Would you

[happynaturalmama]

still consider an unassisted childbirth if you felt you had a lack of "intuition"?  I'm not saying you don't believe in yourself/ability to birth but you didn't feel you were necessarily intuitive to things not being right or being perfectly fine.

[ursusarctos]

I guess I would have to say no. I would only consider UC in the first place if I had a strong intuition that it was the right choice for me in that particular pregnancy and felt that I could trust my judgment of how the labor was going, on both objective and intuitive levels.

[ElizabethE]

Originally Posted by happynaturalmama 

still consider an unassisted childbirth if you felt you had a lack of "intuition"?  I'm not saying you don't believe in yourself/ability to birth but you didn't feel you were necessarily intuitive to things not being right or being perfectly fine.

This is a good question.

I don't believe that anyone has a true "lack" of intuition. I believe that some people have underdeveloped intuition or hidden intuition, usually due to how society encourages a lack of faith in ours. Some people are so out of practice or even insecure in theirs, that it is seldom heard by them at all. I do believe, however, that it's not lost. It's one of those things we can reclaim at any moment.

In fact, I think that for someone to even question their intuition in the manner which you have is SO self aware, I would trust you over many others. There are some that claim up and down that they did "listen" to their "intuition" but still XYZ happened to them (and yet mysteriously, it still usually winds up being *somebody else's fault*). So just the fact that you are asking this question shows you are really aware of yourself and thinking and asking the right types of questions. :)

Another point is that even if a person doubts their intuition in normal life, that all changes during certain levels of consciousness (like labor) or certain rites of passage (like motherhood). You're already a mom? Do you feel you've experienced these types of intuition before, dealing with your own labor or your own children?

That said, if at the end of the day I had absolutely no faith in myself or my intuition, I would not UC.  But to me, that's all about personal development. You can have that back if you really want it. It's kind of like the concept of God. To get a little spiritual for a second, many people of many faiths feel that God lives in all of us. God doesn't just disappear or go away. God is never really absent from us, it's just a matter of whether we tune he/she/it out or not, and he/she/it has been there all along if we would just look and find it.

If you're not sure how to reclaim these things ("God", "intuition", etc.), all you have to do is ask. As soon as you shed the light of awareness on that which you seek, your mind will automatically become more attune to it. Practice. :) It seems like you are already doing these things, no?

I believe in you. You can do this, if you really want to. Ask yourself what it is you really want in life and then go out and grab it. Do your best, do what it takes to do what you feel is right.

[zoebird]

I think that if you feel that you are capable of making good decisions in regards to your care and that of your baby, whatever you needs may be or as they arise, and you feel that UC would be safe for you overall, then you are a good candidate for UC. :)

[turnquia]

Originally Posted by happynaturalmama 

still consider an unassisted childbirth if you felt you had a lack of "intuition"?  I'm not saying you don't believe in yourself/ability to birth but you didn't feel you were necessarily intuitive to things not being right or being perfectly fine.

No I wouldn't UC if I felt that things were not right or not perfectly fine.   I felt this way my entire pregnancy with my twins about one of them and boy was I right.  Nothing that was life threatening at birth but I didn't want to take the chance there was either.   We had a gorgeous homebirth and still continue to figure out DD's medical issues. 

[labortrials]

What an interesting question.  I'm not sure I'm the most 'intuitive' person by nature.  I'm more cerebral.  However, I don't think that would necessarily mean I shouldn't UC.  What it has meant for me this time around is doing more work on my intuitive self and trying to de-emphasize my academic tendencies.

[zoebird]

turnquia,

I think you did follow your intuition, so your example doesn't answer the question.

Your answer asserts "if you don't feel 100% about UC than don't" -- which is absolutely true. BUt it is based in intuition, is it not?

The OP is asking -- if one thinks she doesn't have intuition, should she UC? 

This is a completely different question. I personally think that people define or understand intuition differently, and that the biggest concern I would have is if someone doesn't trust themselves (or "their gut"). If that is the case, then they might completely deny whatever their Self is telling them (a lot of people do this, habitually), and therefore not seek care when needed. It certainly would increase the risk of UC.

That being said, if the individual does feel that she inherently trusts herself and her capacity to make and follow through with good decisions -- whether or not she would include intuition in that process (by how she perceives or defines it) -- then that risk would be mitigated.

[ElizabethE]

Originally Posted by turnquia 

No I wouldn't UC if I felt that things were not right or not perfectly fine.   I felt this way my entire pregnancy with my twins about one of them and boy was I right.  Nothing that was life threatening at birth but I didn't want to take the chance there was either.   We had a gorgeous homebirth and still continue to figure out DD's medical issues. 

That's not what the poster said. They said should they UC if they weren't sure if they could intuitively ascertain whether or not things were completely right or fine(?).

