something that bothers me about becoming pregnant...

[nicANDjethro]

i talk A LOT about pregnancy, babies, whatever...

this weekend, i was surrounded by babies and pregnant people, i swear! chris' twin cousins are both pregnant (one is 7mos, one is 6 weeks), and we also played with kids from 1 year to about 7 years old...

so, anyway, EVERY FRIGGIN' TIME i mention wanting to do as much of our pregnancy as NATURAL as possible, people freak out.

it already makes me crazy, and i'm not even pregnant yet!

like, i mention trying to prepare my body (physically and mentally) with exercise, yoga, meditation, etc...maybe in hopes that even though i'm small, i'll be able to deliver naturally...

the comments start flooding in...

"oh. let me TELL YOU. when that PAIN hits you, you aren't going to be able to STAND it. someone could've stabbed me in the EYE, and i wouldn't have cared."

"i just think it's stupid to put yourself through that kind of pain. if you have the opportunity to enjoy it, then why not?"

"i had just ONE PAIN before they knocked me out. and, i can tell you this - you won't be able to stand it!!"

now...i understand that these women are mothers...but, WHY do they have to try and govern how my FUTURE PREGNANCY will be?

i mean, these are people who basically "let pregnancy happen"...let the days go by without any attempt at helping their bodies adapt. basically, eat and get a big belly...that was it.

i have so many plans...so soooooo many - hell, i've been taking my prenatals for a few months, now...i read more than i probably should...i try to eat healthier...i've increased my water intake by BUNCHES...i'm studying up on the different holistic approaches (yoga, etc.)...i'm reading about all the things that your unborn child experiences in the womb, so that i can enjoy my knowledge of it when the time comes...

i could easily list a hundred things i'm doing NOW.

what i don't understand, is how women can float through pregnancy and miss out on knowing this stuff...it would make it easier and more enjoyable...yanno?

even IF i had to have an epidural or c-section, i would at least benefit from knowing what the heck was going on...and, that not all medical procedures are GOOD things...

(don't get me started on the rant about why so many women deliver children on their BACKS!!! grrrr!)

hugs,
nic

[LavenderSession]

I am also curious as to why women insist on telling me the most horrific birthing stories EVER. It's kinda discouraging in so many ways.

I think it's great that you are preparing so well for your pregnancy....getting knowledge beforehand will be sooo beneficial I am sure. I wish I had done that before as well! Then I wouldn't have to call the doctor everytime I think something is wrong...But I do read about what the baby experiences inside the womb. And feeling her move around all day every day is the most enjoyable, most precious thing ever!

The only thing is....don't get so caught up in all the things you know so that you do miss some of the most exciting things!

I think you will make an awesome mom!

[chloe dancer]

nic - i CANNOT wait until you get pregnant!!!!!!!!! its going to be so fun to chit chat about it with you. and i also cant wait until youre a seasoned mom and you can just look back on all these old threads and laugh your ass off.

i think people talk about the birth and pain like its some old war story or fish tale. you know how every time you tell it the fish gets bigger? here its the same principle except birth becomes more and more painful and unbearable as you tell it!!

honestly - it hurts like a bitch i delivered two kids au natural and i get bragging rights dammit!!! i mean for all that suffering i should at least get the rights to scare the shit out of my childless friends and family right ;) !!!

only joking :)

if you really want to go natural you CAN and WILL.

for all they know you could have a 2 hour labour!!

my first labor was 8 hours TOTAL my second was 6 hours TOTAL than means for the first i was at the hospital about 5 hours before busting the baby out the second time only about 3 or 4.

but its the kind of pain you can get through if you just keep your eye on the prize. thats how it was for me personally but i know someone who was in labour for 18 hours before she even got an epidural. i can tell you she suffered a lot more than me and doesnt even get her bragging rights!

birth is so personal - so its very different for everyone but i say go for it.

sometimes i think about having another one and depending on the day i may think i want to go to a birthing center or even just deliver at home than the next time i think they better just knock my ass out and wake me when the baby is sleeping through the night!!

the only thing i ever really give my two cents on when it comes to other peoples pregnancies is about breastfeeding. its a WONDERFUL experience (aside from the sore nips :) )

anyway - tell those mommies to shove it :q

[nicANDjethro]

i just love you guys to death...lol!

at one point this weekend, i said, "even if it IS terribly painful, i'm almost willing to go through it without meds just to prove you guys WRONG!"

women have had babies forEVER...

yes, some have died.

yes, some have it really badly...and some have horrible experiences...

but SO many women do it naturally! and they are SO proud of their achievements!!

i would LOVE to deliver naturally...

