Looking into a natural birth...
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Anonymous
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I'm 5 and a half months pregnant with my first baby and hadn't really thought much about my "birth plan", except that an epidural seems very common and sounded pretty good to me to help with the pain. Now that I'm through the first trimester and enjoying the second (I'm thrilled and relieved that the baby is doing very well so far and I have no complications) I'm realizing that its really time to start thinking about the birth plan. Still, I just figured an epidural was the way to go because so many people I know had one and it's kind of the norm. Then, the other day, I was searching for something to watch on Netflix and came across the documentary called "The Business of Being Born". It really opened my eyes to the controversy surrounding the high rate of medicated births and c-sections in America - that perhaps women are scared into believing that they're not strong enough to give birth and that medical intervention is necessary and normal. Now I'm really torn with what to do. I like my doctor and it's scary to think about seeing someone else midway through my pregnancy. But I really like the idea of having a natural birth and I'm a little afraid I'll be pressured into getting pitocin to speed up my labor at the hospital. Also, I loved that the natural births at birthing centers or homes could be done by moving around and getting into different positions, or laboring in water to ease the pain. However, if something goes wrong, I would want to be in a hospital where they could help me. With my doctor, I would be giving birth at Sibley Hospital. So here's my questions:
1) Does anyone know how receptive Sibley is to natural births? 2) Do they let you walk around to get through the contractions, and change positions? 3) Do they allow midwives to attend the birth if you'd like that kind of support? Also does anyone know of a place that combines hospital and midwives? Where someone who is unsure and afraid could start out the natural way, but be able to be in a hospital setting or at least very close by if you needed that care? I haven't asked my doctor anything yet about my looking into natural birth, but that'll be the next step. Thanks in advance for any advice! 
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Anonymous
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Sibley and it's nurses are fine with you birthing without medication/interventions. You can walk around etc. You have a doula there so I assume you could have a midwife but I doubt the midwife could deliver the baby there. You should talk to your OB about how he/she supports natural child birth. I think most OBs in the area are fine with it as long as you and baby are medically fine. You should read The Birth Partner (as should your birth partner) and take a class that teaches coping tools (like Bradely, birthworks etc). I think GW has a midwife group there but you might be too late to get in with them.
I had a great experience with 2 natural labors at Sibley. |
Anonymous
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Thanks! I plan to talk to my dr. about it at my next appointment at the end of the month. I'll check out that book, and I'm signing up for classes at the hospital (I saw they have one on natural birth, which is great). So there's a midwife group that operates with the hospital? Why might it be too late? Did you use a doula or midwife for your labors?
Thanks for the response
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Anonymous
| I think what you're looking for is a doula, OP. If you are seeing an OB, then a midwife would not also attend your birth. A doula is there as a support person; that's not a midwife's roll. If you want to have a natural birth, then hiring a doula is a great idea. |
Anonymous
| *role |
Anonymous
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As PP have said, a doula is really your best bet to provide the emotional / physical support to help you have a natural birth. They can also help you feel comfortable not going in to the hospital earlier than you need to, and doing most of your laboring at home is really a great way to avoid unnecessary interventions.
As to the GW midwife practice (Wisdom) - you may be too late because they are very popular, so 'fill up' quickly with patients. There are various reasons for this, but the biggest one is probably that there are very limited options in this area for midwife supported births in a hospital setting. (In case it matters I had my first at Sibley, getting an epidural during what turned out to be transition. Delivered my second unmedicated with Wisdom at WHC before Whitney moved to GW.) |
Anonymous
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if you really strongly have a preference for a birth without a lot of unnecessary intervention, sibley may not be your best bet. they have a very high cesarean rate. i've worked there as a doula, as well as at other hospitals in this area, and i would not pick sibley as my hospital if i were attempting to avoid intervention. it's certainly possible to have a 'natural' birth there, but i don't think you'd be stacking the deck in your favor. i don't feel that in general, there seems to be much interest or commitment to avoiding cesarean births, nor do the providers seem to have the skills to help a birth be vaginal if challenges arise. of all the hospitals in the area, i'd honestly rate them last place as far as their "support" for natural birth. no midwives attend births at sibley.
there are various hospital midwifery practices. if you had a midwife, that would be in place of an OB (though in all hospital midwifery practices, there are always OBs available if their services become necessary during pregnancy, or during the labor/birth). so you'd have to switch from your OB practice to a midwifery practice if you wanted midwifery care for your pregnancy and birth. PP is correct that the midwifery practice at GW hospital is very popular and books up very fast (some women call when they are 8 weeks pregnant and cannot get a slot). there's also the family health and birth center, and their midwives can attend you at either the birth center or at washington hospital center. shady grove hospital also has a midwifery practice, midwifery care associates. there are other hospital based midwifery practices. you can explore those here: http://www.birthoptionsalliance.org/midwives.htmlhttp://www.birthoptionsalliance.org/midwives.html where do you live? people may be able to offer recommendations for you based on your location. for doulas (who can come with you to whatever your birth setting is, and offer emotional support, physical comfort, and information), you can browse local doulas here: http://www.birthoptionsalliance.org/birth-doulas.html if you go to sibley, i would recommend a doula. not just because i am one, but because i really don't think that they are set up all that well to facilitate 'natural' birth. having additional support may be really useful there. |
Anonymous
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If you are looking to switch practices, you can look into Physicians and Midwives in Alexandria or Karen King, a midwife that delivers at Virginia Hospital Center.
