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What was your FIRST baby's birth like? (check all that apply)

  • 100% Natural

    Votes: 102 58.6%
  • IV

    Votes: 83 47.7%
  • Pitocin (or other contraction stimulant)

    Votes: 99 56.9%
  • Epidural (or other pain/sleep meds)

    Votes: 40 23.0%
  • C-Section

    Votes: 17 9.8%
  • Vacuum

    Votes: 5 2.9%
  • Forceps

    Votes: 7 4.0%

How was the birth of your first?

11K views 165 replies 128 participants last post by  seafox 
#1 ·
I was just curious after my new moms group today, how many first time mothers gave birth without an IV, Pitocin, Epidural, etc. It seems like every new mom I know needed some intervention and I live in an area with a LOT of supportive doulas, midwives, birth centers, and even hospitals. I just wonder: How realistic is it to expect a 100% natural birth with the first baby?

* I changed the title because I thought more people would open it with a more neutral name.

(I included IV because I was taught it's an intervention in my Bradley class. I think I was using "natural" to mean intervention-free but thinking about it now, it's really not the same thing!)
 
#78 ·
My first was born at home, which of course helps rule out a lot of intervention.

We had an 85 hour labor, and we did use some blue cohosh and eventually castor oil to get things going ... that was the extent of the intervention. Well, that and manually breaking up some scar tissue on my cervix (ouch) on the second day.

The first few days were very low-key, and it was only the last few hours that were really intense. Then, DS was positioned in such a way he was giving me bone-breaking pain with each contraction. I was in the birth tub, and refusing to get out because I was afraid the pain would get worse ;-) Turns out, the birth tub helps with the actual muscular pain of the contraction itself, but not necessarily the pain of back labor! When I finally got out of the tub, and tried a different position on the bed (two people pushing my knees to my shoulders while I laid on my back), everything was easy. My charts read, "entire descent in one contraction." He sorta fell out!

It's possible, I just wish I'd listened to my midwives more!
 
#79 ·
Like pp, I had a c-section, even though I did many of the "right" things (educated myself about natural childbirth, planned a home, water birth, etc.). I was nearly 42 weeks and was set to be induced on Wednesday, so I had an appointment with the on-duty OB on Tuesday morning. Monday night, labour started naturally, but my contractions never got to the 1-1-5 threshold so I didn't call the midwives until Tuesday morning, and even then it was just to see if I should still go to the appointment since labour had started. My midwife said to go to the appointment anyway so DP and I drove down to the hospital (only 5 minutes away). The OB noticed my contraction and said she'd like to check me before we discussed anything else. So she did, and announced that I was 7 cm dilated, and said she could arrange for me to go straight to the birthing floor, but since I was planning a home birth, I told her we'd just go home. She said she'd call the midwives. They showed up probably around 11 am, just as I was planning on trying to get some more sleep. This is where I think things went off track, although I'll never really know. The midwife had me start going up and down the stairs to keep labour progressing (although I hadn't thought there was much trouble with this to begin with). Long story short: at 8cm she ruptured the membranes, and an hour or so after that (stuck at 9 and obviously tired) she suggested that we transfer to the hospital. Got an epi so I could rest, and was fully dilated before the epi set in. Beb's HR would drop when ever I pushed though, so eventually they started getting worried and presented me with options. I decided to skip the forceps, because likely the c/s would have happened anyway. DS was born at 9:10 pm. I wasn't in my room until 11 pm.

Factors that I feel contributed to my experience, and that I would change if I could:

* time that labour started - our alarm clock goes off at 5:30 am and labour started that evening, so by the time I was 8 cm, I'd been awake for nearly 30 hours. I should have tried to sleep at 6 pm when I felt labour starting.

* feeling like a hostess when the midwives arrived (next time I won't worry about them, there are others to do that)

* Having the midwives arrive and feeling like 'okay it's business time', again, I should have remembered it was all about me and the beb.

* I'm pretty sure DS was posterior (so more spinning babes next time).

Despite everything, I was happy about the time I had at home to labour, my recovery from the c/s was fast, and I didn't have any problems breastfeeding, so although the experience wasn't what I hoped, I feel well prepared for next time, and I know what I'll try to do differently: sleep more and wait longer before calling the mw.
 
