This one goes out to the expecting momma's out there! Lately I have had ladies asking me how do I prepare for a medication free labor. I already talked about hypnobirthing, and that is one way, but seriously. How to prepare for labor??? It is hard to be completely prepared for it. And every labor is different. Women who find out that I birthed Mason without meds look at me like I am crazy or are in awe.
Some women want to try medication free. Some women know they want an epidural. Some women know they want to or have to have a c-secion. But if you are on the fence about wanting to try medication free first, good for you! Why not try experiencing the most painful experience in your entire life. We as women are blessed with the honor of experiencing child birth and all the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of it. One way or another that child is coming out, right? I often tell women if you want to try medication free, do it. Try it. But! You need to mentally prepare yourself for the what-if's.
I wanted med free birth. That was my plan. But I accepted that if I couldn't handle it and I needed help or sleep than yes, I would have gotten an epidural. A 17 hour labor is a long time without rest or sleep. Sometimes an epidural is just what is needed to let you sleep and BAM you are ready to have a baby. I also accepted the fact that if I had to have intervention then that is what needed to be done. I hoped I didn't need intervention or a c-section and glad that I didn't but I was ok if I needed it.
~Think about the kind of birth you want. Hearing or watching birth stories can get overwhelming. I watched TLC's A Baby story all the time while pregnant with Mace, and at about 30 weeks I couldn't handle it anymore. It freaked me out. I started to have doubts if I could actually do a med free birth.
~Prepare for the worst. I won't give birth at home. I will give birth in a hospital. For the Just in case! I am thankful for the medical advances we have available to us today. I know plenty of women that, without medical advancements to help with their labors they would have not made it through.
~Educate yourself on how labors go, what interventions can be used. Know what they are before so that if you have to have them you won't be scared, too much. Take a birthing class. Meet with professionals about it. Educate yourself on all the various drugs they can give you, pitocin, cydotec or anything else.
~Know your limits. Know at what point you are willing to say, GIVE ME THE DRUGS! I had a line in my mind and I never got close to it. I was weird per my doula. Usually during transition the mother starts saying, "I can't do this." or a variation similar to that. That is one sign that they are close to being near the pushing phase. Transition is hard, and fast. I never asked for anything. Never questioned my ability to keep going without meds. Merrie said that was weird. I am sure if it got a ton worse than I would have been asking and I knew my line. Just never crossed it.
~Make a birth plan. Come prepared to the hospital. If you are ready to go on things and everything is in your own wording you will feel better about it. Oh and talk to your doc before labor about what you want. Make sure they are on the same board as you and how they respond to different situations. My doc, totally open to unmedicated births, but not open about alternate birthing positions, (squating, all 4 or kneeling I will be having a talk with him about that when I get closer BTW!)
~Second time is not the same as the first. I have heard and read this. It will be faster or it will go completely different that the first. I am scared for that fact and still trying to prepare myself. Even though I have done an unmedicated birth for my son, I am still preparing these same ways for this next one because who knows what might happen. Just cause I did it once doesn't automatically guarantee that I can do it again!
QOTD: Do you read birthing stories or watch birth shows to help you prepare? Have they freaked you out too?