anyone have Hospital birth w/o interventions?

[mamatoady]

has anyone here had a truly intervention free hospital birth? I'm walking out of a homebirth for a hospital birth this time (#1 induced hospital, #2 at home) and although I'm arming myself with information I wonder how common it is (or can be) for an intervention free birth. I have an experienced doula coming with me who vows to stand up strong for my birth plan and knows the nurses at this hospital as well as my doctor.

I'm to the point of even wanting to birth without any hands "down there" unless I ask for it. Not sure how my doc would do with that, but she had her own babies at home (and is an OB!) so I think there's a chance.

You?
Sarah

[KarlaC]

I've had 3 hospital births, the only one I've managed to have without any interventions but the initial check on admission was my last. And I had her 20 minutes after I arrived so they didn't have time to harass me or do much except catch.

[Youngfrankenstein]

This is a great question and one I hope to answer for myself. At my next midwife visit, I'm going to ask her all of these questions. The only problem is that I get whatever midwife is on call.

At my last hospital birth I was very in control and they listened. I'm not even sure I want ANYONE else in the room besides me, dh, and the mw. Not even a nurse. That may change if I "like" the nurse but I want support, not people doing things to me.

[AfricanQueen99]

Me.

It was wonderful. My husband knew exactly what I wouldn't agree to and stood up for my wishes 100%. My OB recommended which hospital (of his three with priveleges) so I could have the birth I wanted.

[Vespertina]

I believe it's unlikely and rare. No VEs, IV, saline or heplock, ECFM (or intermittent FM), AROM, being confined to the bed, etc. Completely hands off and free to do whatever you wish in terms of your labor/birth preference.

With DD2 I had AROM, saline lock and intermittent FM and three VEs. Without being a royal bitch or making "requests" or "asking" for permission, it would be extremely hard to have a totally normal birth in most hospital settings.

Many have their own definition of what "intervention-free" means. It depends on one's personal birth philosophy. If they don't touch or meddle and only offer support or something to drink, massage, listen to babe's heartbeat with doppler or fetalscope then I'd say that's pretty intervention-free.

[gurumama]

Originally Posted by Semper Gumby

I believe it's unlikely and rare. No VEs, IV, saline or heplock, ECFM (or intermittent FM), AROM, being confined to the bed, etc. Completely hands off and free to do whatever you wish in terms of your labor/birth preference.

I had none of the above in my 2002 hospital birth. I did have a 15 minute external fetal monitor strip, but that was it, and I was standing/squatting the whole time

No vaginal exam, ever, from start to finish.
No IV or lock.
No stripping of membranes or artificial rupture of membranes.
No pitocin, no cytotec, no augmentation or induction.
No traction on the cord after.
Babe at my breast within 30 seconds.
Delayed cord clamping.
Babe stayed with us for 2+ hours. Then DH followed him and was with him the entire time before they returned him to me.
Babe with me the entire 2 days, co-sleeping in the bed.


NOTHING other than the 15 minute EFM strip.

I walked in with my husband and doula at 10 cm, though. Baby was born within 30-45 minutes of walking in, and the only reason it took THAT long was that I think I closed up a bit out of nervousness.

When the EFM was done, the CNM walked in. She asked me to get on the bed if I could, and I said I couldn't (I was clinging to a small bedside table), so she slid a chux pad under me and slid under me, like an auto mechanic checking the underside of a car LOL.

She saw my bulging bag of waters. I shouted "I need to push!" and she said, "Then push!" No vag exam--nothing. She could tell.

My body pushed (I didn't do it voluntarily--it just happened, maternal-fetal ejection reflex). Bag of waters EXPLODED.

DH, CNM, and doula slowly guided me to the bed, where I ended up releasing the baby in a modified all-fours position about 4 pushes after my water broke. Done.

This was at a small community hospital, btw--nothing fancy, and not known for any sort of alternative birthing/natural birthing approach. We were just very clear and advocated for what we wanted, and picked a CNM practice that supported what we wanted.

So it IS possible to have a non-intervention hospital birth. I'm now due in early August, and damn well intend to do the same again.

[mamatoady]

yeah, I'll have to ask my OB what she thinks is truly possible for an intervention free birth. This hospital is relatively small and they have a TON of Amish people in this community who many times come to the hospital. Everyone I have talked to so far can't say enough good things about this hospital and the nursing staff in the birthing center. The nurse who gave me the tour said that none of my requests to her seemed unreasonable and that they can't force me to do anything I want.

Sarah

[alegna]

I think it totally depends on the hospital. It could not happen here. Good luck!

-Angela

[amydiane]

Originally Posted by Semper Gumby

Without being a royal bitch or making "requests" or "asking" for permission, it would be extremely hard to have a totally normal birth in most hospital settings.

This is something that drives me crazy about having a hospital birth - having to "ask permission," especially for normal things like eating and drinking. : It's also something I've struggled with in discussing with my HCPs - if I "ask permission" for something, and they say no, then I kinda feel like I've agreed that it's their decision. OTOH, if I go in saying, "This is what I'm doing, I don't care what you say" then I feel like I'm setting myself up to be in conflict with them from the get go.

Fortunately, so far my OBs seem mostly accommodating to my wishes, though there are a couple things that I probably will have to fight for when it comes down to it.

[bethanyclaire]

My DD's birth was in the hospital and was intervention free. I was planning a homebirth but had to change plans at 38 weeks when my bleeding time test came back with terrible results (I have a form of hemophilia). My MW and I decided that it just wasn't safe for me to be at home due to the high risk of a hemorrhage.