LOVE to.

i really REALLY need to start working on my focal points...how to focus and how to breathe properly...

i read an article today that said women who exercise in pregnancy help to keep the natural release of that nasty oxytocin at bay during pregnancy... or something like that...

i guess, in other words, helping your body help itself does wonders!

you gotta figure - if your tummy muscles are toned, it'll help you push...

if your yaya muscles are toned, it'll help you push...
*tighten....one...two...three...relax....tighten....etc etc etc*

if your legs and pelvis are flexible, it'll help you out...

(remember - your joints are AWFULLY flexible and bendy during pregnancy! take advantage of helping that pelvis out!)

:)

i try to learn so much....but there is so much that i'll have to WAIT to learn! :) and, that's usually the best stuff, too!!!


xox.
nic

[soMnUS]

I have a 5 month old and I'll tell you the "fish stories" don't stop at delivery. After that everyone wants to tell you how often Johnnie threw up and how Amy crawled in some weird way when she was only 5 months old etc.<p>As for the natural birth, go for it when the time comes but remember that you have a right to change your mind in the moment. I had gestational diabetes and so my pregnancy was classified as high risk, I didn't efface past 25% and so I had a c-section 4 days past my due date. I never got to experience any labour so I have no idea how painful it is. I know how painful surgery recovery is though!*s* I often feel cheated out of labour because my birth experience seems so artificial but I'm happy I have my baby regardless.

[nicANDjethro]

here's the bit i read earlier:

Learning how to do ujayi breathing primes you for labor and childbirth, because it trains you to stay calm when you need it most. "Using ujayi breathing sends a message to the brain that all is well," says Anne Phyfe Snedeker, a prenatal yoga instructor at 8 Limbs Yoga Center in Seattle, Washington. When you're afraid — during labor, for example — the body produces adrenalin and shuts down the production of oxytocin, a hormone that makes labor progress. Yoga training will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel the pain, and show you how to breathe instead.

*sits in lotus position*

i tell you what...as much as i daydream about this stuff, if i had to have a c-section, i know i'd be a little let down...but, i'd be happy as ever to have a wee one, finally!

i want to remember to keep my mind open...way open...

i'm not a big girl...i don't have "birthin' hips"...(sad that i don't...i LOVE curvy girls!) anyway, i'm a little afraid of a big baby, one day...

i was really small (5lbs and 5oz), but chris was a hunkin' kiddo at over 8lbs!

i KNOW an 8lb kid ain't makin' it through these narrow hips!

((shudder))

i even asked my obgyn during my last well woman's exam - "do i look too small to deliver a baby?"

she said, "well, my hand doesn't get caught on your pubic bone...those are usually the ones that have a hard time..."

*shrug*

so, maybe there's hope...

i just know that my grandmother had a whoppin' time with my uncle - she's little like me, and his noggin' tore her from front to back!

:n

she STILL has bladder problems!!! GYAH!

so...anyway...

*prays for a tiny future-baby*
nic

[soMnUS]

My mom is a teeny weeny woman and she popped out 3 kids, one being a 8 1/2 lbs. I've got wider hips and shoulders than my dad and my husband (neither are twigs) and my baby didn't come down all the way. I thought I'd have no problems but the reason I didn't efface was because he was stuck. Pray for correct positioning because you can't change your hips no matter how big or small.

