[liz-hippymom]

cause i know we are the minority here on MDC, and i need some support. i have considered leaving for this reason.. but we are still a very crunchy family, and i can't find anywhere as great as here!<br><br>
i had my first in the hospital with midwives, my next three at home. My Aquila died as a tragic result of my last homebirth. now i am super high risk and planning a hospital birth. this pregnancy is turning out so medical! i have to have weekly appointments, BPPs and NSTs in the third trimester. already i am going for bi-weekly visits and monthly ultrasounds. this is such a different experience.<br><br>
i am going to be induced with this one, and trying to gear myself for the uphill battle of a non-medicated birth with induction. it is stressing me out a bit because i have to be on monitors 24-7 (because of the prior abruption), so i won't even be able to use a tub or shower. all of my labors have been mostly in the water. i am not sure i can deal with the pain without water!!<br><br>
then there is the whole EC thing. with my last (living) baby, we stayed in bed from hour one , him nakey, and i didnt miss any pees or poops for two weeks. it was awesome! the nurses are going to think i am NUTS when i have my baby peeing in a bowl! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue"><br><br>
it seems like there is so much more to plan and think about this time around!

 

[GeekyGreenie]

I guess I'm a planned hospital birth. There are no free-standing birthing centers within 90 minutes of us, and with my medical issues my partner was really uncomfortable with the idea of a home birth. So we're going with a midwife group that practices out of a local hospital. It's about the hippy-happiest hospital I've ever seen, so that makes me feel good--they use aromatherapy in the waiting rooms and offer it for the birthing tubs, they have massage therapists on staff and present 24/7, their OB nurses have all taken at least some coursework in birth support from doulas, their c-section rate is 7% for first-time moms, and they've had 3 episiotomies in the last 500 births. If I can't give birth in my own bathtub (and since I don't even know where we'll be living then!), then this seems to be the best of the rest.<br><br>
I am nervous about it. My dad died suddenly when I was 17, and my partner was in hospital for 4 days with major heart issues about a year and a half ago, so even though I no longer have active flashbacks and breakdowns around and in hospitals, I do fear walking in and passing out or being unable to stay in the present. With moving, I'm not sure that I'll have time to find a good therapist to help me prepare for that, so that sort of thing is honestly more concerning to me than the possibility of interventions I don't want.<br><br>
I'm also frustrated that not having a home birth means that we'll have to tell people I'm in labor. I REALLY don't want my ILs knowing (they are obnoxious, overbearing, often the bane of my existence), and I do not want visitors for for the first 24 hours after baby is born. But we'll need someone to watch our dog, and since we won't know our neighbors well, my partner is already pushing to "just have them watch the dog and promise to not bother us."<br><br>
I'm sure I'll have more irrational fears/concerns, and probably even some rational ones too, as I get closer to having the baby, but for now I'm much more concerned about the surrounding issues than I am about the actual giving birth.

 

[kittywitty]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/hug2.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Hug2"> Don't leave because you're having a hospital birth!!! There are soooo many people who do on here. You're not alone or bad in any way!

 

[my kidlets and me]

Going to the hospital is plan A for us - I've had 3 great vaginal hospital births so far. My mother and sister have had some serious postpartum hemmoraging before, so I have always gone to the hospital to give birth. I also have been induced all 3 times (for different reasons). This time, since it is probably going to be our last pregnancy/birth, I'm going with a midwife, I want to go into labour myself, which means we might have an impromptu homebirth, which I'm OK with. It's our plan B, but since labour with #3 was only 1.5 hours from breaking my waters to pushing her out, I want to have the backup!

