Low-intervention birth with Reiter & Hill at Sibley?

[Anonymous]

My eyes are beginning to burn from the hours of reading about Reiter & Hill and Sibley experiences I've been doing on this board... My question is about having a low-intervention/natural birth with this OB practice at Sibley. I haven't really come across any examples of this and am getting nervous about birth preferences being heard.

So far (I'm 24.5 weeks), Reiter & Hill has been great! I have a slight increase in risk due a gene mutation so they've been watching me closely and will watch the baby even closer as the due date draws near. Anytime I've had even the slightest concern, the OBs have been great about listening, returning calls, etc. At this point, I'm a bit hesitant about leaving the practice, but I'm open to that if need be.

Any moms out there who were able to have a natural birth with them at Sibley? It seems that some of the OBs are more open minded than others. I want to be able to move around while laboring, etc. We just started with our Bradley course and plan to have my husband present as my coach and advocate. This is our first child so I like to think about my birth preferences, knowing that things may change due to unforeseen circumstances or simply because I change my mind about something.

Many thanks and happy holidays!

[Anonymous]

I can't speak to the R&H practice, but I can speak to Sibley: I had a natural birth there last year (by natural I mean no pain meds, no epi) even though I was induced (pitocin). No nurse or doctor is going to force an epidural on you - that is your decision. Good that you are going into this with an open mind (can't 100% control events as they unfold during labor & delivery). I would recommend letting your doctors know your wishes in advance, and let the nurses know once you arrive. I ended up with constant BP monitoring and an internal fetal monitor which limited my mobility and I also ended up delivering with one doc in the big practice I was at who would only help women deliver if they were on their backs in bed. You may want to ask at R&H if docs will let you deliver in a position that is comfortable for you (squating, whatever). Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I delivered at Sibley five weeks ago with Dr. Loveland. I did have an epidural (I played it by ear and just couldn't hack it.). But at no time did she suggest the epi. It was 100% my choice. My labor was very tough and when I didn't think I could push anymore, she pushed me through it...no episiotomy, no vaccuum, no forceps after hours if hard labor.
In terms of positions, I was limited by the epi, but the nurses encouraged me to move as much as I could, eg on my sides. Also they had creative ways of pushing like using the resistance of a towel. I thought the whole crew was receptive to MY needs and they were all very professional and compassionate. I didn't feel pressured in any way to do anything I didn't want to do.
I had a great experience with R&H, esp. Loveland. Best of luck to you!

[Anonymous]

It sounds like R&H has been fabulous for you thus far. Remember, the desired outcome is a healthy mom and a healthy baby. While you have a chosen path to get there, you need to keep in mind the end result. It seems from your post that R&H has taken all your concerns seriously and is making you comfortable wth the process. You can't underestimate that.

I would follow the pp's advice, but in the end you need to trust your doctor and yourself. If they recommend intervention (inducement or c-section) will you trust them that it is for the health of you and your baby? It sounds like they've earned your trust by now. If they haven't, you should find someone who has.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts! Much appreciated - and they have reinforced that I need to keep an open mind and trust my OBs (which I do).

[Anonymous]

I had Loveland and she was totally on board with my natural birth plan, but the baby was not. He was breech and we had a planned C. Lesson learned? Better to trust your doc than wed yourself to any plan.

[Anonymous]

My first son was delivered after a 36 hour marathon topped off by 4.5 hours of pushing. No I'm not kidding. I had Dr. Abraham from R&H. I know others don't care for her bedside manner, but I had several nurses at the hospital tell me they thought that any other doctor there would've had me in a C-section hours ago. At the end, she used a vacuum to aid in delivery, and frankly by that point, I was so exhausted I was glad for the help. Most importantly for me, I avoided the C-section.

My second child was a breeze, and I had a fabulous experience with Dr. Loveland at Sibley. I also opted for the epidural (totally MY choice). Everything else went smoothly.

Fear not. I have found most of the R&H doctors to be fairly responsive to a mother's requests -- but understand that your body may have something different planned!

Good luck to you!