[jan]

My labor was short with both of them but the circumstances with both at the hospital could of been better (a crack head in L/D with the first and no OB/GYN on staff when they realized I was really in labor with the second). Despite it that, the worst part was having my delightful younger and childless sister lecturing me on how stupid I was to have both natural while I was just trying to recover. The nurse finally MADE her leave LOL

[Vik]

I *think* they're trying to be "nice" and "prepare" their loved one/friend/etc for the "unexpected."

I commend you for trying to go natural. I tried to go natural, but the pain got too bad and I felt like a total FAILURE for getting an epi. :a
I just dont' want anyone to feel like that....

[Ryoko!]

Oh lordy I've heard it all...
like how one woman was in labor for like 98175918735981736591734697 days and finally ended up cutting the baby out with her bare hands...yeah gotta love THAT mental image.

I've done the bradley classes, I excersise like it's the latest religous fad and meditate all the time. I've prepared the crap outta my body (kegal kegal) and now Logan has decided that he doesn't WANT to show himself face first. Nope...he has his ass wedged in my pelvis, and it doesn't look like he plans on moving.

so...now they are talking c-section. I'm like, ummm can I get my money back for those birthing classes? lol.

At this point though, seriously, NOTHING is going to stop me form enjoying holding him in my arms for the first time. Who cares if I need a c-section? I honestly can say I don't. The thought never even dawned on me that maybe I was supposed to think I might miss out on something great and life changing (as if becoming a mother isn't life changing enough!) until someone asked me if I was disapointed. *shrug* it's still baby isn't it?

I was disapointed when i found out I have Gestional Diabetes. I was more upset that I was losing my midwife (and snickers bars...so sue me I'm not perfect!) than the prospect of missing out on natrual childbirth.

Anyways, the point is, if you go into a pregnancy under the assumption (and yes i am guilty of this too) that birth and pregnancy are like this magical (haha heartburn...the fairy fire for your throat...how lovely!) wonderfull trip full of daydreaming of baby and having the birth you want you are so bound to be disapointed.
I have spent more nights crying in the last 7 months than i have my entire life. Over anything. Over everything. The other day i found a french fry in my pants from lunch. I have no idea how it got there. I haven't slept for more than 5 hours in four weeks. I can't see my vagina unless I put a hand held mirror down there.

Then again I fond this all terribly hillarious. so really, don't think I'm bitching. It's all worth it, everytime i hear the heartbeat, and feel those headbuts...in my ribs...I smile knowing that someday i will put my child in a santa suit and take pictures to emabarrass the crap out of him everytime he brings a girl home to meet mommy.

*sigh*






;o

[chloe dancer]

oh yeah and nic one last thing!!

after you do give birth and all the gals expect you to join in on the comradery you can just smile sweetly and say pain? what pain? i just breeeeathed through it.

ill teach some time ;l

[nicANDjethro]

Nope...he has his ass wedged in my pelvis, and it doesn't look like he plans on moving.

so...now they are talking c-section. I'm like, ummm can I get my money back for those birthing classes? lol.


hey...quick question - can they try to turn him around? i've seen them do this...i mean, it doesn't always work, but sometimes they can turn the little buggers around...

yeah, guys...i'm trying to mentally prepare myself for ANYTHING...

i'm not assuming that i'll be all "fun, sunshine, and lillies" once i'm pregnant...

hell, if it's half as bad as my PMS, i'm quite POSITIVE that it's not all roses...yanno? i get in some serious funks around my period...i'm sure that i'll have my share of the same (and worse) once i'm pregnant...

i just feel like i'm going to be one of those women who've looked so forward to it for so long, that i'll enjoy every miserable moment of it.

i pray that i'll be able to make it through delivering my baby the way i WANT to...but, i WILL prepare myself for worst case scenarios...

i'll have to mentally prepare myself for a c-section or an epidural, guys...i don't want to eliminate the possibilities of their appearance one day...yanno?

*sigh*

and, sluggie - every time i read your little quote thingy, i think of eddie vedder...that isn't something i should be doing at work...it distracts me... in fact, i DREAMED about his fine butt last night.

wait...i'm MARRIED, now.

oh wait...it's EDDIE VEDDER. who CARES????

