed. one of my big problems with natural birth extremists is that there is a sense that if women do everything right there will be no complications and no pain. i wanted a natural birth to avoid the very common risks of anesthesia, like low blood pressure, and spinal headaches. i think that mothers should be aware that even if they take precautions there will always be risk.


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## GoestoShow (Jul 15, 2009)

.


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## scottishmommy (Nov 30, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoestoShow* 
I think people are confused as to what I am upset about. I am upset that the natural birth community led me to believe that I could do it. Well, I didn't. And I didn't have a vaginal birth, either. Everyone told me I could do it. Everyone said if I prepared, it would happen. Everyone said I was doing what was best for me and my baby. And I ended up with a c-section with inadequate anesthesia and a lot of complications. If I hadn't been so encouraged into a natural birth, I'd probably at least be mentally a much healthier person a year out.

well, they were lying to you. if they were right then we could have a 0% c-section rate if all mothers chose to go natural.


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## MegBoz (Jul 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoestoShow* 
I think people are confused as to what I am upset about. I am upset that the natural birth community led me to believe that I could do it. Well, I didn't.









I'm sorry you had that experience.

While it's a much, much, much less severe issue, I can relate to how you feel - in that you feel 'duped' & misled. That was my experience with BFing. (Guess I shoulda visited the forum here first, huh?) But the BFing exposure I did have, including the class the hospital offered, made it seem like a piece of cake. What was really awful was when my nipples cracked & I was in agony 24/7, I kept going back to the hospital LCs & they just kept parroting the phrase, "It shouldn't hurt. Nipple pain is due to a bad latch. If your latch is good, it shouldn't hurt."

Then they checked my latch, said it was good, when I said I'm still in pain, they said, "Well it shouldn't hurt."

Um, ok, so it was MY FAULT?!







:

FWIW, my Bradley teacher & doula (also a Bradley teacher) both said that with the best of preparations, still the most we can hope is a c-section rate like Dr. Bradley himself had - about 3%. I never thought anything was guaranteed as long I did what I was supposed to. Just that doing what I was supposed to got me the best odds possible.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

GoesToShow







I'm really sad you felt so misled. FWIW a lot of people told me i could do it and it'd all be fine too, and i guess i just took it as encouragement, rather than fact. But then by the time i got PG i knew that at least 10-15% of babies NEED to be born by c-section, and even 1-3% of Ina May Gaskin's birthing ladies (who are carefully screened to be low risk, given nutritional and health advice and support throughout pregnancy and usually hear about, learn about, and SEE natural birth as they approach their due date (those who actually live on the Farm at least) need a section. I also knew a few women who lost a baby at a homebirth (not "because" of homebirth, but during one nonetheless) and a few who had to transfer from home for a c-section (one brow presentation and one severe foetal distress - turned out to be an abruption). So i had a grain of salt in my ear already when they spoke, and even, though it felt utterly "wrong" (because of all the people who said "think positive and positive things will happen) i wrote a c-section birth plan too, JIC. I was lucky, i got my homebirth. But it was LUCK that divided me from those who didn't get the same outcome. I didn't do anything better or more than anyone else, including those who had terrible outcomes like losing their baby.

If people told you there was no chance of anything going wrong they lied, THEY WERE WRONG. YOU are not wrong. You DID nothing wrong. It must have been incredibly painful to learn the truth - that surgical birth is sometimes necessary, especially in the traumatic way you did. I can't imagine, and i won't pretend i can. I'm really sorry







From my POV you DID do what was best for your baby - it sounds like you kept going for the optimal. Natural birth is optimal if nothing goes wrong, and surgery is optimal if it's warranted. I know the words of a stranger on a forum mean so little in comparison to the rawness of your memories and feelings on this. You had to face things in labour and make decisions then and accept hurts then that i still haven't had to face. To me what you went through for your child is something to be awed. You were more of a mother that day, in terms of sacrifice, pain, and love, than i am 3 years later. I'm sorry for the birth you never got, and the rough start as a mama you were dealt, but i think any child of yours can count themselves as blessed.


