Natural Birth Support Group

Welcome! Having natural births has been a great choice for me. I was like you in that I knew I wanted to go med-free, but NONE of my friends had done it and kind of laughed and said just wait when I said I wanted to. I really didn't think I would be able to going into it, but when the time came it really was not nearly as bad as I expected from the horror stories I had heard and shows I had watched. The thing that helped me the most with my first was waiting as long as possible to go to the hospital. I actually probably waited a bit too long, but at least by the time I got there getting an epi was not even an option (I was already 10cm). But I think being able to move around and labor my own way helped a ton in keeping me as comfortable as possible through contractions. My second I did have to be induced and was terrified of the pitocin, but again it was not as bad as I had feared, and that time I at least knew that I could and had done it before, and labor was much much shorter so that helped too.

Just don't let people tell you that you can't do it; women have been having babies for thousands of years, it's what we are designed to do. Obviously there are some exceptions and extenuating circumstances that can change things. Try to avoid any interventions you can, especially being induced before your body and baby are really completely ready, and you have every chance of having a beautiful med-free birth experience!

I am not going to tell you not to be scared... because it is scary! It's the unknown! If it was fun they would call it a party instead of labor! :)

Really the simplest things to do is try anything you can think of during labor and if it doesn't work then move on to the next.

I found a cold compress on my forehead, warm blankets on my midsection, massaging my hips, and deep breathing made the experience a lot more tolerable. I also had contractions in my upper legs (Did not expect that!) so anything sitting didn't feel good but laying down or standing felt very good to me.

Plus... if you feel you need it then allow yourself to get pain meds - but only if YOU want them and you are comfortable with getting them. I got the injectables twice and it really helped me relax since I had been awake for about 32 hours at that point. I even dozed off between contractions. I also got the epidural which was great (I took a nap - at that point it had been 36 hours of being awake and 20 hours of labor) until it failed... but don't be frightened by my experience with it. Would I do it again? The injectables - yes because it was a positive experience. The epidural? No... in fact when I do become pregnant again we will look for a midwife that will do a VBAC homebirth.

Good luck and have a happy and healthy pregnancy and delivery!

Wow... thanks ladies! I am definitely going to have to keep this all in mind. We don't get many opportunities to do this in our lifetime.

I agree with the other ladies- do what feels right for you and keep trying til you find it. For me it was the jacuzzi, I stayed in there til my dialation stalled and we decided to break my waters. At that point, oddly enough, the most comforting thing for me was having someone count down my contractions. Contractions only last 45sec's to a min so once they hit 30 sec's I knew I was on the downhill of each one. I only felt the urge to give into meds when it was time to push, which means I'd made it! I remember during one of my contractions thinking about all the women of time and the world who had done this as nature had intended and I felt very empowered by that. As for your skeptic's, they're sadly the ones who have missed out on life's greatest experience! Good luck!