I labored at home until the last minute, which was wonderful. I was only at the hospital for an hour before she was born, though transition took a while because she was posterior and needed to rotate. The nurses were wonderful. No fetal monitoring (besides a check or 2 with the doppler... 1 of which I asked for).

I did agree to a heparin lock IV just in case of emergency bleeding. This was specific to my situation (because veins often collapse in the case a hemorrhage in a hemophiliac and it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to get my meds in if that happened). If I hadn't had this problem could have refused the hep lock. I had the put in my arm because I hated having things on my hands and didn't want them in my inner elbow because then I couldn't bend my arm. They were really nice to me and respected my birth plan and my choices.

Other than that, it was intervention free. I showered, walked around, chose my own birthing position and never had any vaginal exams or nurses poking and prodding me. The nurses (probably assuming I was cray, avoided my room like the plague really and didn't come in until DD was almost out and needed some help starting to breathe.

They NEVER took her away from me and she didn't leave the room even once. No eye ointment, no meds, no injections. I allowed the hearing test but they did it in the room. She slept with me that night (she was born at 11pm) and I signed myself out at noon the next day. All the nurses LOVED the cloth diapers, even the social worker that they dragged up because I was signing myself out AMA (I had no reason to stay). Everyone was really incredibly nice to us!

A planned hospital birth can go well if you are prepared and your care provider is on your side.

[kawa kamuri]

the birth of my first daughter took place in a hospital and without intervention. i think the main factor was me showing up at the hospital in transition followed by my choice of midwife and perhaps i got lucky with a non-pushy nurse. the births of my three sons were intervention filled.

for the birth of my second doctor i will not be using a hospital but will birth at home with my ob.

i wish you the best of luck, sarah.

[zjande]

I had an extremely similar experience to gurumama. Truly intervention free 3rd hospital birth, but, I arrived at 10cms & pushing. My baby came 40 mins after I walked in the hospital doors. I didn't have a doula, but my birth was attended by my awesome midwife who knew I didn't want any interventions. She had to listen to fetal heart tones every 20mins by law, but that was a fine thing to me (she used a fetoscope, not those belly band things). Otherwise, there was nothing at all that could be considered an intervention. This was in 2005 in Berkeley, CA.

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by alegna

I think it totally depends on the hospital. It could not happen here. Good luck!

-Angela

:

I also agree that it's unlikely and rare. It can happen, but for most people, it doesn't.

[Quindin]

I think it would be very difficult to find a hospital in the US where they would be totally hands off.

Even if they don't actually get to do any intervention, the fact that they keep trying to talk you into having them is enough to disturb the whole thing for me.

And then there is all the people that keep walking in your room at night to check your vitals :

EDITED TO ADD: But yes, like others said, your chances are bigger if you labor at home until the last minute.... but then again, that in itself is very stressful because how can you be sure you won't get there too early or too late?

[umbrella]

Something I found with my second birth, is that there were several things they wanted to do because it was the norm there, and at first, the nurse pushed backed when I said no. But I kept saying that the doc and I agree, and she should check with the doc. I don't even know if she bothered to check with the doc or not, but saying that would have her drop it. After doing that a couple of times, she gave me no hassle at all.

I remember getting a tear stitched up right after the baby was born, and looking off to one side as she was being weighed, and out of the corner of my other eye, I see the nurse headed towards me with a syringe at the ready, to get me in the thigh. I immediately said, "Please don't give me that!" very firmly, but the please thrown in for politeness's sake And then instead of her next step being a step closer to me, it was a step towards the trash can where she threw it right in there. She knew at that point not to even bother explaining that I should probably have it, because I obviously already knew what it was and was going to say no anyway.

[Gray's Mommy]

I have had several clients who have had intervention free-non medicated births at a hospital. The catch is that they were educated, vocal and discussed EVERYTHING with their care provider before labor started. I even had one OB tell his patient that she needed to come in right before she was ready to push (he wasn't on call the weekend she went into labor).

It can be done.

[Bluegoat]

Waiting until the last minute to go in seems to be a common theme in this thread. Easy for those near a hospital, more difficult for those who are not, and may not want to drive an hour while in second stage labour.

[Krystal323]

with my second, i went to a hospital for a "planned induction". They broke my water, gave me a hep-lock, and left me alone after that. I didn't have cord traction or pitocin after the birth either.

it was at a HUGE hospital, and my dr. was a resident female who really rocked on the idea of natural-as-possible birth.

it wasn't the ideal, but a whole lot better than what it could have been like!

[ohiomommy1122]

My 3rd was an intervention free hospital birth, this could have never happened at the hoapital I deliverd the firth 2 at but this hospital is a little more laid back and my Midwife was on my side.

I arrived at hospital at 10 with budgling water bag and labored 2 more hours before water broke and baby came out while I was on all fours we had delayed cord clamping, no eye stuff, no injections of any kind then I signed baby out AMA 2 hours later. We told staff as soon as we got there to get the paper work ready because we were going to leave so they were great about have it all ready in a timely fashion.

While I labored they came in to check heartbeat w/ doppler ever 20 min and I refuse the IV and hep lock plus antibiotics cause was strep B positive they did not like that but you have the right to refuse ANYTHING its YOUR body

this time I'm using the same midwife and hospital and plan to deliver in room with just DH unless someone happens to walk in at that time I'm delivering

[Youngfrankenstein]

Originally Posted by Gray's Mommy

I have had several clients who have had intervention free-non medicated births at a hospital. The catch is that they were educated, vocal and discussed EVERYTHING with their care provider before labor started. I even had one OB tell his patient that she needed to come in right before she was ready to push (he wasn't on call the weekend she went into labor).

It can be done.

I'm glad to hear you say this because this is the thing I'm attempting. I am only 5 months so I'm going to ask how to get done what I want very early.