Water Birth, Epidural, Natural, Hospital or at Home? How did you give birth?

[tattoobunnie]

Hi Everyone! 99 more days to go. I was all set for getting an epidural at a hospital, then I saw a movie on Water births and natual birth this weekend, and now I am bugging out that going to the hospital is a bad idea. Has anyone here gotten a water birth or gone natural at hospital setting? If so, did you have to use a mid-wife, did you make arrangements with the hospital? Did a mid wife do the arrangements for you? Did you rent a tub? Did you do it at home? Would you do it again? Thanks!

[Mercurial Girl]

I will likely do a water birth at a birthing centre which is close to the hospital. Your midwife would set all of that up for you. If you're planning on going the midwife route, I would start calling around ASAP as they may not have availability for the month +/- your due date. Get crackin! I will start seeing my midwife once I'm at 8-12 weeks.

 

 

Looking forward to see if anyone else here has done a home or water birth.

[pl3asehelp]

My wife and I tried to have our first baby at home with a midwife - had a birth tub at home as well. Labor lasted 3 days before we gave in and went to the hospital where he was born within a few hours. Natural labor can be so difficult that your body just becomes too exhausted after a while and labor stalls, which is dangerous for mom and baby. I suppose 1000 years ago mom and/or baby might have died in this situation. For our second one, we went straight to the hospital and it went very smoothly.

[tattoobunnie]

My wife and I tried to have our first baby at home with a midwife - had a birth tub at home as well. Labor lasted 3 days before we gave in and went to the hospital where he was born within a few hours. Natural labor can be so difficult that your body just becomes too exhausted after a while and labor stalls, which is dangerous for mom and baby. I suppose 1000 years ago mom and/or baby might have died in this situation. For our second one, we went straight to the hospital and it went very smoothly.

 

Thank you for sharing. Did your wife opt for an epidural for the first or second?

[OptomisticGirl]

Never been pregnant but my mom went natural in hospital setting. No mid wife. She did it twice (once with me, once with my sister) so she seemed okay with docking it again, lol. I have a friend who went natural in the hospital and wish she had gotten a epidural - every woman is different.

[Batya33]

A close friend of mine went natural in a hospital setting, 4 times. I think the first time was far more difficult than the last. Another family friend did an at home birth and the baby almost died because the cord was wrapped around the neck and maybe there were other complications. Luckily they got to the hospital in time. I opted for a hospital birth and an epidural so my experience isn't relevant.

[tattoobunnie]

Batya...after speaking to my dress maker, she made it seem like getting an epidural was easy and awesome. Then after to speaking to my sister in law on Sunday, she said her back was in constant pain for three years after getting one for her second child.

 

Getting an epidural isn't off my table yet...I'm nervous anyway I go...did you find getting the epidural an okay experience for you, and how was your recovery?

[Seraphim]

I would have preferred at home but my son was born at a hospital. I had an epidural after about 13 hours. My second son was born without anything in the ER but he was dead at birth.

 

Two of my brother's girls were born at home with no medications of any kind and they did very well.

[Lonewing]

The only part that matters is what's best for you and your baby. Hospitals are there for a reason! But yes, do find a midwife sooner than later if you have that interest!!!

[tattoobunnie]

I don't really know what is best for me and my baby. My mom got knocked out for all three of us (me, and my two brothers)...it was really common back then. And it's hard to determine who has the bigger agenda. Both marketing campaigns people have...from the midwife, from the hospital...they boast how they are better than the other...it's you're screwed if you do the epidural, and could get screwed if you do it natural.

 

Not all midwifes do water births, and most hospitals are not water birth friendly. I also don't live anywhere near actual birthing centers. It's all hospital & ceasarean lovers all the way around me.

I can find a midwife...I just want to hear from others what there experience was like.

[tinkerbellkj]

My friend had a natural birth at the hospital with her daughter and says that she will do it again with the next baby, but admits that it will just depend on the circumstances of the birth at the time.

 

Another friend of mine had a midwife her entire pregnancy and gave birth at a birthing center. Her labor was fine, but they did break her water because she was 14 days late, which in my state, is as late as the midwifes/doctors are legally allowed to 'let' you go. Her baby was born and rushed to the nearest hospital, with the cord around his neck, had seizures, spent a month in the NICU etc etc. He is fine now though, and she said she'd do it again for another baby.