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## Gena 22 (Jul 3, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MegBoz* 
FWIW, my Bradley teacher & doula (also a Bradley teacher) both said that with the best of preparations, still the most we can hope is a c-section rate like Dr. Bradley himself had - about 3%. I never thought anything was guaranteed as long I did what I was supposed to. Just that doing what I was supposed to got me the best odds possible.

Exactly this! That's about where the Farm in TN is too with c/s rates. Sounds reasonable.

Decided to birth my twins at home naturally because I wanted to stack the odds in favor of what was best for me and my children, and to be in a position to fully consent to any treatment.

More power to you ladies who have NCB in hospitals! You are the real heros.

If the time came that I thought my babes or I needed the hospital, I would have entered with a full knowledge of where my admittance was likely to be headed - for me, an intervention full surgical birth. I would tried to be at peace with that.


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

for me, it's always been the way it was goign to be.

that is, i simply knew that natural was natural. i believed that my body could do anything it was designed to do, and do it well. i always knew that i would homebirth--i didn't always knwo that i would UC, but i always knew that i would homebirth.

most of my friends, my family, they are not homebirthers. most friends don't even have children. those who do had hosp births with epis and so on.

i've always just been this way, it seems.


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## mambera (Sep 29, 2009)

Intervention-free birth has an estimated maternal death rate of 1-1.5%. The US overall has a maternal death rate of 0.011%. Obviously 'natural childbirth' is not a guarantee! It's great if it works out but often it doesn't.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mambera* 
Intervention-free birth has an *estimated* maternal death rate of 1-1.5%. The US overall has a maternal death rate of 0.011%. Obviously 'natural childbirth' is not a guarantee! It's great if it works out but often it doesn't.

Estimated by whom and based on what?


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

expecting a natural birth doesn't mean it's going to happen, but it does mean that it is more likely to happen. and, expecting a natural birth doesn't mean not preparing yourself for the worst case scenarios.


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## Astraia (Jan 1, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoBecGo* 
Estimated by whom and based on what?

yeah, that's my question.... that doesn't stack up to any of the numbers I've seen elsewhere.


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## mambera (Sep 29, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoBecGo* 
Estimated by whom and based on what?

Dunno, it's off Wiki.
















Here's their ref:

Van Lerberghe W, De Brouwere V. Of blind alleys and things that have worked: history's lessons on reducing maternal mortality. In: De Brouwere V, Van Lerberghe W, eds. Safe motherhood strategies: a review of the evidence. Antwerp, ITG Press, 2001 (Studies in Health Services Organisation and Policy, 17:7-33).

What estimates have others heard?


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## scottishmommy (Nov 30, 2009)

those numbers seem right to me, if not a little low. i'm assuming it means there would be a 1-2 % maternal mortality rate if the mother had no access to stethoscopes, blood transfusions, antibiotics, stitches, c-sections, forceps etc. the infant mortality rate would probably be much higher. interventions, when needed, can save lives.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

But it's a false statistic for this discussion, no? Or are all of us who are wanting to natural intending to do so at the potential cost of our own lives? Because i for one will be getting a c-section if it's medically warranted. I won't be going natural at all and any cost. Surely those who would are very few and far between?


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## scottishmommy (Nov 30, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoBecGo* 
But it's a false statistic for this discussion, no? Or are all of us who are wanting to natural intending to do so at the potential cost of our own lives? Because i for one will be getting a c-section if it's medically warranted. I won't be going natural at all and any cost. Surely those who would are very few and far between?

i don't see how that statistic applies to this discussion either. all it says to me is that if you take 100 pregnant women and put them an island (seperately) with no medical care whatsoever, 1-2 percent of them would die. i mean no interventions mean no interventions, right?


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## mambera (Sep 29, 2009)

Oh well, I was just trying to say what GoBecGo already said more eloquently and empathetically in her post #51. The actual numbers don't even really matter; point is just that natural birth is not 'guaranteed' to go well if you do your homework. You could still be the unlucky 1-3%.


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## msmiranda (Apr 22, 2009)

Without having read any of the other responses, the reasons I wanted to avoid interventions/medications were: (1) didn't want to expose baby to the risks of using unnecessary drugs; (2) didn't want to expose myself to the risks of those medications or to increase my risk of being injured (c-section, episiotomy); (3) didn't want to do anything that would sabotage breastfeeding or make it more difficult. Having done it twice, I can honestly say that I never felt that I needed pain medication (which is not to say that pushing them out didn't hurt or that transition wasn't hard). I am one of very few people I know who has birthed naturally, so it was something I came to on my own through reading and educating myself about birth.