Otherwise, a doula will be incredibly helpful even if you stick with your current practice. |
Anonymous
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Doula here. Sibley has a 44% CS rate. Not a judgment but you should be aware that they do not cater to low intervention births. Of course, they happen there, but not often. I would look at GW. Even if you can't get in with the midwives, the OBs are great and many OB patients are attended by a midwife if they want a natural birth. They are all part of the same practice. As a result of the growing midwifery practice, the OBs and nurses are a lot more comfortable with and familiar with natural birth.
I agree you should also look into a doula. Try doulamatch.com. However, she will do her job best if you have a provider who genuinely believes in the kind of birth you want. If you have a provider who is only comfortable with a high level of intervention, a doula can't completely overcome that. All women have a right to birth as they choose. I truly think there are many Sibley providers who offer exactly the births their clients want. But they may not offer the birth YOU want. |
Anonymous
Very well said!
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Anonymous
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I'm a patient at the Family Health and Birth Center (http://www.communityofhopedc.org/fhbc) in DC. It is a midwife birth practice and you can choose to deliver with the midwives at Washington Hospital Center or at the birth center. The midwives support natural childbirth but if you tell them you want an epidural or have a complication that requires hospital care (like an emergency c-section) they will go to the hospital and work with the maternity ward to deliver your baby there. (The you can't have an epidural or c-section in the birth center.) So the advantage with them is that you can have midwife care and chose at any point to go to the hospital/get an epidural etc.
The midwives take the place of your ob, so at this point, you'd have to get all your records from your ob and take them to the midwives and tell them you'd like to switch to their practice. They take patients up to 20 or 24 weeks into the pregnancy, I believe. . . you can call them to be sure. They also have open house/orientation every Saturday morning if you want to learn more about what they do. I've had a great experience at the FHBC, but it might not be for everyone. . . I find it to be a low-stress, supportive, but not coddling experience over there. |
Anonymous
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Doula up, OP!
Watch some more inspirational movies, like Gentle Birth, Orgasmic Birth, More Business of Being Born. Go to my midwives' website and watch some of their clients' birth stories: http://www.birthbydesign.org/Resources/PregnancyAndBirth.aspx Attend a birth class which specifically has unmedicated birth as its focus, rather than a hospital class. Bradley or Hypnobirthing or Birthing from Within...or go to a doula who also gives classes, like Rosebud Doula, who offers classes at George Mason's campus. Be educated, be prepared, and embrace the whole experience! The rush you'll feel when holding your newborn the moment s/he is born is the best you'll ever feel on this earth! |
Anonymous
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OP here: Thanks so much everyone! I'm 22 weeks, so it might be too late for me to switch to a midwifery practice - and it scares me a bit to switch in the middle like that since I've just discovered all this info. I'm thinking I should try the doula route so I can get the support of working towards a natural labor in the hospital and learn techniques to cope. And since it's my first baby, I'll still be there with my Dr. in the hospital if anything goes wrong.
I actually live in Woodbridge, VA. I liked my ob/gyn a lot and just stayed with her, and she delivers at Sibley - she assured me I'd have plenty of time to get there and she's had patients who live further away than me. I'm going to talk to her next time I see her and see how receptive she is to natural birth. Hopefully all goes well and the next time around I'll feel comfortable choosing a midwife! |
Anonymous
| Another vote for the Family Health and Birth Center. You can choose to deliver at WHC with a midwife if you're more comfortable in the hospital, and that protects you a bit from some of the hospital protocols. I plan to deliver at the birth center itself if everything continues to go well (31 weeks now), but they present both as valid but different options. |
Anonymous
I switched to the Loudoun Community Midwives at 28 weeks pregnant. I am SO much more relaxed and happier since I did that, and so regret not doing it the first time around-- I liked my OB, prepared for a natural birth, but ended up with an epidural and Pitocin and vacuum extraction at Fair Oaks. Now, maybe that would have happened no matter what, but I really trust my midwives this time around. If you have any doubts, it's not too late to switch to most practices, Wisdom being an exception. Best wishes!
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