 

I had a c-section with my son and I'll be having another one in April. It worked out for me, and it's really up to you to decide what you think is best for you, because someones experience will never be the same as the next. Everyone has got a horror story about every which way to give birth, but to every horror story there are several postive ones.

[Seraphim]

I think the most important thing is to be flexible. You can have a birth plan but the plans do not always work out and change due to circumstance. Just be flexible to the situation.

[OptomisticGirl]

Everyone reacts different to an epidural. Some women never feel pain after the birth in their lower backs, some do, some fixate on having it and actually have a quick birth and aren't able to have it, some wait to long into labor to decide to want one... As Vic said, you have to be flexible. I've had friends have two babies and have an epidural every time with no complaints - mh beat friend had one and almost three years later if she bends a certain way, she still feels a pain were she had it at.

[Seraphim]

It also depends on the skill of the person inserting it too. And DEFINITELY do not move. I felt nothing when it went in but I hear that is not usual. Also I only froze on one side. I do not believe I had troubles after the epidural but my sciatica was SUPER bad for about 4 months after my son was born. I have no idea if it set it off or if it was just pregnancy and labour in general.

 

I wish I had held off though, because I only had 3 more CM to go when I had the epidural done. Also my son had a bad reaction to it and so did I. My blood pressure plummeted and my son's heart rate did the same. It went from 160 to 49. They thought they were going to have to do an emergency C section to deliver him but his heart rate came back up.

[Batya33]

Batya...after speaking to my dress maker, she made it seem like getting an epidural was easy and awesome. Then after to speaking to my sister in law on Sunday, she said her back was in constant pain for three years after getting one for her second child.

 

Getting an epidural isn't off my table yet...I'm nervous anyway I go...did you find getting the epidural an okay experience for you, and how was your recovery?

My experience -it was my second epidural since I'd had one for a previous procedure with no problems. It was a real relief to finally get it since I'd been in labor for about 12 hours by the time we got to the ER (not all the labor pains were terrible but I was quickly going downhill lol). I asked for it as soon as I was admitted. It was harder to stay still than the first time because of having contractions. I had no side effects but I have heard of people who have -and they're "happy" to explain to you the parade of horribles that could happen to you so be prepared! It took the pain away quickly but it hurt when they lowered it in order to try to get me to push.

[pl3asehelp]

I think the most important thing is to be flexible. You can have a birth plan but the plans do not always work out and change due to circumstance. Just be flexible to the situation.

 

I think this is most important too. There are just too many variables and it *can* happen so fast. It really can or could spoil it if you get attached to an idea and are not able to be flexible and change plans if that's what the situation warrants.

[Firiel]

I plan on trying to go epidural-free in a hospital. I plan to have all my kids in hospitals if at all possible because of my sister's labor experience. She almost went with a birthing center near the hospital because of the cost but decided to do the hospital route just in case. Everything went great in her pregnancy and labor-- she was super low risk. But her little girl was born not breathing and with fluid in the lungs. Even if she had been just accross the street, her baby might have had brain damage, but with all the emergency equipment right there, she was able to be treated and had no lasting problems. For me, it's just better to be safe than sorry. Most births are easily dealt with by competent midwives, but unexpected problems occur sometimes, and I want to be prepared for that.

[OptomisticGirl]

^ this is why I will only give birth in hospitals - time willing. Midwives are the norm in the UK unless something goes wrong but just being IN that setting is what I want. I haven't fully decided if I want an epidural when the time comes. I know my pain tolerance but it's also something I'm unsure of.

[tattoobunnie]

Well, I'll definitely plan for a hospital, but there is one hospital somewhat close to my office that has a birth tub specifically for water births.

[Seraphim]

I would be sure it is available if that is what you want. I wanted that also but there were none available the day I gave birth. They were first come first served basis. There were 24 babies other than my son born there that day so they were a little busy. Just be flexible.

 

I know in my province if you have a certain OB you give birth at the hospital that particular OB works out of, not the hospital you choose.