 

[ILoveMySofie]

Oh Liz, you are NOT alone in all of this! Please do not consider leaving because of that...all of the great wisdom you can get from mamas here, and all of your great wisdom that you've got to give to others-that is what is important. Us hospital birthing mamas, though a minority here-we are needed here too! This is how we get precious knowledge and support from each other.<br><br>
We will be having another hospital birth. For me the most important thing of all is that my baby comes home with me. I do have an amazing doctor who has been there for me every step of these journeys of mine and delivered two of my babies...one we lost, and the rainbow after. I am seeing him now, and I can go in as often as I wish (which brings me the greatest comfort to know this). I usually end up going in every two weeks but sometimes more often if I am feeling funky.<br><br>
I asked to be induced last time with Luca rainbow. That was something I had decided as the time grew closer...my anxiety was going way up and after seeing that I was 90% effaced and 4 cms dilated I had decided I wanted an induction. Pitocin was started at 9:30 am and Luca was born around 2 pm. I had a beautiful labor and delivery, I felt so loved and so cared for, and it was the most glorious day indeed!!!<br><br>
I dont know how I will feel this time around. Honestly I am not thinking that far ahead right now, mostly because I just cant<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> even if I want to. I am trying to just take it one day at a time. I will see how I feel when the time gets closer...I will be doing my best to follow my instincts and intuition, they have always been there for me, I am just learning to listen even more closely.<br><br>
hugs. we can do this.

 

[ocelotmom]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>liz-hippymom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15408763"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">cause i know we are the minority here on MDC, and i need some support. i have considered leaving for this reason.. but we are still a very crunchy family, and i can't find anywhere as great as here!</div>
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I'm hopefully not planning a hospital birth this time around, but I had a wonderful natural hospital birth with my last one. If I were staying in this area, I would not hesitate to go to that hospital again. So, I think hospital birth can be a perfectly good choice... and it's a choice that I very much understand your reasons for making!<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">i am going to be induced with this one, and trying to gear myself for the uphill battle of a non-medicated birth with induction. it is stressing me out a bit because i have to be on monitors 24-7 (because of the prior abruption), so i won't even be able to use a tub or shower. all of my labors have been mostly in the water. i am not sure i can deal with the pain without water!!</td>
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I'm a doula at the hospital where I had my last baby, and epidural with induction isn't an automatic thing there. I've attended a number of induced or pitocin-augmented births that ended up being pain-med free. It's doable!

 

[earthyamber]

I'm having a hospital birth too. It is easy to feel out of place on MDC for having a hospital birth, but trust me, there are plenty of us. This is my first planned hospital birth and I am a bit nervous too. It is such a new experience (I am seeing a medically conservative OB-GYN group) but I do feel safe. My primary care provider saw me yesterday for these nasty horrible painful cysts that are popping up everywhere on me and causing me a lot of pain and making it where I can't sleep (I found out they are infected too, blah). She warned me that at my next OB appointment I will probably be classified high-risk due to multiple health problems. That scares me. I have always had natural, low-risk births with midwives (one birth center and one hospital that was supposed to be a birth center but I was induced at 2 weeks late). So, I am scared. However, I keep reminding myself that the most important thing to me during pregnancy and labor is a healthy baby and that I am okay too. It doesn't matter how I get those results, as long as I do. This is a very tough pregnancy for me and I need more care, I am okay with that. I have two hospitals I can choose from and I am going to do tours of each next month.

 

[Adamsmama]

We are having a planned hospital birth. I really considered homebirth but got too scared (had a very complicated first birth and now have a son with CP) but my other two births were easy. I'm hoping for an uncomplicated hospital birth with CNMs/midwives this time that also work with OBs.

 

[Lemoncello]

I, too, am planning to have a hospital birth. I really would have liked a home birth, but because of where we live, it's just not a possibility at this point. I am seeing a group of midwives (and OBs) who work at the local hospital, and they are supposedly good about supporting natural birth. Since this is my first, I am nervous about the whole experience, but I am trying to keep educating myself so that I will not be so vulnerable to unnecessary medical procedures. I really appreciate hearing all your stories about successful natural/pain-med free hospital births as it encourages me that I can do it, too!