*yum*
nic

[chloe dancer]

;l thank god its flannel season !!

[Cassiopei]

Well loved ones are always full of stories and well intentioned advice. no matter what it is about. I learned to ignore them.
All I can say is have experienced both and neither was better than the other.
Do what is best for you. It is best to be informed as much as you can.
I can tell ya I had gallstones during most of my first pregnancy and compared to that ghastly pain, labor was nothing. I would do labor and birth anyday over the gallstones LOL. But thats just me.
And i wanted to do other positions, like squatting, but my nurses told me that the best position is on the back and they wouldn't let me try other ways to push. What a load of crap that was. I couldn't understand why they bothered to have classes showing all these ways to give birth when they won't allow it when the time comes.
Ok enough ranting.

[angeles]

Originally posted by Ryoko!
Anyways, the point is, if you go into a pregnancy under the assumption (and yes i am guilty of this too) that birth and pregnancy are like this magical (haha heartburn...the fairy fire for your throat...how lovely!) wonderfull trip full of daydreaming of baby and having the birth you want you are so bound to be disapointed.


First off, gotta say, I love your sig. It is fantasic! I didn't quite like my pregnancy, and I think pregnancy is all around ackward and overrated. But my delievery was absolutely great (except for the pain). took my lil one 14 1/2 hrs to get out, but I truely think it was *the* most exciting 14 1/2 hrs of my life. So I wasn't dissapointed :) What you SHOULD worry about is that this lil person is coming home with you. I don't think I quite understood what it was like to raise a newborn ;) Now that I do, (and my bro has a newborn so I kinda have this feeling reinforced) I REALLY don't want another baby. I don't have the patience to get up 3, 4 times during the night, being completely exhausted all the time. Pregnancy and Labor are the easy part, taking care of the kid is a WHOLE different realm! ;)

-angeles

[LavenderSession]

angeles, thank you so much for admitting you didn't particularly enjoy your pregnancy!! Now I don't feel like a complete freak....I'm not saying I completely hate it. It has it's good points (like those little bumps and stuff when she gets all squirmy). I just never realized how much pregnant women go through! How every little thing in your body hurts! Even your toenails! lol I mean, I know it sounds whiney...plenty of women don't say a word about it, but I've always been a wimp when it comes to being sick or if anything hurts. This is why I know I will be a wimp when I give birth. This is why I am sure I will have an epidural or whatever. Anywho, thanks again!

[nicANDjethro]

i'd like to commend angeles on her admission, too.

i think that so many women believe that it SHOULD be this amazing, wonderful experience...and for everyone, it's not.

even AFTER pregnancy...not all women feel "bonded" to that baby. it's a new person...it's actually somewhat of a "stranger"...

and many, MANY women feel very, VERY guilty about it.

i've seen quite a bit on this...

and, some even resent this little person interrupting their world...coming between them and their significant other...keeping them awake...not allowing the mother for any personal time...

combined with post-pregnancy hormones, it can be a hard thing for a woman to handle.

chris' cousin had a VERY hard time after she delivered her baby...she told me how she felt SO bad because she didn't feel that immediate "bond" with her.

and, you know what? i understood everything she said. and, i even felt sorry for her...she felt SO terrible...

but, yeah... ups AND downs.


xox.
nic

[chloe dancer]

wait. youre supposed to *LIKE* pregnancy?!!?

lol only kidding! my first pregnancy was great until the baby started producing a hormone i was allergic too and i had a rash from my neck to my feet. it was horrid!

and with my second pregnancy i vomitted approximately 15-20 times a day until i was 6 months along. i had such hunger pains becuase i could not hold anything down. i was at the point where i would eat and than make sure i was at the toliet within a half hour to vomit it all back up. it SUCKED and really took a toll on my marriage.

but i did have great labor and deliviries and now two great kids to show off. so it was worth it (most days;) )

[LavenderSession]

Yeah, I am scared the after delivery thing might be rough....but despite the fact that I am not enjoying my pregnancy 100%, I feel I am already bonding with the baby. I have constant dreams of her.....when she's 6 months old, when she's 3 years old, etc. Even conversations with her that I can't remember when I wake up, but they were awesome and I know they were!

