Can I really deliver my baby WITHOUT drugs in a hospital?

[Anonymous]

Hopefully I will know fairly well when to go to the hospital when I read all these books and articles...Do they also tell you that at the hospital classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also true. But I will have to fill out forms anyway. Maybe some preregistration is possible, I will check. I have a stupid question: what is IV for? instead of eating and drinking? assuming that there's no medical reason to give me IV

IV or heplock does a few things. Obviously if you have Group B strep or some other reason to need medication, you need an IV. If your hospital thinks they will prevent you from eating and drinking, they may use it to give you sugar/saline solution to keep you hydrated. Some hospitals require a heplock at a minimum, that way in the event of some sort of emergency, the catheter is already in your arm if they need to unexpectedly give you medicine/anesthesia/etc.

[Anonymous]

i declined an IV and stayed hydrated the normal way, by drinking fluids. definitely something to talk to your provider about though because many "require" it, and refusing it can be a big deal with an unsupportive provider.

as for knowing when to go to the hospital, it is really a personal choice depending on your priorities and what makes you feel most comfortable. i posted a blogpost on a previous page of this thread that i think does a great job of explaining some of the pitfalls of timing contractions as a way to decide when to go.

[Anonymous]

Some hospitals require a heplock at a minimum, that way in the event of some sort of emergency, the catheter is already in your arm if they need to unexpectedly give you medicine/anesthesia/etc.

They can push but they can't require a heplock. Do a search for heplock and you'll see good discussion on this.

[Anonymous]

I was the one who posted a few up about my unmedicated birth at VHC. I totally agree with the poster who said it's different laboring at home. She explained it well, but really there's no comparison. Home is home - trusted, known, comfortable, etc. The hospital was great but not comforting. Even when I was 9 cm dilated and nearing transitioning (to pushing) in the shower at the hospital, I was still thinking about the cold hospital floor I was sitting on!

And about this talk of "temptation" of an epidural -- I would caution against thinking of drugs like that. That suggests you should feel "guilty" if you end up having an epi.

For me, I was committed to an unmedicated birth, so I never once thought of asking for an epidural. I was too engaged in the birthing process and was fascinated to see what would come next. Plus, a part of me kept thinking, "you've made it this far - keep going!" Yes, I was in major pain and did often think to myself "so THIS is why some women want scheduled C-sections!" but I never wanted an epidural or even really thought about it.. If you are committed to an unmedicated birth, the epidural isn't a "temptation" at all.

If, however, you find that you need the epidural, then you need it. There should be no shame in asking for it. But this idea of "temptation" implies that you couldn't make it without drugs and caved, like you're a failure or something.

I'm just saying, if you want or need an epi, get one. But if you are TRULY committed to not getting one and take steps to prepare yourself for an unmedicated birth as I did, then you probably will not think of an epi as a "temptation" -- you might not even think of it at all!

[Anonymous]

I knew when to go to the hospital because I had my partner check my cervix. She read up on it in the weeks before. My contractions were getting more difficult and she check and said 6-7cm. We went to the hospital (Holy Cross) and I was checked by the doc there: 6-7cm. I labored for another hour or so and then delivered.

My goal was to arrive at 6-7cm to minimize any distractions or offers of interventions. The distraction of going to the hospital, signing in, getting checked, answering questions, etc. slowed down labor for about 15 minutes and then I was back on track.

My doula suggested going during transition. I didn't think that was a good idea because I didn't want to be dealing with transition contractions in the car or while trying to sign in. It is a good thing I decided to go earlier, as I only had about 10 or 15 minutes between transition starting and the birth.

I had a heplock and intermittent monitoring. I stayed in the shower for the majority of the time in the delivery room before she was born.

I didn't take any classes, but I did hire a doula and read everything I could get my hands on. I also had a previous birth, though that one was medicated.

[Anonymous]

Hello OP, my experience was that I had to ask for my epidural. The nurses offered, but definitely not in a pushy kind of way. It is your experience and do not worry about having to voice your own wants and desires. No one will do anything to you without your consent. However, I really liked my epidural. So, the bottom line is it is your experience and no one will force anything on you.