 

[philomom]

DDDC crashing.... I had amazing hospital births with my beloved CNM as baby-catcher. It can be done and I was home 24 hours after each birth. No interventions of any kind and no complications.<br><br>
I lost my first baby, too.... and I'm married to a "just in case" kind of guy.<br><br>
We had such great experiences that I believe I was able to shed some light on or spread the word with the other patients and nurses that natural childbirth was not only do -able but enjoyable.

 

[mzminty]

There are so many things I do that would classify me as "un-crunchy", yet I'm also not mainstream, and I like it better here! I guess even here on MDC there's a bell curve!<br><br>
This will be my third hospital birth. I've been lucky enough to have gone natural with my other two, and have generally had positive experiences. My husband is a paramedic and I'm a nurse, so I guess we feel comfortable in hospitals. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment"><br><br>
My last birth was a water birth with a CNM, and it was wonderful. I hope the same for this birth.<br><br>
I'm sorry that you and some others are having health issues, but regardless of the where and how, I still think every delivery is miraculous! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/joy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="joy">

 

[liz-hippymom]

thank you everyone!! wow, the response was quick! i am so glad to know i am not alone <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br>
geekygreenie- that practice sounds wonderful! there is only one hospital with midwives here in austin, but they refused to see me due to my baby dying at my homebirth. the head dr. sits on the midwifery review board and will be reviewing my midwife's case in june. so, she felt it was a conflict of intrests- which really saddened me. it felt like punishment.<br>
but i found an OB who i love. she is just as understanding and sweet as an midwife i have ever met, and a heck of alot better trained / so far it is a great match.<br>
ilovesofie- i think about you in particular alot lately, since your girls are the same apart as my Aquila and this one will be. i keep thinking "she did it! i can do it!" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> and you can do it again!!

 

[birthdancedoula]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>liz-hippymom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15408763"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">it is stressing me out a bit because i have to be on monitors 24-7 (because of the prior abruption), so i won't even be able to use a tub or shower. all of my labors have been mostly in the water. i am not sure i can deal with the pain without water!!</div>
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You might want to ask about telemetry monitoring at your hospital. Some monitors are waterproof and can be used in the tub or shower. Certainly don't rule out using hydrotherapy unless you ask.<br><br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>liz-hippymom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15408763"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">then there is the whole EC thing. with my last (living) baby, we stayed in bed from hour one , him nakey, and i didnt miss any pees or poops for two weeks. it was awesome! the nurses are going to think i am NUTS when i have my baby peeing in a bowl! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue"></div>
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I've been a L&D nurse (albeit at a birth center, but still) for the past 4 years and my first thought reading this was that it would be so cool to have one of my patients EC their babe while they were still admitted. Seriously, don't worry about about what the nurses think of how you mother your babe. You are entitled to an amazing birth and postpartum experience-no matter where this little one needs to make their appearance.

 

[earthyamber]

Lemoncello - A natural/pain med-free birth is possible! My first birth was with CNM's and we had planned a birth center birth. However, I was 2 weeks late and had to be induced. It was shocking going to the hospital. While the pain seemed to never stop from the induction, I did it naturally. It was a natural birth with no pain medication. Heck, I was only 18 years old and she weighed 9 lbs 6 ozs. We started the induction at 9am and at 5pm, I finally had constant contractions. She was born 4 hrs later at 9 pm.

 

[GeekyGreenie]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>liz-hippymom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15409543"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">thank you everyone!! wow, the response was quick! i am so glad to know i am not alone <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br>
geekygreenie- that practice sounds wonderful! there is only one hospital with midwives here in austin, but they refused to see me due to my baby dying at my homebirth. the head dr. sits on the midwifery review board and will be reviewing my midwife's case in june. so, she felt it was a conflict of intrests- which really saddened me. it felt like punishment.<br>
but i found an OB who i love. she is just as understanding and sweet as an midwife i have ever met, and a heck of alot better trained / so far it is a great match.<br>
ilovesofie- i think about you in particular alot lately, since your girls are the same apart as my Aquila and this one will be. i keep thinking "she did it! i can do it!" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> and you can do it again!!</div>
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<br>
I forgot to tell you that I'm sorry for your loss, and I admire your ability to talk about it. And I'm really glad that you found an OB who you love. From what I've read (you know, all two books<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">), that can make a huge difference. Do you know if she'll be supportive of your desire to have minimal intervention?