My cousin had a hard time bonding with her baby after she delivered. The baby had cholic or whatever and cried all the time. The first time I ever saw her, she was screaming her head off and I picked her up and she quit crying. After that, my cousin was like "Can you babysit?" And then I was there at her house like twice a week. I kinda felt bad for her, cause I knew she felt bad about not bonding. You know? But now, things are great and she's a very good mom!

[Dita]

I'm a size 1 and I spit out a 7 lb. 3 oz. baby au natural. Your body will adapt to your baby. And your doctor will CLOSELY monitor your baby's growth. My doctor flat out told me that if my baby would've gotten any bigger, I may not have been able to push him though so easily. My Carson was 2 weeks early too!!!

Anyhow, my labor and delivery was so fast (I was in labor at 4PM and delivered at 4:24PM) that I didn't have the opportunity to take drugs if I wanted to. I, of course, didn't want to at all so I am very happy I got to do it this way. Now I know with #2 (one day) I can do it without drugs too.

You will have a TON of questions. And everyone is different. Don't let anyone discourage you. You do what's good for you. You will run into so many opinions it's ridiculous, from what to eat to what NOT to name your baby to how to breathe while you're pregnant. It's really annoying, but it's coming from people who actually think they are helping. :) Hang in there. You are going to be a super cute preggo and a great mommy.

[Ryoko!]

Originally posted by nicANDjethro
Nope...he has his ass wedged in my pelvis, and it doesn't look like he plans on moving.

so...now they are talking c-section. I'm like, ummm can I get my money back for those birthing classes? lol.


hey...quick question - can they try to turn him around? i've seen them do this...i mean, it doesn't always work, but sometimes they can turn the little buggers around...




they can...but it's not 100% effective. They are going to talk to me about that if he hasn't turned by my 36th week (assuming that they don't want to do a c-section before then) . I've talked to a woman who had it done, they pretty much can manipulate the baby to turn around manually, by pushing him down while you lay there...for hours. She said it's very uncomfortable, and her son ended up turning back around anyways. Not always the case though, some babies just need help getting into position, and once they are there they stay there.
I'm not even sure what it's called, but I'm going to ask on the 30th (next ob appointment) I'll keep you updated ;).

[St. Theresa]

Well....

All I know is that I totally planned to go natural, but it hurt so badly I caved. And no, I couldn't have gone through 17 hours of maximum pain like that. (Pitocin got involved, but that's another story.)

My second labor STARTED with Pitocin, and OUCH...again, I was more than happy to get relief from my pain. Sadly, I was so tired and exhausted from the whole thing with my daughter that they asked if I wanted to hold her right away or if they should clean her up first and I had them take her for a few minutes :( I was just SO wiped out and I needed a break. I didn't even have a choice with my son because his APGAR scores were low and he needed immediate medical attention.

Sometimes I wish I could go back and do it over again differently, but hindsight is a hell of a lot less painful than being there.

Cross one bridge at a time and do what you can handle.

[grumpydawn]

I want to thank everyone for all their experiences- I'll soon be on the other side of the fence and hearing about your experiences will help me to prepare all those new mommies and put them at ease.

My first child was Frank Breech- wedged just like Ryoko's baby. I had a feeling he was Breech because I too could feel his head rubbing my ribs! And I couldn't breathe!!

I had a version (the procedure) attempted at 37 weeks. You are hooked to a fetal monitor and given a muscle relaxer while 4 OB/GYNs try to manipulate the baby externally and another holds an ultrasound on you. It is 60% effective, and VERY uncomfortable. The doctor will instruct you to bring an overnight bag in case the uterus is ruptured or baby goes into distress- at which point an emergency C-section will needed to be performed. My son wouldn't budge- but luckily- no other complications occurred and I was scheduled for a C-section 2 weeks later.

I hope that you deliver naturally Nic. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. But, be prepared if things don't go the way as planned.

