I'm not scared of a natural birth. None of it frightens me. Now, what does scare the living daylights out of me are the words: "induction", "C-Section" and Epidural...
Lets start with Epidural shall we. Why does it frighten me? Well, lets see. Yes it makes you blissfully pain free but you are also stuck laying on your back for goddess knows how long. Laying on your back or in the C position (the one where you scrunch up in to a C shape.) are very bad positions to labor in. They make it more difficult to get the baby out since it makes the birth canal smaller. Did I mention your stuck like that until the baby arrives? I don't want to be stuck in an uncomfortable postion. I want nothing ore than the freedom to move as I please.
Inductions: they scare me because you are forcing your body to do something its not yet prepared to do. Let me not forget to mention, the contractions are constant and immediately intense. Unlike natural contractions that are a slow progression. My final reason, More often than not, it leads to Epi's and C-Sections.
C-Sections are major surgery... I understand that sometimes they are required and necessary. I fully get that there might be a legit medical reason that I would need one, But let me be perfectly blunt and honest here Its become a "fashion trend". Yes I mean it. There are women that chose the day they like and schedule a section like its an appointment to the salon. I've never had major surgery, and the thought of it is scary, especially when you think about what can happen.
In general, my birth plan is very "crunchy" for a hospital birth. I plan to labor at home until I absolutely have to go in. My Darling Mister Sailor has worked L&D so I have a little guidance in that regard. Not to mention I'm less than 1min from the hospital. So I'm really in no hurry.
I plan to change positions as often as I want, use water for pain management and take advantage of the birthing balls they have available. Little Venom will not get a pacifier, formula, or gripe water.
I fully understand that this is all contingent on V and I being healthy and okay. I know things can happen to make my wishes fly out the window but at least I'm going to try.
3 comments:
That's awesome that you're going for natural. Two of mine were natural, but only because they happened so fast.
The other two had to be induced. I was two weeks past my due date with my first, and at that point the placenta starts degrading (as was showing on an ultrasound), giving your baby less oxygen and nutrition. Also, with my second, I went almost three weeks past my due date. She was so big at that point that when my water broke, the fluid couldn't escape and was instead forced into my bloodstream (labor opens up all those blood vessels), where it flooded my heart and lungs and almost killed me. It was then I realized why one in four women used to die in childbirth, whereas now it's somewhere around one in a thousand (in developed nations, the rate is still very high in undeveloped countries).
What I can tell you from personal experience is that the contractions don't start out constant and immediately intense with the pitocin. They came on gradually, whereas the times I went into spontaneous labor were immediately painful and constant. However, the induced contractions wound up being much more intense towards the end of labor, and I was in labor much longer (over a day, whereas the spontaneous labors were no more than four hours). Another downside to epidurals they don't tell you about is that you can't tell when you have to pee, and when all was said and done and I could feel my legs and walk again, my bladder was full to almost bursting. Good times.
I think it's awesome you're going natural. I couldn't and didn't do it. Keeping my fingers crossed for you and hoping that everything goes smoothly!!!
Hello. And Bye.
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