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## lakeruby (Jun 23, 2009)

I just want to know that I can do it!


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## staceychev (Mar 5, 2005)

I really went back and forth, because I'm such a chicken, but at the same time strive for natural living in almost every other part of our lives. I have friends who still have complications (numbness, tingling) from epidurals, yet I had none from the epidural I had with my first birth.

So, my whole pregnancy, I kept saying to myself "I'm going to try, but if I can't do it, I'm not going to beat myself up about it."

Well... I got to the hospital at 10 centimeters! Baby girl made up my mind for me, and entered the world drug-free and alert.


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## MiaMama (Jul 21, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Peony* 
My mom had natural births so I grew up hearing the stories and always thought that was just the way it was.

LOL, yeah that. Even though my cousins have hospital births, my grandpa asked me "well, you're seeing midwives, right?" I was born in his house, and he took the very graphic pictures of me crowning. (He's my DADs dad. LOL)

We had books about natural birth and the problem with the hospital model of care on the bookshelves growing up. My parents both have much younger kids from new relationships, too. So when I was 13, I went with my mom the the birth center and watched her deliver my brother. My stepmom ended up going to the same BC a few years later, too (my dad is VERY convincing LOL).

I really dislike hospitals. The only time I ever went to them was when someone was very seriously injured. I hate the way they smell, and I don't like going to the Drs in general. I can't remember the last time I went to the Dr and they actually helped me.

But really, I hate the idea of messing with my hormones. My desire to birth naturally has more to do with avoiding pitocin than avoiding the epidural.


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## Quinalla (May 23, 2005)

There were a lot of reasons. My mom had 3/4 with no drugs and was glad she did even though it was painful. I don't like how I feel when I have been drugged for surgery in the past, I tend to get knocked out hard by the drugs and throw up and get shaky. I have a decent pain tolerance, especially when it is pain with a purpose (think long distance running and pushing through the wall). Those things made me very interested in researching drug-free childbirth and once I started researching, it made sense to go for and prepare for one as even if you opt to have drugs, they don't always work perfectly or there isn't time for them. And everything I read pointed to a better experience and recovery for the baby and for Mom too if she prepared herself for the pain.

And I am very glad I prepared they way I did as I wouldn't have had time for drugs even if I wanted them. And my recovery was great, I mean sure I was exhausted and sore, but I felt good otherwise.


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## Kelly1101 (Oct 9, 2008)

My mom had all three of us natural with lamaze, so that was a big influence (she was also very supportive of breastfeeding, no CIO, babywearing, and APish stuff... I love my mom).

But also I don't like needles, and I am leery of side-effects from interventions. I will accept intervention if I feel it is necessary, but I don't feel like I should do all these medical procedures "just because", when birth can be a perfectly natural thing with luck (I do believe that luck is a large factor in NCB, just ask all the homebirth-turned-emergency c/s moms).

I did have pitocin last time, but no pain meds or epidural, and immediately after I was very happy that I didn't have an epi, I think it helped me to effectively push out a sunny-side-up baby. And I felt great very soon after birth.

Planning on no epi again this time, and crossing my fingers for no pitocin or posterior baby this time, wish me luck!


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## RedOakMomma (Sep 30, 2004)

My first pregnancy was with twins. I wanted to go natural because I knew interventions could be a fast-track to a c-section. I really, really did not want a c-section. Also, I knew natural labor was best for babies and nursing, and I wanted to give my kids that advantage.

Now, on pregnancy #3, I want to do it just because I can. It's really empowering to feel the birth experience, to be mentally and physically sharp, and to recover so quickly while bonding with a baby.


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## dachshund mom (Dec 28, 2007)

Initially:
General unease with drs and hospitals
Bad experience with fertility treatment
Saw BOBB/cascade of interventions

During pregnancy:
better for baby
breastfeeding/bonding
because everyone was saying I couldn't


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## CherryBomb (Feb 13, 2005)

I felt it would give me the best chance of a vba2c, which was important to me because we want a large family.

