I don't think I trust my body yet.

[SashaBear]

So my first birth was with PIH, pitocin (not induced but to help things get going), epidural, and vaccuum extraction with a 8 pound 4 ounce baby. I was on bedrest and had to stay in bed the whole time. Logically I know that all my interventions were caused by me having to stay in bed strapped to monitors and IV. But a small part of me fears that my body doesn't labor right and I'll need all these things again. This is the reason I am just not ready to have a homebirth yet (plus even to find a laymidwife she has to drive over an hour to get here! she didn't make it to my friend's homebirth!).

DH isn't too supportive of my natural birth. He saw how I suffered with the first labor and was glad I got an epidural. he says he couldn't have watched me like that any longer. He doesn't think I can go without an epidural again.

What can we do to gain confidence in my body and in me!?

[Jilian]

You can take a good childbirth class, like the Bradley Method class and hire a doula. It sounds like your DH has a really hard time seeing you in pain and doesn't know how to best support you. A doula can help you and help him to support you better.

Your body was MADE to grow and birth a baby, it knows what it is doing. When interventions start happening it messes with your body's ability to do what it needs to. The less interventions the better!

[Keeping_it_ secret]

Subbing, because I'm there with you. I had a very difficult, and intervention laden first birth, and epidurals for my subsequent ones, do to my fear and lack of confidence, and nerves that don't let me rest and relax from the very begining of labor. I am trying very hard to make this one different.

[SashaBear]

There are no birthing classes around here. NONE. Nothing but what the hospital has. I'm thinking about a doula. There are several around here but they are all over an hour away.

[2sweetboysmom]

I had a pre-e induction with pitocin for my first. Because of decels I was forced to labor on my right side the whole time. I eventually asked for a shot of nubain. I even at one point had signed the papers for a epidural. (Then the horid nurse left the room and I went from 3-9 in 10 minutes! )

I really worried that the second would be just as difficult, but I had a nurse that I really clicked with. And overall the birth went pretty well. I was induced 39w 2d by arom at my decision. I had spent the previous week, days and nights in prodromal land. I did get hung up around 7cm. The contractions started having pushes in the middle of them, I did not understand this and I was tensing up my perineium so much trying to not push, it got to the point that I could not even relax it between contractions, I had a shot of nubain again.

I have read Ina May Gaskin's books Spiritual midwifery and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth this past year. I can see and understand some places where I got hung up in my previous labors. Definately the nurse was a roadblock for me in my first labor. (I felt this from the start and should have asked for a transfer to one of the other nurses on the floor.) In my second I simply needed more information so that I could trust my body that it was ok for my body to start pushing at 7 cm.

Please understand I am not trying to say that you may not have educated yourself enough or trusted your body enough. And I definately think there are some sitsuations that simply are inavoidable. I purely wanted to share my journey, my second birth was not my ideal birth but it was a lot better than my first. I feel now that it is possible for my third birth to be even closer to my ideal.

I hope I have imparted encouragement and not frustration or confusion:
Joy

[Mrs_Hos]

DOULA!!

Your body will work--just listen to it! If it says get on all 4s -- do it! So labor at home as long as possible

[Jilian]

Bradley makes a book if you can't get to a Bradley Childbirth class. Another good book is "Birthing From Within" and that may help restore your faith in your body. You need to try to identify exactly what your fears are and work through them before the birth. Fear or unresolved issues can hinder a labor.

[cchrissyy]

yes, read these!
"Ina May Gaskin's books Spiritual midwifery and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth "

[SashaBear]

Even though this is my second labor, I don't feel like I have went through labor before. I was given pitocin and an epidural at 2 centimeters dialated. I had already labored for over 12 hours. I had back pain and did not know how to deal with it since I had to lay in bed. I did not experience labor pains that actually caused me to dialate.
I pushed for two hours but never felt anything and had to have vacuum extraction.

I think my fear is that I am supposed to know what labor is like but I don't. Also that my body has a flaw in it that doesn't let me dialate without pitocin.