Natural Child Birth Pros, Cons, Tips, Advice (My wife is due in 8 weeks with our first child)

Greetings ATS!

I was hoping to hear from any parents out there that have done a natural child birth (or used epidurals / medication) to get some more perspective. We just had our first birthing class which focuses on natural child birth, and I have a lot of thoughts going through my head since our first baby is due in about 2 months. It would be nice to garner some discussion outside of politics, current events, etc. since this is a really exciting time that seems like is coming up so soon.

Here is a decent link I found with some pros and cons (granted, it was my wife's decision to want to go natural). Although we plan to use a great hospital that has midwives and a birthing tub, we also wanted to be really close to an ER / NICU just to be safe. We will also be utilizing a doula throughout the prenatal, labor, and postpartum process.

As an FYI - as of 30 weeks my wife and the baby both looked very, very healthy on all organ functions, heart rate, labs, etc.

I would love to hear from anyone's experiences! Thank you in advance

There is a recent thread concerning this same topic. May be helpful to have a look there!

Congratulations!

a reply to: SonOfThor
Congratulations!

WOW! Must be something in the water!
Check this out...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Good luck to all of you!



note to self: Don't drink the water!

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Wow - I will contribute to that forum, sorry mods, my phone has issues with the search functionality! Thanks for the link

I have 2 chillens. My oldest 11 now, I was in labor for 10 hours, no meds. I didn't think it was really all that bad. Because I had gone so long with my water broken, the doc recommended I get an epidural and see if that progressed anything along. I agreed to give it a shot and had one placed. About a half hour later boom 10lb baby boy. He was a chunky one!

Few years later I had my daughter who is 7 now. I decided no meds again because it wasn't so bad the first time at all and she was going to be smaller so easy peasy. Labor was 6 hours, first 2 were so easy I slept through it, the last 4, I literally thought I was going to die. I cried and yelled and huffed and puffed and begged for meds. The contractions were horrible. It ended up being too late to get the epidural and I had her completely natural. The actual pushing wasn't so bad, the head and shoulders are the worst, but it really doesn't last THAT long. Within 10 minutes of starting to push I had a 7lb baby girl.

with experiencing what the pain of labor is actually like, I would do it again without meds, I really would. BUT I also know what it's like to deliver with meds, and honestly you don't feel anything, maybe a pressure but I felt no pain at all. It's all too easy.

If you have a good doc that you trust, in a good hospital that you trust, and a good anesthesiologist ( that's who would place the catheter for the epidural), then I say, just see how it goes. Start with no meds and you ( well she) is allowed to change her mind. Most places won't even place one till the mother is dilated to a certain amount anyways, and by then yall will have an idea how things are going to go. Again she can ask for meds even after she has said no, and as long as it isn't detrimental to her or the baby's health or not to late for it to take affect ( such as what happened to me) then she can get one.

I have had no lasting medical issues from my epidural and the guy hit a nerve while putting it in.

Honestly my favorite part of the whole thing is 1. peeing for the first time ( it's amazeballs)
and 2. the ice pack. I LOVED the ice pack.

Congrats!!

The only thing I can say about childbirth is what all the mothers that I know have told me.
Don't give birth on your back with your feet in stirrups. It is more painful and makes the risk of vagina tears higher. Research other positions for giving birth.

a reply to: scraedtosleep

sounds like you will have the best of both worlds there! I had 2 babies, no drugs, at the birth center, right down the street from the hospital...it was a house 2 birthing rooms and the other room had all the medical supplies, my doc and the nurse midwife.....

no drugs so I can't talk about epidurals, but walking around helps labor to move along...I had back labor with the first one , on all 4;s was the only way to relieve the pain...started out a nice slow labor that that progressed all day


baby number 2 guess I was laboring in my sleep, woke up water broke felt nothing several minutes later heavy painful contractions...ed for the birthplace almost had the baby in the car!!!!! when you go from nothing, to super labor so fast it really hurts, she was born in 20 minutes

good luck to you and your wife and the baby!

a reply to: SonOfThor

I delivered the first two without any meds, and I don't personally recommend it for most people. Some, sure, have a higher pain threshold, but a hard labor can be extremely painful, and that can last for hours, potentially. You never know, going in, how long it will take, or how you can handle it. An epidural leaves the mom alert and capable of feeling pressure, and pushing, but relieves the pain, for a much less stressful experience. Pain, too, can be exhausting physically, even if one can handle it, and that makes for a harder delivery.

It's a personal choice, but that's my take on things. Epidurals with 3 c-sections, and could relax and enjoy the birth, even through surgery. Really wish I could have had that option for the regular births! First one, by the time I decided I wanted it, labor had moved too fast, and there was not time. Second, the military hospital didn't have enough staff, so no option. Induced, too. Imagine that one!

Really, everyone has a somewhat different experience. Even the same mom, from birth to birth, can encounter quite different scenarios. Get all the best information on risk and benefits, and do what seems best for your wife. I'd personally say "epidural", but it's free advice so....

Hope all goes well, and good move, being close to serious help, just in case it's needed! Here's hoping and praying it isn't. Congrats, too!

a reply to: SonOfThor

Had a "spinal" back in the day when I had my first child. Chickened out at the last minute (but in my defense, I was very young and alone in the hospital - so was scared)

Baby number 2 was 10 years later, much older, wiser and had my husband there with me. Completely natural.

Was the most powerful, empowering, exhilarating experience. I felt so alive and strong and creative giving birth, feeling every moment. The breathing helped me tremendously. Key is to RELAX through the contractions and the birth. Just relax, trust nature will do what it's meant to do. Trust one's own body. Trust the baby.

I was in a hospital, in stirrups. Wished I had done something more natural in terms of setting. But no drugs, no painblocking. It was incredible and magniicent. I felt heroic, earthy, real.

Have her go natural if possible. The key to the difference between pain and pressure is "no fear." Fear caused my pain and need for a spinal at the first birth. Fear of how bad was it going to continue to get.