Though strictly speaking, it wasn't natural. I asked for AROM at 9cm and asked for nubain to help me through a panic attack (I have 2 anxiety disorders).

It's pretty much a practicality thing for me.


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## St. Margaret (May 19, 2006)

I wanted the best outcome for me and baby, and research shows natural and no interventions/stressors was the way to go. I wanted to avoid a c-section, too. It's funny b/c my mom was a real NFL parents back in the day, too, but I came around to the same path on my own. Which only validates it more for me!

Having done it once, I want natural again because it was easy, I've heard way more about scary epidural side effects, and it was AMAZING. I will carry that power I felt with me the rest of my life.


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## Aka mommy (Feb 25, 2005)

I experienced a completely intervened and medicated birth with my first. Pitocen, back labor, epidural, episiotomy. We checked out of the hospital 12 hours after she was born and i said i would NEVER do that again. It was pretty traumatizing.

With my 2nd pregnancy i thought about homebirth, but thought it was a crazy notion. Checked out the free standing birth center and the CNM scared me. And we couldn't imagine leaving our dd for the birth and possibly overnight, as she'd never been away from us. I started reading and learning. I was terrified of hospitals and as i learned about homebirth it became something i knew was right for us. Something i was determined to do because i didnt want another child or my body damaged by an ob.

I'm about to have my 3rd natural homebirth and now i choose to do so because i know it's best for my body, my baby and my family. I get horrible back labors, its the way my body is made. The pain is intense and worse then a pitocen induced labor. I know that if i birth in a hospital i will give in to the interventions. And the risks on my children are not worth a few hours of pain. And i don't have to leave my children and they can witness how normal and natural birth is meant to be.


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## GreenMamma (Feb 21, 2010)

For my first baby? My sister. She didn't have any medication for her posterior baby that had the head the size of a cabbage patch doll and I was so inspired. The nurse also made her stay in bed on her left side (later found out there was no medical cause for this) and she STILL did it without the meds. I decided that if she could do it, I could do it. So I did. And after that I loved birthing so much I never considered an epi for any of my other children.


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## laughymama (Oct 14, 2009)

My first was the story others tell when warning about unnecessary interventions and the domino effect that follows.
Induction for the OB's convenience, pitocin, held me down to break my bag of waters because it was so painful I could not lay still or not struggle, epidural immediately after that because I was terrified of what came next after such a painful, humiliating experience. I figured, if I can't feel anything, then it would be easier to endure.
The epidural caused my blood pressure to drop, I lost my vision and hearing for a bit and vomited nonstop for half an hour. Then I had a nurse say, "Oh, well that's totally common." and act like I was stupid for being scared or worried.

(The entire experience was hard for me. I'd never stayed in a hospital before and was like a deer in headlights the entire time.)
Could not feel any pressure or urge to push and could not push effectively. Forceps delivery. 2nd degree tear, no episiotomy. (Thank goodness.)

Right after the whole breaking my water debacle I was still crying and shaking a bit and told my husband that next time even if I had to give birth in the car to avoid it, I was never doing it this way again.

I gained confidence and assertiveness from the experience. At the time I was too intimidated and scared to stand up for myself and my baby. Afterward, I knew I'd do anything and everything to make sure I was properly taken care of and not taken advantage of with my next pregnancies.

Basically, I want to experience the births of my babies. I want to experience one of the greatest things my body was built to do. I don't want to sit idly by again, numb and terrified. I want to be active in it and really feel it.


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## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

I don't remember ever thinking that I would give birth in hospital or with drugs. Somehow it just never crossed my mind to do it that way. I knew many years ago I wouldn't use drugs unless absolutely necessary. I knew at least 10 years ago that I would plan on a homebirth. It wasn't about any explicitly negative feelings about hospitals or OBs, I've just always felt that my body giving birth was a completely natural process that should happen at home. DH felt the same way. I first met his cousins that were all born at home when I was in high school. I suppose that probably put the idea in my head that not only do I not have to use drugs, I don't even have to use doctors or their facilities. DH and I were both born in very medicalized settings. (He was a c/s and my mom was sedated during my birth--she doesn't remember it at all.) We had pretty mainstream, suburban upbringings. But somehow I became pretty crunchy at a really young age. So it was no surprise when my sister and I both planned natural births. Her first was in a birthing center and second was a home and my dd was born at home. We managed to convert our parents into big hb supporters!


