Natural Birth Stories

Hi M.,

I had a wonderful unmedicated birthing experience. I used a doula from Labor of Love, www.alaboroflove.org. We also took an excellent Childbirthing class with them. I would suggest reading the book, "Birthing from Within" by Pam England. Even though I was convinced I would have a 6-7 hour labor, my labor was 28 hours. I think the only way it worked out so well was by waiting until contractions were 4 minutes apart for an hour before going to the hospital - that was 24 hours into labor. Laboring at home was so helpful. We also changed practices to one that completely believed in birth as a natural process, yet supported any decision you would make. We didn't even switch until 36 weeks. That was North Pointe OB/GYN. I will forever recommend any pregnant person I know to use them. The midwives there are amazing. I'm now a proud mom of a little girl born Oct. 29th, 2007.

Good luck to you!
C.

For Doula services, ask your doctor and the hospital where you plan to deliver. Often in this day and age, they have a great list of referrals. As far as doing it naturally, I wanted the same thing. My advice is to go into it with an open mind. I wound up having intense back labor, which put me absolutely over the edge -blood pressure spiked, baby's heart rate started acting erratically -so the doctor basically told my husband he needed to convince me to have an epidural or some type of pain killer or else I was going to wind up with a cesarean anyway in a short amount of time. I agreed to an epidural, and less than 2 hours later I had my baby in a vaginal birth. Everything stabilized beautifully as soon as I had the epidural. However, it only stopped the back labor -it did not numb anything else except my left thigh, so I got the "natural birth experience" for the most part anyway -and it wasn't bad. So, get yourself a doula if you want that, but keep an open mind about what you will do depending on how your body is reacting to labor. I also recommend prenatal yoga because a number of those poses and breathing techniques helped me initially in early labor (although I must confess -once things got hairy with the back labor, everything went out the window). I went to Pierce Yoga on N. Highland, but I've also heard lots of great things about Ashanti Yoga on Dekalb Ave., which is closer to you. My doctor just gave me a pamphlet (I'm preg. w/#2) for The Pregnancy Massage Center, and they offer labor massage, so you may want to contact them -www.pregnancymassage.com -I think they're located at Pierce Yoga too.

After studying the medicalization of childbirth in college, I decided to give birth to my son at home; my friends thought I was crazy, but it turned out to be the greatest experience ever! Since I didn't have the epidural option, I used hypbirthing. (You can purchase the whole set of cds and the instructional dvd new for $180 or something, but I think you could find it on ebay for less.) I wasn't sure what to make of it at first, but, in the end, it worked like a charm. It uses daily positive affirmations to reaffirm birth as a natural process that your body knows how to perform. I started sleeping better within a week of beginning the hypbirthing. Also, my midwife told me to think of the contractions as pressure instead of pain, and that really helped. (I repeated it over and over during contractions, and it really took the edge off.) My midwife was named Davi Khalsa of TLC Midwifery. She is in Southern California, but she may know someone here, since she is from the East coast. Her number is ###-###-####. (She is three hours behind us, since she is on the West coast.) Good luck!

I did not receive any medication/pain killers during the birth of my first child. This was not my choice; my labor progressed too quickly. Even though I had had the classes that were supposed to prepare me for this momentous occasion, the pain still surprised me, and I had a hard time not tensing up all over. The nurse kept trying to tell me to relax, and my husband kept trying to help me with the breathing exercises. Honestly, I found the nurse and my husband to be very irritating. It wasn't there faults; I was just in too much pain to "enjoy the moment." Since then, I have had an epidural with each of my four other children. It's been wonderful. I wish I had had that option for the first one. I have appreciated those birth experiences so much more and enjoyed them much more. I have still felt plenty of pain before the epidural to feel like I had my fill. :-)
If you decide to go natural, give yourself the option of seeing how it goes. That way if you change your mind part way through, you will not feel like a failure if you request pain killers. My sister really wanted to go natural for as long as she could. Then, when she'd had enough, she received pain killers and still felt good about herself.
I'm sorry I don't have any specific advice for helping you through the natual route. Good luck.

I know a doula who works for this group www.decaturdoulas.com and I think you could find out so much that can really help you make a good decision as you approach April. My opionion will be greatly slanted because I have been helping deliver babies for a long time. I have 3 granchildren, midwife home planned births and beautiful children. And my daughter-in-law's cousin also has had three children at home with midwife attending. All has gone well. The first grandchild was born in Chicago where they have a great midwife/nurse "hospital" it is not a hospital but is next to the hospital which is great for any emergencies. Moms, and families can check in have a family room with siblings if they wish, deliver and then return home within 24 hours. After that decision both women then took the at home route. So check it out and all my best on your wonderful new adventure.
C. P.

I will preface my story with the fact that it all happened 36 years ago! Nevertheless, I would certainly highly recommend the approach. I was concerned at the time about two things: the effect of drugs on the unborn child and then afterwards, and the horror story of one friend who had a drug-related headache for weeks after delivery and was miserable trying to take care of her baby. In those days one had to search for a hospital and a doctor willing to "allow" natural childbirth (or conscious cooperative) with the father present--the very best part of the wonder. We found a doctor and used Northside Hospital. We trained in Lamaze and bonded with the other parents in the class who became real friends and supporters in our son's early years. Sure, there were times when there was pain and times when I hated my husband, but we had been prepared for that through the training. I was awake in the recovery room eating--I was starving--while the woman next to me was recovering from drugs, vomitting, and moaning.
I do not like to be out of control. Natural childbirth leaves a lot of the control with the mother.
Whatever you decide, have a great birth!!
N. E

That is a GREAT documentary, right? If you want more fuel read Natural Hospital Birth.
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Hospital-Birth-Best-Worlds/...
It goes hand in hand with this The Business of Being Born, you'll love it.