Your long-term goals in labor?

[SantaCruzDoula]

What were your long-term wishes when you were in labor? It can be like your birth plan, or something more immediate.

Did you meet your long-term goals?

I am working on a project for grad school, and I need a list of long-term goals. I could come up with some, but I would really appreciate to have real goals from real women that went through it!

For example:

My goal: to get to 5cm dilation before requesting an epidural
Success: Yup! Made it to 7cm. (Wish we went all the way... )

What were yours?

Thanks so much for your feedback. By the nature of this board, your responses will be confidential, but in any case I will in no way tie your responses here to your name or handle. Confidentiality: ensured!

Moderators: If this violates terms of posting, please PM me and I will make sure I comply. This is for educational / survey purposes.

[francesmama]

Hm. I don't know that I would use the word goal but I think I get what you're after here:

Mine:
No Csection - tick
No Epidural - tick
No Tearing - wasn't luck here, had a 3rd degree tear

[Belle]

I'm sorry but the title of this thread had me rolling. Goals? I did not think that much during labor. The most strenuous thinking I thought about was, "Hey somebody get me some more recharge!"


During my first labor (hospital) somebody asked me if we wanted pictures done after the birth. I couldn't even understand the question. I heard fine, but my brain was beyond that.


For the record, I didn't use drugs either time. 2nd child was born at home away from annoying people.

[SantaCruzDoula]

You're right -- "goals" is a terrible word for it... I should have said "wishes."

What am I looking for? A secret, personal birth plan? What your hopes were for the birth, unwritten or written?

[fwlady]

First birth, I thought the dr would take care of it all. And, he did. Sectioned the boy right out of me.

THe 2nd one, my greatest wish was a low intervention VBAC. Got that. I wished my DH was home, but he was on the road. I wanted to tape the birth if he wasn't, and we did.

My 3rd was to birth with a midwife, at the hosp, but then it became just to give birth without annoying idiot drs. Nearly did that, as she came out very fast after his pressuring for this and that. My goal was to just get out uncut. Did that. I don't think the high risk OB ever seen a natural birth before.

My 4th was to have a baby at home unassisted. Got that. Did transfer after for me, but it wasn't necassary now that I know. My wish was to not deal with my very highly interventive OB back up, and we avoided that.

My 5th was to have a waterbirth UC start to finish. Got that. Fired the CNM MW at 32 wks. She was a worry wart.

My 6th was to have a UP and UC. Well, ended up in the hosp before the baby. At that point, it was just to have a VBAC. I got that. I even got the midwife, and a really low key low intervention birth. I would have rathered not hemmoraged, but they wouldn't let her nurse with the meconium which we transferred for.

My 7th was to have a UC start to finish. I had him waterbirth UC, but transferred to severe hemmorage, since I had lost a twin early on. I did get kind treatment from the hosp. My wish was to have my husband home, and he got home in time.

This baby's birth wishes. I am not sure. I wished for a UP and UC. But, we have had to do prenatal care. Can't be a homebirth in my home though, we are too far away from the hospital. My wish would have my husband home, and we can't guarantee that. My wish would have been to have both babies survive, but again, we lost a twin.

My labors are so fast, that any "goals" would be hard to pin down. LOL Anything can happen. I also would never have expected a problem PG this time. Kymberli

[SantaCruzDoula]

Kymberli,

What are UP and UC? Thanks for sharing -- and I'm sorry about your twin.

[Belia]

My main goal was to have a vaginal birth / no c-section. Did that.

My second goal was to have as non-interventive birth as possible..... no pitocin and no epidural especially, but also no episitomy, no coached pushing, no bullying.

Did I meet that goal? Not 100%, but I'm ok with it. My water broke and labor never started. After 24 hours, I got pitocin. But at the same time, I know protocol around here is to have the baby delivered by 24 hours. So I "beat" the protocol and was ok with the need to get labor started.

I also got an epidural after 11 hours on the pit. I didn't want an epidural, but at the same time, I wasn't handling labor very well emotionally. I was panicking and couldn't get ahead of the contractions. I also wasn't progressing much- only 4 cm after 11 hours! The epidural was 100% my choice- the doula and mw didn't even bring it up- and it was exactly what my body and mind needed.

Other than that it WAS the gentle and supportive birth I was looking for. No epi, olive oil compresses to prevent tearing, lovely people telling me how awesome I was- Even if I did have more interventions than I thought I wanted.

[Belia]

Originally Posted by SantaCruzDoula

Kymberli,

What are UP and UC? Thanks for sharing -- and I'm sorry about your twin.

I can answer- unassisted pregnancy and unassisted childbirth

[AlexisT]

I don't know about goals, as such. My original goals for last time were simple: healthy baby, no section, no giant episiotomy, and a desire to be satisfied with my pain management choices (I was neither set on an epidural nor determined to avoid one--but I wanted to be satisfied with whatever choice I made. I knew I wouldn't be pressured to have one.)

That went out the window when I got severe preeclampsia, at which point I settled for "healthy mom, healthy baby". The whole thing sucked but was not something I could help. By the time the call was made, there were no alternatives.

Next time, my first goal is to get my pregnancy to term and go into spontaneous labor. After that, I want a vaginal delivery and a healthy baby and anything else is gravy (if an epidural is what's going to lower my BP and allow me to keep laboring, I'm all for it!). I have a more general goal of feeling empowered and in control (insofar as one CAN be in control) this time. I will be satisfied with a repeat C if I can make the choice with full information and no pressure. At this point I would rather have the repeat C with control, than a VBAC without it. That feeling that the situation had spiraled out of my control and that I was powerless and uninformed was far worse than the surgery. I could have accepted the surgery with grace had the circumstances been different, because I do know I was truly sick.