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

because it is what birth is.

and in general, i don't use allopathic medical care unless absolutely necessary.


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## emamum (Dec 4, 2008)

2 reasons for me.... i dont want those powerful drugs being passed onto my baby, we dont use any kind of drug unless absolutely necessary

and i figure my body will work harder if i'm in that much pain and the birth will be quicker

ive had 2 without pain relief and expecting the 3rd in august ds took 6 hours (my first) and dd took 3 hours







with dd i made it to 7 cm's on my own before i called anyone, midwife was only there for 2 hours lol


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## kitkatkaddoodle (Apr 24, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lakeruby* 
I just want to know that I can do it!

This is me too, mostly. I'm an L&D nurse, and while I didn't really want intervention, I think there's a time and place for them. I've seen real life cases where babies and even moms have died from pregnancy/birth complications (not intervention complications), so I knew that if I needed them, I was okay with getting them.

However, I wanted to see if I could do it on my own, especially since I am thinking of becoming a midwife. Also, by deciding to go as intervention free as possible, I had more control which calmed me greatly.

In the end, my homebirth ended up being a transfer at the last hour for meconium and heart rate decels, with a bit of a vacuum assist right at the end. My booger had tied his cord into a knot that was getting tight when he descended! All in all, the entire experience was good as I understood and accepted each intervention as the true need arose, and thing mostly went well after.

Still, I did miss the more uneventful delivery I had hoped for, so this pregnancy I'm hoping to deliver at the birth center. I'd have done a homebirth attempt again except we moved, and this state is much less homebirth friendly.


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## olstep (Jan 9, 2009)

I try to go natural whenever it is possible. I do not see why childbirth should be any different.

I did not doubt I can do it but I doubted my doctors wouldn't interfere. DH was my only support person whose only assignment to watch the doctor.
My first thought after DS was born was not about the baby but "Thanks God, C-section is not more a threat"


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## snarky (Nov 8, 2006)

I wanted a natural birth to avoid C-section. Hired a doula, the whole nine yards.

Of course wanting a natural birth and getting one are two different things. I was induced at 40w5d for high blood pressure, which ended up in c-section. I didn't take the epidural though (they did spinal on the operating table), so I did try my best but ultimately failed due to factors outside of my control.


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## Bellabaz (Feb 27, 2008)

I genuinly believe its better for both mom and baby. I went into birth number 1 wanting natural but open to pain relief. Ended up with pain relief, episiotomy and stupid coached pushing because the epi didn't wear off in time.

I also think, having experienced both kinds, that natural birth is really empowering and it really showed me what my body can do and handle. I know a lot of women who have the attitude, why suffer if not necessary. I had that attitude before becoming prggo myself. I mean if you have a headache you take something right? Wel labor pain is different. Its pain with a purpose. ( I guess all pain is when you think about it though) Plus knowing that one intervention leads to another so often is scary.

For the record no one I knew at the time went natural.


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## JayGee (Oct 5, 2002)

I wanted natural births with #2 and #3 because #1 was a cavalcade of medical intervention (failed induction, epidural, c-section). I never wanted to go through any of that again, so staying away from the hospital as long as possible (or totally with #3) seemed the best way to avoid it all







.


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## neverdoingitagain (Mar 30, 2005)

With my first, it wasn't that I wanted to go natural. It was more "I don't want an epidural". My sister didn't have an epidural with her births and I didn't want to be the wimp that gave in when she didn't







I did get induced for medical reasons, though knowing what I know now, it wasn't necessary. I did take drugs to ease the pitocin-induced cntx. It turned out to be...not a horrible scarring experience but definately scary. I never wanted to get pregnant or give birth again. I didn't want THAT again.
When I got pregnant with #2, I knew what I didn't want and did as much research as I could. I planned for a natural birth though my doctor and I discussed what we would do in case things went bad and I needed a c-section.

There was also a bit of "I know I can do this!" to it too. I had already seen what I can do when I put my mind and my will into something.