I went into labor with my second child on the day I was scheduled for a C-section. (I opted for tubal ligation with my daughter- my uterus was compromised from fibroid tumor and previous miscarriage.) I labored for 6 hours until I was operated on. I didn't have anything for pain until an hour before my C-section. I guess my pain threshold is high. And I never took Lamaze- I just tried to stay calm, have a focal point, and breathe.


Good Luck Girls!:)

[Ryoko!]

Originally posted by grumpydawn

I had a version (the procedure) attempted at 37 weeks. You are hooked to a fetal monitor and given a muscle relaxer while 4 OB/GYNs try to manipulate the baby externally and another holds an ultrasound on you. It is 60% effective, and VERY uncomfortable. The doctor will instruct you to bring an overnight bag in case the uterus is ruptured or baby goes into distress- at which point an emergency C-section will needed to be performed. My son wouldn't budge- but luckily- no other complications occurred and I was scheduled for a C-section 2 weeks later.



YIKES! okay that's the third time I've heard that... I don't want to do this. no friggin way no way no way!

Anyways, another thing, the bradley classes I took, didn't say ANYTHING about c-sections, and snubbed the idea of using a epidural. I think that a good birthing class tells you all the options, without glossing over anything. The bradley classes were...novel...but now that i think about it, it was a total waste of money. I know everything about the bradley method (ahem btw if you know how to meditate then chances are you too know all about the bradley method lol) but I was left in the dark about everything else.

anyways, I'm sure no matter what you'll do great nic.
:)

[nicANDjethro]

ryoko...

i wanted to tell you that i read an article on changing the position of your unborn baby, if they're being stubborn...


i thought that maybe you'd find it useful to maybe try a few of these things before anything else...

http://epregnancy.com/info/birth/positioning.htm

An Easier First Birth:
Tips for altering your baby's position
by Cindy Harmon-Jones
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes the presentation of the baby before or during labor is less than ideal. Doula Cindy Harmon-Jones offers you some of her tips for moving the baby into the best position. (See part one of this feature here.)


Influence the process
Women having their first babies often run into problems caused by a malpositioned baby. Malpositions can include posterior positions (back of baby's head toward mother's back), a deflexed head (baby's head lifted instead of flexed onto her chest) or asynclitic (crooked) head, but since posterior babies are most common, we often call all malpositioned babies "posterior."

Posterior babies can cause a multitude of labor problems for women having their first babies, including postdates pregnancy, rupture of membranes with no labor, a labor that is more painful than normal, a prolonged latent phase, slow progress in active labor, arrest of progress, and a prolonged second stage. Cesareans for failure to progress are common. Karen, a friend of mine and experienced doula, says, "The only time I'm ever in the c-section room is when the baby is posterior." For some reason, for women who have already had at least one vaginal birth, a posterior baby may make labor more painful, but usually not longer or more complicated.

Fortunately, a pregnant woman can do much to influence her baby's position. The third trimester is the best time to get the baby into a good position, since avoiding problems is easier than fixing them. The best position for your baby is head down, with the back of the baby's head toward your front and on your left side (left occiput anterior, or LOA). When your baby is in this position, you will feel the smooth back on the left side of your abdomen, and the baby's kicks on your right side. If, instead, you feel kicks on your left side or in the front, using fetal positioning techniques would be wise. A woman who is planning a VBAC and whose original cesarean was for failure to progress, especially, could benefit by getting her baby into the best possible position before labor begins.

Positions to avoid
The woman in late pregnancy should avoid all reclining positions, which encourage the baby to flop onto its back. Instead, she can relax in forward leaning positions. She can do 100 pelvic rocks on hands and knees, several times per day (100 pelvic rocks takes about 1-1/2 minutes). Pelvic rocks are a quick rocking motion of the pelvis, without much arching or movement of the back. A woman can assume a knee-chest position (knees, head and chest on the bed, with buttocks up in the air) for 20 minutes, three times per day.

The best position for sleeping is left-sided Sims, the position recommended by Bradley childbirth classes (on the left side, but rolled over almost onto the stomach, left arm behind the back, right leg bent and propped on a pillow, left leg straight).