 

[Frisbee]

Don't feel like you're alone! This is my second pregnancy and second planned hospital birth. My first birth was done without meds, with a doula, in the hospital. While there were a few things that were annoying about the hospital (mostly the uncomfortable monitoring belt) in general everything went just as I had hoped it would. The nurses were very respectful and supportive of natural birth, including keeping the lights low, letting me play the music I wanted, letting me use a birth ball, try out different laboring and pushing positions, etc. (my doula told me during labor that I was the talk of the nurses station for how "stoic" I was being, which true or not definitely gave me a mental boost, even though it was really just because it hurt more if I made noise or moved too much!) I have also had two friends who have given birth in a hospital without meds despite being induced and having difficult births (one had pre-eclampsia).<br><br>
Another thing I liked about the hospital is all the support that was available after the birth. I was so exhausted and clueless about taking care of a newborn that it was nice to just lay in my hospital bed and let them bring everything to me for a few days. The hospital I went to had very nice postpartum accommodations that were almost like hotel rooms.<br><br>
Anyway, don't feel like there is anything wrong with giving birth in a hospital, especially if you are able to go to the right kind of place and surround yourself with supportive healthcare professionals.

 

[danjelle]

Hi ... i am most definitely planning a hospital birth. Actually liz, a while ago i read something you had posted about losing Aquila, and then read the story on your blog. it made me cry and has haunted me ever since. the idea of having all that medical equipment, and all those doctors and specialists there reassures me. and i wont have to clean up any mess

 

[idigchaitea]

I'm so sorry about your Aquila. *hugs* I found out my baby was not alive on my last prenatal appointment on his due date last year. I too am having a hospital birth because I'm considered high-risk, and honestly I'd probably have one anyway. I will probably be induced as well because Jonas passed away around 39 weeks, so I will be super paranoid and will want this baby out as soon as possible! I'm dreading the induction--I want so badly to do it pain med free, but with DS1 I was induced and the pain was unbearable so I ended up with an epi. With Jonas, I was induced with the gel, and the pain was much more endurable and I did it without pain meds! I was so happy and that labor was so much better (physically) than with DS1. So we'll see how it goes. You're not alone, mama!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">

 

[liz-hippymom]

geekygreenie-i don't really know yet what my ob will go for, because we have not gotten there yet. there have been so many others things to tackle first. as we get closer to the birth we will discuss things more.<br>
frisbee- i too am looking forward to the "break" after the birth. frankly my house is loud and chaotic. i want a moment to catch my breath!<br>
idigchaitea- that gel sounds like a great idea! i was induced with cydotec with my first and that sent me into labor with no picticin needed. i was hoping i won't need pit this time either- when was Jonas born? (if you don't mind me asking)

 

[FishBounce]

1st, to all the mamas who experienced loss- {{{bigbighugs}}}<br><br>
2nd, like a PP said, I'm neither entirely crunchy nor mainstream. I'm kinda floating in the middle.<br>
For us, we're having a scheduled 3rd c-section. Ds1 was a c-sec after 35+ hours of labor with only 3cm of dilation. Ds2 was a failed VBAC attempt with midwives in a hospital. Same story with him- only made it to 3cm after 35+ hours of labor. If I'm being honest with myself, I do waffle over this choice. I don't think there's a clear cut <i>this is right</i> kinda decision.<br>
Personally, I've come to believe that for me, it's not so much the birth experience but how I parent my kids once they are here.