#81 ·
Like several past posters, I did everything within my reach to ensure that I would have a natural, drug-free birth -- I had a doula, was birthing with midwives, took a natural friendly childbirth class, had a birth plan, and read everything I could get my hands on. I ended up with a c-section after laboring for 58 hours, and a) had developed a high fever b) baby's heart rate was slowing (probably a result of the pitocin, and c) baby was not descending even though I had progressed to 9cm.

I feel like my circumstances were unusual though too -- my water broke before my labor started, something I had not even thought of when planning my birth, and my contractions did not get going regularly until we started pitocin 16 hrs after my water broke...

So, even though I planned a drug-free birth I ended up with an IV (which I will absolutely deny for my next birth because I feel like it kept me from being as mobile as I would have otherwise been), cytotec, pitocin, an epidural, and a c-section, AND antibiotics for being diagnosed as strep B+.
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I'm hoping to plan a VBAC home birth for my second baby.
 
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#82 ·
I voted natural homebirth. But I just realized I had a shot of pitocin AFTER because of PP hemorrhage. Does that count? Almost had to transfer to the hospital afterwards, but the pit helped. I think it was Pitocin....?? I don't think I could have done it naturally in the hospital as I spent about 4 hours pushing on and off and had NO urge to push. I probably would have ended up with forceps/vacuum/c-section had I been in the hospital.

ETA: My second was also a natural homebirth but SO much easier! I did still hemorrhage with a Pitocin after though.
 
#83 ·
I had planned to have a waterbirth at the birthing center in Oak Park but after laboring at home for almost two days, with my doula's support I went to the hospital and I ended up induced. I was just so tired at that point that I couldn't concentrate on my hypnobirthing stuff or anything really. I had everything else I wanted- baby placed in my arms, lots of skin to skin and rooming in, but I did have pitocin and after that, an epidural. My mom had also had a very long labor with sllloowww dilation so I think I ended up like that. I'm not sorry, I think I made the best decision possible and my son didn't experience any problems.
 
#84 ·
I checked IV as with my first I did have an IV and had some Stadol through it...only 2 doses(which each does lasts an hour)...the last dose wore off right as I started pushing. As I was puking and shaking violently through and between contractions I'm very glad I had it...I got one shot and went from 5-8cm in one hour and then 8-10 in the next hour. But my next two births were all natural, no drugs or interventions(I had an IV after the birth of my 2nd for pitocin though).
 
#85 ·
my plans for a free standing bc birth went awry, starting with my water breaking and labor did not get going after 24 hours (despite herbs, castor oil, nipple stim - we tried it all). ended up in the hospital induced with pitocin as my birthing center was not allowed to keep me there after the 24 hour mark. 35 hours in and i was 7cm dilated, still on pit but no epi. unfortunately 5 hours later and i had not progressed (baby was asynclitic) so at 42 hours after water breaking and 12 hours of pitocin labor i ended up with a cesarean. not at all what i hoped or planned for and five months later i'm still a little heartbroken about it. that being said, i know plenty of mamas who have had intervention free first bebes and it is totally reasonable and realistic to strive for and expect one. but i disagree with people (and i myself would have fallen into that category before giving birth) who say that you shouldn't even think about or consider anything happening other than your perfect natural birth. i was fully confident in myself and my caregivers (and even the hospital staff who had a relationship with my bc midwives and were very respectful of my wishes) and never in a million years would have thought i'd end up with a c-section. sometimes these things just happen. if i had been on the farm with ina mae could i have had my baby without interventions? i feel certain that i could have. i think the asynclitic situation could have been worked through but the time constraints that resulted in my hospitalization and the induction that followed were my downfall. that being said, i had a very healthy baby girl who had a 9/10 apgar and was nursing like a champ less than an hour after her birth. i wish i could have given her a kinder gentler birth but that isn't always possible. do everything you can to be prepared for a natural birth (good caregivers, back up plan if a hospital transfer is required - for example i wish i'd had a doula because my midwife couldn't come with me) but also be open to the plan that the universe has for you and your child and do what has to be done to keep both of you safe and healthy.

best of luck in your upcoming adventure! once you are a mama the obsession with childbirth is pale by comparison!
 
#86 ·
My first birth was in a hospital. 100% natural.

Water broke as first sign of labor at 1:30am - Tuesday.

Got to hospital at 8:30am.

Contraction started at 4:30pm.