Some positioning techniques
If you go into labor with a malpositioned baby, you have an excellent chance of converting the baby into a good position using similar techniques. Even if you don't think your baby is posterior, please try positioning techniques if you have any of the signs of a malpositioned baby. These include lots of painful prelabor contractions, rupture of membranes before labor begins, slow progress in labor, very painful labor (with or without back pain), contractions that are irregular, closely spaced and short, an arrest of labor or a swollen cervix.


Positioning techniques may feel good immediately, or they may temporarily increase the amount of pain you experience while the baby is turning. However, the temporary pain is worth it, in order to avoid the complications that come with a prolonged, painful labor. A baby in a posterior position will almost always rotate into a good position and be born vaginally, given enough time and patience. However, the road can be long and painful. As Jen, another doula friend of mine, says, "Why walk 30 miles when you could walk ten?"

First, spend about 45 minutes in either the knee-chest position or left-sided Sims. After this, continue to labor in forward-leaning positions, either on hands and knees, knee-chest, knees and elbows, sitting while leaning forward or standing and leaning forward onto a chair or table. Forward leaning positions encourage the baby's back to swing around toward your belly. Avoid reclining in a semi-sitting position, which encourages the baby to assume or remain in a posterior position.

Perform pelvic rocks on hands and knees frequently. Stomping hard on the floor, or stomping up and down a flight of stairs, can sometimes quickly jar the baby's head into a good position. If you have chosen to hire a doula, she may know many more advanced techniques for helping the baby into a good position, but these simple techniques work very well in most cases.

Other interventions
If possible, try to avoid artificial rupture of membranes (AROM) until you are sure that your baby has rotated to anterior, since AROM can cause the baby's head to quickly descend into your pelvis, while still malpositioned. An epidural is another intervention that can prevent a posterior baby from rotating, since epidurals decrease the muscle tone of the pelvic floor and limit the woman's mobility.

However, avoiding an epidural is difficult when the baby is posterior because labor is so much more painful than when the baby is in a good position. If you can, use the positioning techniques described above before requesting an epidural. Your baby may rotate and you may find that you don't need one! If you receive an epidural while your baby is malpositioned, you can still ask your support people to help you into a Sims position, instead of the semi-sitting position that is commonly used.

First labors can be wonderful
I have attended many lovely births of first-time mothers and of women VBACing for the first time. When women have well-positioned babies and can remain relaxed through early labor, first labors usually flow smoothly and quickly to a joyful birth, without too much pain or worry.

I hope that these suggestions will help many women to have first births that are as relaxed and comfortable as the most wonderful births I've been privileged to attend.


hope that this might help! :)
nic

[Orlando]

Just wanted to add another good labour story to give you more hope.

My pregnancy was a bit tough emotionally but physically everything went fine. I went into labour 6 days early, got to the hospital and they told me the birthing pool was free. It wasn't something I had really planned for but we decided to give it a go.

It was FANTASTIC! I managed about 6 hours of labour in the pool with just a little entonox (gas and air) for really strong contractions but the water was soooo calming. We had classical music playing, my partner massaging my back and a midwife with us constantly who was superb. Only when it got to transition (just before ya start to push) that I felt was that uncomfortable and watching my beautiful baby swimming to the surface was an indescribable moment.

I'm 15 weeks along with my second now and this time I'm going for a water birth at home so everything can be as natural as possible.

Go for it Nic. I think that your mental attitude going into labour is the most important factor as far as pain is concerned. You know it's going to hurt but the end result is more than worth it!

[nicANDjethro]

i REALLY wish we had such wonderful birthing opportunities here in memphis.

we don't have birthing centers, and as far as i know, we don't even have hospitals or maternity suites with the luxuries of tubs and what not.

i think it's pretty straight forward hospital type stuff...

phooey.

i'm really REALLY starting to wonder if a homebirth would be a terrible thing...

but, being my first, it terrifies me...

i dunno...

i hate the strict rules of the hospitals...

nic