[happynaturalmama]

Thank you for the replies :)

Both my husband and I have felt like we wanted to have an UC after our second was born at home with a MW, while the experience was great,  UC just seemed like something that was right for us.  However, I don't know that I've ever felt like a very intuitive person, I do get "gut" feelings, like every time I try to call and set up an appt to just "check" on things, it doesn't feel right (it makes me really uneasy for some reason), but is that my intuition speaking, or am I just being stubborn not wanting to be seen?  I do feel like everything is fine, but then I wonder, how right is that feeling?  I probably sound a little crazy right now lol I'm not great at getting out what I want to say in posts.  Thanks for taking the time to read this

[happynaturalmama]

Originally Posted by ElizabethE 

That's not what the poster said. They said should they UC if they weren't sure if they could intuitively ascertain whether or not things were completely right or fine(?).

Thank you, that's exactly what I was trying to say lol

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by happynaturalmama 
 I do get "gut" feelings, like every time I try to call and set up an appt to just "check" on things, it doesn't feel right (it makes me really uneasy for some reason), but is that my intuition speaking, or am I just being stubborn not wanting to be seen?  I do feel like everything is fine, but then I wonder, how right is that feeling?

 That sounds like intuition to me :) I know what you mean about questioning the feeling though. For me I usually label it intuition when it's persistent and clear, even if there are other things overlaying it.
 

[lightinmyhands]

the best information I have come across on how to strengthen intuition is that when you have an intuitive feeling come up, recognize it as such and then trust it.  The more you trust your intuition, the stronger it gets.  I had doubts coming up in my head all the time with my first UC and I'm having them again with this one as well, doubts because, I believe, we've been enculturated to lack faith in the female body....conditioned to believe that we can not birth without assistance.  From every story we hear from friends and relatives, to the tv news, to sitcoms, this is reinforced. Not to mention the motherly instinct to protect one's children at all costs, and we've been told from birth that to do that is to entrust our birth to someone else.  However, I find that when I drop down underneath the cacophony of fear and really listen to what my heart knows, everything is fine.  

I've also had to accept the idea that sometimes things aren't fine and even the most intuitive person may not necessarily know at all or for sure...... I've accepted the idea that they built this tower of fear around birth because some times nature/god/goddess/universe/divinity has other plans for us besides survival and we live in a culture that's at once both terrified of and completely unfamiliar with death.  There is a chance that something could go wrong, and that that something could be something that could be prevented or aided by a birth assistant of some sort.... however, it is my belief that it is much more likely that a birth assistant could interfere and possibly create the problem(s) they will later take credit for assisting with.  My intuition aside, the information that I have tells me that it is riskier to birth with assistance than without.  However, my heart has made peace with all the possibilities.  

[lemonapple]

Are you saying that you would be concerned that you might not be able to tell when something was wrong?

Idk, I think intuition will play a large role in why i will feel comfortable choosing UC next go around, but that doesn't mean that I will have 100% assurance that I will catch something wrong with the pregnancy or birth. I think that I will be comfortable with taking on that responsibility though rather than handing it off to another caretaker. 

If you wouldn't feel comfortable taking on that responsibility, then maybe a UC would be a wrong choice. 

i hope I understood what you were asking! 

[Devaskyla]

I don't think I'm remotely intuitive, much to my eternal disappointment. Even in labour, my analytical self never shuts off. I've had 2 UC's and I'm planning a 3rd. I do get an ultrasound during pregnancy just to check on everything and decrease the chance of a bad surprise, but obviously nothing is perfect for detecting problems.

[lightinmyhands]

Deva...how do you get an u/s?  I am uping as well and my analytical self wants an u/s and I can't seem to find anywhere to get one without a doctor. 

[Devaskyla]

I'm in Canada, so it might be different, but I just went to my gp & told him I hadn't found an OB yet & would he please refer me for an ultrasound. He did, no problem. I'm going to try someone else this time though, since last time he "joked" I'd better not be planning on having a baby alone again. Although I have to see him again soon for something else, so I might try asking anyway.

[RMWT]

as far as U/S my midwife works with a doc who does them for her. She doesn't deliver for me, but I see one for prenatal care. She's fine not delivering and me doing a UC. Also, there are ultrasound techs in training here and there who do an ultrasound for free for training purposes. I do believe they will call someone in if they detect a problem or a trained professional might be right there supervising. Not for sure. Good luck people.

[Rejoicing]

You could always consider a hands off style mw or doula to be present.  It wouldn't be UC in the truest sense, but you could still have the freedom you wanted in birth.  For me, I questioned if everything was going ok, I struggled with doubt and fear a bit, and so I called in a mw consultation while I was laboring.  I just needed that reassurance that all was going well. I feel very blessed to have found a mw that was ok with that.  Look around, and don't feel limited in your options ;)

As for U/S, if you feel it is necessary, you might want to check with a local crisis pregnancy center, most do the 3d ones now for free or reduced fee ;)  There are also those "mall" type places if you live close to a metropolitan area.

[lightinmyhands]

unfortunately it isn't even possible here to get a 3d ultrasound for entertainment if you can not provide proof of medical care.