Baby was born at 3:14am - Wednesday.

I had absolutely no interventions. Midwife at the hospital told me if I didn't start contractions by 1:30am (24 hours after water broke) they would "have" to induce contractions because of hospital rules.

Reading some of the stories after I gave birth made me very thankful I was in a natural birth friendly hospital, absolutely nothing was pushed on me or asked of me as far as medical intervention goes. (I still had my next baby at home!)
 
#89 ·
My first birth was an hospital birth all the way. My baby came breech presentation. I was lack of birth education, my husband was scared due our ignorance in the topic and choices. I end up with a C-section and 36-37 weeks, baby was healthy in general, iwas lack of confidence with my cpacity of breasfeeding properly. In the moment i didn't see how I was mess up with just all the process.

My second birth was a complety different scenario. I was 200 % confident and I had a hillarious and beautiful HBAC. I just have an ultrasound to check the placenta previa, and that's all. I never plan to go the hospital at less that a real medical issue araised. I pay the birth from my pocket even tought our finances was really bad, but was not other option, otherwise I will be end up with another c-section for sure.We still very happy about and by the way my midwive count my second birth like it was my first, because I never started labor with my first.
 
#91 ·
My first was intervention-free other than black cohosh that the midwife gave me due to my really slow dilation. Also I was stuck at 9.5 cm for 6 hours before she pushed the lip over baby's head- that sure counts as an intervention to me, very painful, but a necessary one as nothing else had worked.

But I did have several interventions postpartum- IM Pitocin, IV start (takes a while when hemorrhaging), and fluid bolus due to PPH. Also I needed a manual removal of placenta to stop the hemorrhage, which started the moment DD came out. Probably should have gotten transferred to hospital as I was very symptomatic and could barely stand for several days without tachypnea/tachycardia, but they pretended/falsified the charting that I didn't hemorrhage so that everyone could go home to a bday party.

2nd delivery went fine and took only ~8 hrs and barely got to birth center in time- no time for even an IV, even though I asked for one just in case.

I recently switched to an OB/GYN who supports natural birth, doesn't even require IV unless needed, and I will go to the local hospital where I work if I have more kids. Some of my coworkers get really thrilled about natural birth. I didn't know about the falsifications w/ my first (nor did I know then that the local hospital supported natural birth) until I was full-term w/ my second- otherwise would have switched sooner.
 
#92 ·
I'm not certain how to answer. My first birth was an unassisted homebirth. But..I did break my own waters when it became clear to me they were preventing dd from dropping to be able to put pressure on a cervical lip i had. So...the breaking on water is an intervention, but i was at home unassisted....I'm not certain how you categorize that in terms of "naturalness".
 
#93 ·
100% natural homebirth -- despite the fact that he was a surprise footling breech!

ETA: I feel sad when I talk to women who sound apologetic about interventions. I just want everyone to know her options and get to choose (as much as possible, given the situation). I don't think 100% natural is right for all mothers, for all babies, and in all circumstances. I'm only "sorry" for a woman who had an epidural (etc.) if it was forced on her (or she was pressured) or if she regrets it herself, but I wouldn't presume to feel sorry for her otherwise!
 
#96 ·
I put 100% percent natural, but that may not be technically correct, since I got sterile water injections to deal with the horrid back pain. We later found out ds was face up....but I truely didn't feel that I could go on without some form of relief. Other then that, he was born at a freestanding birth center in their jacuzzi tub. I researched the heck out of child birth and interventions and how to avoid them and hospitals. I learned to trust my body and I felt comfortable with my midwives. I didn't blindly accept anything that anyone told me, but researched to find out if what was said was true or not. INformation and education is a key factor into getting the birth you desire. THat means info from knowledgable people and learning about anything and everything that can happen, so even if things don't go totally the way you expect, you can at least know what to expect and find a way to turn things into at least a positive birth experience. For the most part I mean of coursf
 