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## Lilygoose (Oct 27, 2009)

I originally wanted a natural birth b/c I was afraid of the effects of any medication would be on the baby. When i became pregnant i felt strongly about this and my husband and i attended 3 months of Bradley courses to prepare for a natural birth. I learned A LOT about the cascade of interventions and stayed committed to a natural birth. After having my beautiful DD (all 10lbs, 12oz of her). I realized that as much as my journey had been about her the end was all about me. I am really glad that she was not affected by meds, but what it did for me as a woman and a mom to labor that way was awesome! The sense of awe, competence, connection, and joy of an all natural labor is wondorous. it is indescribable. And the props are pretty cool too. My DH in particular was really impressed!


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## annablue (Apr 6, 2010)

I want a natural birth because I trust my body; it was designed to do this, and can accomplish delivering a baby without a slew of interventions and drugs. I believe pregnancy and childbirth is a natural, normal process, not a medical emergency. I also don't want a cascade of interventions that lead to a more difficult labor, fetal distress, c-section, etc.


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## Joyster (Oct 26, 2007)

I had one baby with an epidural and one without. I recovered WAY more quickly from the second labour, even though my body was way more battered from my much bigger DS2.









I am also not fond of needles, catheters and the like, I'm also terrified of surgery knowing that anesthetic doesn't always like me.

Frankly, I just want a quick birth and recovery. God willing I will get both. However I don't have any illusions about it being anywhere near a pleasurable experience (eta for me) until birth is over, and I have the baby in my arms.


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## yara1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Just a few years ago I didn't know anything about these things (natural birth) and wasn't even interested to know.
Than I had a baby in the hospital ... and actions and methods of medical workers seemed just WRONG. So I started to do a research and was puzzled (in a good way) by what I finded out


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## Greenlea (Apr 21, 2010)

My mother and mother in law both had 4 kids all naturally. I wanted to do it all natural mainly because I felt it was best for the baby. I didn't want the drugs I took during labor to effect him negatively. That and I was more scared of the epidural than actual childbirth.


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## Galatea (Jun 28, 2004)

I had an epidural with my first and was totally annoyed by it. For one, they make it seem like an epi will make it not hurt. Well, I couldn't feel contractions, but as soon as the baby started to descend, it hurt! I signed up for the numb vagina and was gypped!

Also, it took forever to push ds1 out b/c I couldn't feel what I was doing. 2 hours with no progress. Then the epidural wore off and all of a sudden he was coming out and I could feel it and it was amazing - my body was doing this work with or without me and it was almost easy! Like puking - you can't stop the heaving if you wanted to. Once I could feel the contractions, I could tell that they were doing all the work to get him born, and the epidural had just delayed and confused that natural feeling.

Finally, after the epidural birth of ds1, I felt bad for a day or so, but after my natural births, I was up and about immediately and felt like a rock star for weeks. The endorphin rush gets blocked by the epidural, which is a shame and frustrates nature's design to give women lots of good feelings and energy for the first couple of trying weeks.

So I had natural births for #2 and #3 and hope to do so with #4 too!


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## transylvania_mom (Oct 8, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Tizzy* 
My short answer: Someone mentioned something about getting a medal?


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## CI Mama (Apr 8, 2010)

I'd say the two biggest influences on me were _Our Bodies, Our Selves_ and _Spawn of ***** to Watch Out For_. I read both in the early 1990s....long before I was ready to have kids...and after that it never really occurred to me to approach childbirth any other way except naturally. The concept of empowered women doing this marvelous thing with their bodies was, and is, such a compelling vision for me.

I was also drawn to the idea that natural childbirth allows for an experience that's very present, self-aware, and mindful. Which is how I want to approach all of life.

I also remember just a few things that my mother told me about the births of my sisters. She talked about how they gave her an enema and shaved off all her pubic hair at the hospital, and how itchy the hair was when it was growing back in. She also talked about getting an episiotomy and how difficult it was to recover from that. I remember thinking, "no one is shaving my beaver, giving me an enema, or clipping my vagina open, NO WAY." Again, NCB seemed the way to go!

Also, I hate being still. I can't sit still or lie still for long and feel comfortable under any circumstance. So it was really important to me to be able to move around during labor. Again, NCB!


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