parents to be

[tarajane]

my husband and i are expecting our first child in december and have chosen to have a home birth. due to some family problems we will not be at our home but are moving in with friends of ours the end of november. (my family doesn't accept this choice). does anyone have any advice on natural child birth we feel it is best for nature to take it's course and to let every thing happen naturally. like my favorite saying goes if it isn't broke don't fix it. we feel that the medical community is all too willing to do things durring pregnancy and child birth that are unnecessary. and due to problems i have had with the medical community we feel this is the best route for us. any ideas or sugestions would be greatly appreciated. thankyou in advance.

[Fawn]

First off Congrats!
Second off hire yourself a licensed midwife!! You will be glad you did and with your first child sorry honey, its always wise to have a doctor on standby to many things can and do happen.
Hospitals are NOT what they once were--and alot of people complain about "Oh the doctor used the thongs and it caused my precous Nell to have ugly dents" Well does Nell now? Chances are no!! Sometimes the use of forceps are necessary and you will be glad if you have delivered a 'blue baby" one not breathing at delivery that you are in the hospital!!

Best to you though!!

[Lavender]

I had my son in the hospital but it was a very natural birth. The doctor I had was very good & wanted everything to be as natural as possible. It was funny because our doctor turned out to be the same doctor our midwife had. Everything was there just in case but we never needed the forceps & other stuff. I think it's important to find a doctor that will work well with your midwife and your wishes. Congrats again!

[Rævyn Cigány]

I agree with both ladies, actually...I had a combination of both kinds of births...I had my first completely natural, no drugs, and no episiotomy even (though I paid for that later: my son was nine pounds two ounces...ripped me from a**hole to breakfast ). My second son was born with the aid of "the drip" because they knew he was going to be huge and my labour was so slow that I ended up getting an epidural just to relax enough to dilate. He was 9lbs12oz! My last child was a whole different ball of wax...and this is the reason why I agree with the 'having the doctor handy' bit...my daughter's cord was wrapped around her neck three times, and if I hadn't had the epidural when I did, she would have strangled. Yipe! I'm just reading this and I'm sure you're freaked out of your gourd now! Okay, just to clarify, I had three very LARGE children, okay? This is NOT normal!!! :D But really, I applaud your courage in doing it on your own and at home the first time around!!! I did do it natural the first time around and actually it really wasn't all that bad, what I can remember of it! I was told that it was like I was having my third instead of my first (actually, I was a lot more of a WIMP with my third!! :p)...

...aaaaaaaand I'm babbling again...gotta go do some laundry....

BB

Rae )0(

[Yvonne Belisle]

I have been lucky. I have 4 kids number one I had an epidural I was military and they had decreed how we would have them and that was that! He was 7 lb 7oz and 4 pushes 30 minutes after labor I was holding him. Child 2 was 7lb 14oz natural birth in the hospital also 4 pushes and about 30 minutes of labor. Child three 10 lb 1 oz natural delivery with an inducer because my water broke and my labor wouldn't start. She got stuck took one hour 2 dislocated hips and 7 pushes. My 4 th was 7lb 7oz 1 push yes I said one and 10 minutes of painful but not very labor. No drugs no cut. :)

I would have died as well as my daughter had I been home. They had to remind me to breathe and they stuck oxygen on me. I wanted her at home but went to the hospital anyway just to be safe. I'm very glad I did. The reason I figured I could have her at home was my second child. I walked the 3 miles home from the hospital the day after I had him. I also got yelled at by my midwife for doing something that stupid. It was very dangerous but I didn't know that at the time.

My personal suggestion is to have natural childbirth in the hospital. They tend to send you home after one day now instead of 3-5 days. You also have the security of knowing that if something went wrong there would be a staff of profesionals in screaming distance.

By the way I'm sure you have noticed that in society women have the tendancy to tell you the most frightening stories of birth. I think we draw those like magnets. I have found that in my own experience and I think there will be plenty of others to second me on this. Every birth is different and it doesn't matter how many or how few times you go through it the minute they hand you that child all of the pain becomes meaningless. All that matters is that little miricle that you are cradling in your arms. So smile and nod with the birth horror stories you will hear have patience with the strangers that have to rub your belly without asking and enjoy the moments you have and the memories of this special time in your life.