#97 ·
My first was in a hospital with an OB. It was a time before I discovered MDC and knew there's such a thing as a natural birth. I think the birth ended up being natural through luck and using Hypnobabies. My water leaked one evening 2.5 weeks before the due date, only I did not know at that time that that was the amniotic fluid leaking. I thought that I was leaking urine from a weak Kegel muscle (I had read that it was to be expected late in the pregnancy). So it did not even occur to me to alert my OB. When I started having some pains, I practiced my Hypnobabies breathing and exercise my mind, still not convinced that it was the real labor. Then the pain got more intense a few hours later and we decided to head to the hospital 10 mins away. When I arrived, the baby was already crowning and I pushed for about 20 mins. They caught the backup OB from the same practice of my OB on her way to a C-Section, just in time to catch the baby. But even then, she still performed an epi on me. The whole thing was a blur actually. Afterwards, the nurses sort of chided me for staying home so long. We came to the hospital totally unprepared: no change of clothes, no camera to capture the moment :-( I was just relieved that the birth had gone so quickly and now I had my baby in my arms.

The only regret I have is that the nurses decided to clean the baby before I got to hold him then whisked him away to the nursery because he couldn't get warm. Duh, I could have warmed him with skin-on-skin contact. I was overwhelmed at how fast things were going that it didn't occur to me to insist on holding my baby afterwards. I still think of that to this day, eight years later.

My 2nd was a glorious, peaceful and wonderful planned homebirth that turned into an unplanned unassisted birth because DD decided that she couldn't wait for the MW to get there. It took 90 mins from when I first felt the first contraction to the delivery. I'm happy that I finally get to experience a peaceful birth in my own nest.
 
#98 ·
i thought my doc was God and did everything he said. i was due to be induced on a sunday night b/c of gestational diabetes (so mild, i now know, and i tell everyone how wrong sonograms are and how my baby s/b like 12 pounds and wasn't even 8) and thankfully went into labor on my own on saturday night. so i dodged induction. but i got the iv stadol. then when pushing was taking forever and he was getting worried i suggested vacuum extraction to him over a c-section. good thing, b/c i've gone on to have 4 more kids ... 3 with stadol (not sure why; it doesn't do anything but make me feel drunk) ... my last baby literally delivered himself on a gurney heading from the ambulance into the delivery room, so 100% natural and it was great! doc has suggested induction other times and also multiple sonos, but i just smile and say, "aren't you a Catholic guy? let's you and i just pray and believe it will all turn out okay and the baby will come when it is ready!" don't you wish first-timers would listen to your wisdom?!
 
#99 ·
My first was an intervention free hospital birth with a CNM. I saw a CNM only practice and delivered in their special suite at the hospital. Other than a hep-lock, and one bag of antibiotics for a Group B Strep positive test, it was completely intervention free. I arrived at the hospital dilated to a 6, labored mostly in the shower, had a LOOONG pushing phase, in bed (but by my choice), and delivered with only minor 'skid marks', no stitching needed. And my DD1's head was much larger than the other two!
 
#100 ·
I planned the perfect home birth and just KNEW I would never go to the hospital. HA! Ended up with a breech presentation and tried EVERYTHING to flip the baby. Acupuncture, moxabustion, yoga, external version, herbs, etc. and nothing worked. Went into labor at 38 weeks and ended up with a c-section. For months I was heartbroken, angry, etc. I was powerfully jealous of homebirthers, then I experienced a deep loathing for everything related to natural birth, the smugness of it, etc. Two years later, I have finally achieved peace. My son is so beautiful and perfect, and his birth story is beautiful and perfect. The people at the hospital were unbelievably kind, the doctor let my husband call out the sex of the baby (it was a surprise) and cut the cord. They gave us the placenta to take home. I was breastfeeding twenty minutes after the delivery and the baby never left my side after that. He had no shots or tests or goo in his eyes. The recovery was difficult, but the hospital experience was the not the bugaboo I thought it would be.

For awhile I was really hung up on whether or not to drive two hours for a vbac or have an unassisted birth with my second (in our state midwives won't attend an hbac). However, after experiencing a year of secondary infertility and a miscarriage, I no longer care. I just want to be pregnant and have a healthy baby. It's funny how priorities change.
 
#101 ·
My friend was telling me today that she was given pitocin to slow her labor when she delivered preterm. I was like...what??? I was telling her that was odd, because Pitocin only causes contractions to strengthen and speed up...not slow down...but she was insistent. I mean, do doctors really think that, or did they just outright lie to her? Maybe she was given something other than pitocin and is mistaking it for pit? I don't know but it was hard not to let my jaw drop. I had an IV, epidural and pitocin, and they broke my amniotic sac too.
 
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