[tattoobunnie]

I would be sure it is available if that is what you want. I wanted that also but there were none available the day I gave birth. They were first come first served basis. There were 24 babies other than my son born there that day so they were a little busy. Just be flexible.

 

I know in my province if you have a certain OB you give birth at the hospital that particular OB works out of, not the hospital you choose.

 

So what did you wind up doing? Natural?

 

No, I know...it'd be awesome if plenty of places offer it, but the midwife, the hospital with one are in my insurance network. I'm meeting with her tomorrow.

[Seraphim]

I had contractions the night before he was born, but the active part of labour started in the morning. I did 13 hours of contractions every 90 seconds and then I was pretty beside myself so I did a walking epidural. I had a bad reaction to the epidural medication and so did my son so I was not allowed out of bed. I wish I had not done the epidural now because it slowed the effectiveness of the contractions and added time to the delivery, but some people are great with them. I had my second son natural but he was only 16 weeks and only a few ounces. Even so it was about 5 hours to have him.

[arwen]

Personally, I wouldn't 'decide' on an epidural before you're in labor. You might be able to do it without. I did end up having an epidural, after 12 hours of ineffective back-labor (don't know how to call it). I only dilated 1 cm in those 12 hours, I was in extreme pain and was exhausted. So the midwife sent me to the hospital to get an epidural, which relieved the pain for a few hours. They then found out much later that the ineffective labor was caused by my daughter not being positioned in the right manner (facing up 'watching the stars' as we call it here). I won't go into the details because it won't help a woman who still has to deliver but it all ended well, I gave birth naturally and the pushing part lasted only 6 (!!!) minutes and 2 very very powerful contractions (also don't know the word here, we call it pushinglabors haha).

 

As for the home vs hospital birth debate, the first is much more common in Holland than anywhere else in the Western world... I think the most important thing is that you choose the place which makes you feel most safe. This enhances labor and dilation - if you're stressed about your surroundings, distracted by whatever, noises of neighbours or the thought that they may hear you - find out if you can go to a birthing center (we have these 'hotels' for this, unfortunately not in my province...), or a hospital. Also check out the hospital BEFORE you're due, just so your partner knows the way. If you're in full labor like I was when I entered the hospital... you won't be able to watch at signs

[thejigsup]

I had natural childbirth with a midwife in a hospital. I was supposed to have my doctor but as labor progressed (I had six hours of piggyback labor (the pains really never stopped, one followed on top of another) I soon saw that he did not know what the heck he was doing. I was very, very, thin and small boned and I just could not push a baby out through narrow hip laying flat on my back! He was prepping me for a c-section (after only 6 hours!) when the midwife came in and told him to go away (which he gladly did). She got me on my hands and knees and told me to rock back and forth. My son was born 5 minutes and two contractions later. Get a midwife if at all possible. Men know NOTHING about giving birth!

[tattoobunnie]

Hi Everyone! So, I met with the Midwife last Friday who does water births at hospitals. And the next day, toured another hospital than my OB/GYN delivers at...and it was nice. Then, argh...my payroll was planning to switch to a different provider then we switched back, so while I am covered, the data feeds to show I have insurance is rather non-existent this week. Anyway, after calling the one hospital that does water births, and having to call 5 departments where they all told me to call just to see if I can get a tour of the tub and maternity ward (which was fustrating, cuz I finally get told I need to midwife to take me)...I dunno...and the fact that it'll be my first, which I am told is usally the longest amount of time you are in labor, and that if I switch to a midwife now, I'll have to pay for every single co-pay for every visit I had with my doc since they have to bill it differently now. And, in speaking to one of the staff at my doc's office who just had a baby with him in July...she told me how she was able to walk around, use the ball, all up to the point of getting the epidural...I think I am leaning towards the original plan. Going with my doc.

 

Either way, I'm nervous. I signed up for birthing classes today with a certified doula and start next week.

 

I just registered on Monday, and even though we only managed in pick out a crib, stroller, tub, car seat and swing (in Like three hours - so lonnngg...since my husband wanted to poke around the store a bunch). I feel like I'm leaving everything last minute. So much to do!