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Can I really deliver my baby WITHOUT drugs in a hospital?
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Anonymous
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Yes. Absolutely. Sorry I can't help you with Holy Cross, but I gave birth without drugs at one of the most high-tech hospitals in the world (a Harvard teaching hospital) and experienced zero pressure to have an epidural. I also gave birth in a maternity t-shirt rather than a hospital gown. If you want to go this route, I would strongly recommend a doula. 1) She can clearly present your wishes (helpful if they are written down, concisely) to the hospital staff at a time when you and your partner may be too overwhelmed to do so. 2) Even more important, she can help you labor at home so that you don't get to the hospital too early.
Whatever you do, I agree with 14:37 that it is critical to discuss all of your preferences with your doctor and any other OBs in the practice who may be on call. Don't just say, "I want to avoid x." Explain briefly why you want to avoid x and then discuss the specific scenarios under which you might accept x. You'll be better prepared, and the doctor will be prepared to support you if s/he knows that you have thoght everything through. Good luck! |
Anonymous
The second point I agree with completely. Unfortunately, the first point just does not work so well around here. There is a lot of tensions in the hospitals between doulas and hospital staff, and honestly the hospital doesn't really care what the wishes are - regardless of who presents them. Most nurses need to follow the hospital protocol; it's not like they simply disregard protocol because it goes against the couples wishes. Also, If a doula dares to "speak up" the nurses can make life miserable for the couple. The notable exceptions are when the nurse is truly a supporter of natural childbirth and understands the needs of the couple -- in which case, the doula didn't really need to speak up in the first place. Find a care provider who supports your goals and will actually be there on birth day. Find a place to birth that lets you do the things that help you get a low-intervention birth (ie, lets you remain mobile, stay in the tub, eat and drink, etc. etc.). Then get a doula to help with the physical support. |
Anonymous
| 23:42 again: I can't comment on doula-nursing staff relationships around here, having delivered locally without one, but one thing you should ask when hiring a doula is how many times she has assisted deliveries at the hospital where you'll be going and what methods she has found most effective in creating a positive relationship with hospital staff. I was a lot more comfortable knowing that my doula had previously had good experiences at the hospital of my choice. References can also help you check this out. |
Anonymous
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OP here: Thank you so much for all your words of advice. I really appreciate
it; very helpful! |
Anonymous
| Its' definitely possible! I also recommend a doula. In additiona, I took a Bradley class and read a lot of the books recommended here (Hypnobirthing, Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth, Thinking Woman's Guide to Birth, etc). For me, a lot of it was changing the mentality about giving birth and getting as informed as possible. Good luck! |
Anonymous
Actually, the opposite was true for me. Had I not taken my Bradley class, I would not have trusted my body and the birth process enough. I would have allowed others to influence me to have interventions, rather than trusting my ability to work through my rough 36 hour labor. My baby's and my health were not in danger at any time. What others would have diagnosed as "failure to progress," my midwife and I knew was my body's way of working my little guy's turned head into the right position. OP, yes it is possible. For me, educating myself about the how's and why's of "policies" allowed me to decide for myself what was an acceptable intervention to me and what was not. My Bradley class gave me that power. |
Anonymous
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I did it, but I had a doula, took hypnobirthing classes which meant I did almost daily meditations that made me ultra confident, labored at home for nearly 24 hours, and through my doula's efforts got assigned a natural child-birth friendly nurse.
A few comments. Unless you get to the hospital early on, you're likely to be in so much pain or discomfort that you won't care what your wearing (but the hospital staff certainly didn't care what I was wearing either). And in terms of the hospital bed for birthing, that turned out to be my favorite part of the hospital birth experience. By the time I got there, I was tired and ready to lay on my back for awhile. I also loved the squat bar that goes up over the bed. |
Anonymous
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One thing to keep in mind is that it really isn't the pressure to have an epidural that you have to watch out for in a hospital setting. It is all the interventions and practices that make you want to have an epidural.
Mobility is a big factor. Many nurses would prefer to keep you in bed on the monitor at all times. This is easier for them to monitor from a station and they do not have to worry about re-positioning. It is difficult to labor in bed. A doula can help you re-position the monitor. My favorite was when the nurse came in to look at the strip and offered " would you like us to use an internal monitor? It would be easier for you since you wouldn't have to re-position the monitor." It was if she was offering us a soda and very deceptive. There was no medical reason to use an internal monitor and it would have meant being confined to bed and another catheter for peeing. We said no thank you. Having a doula can give you more confidence to stay home longer. When it is your first kid and you think you are in labor it is really not hard not to think that the baby could come out at anytime. If you arrive at the hospital at 4 cm and early on chances are they will want to start intervening to speed things up. The best way to have a ntural birth in the hospital is to arrive later. |
Anonymous
If an OB tells you that, I'll be shocked, because it is flat out untrue. The prepared woman can be part of her medical choices. My own experience doesn't prove this fact but for what it is worth, I had a doula, a group with a midwife, a birth plan, read a ton, took classes, and was able to give birth naturally even though I had to be induced because of preeclampsia. If I hadn't been prepared, that never would have happened and I may well have had a c-section. |
Anonymous
| First-timer here looking into midwife practices that deliver at a hospital. Midwifery Care Associates (I think it was formerly called the Maternity Center of Maryland) in Bethesda, MD delivers at Shady Grove Adventist hospital. |
Anonymous
I had to laugh at this just a little... there was not a single "intervention or practice" that made me want to have an epidural. I wanted one because I was in labor and my uterus hurt. 
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Anonymous
Pitocin is one intervention I can think of right off top of my head that can make one more "inclined" to have an epidural. It can make contractions harder and more frequent than natural contractions. I wasn't planning on a natural birth, but after I got pitocin I knew I wouldn't be able to last much longer without pain relief. |
Anonymous
| I had my babies at Sibley and did end up using drugs but that was my choice. With both, I was open to unmedicated births and was not pressured to use any drugs until I asked for them. I discussed this w/my doctor befoehand. Labor impacts every woman in a different way so my advice would be to be open to the idea of drugs (and so give birth in a place that you would have access to them) if YOU decide you want them. You may be surprised at how your thinking changes mid-way through labor depending on the situation... |
Anonymous
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"I had to laugh at this just a little... there was not a single "intervention or practice" that made me want to have an epidural. I wanted one because I was in labor and my uterus hurt. "
Trust me, it can make a big difference. I went without an epi for one birth where I had to stay in bed and it was so much harder than being able to move around. Being able to change position, take a shower, and walk does so much. It can change the degree of pressure and at a minimum just shift your focus. Pitocin makes a big difference in the intensity and timing of contractions. These are the two that really affect the pain. The heplock..didn't make a difference maybe a little distracting to some but no real impact. |
Anonymous
If you don't want to answer the question, don't comment. Didn't your mommy teach you that if you did not have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. OP I would discuss this with your doc, I can't see why they would not respect your wishes for a drug free birth. That said, I would go with an open mind even if they agree. You may change your mind. And if you do, so what. What is really important isn't if you were drug free, or vaginal. The out come of a healthy baby is what it is all about. Congrats on your pregnancy |