I’ve given birth three times. Naturally. Unmedicated. Just the way I wanted it. In a hospital.
Prior to a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea how fortunate we’ve been! After reading Katie’s post about her Labor and Delivery nursing experiences, and reading your comments, I realize that my hospital experience might be unique.
We chose to deliver our first baby in a hospital because, well… I suppose another option never even occurred to us at the time. Our insurance covered a certain hospital, so that’s where we went. Our doctor was highly recommended by a few local family and friends. He was an NFP only family physician, and come to find out, he and his wife use the Bradley Method. Works for me!
Blessedly enough, our hospital had an attached birth care center, where healthy moms with no prior issues delivered. Not knowing any differently at the time, I now realize what a blessing this facility is. Labor, delivery, and all post-partum and baby care happen in one room. We check in to that room and don’t leave it until we walk out the door with our baby 24 (or so) hours later. Laboring in the whirlpool tub is encouraged, as is walking the halls. Birthing balls are available, and different birthing positions are suggested when the going gets tough. Our birth plan is read and taken seriously. The baby never leaves the room. Formula is never offered. Yes, this is a birth care center staffed by doctors and nurses.
Because we’ve since moved and our former doctor no longer delivers babies, I’ll be delivering at a different hospital this time around. Talk about the bar being set pretty high when I met my new doctor and facilities! This is a smaller hospital, so there is no separate birth care center. But you know what? I’ve visited family on the maternity floor. The rooms are beautiful and equipped with a whirlpool tub (totally a requirement for me now that I’ve used them 3 times!). Same song, different hospital. We’re thrilled!
From reading your comments on previous posts, I know many of you who give birth in a hospital haven’t been as fortunate. In fact, some of you make it sound down right scary! Whether it’s a choice or your only available option, there are things you can do to plan and prepare for a successful hospital birth. Here are a few.
- Tour your facility before you go into labor. Figure out the lay of the land. See what amenities are available. Do you have access to a whirlpool tub? (If I get brave, I’ll show you sometime exactly HOW I use the tub to my benefit!) Do they have birthing balls available, or can you bring one from home?
- Write out a birth plan and share it with your doctor. We always had our doctor sign our plan ahead of time. We felt better about handing it to our assigned nurse with his signature on it.
- Ask lots of questions about policies and protocol (beforehand!). What things are mandatory and what is protocol that can be overlooked? They really wanted me to have a hep lock in “just in case of emergency” (although they never got around to sticking me with our third birth) so we did that, but constant fetal monitoring was optional, so we didn’t. In fact, I was in that tub a long time, and every once in a while my nurse would pop in with a portable monitor and place it on my belly in the tub to get a reading. Non-invasive. Non-annoying. Love it!
- If you’re wanting to deliver without medication, ask for a nurse who supports natural labor and birth. Totally stole that tip from Katie. It never occurred to me to do such a thing before, but somehow I always got great nurses. Some of them were skeptical (“Honey, you won’t be having that baby tonight. You’ll need some pitocin.”) but they let me do my thing. (And yeah, she came back in the next morning and acknowledged her surprise at how fast I had that baby without pitocin.)
- Sneak some food. Ok, so they really don’t want you eating anything because they don’t want to be cleaning up your vomit, but… labor is work. Work makes a girl hungry. A small protein snack will help your energy levels, especially if you are enduring a long labor.
- Bring comfort items from home. Pillows, ipod, tennis balls, etc. (You think I’m kidding, but I’m not… more on that later! Tennis balls may very well become your most coveted item.)
A hospital birth isn’t for everyone; but it doesn’t have to be a scary, sterile experience, either. Our next posts will be about midwife birth center and home births (seeking contributing writers!); but for now, would you care to share your hospital birth advice? Are there things you wish you would have known the first time? What’s missing from my list? Do you have questions about hospital birth that we can help you answer?
I have had 6 children in the hospital…four that I was able to deliver and two c-sections. I can honestly say that only one of those experiences was negative and that was just due to the disagreeable nurse we had during delivery.
My advice would be to talk to your ob/mid-wife ahead of time and make sure they are aware of your wishes. Also…take a birthing plan at the time you check-in at the hospital. I have always had very good luck w/ talking to the admitting nurse about any preferences I had and most all were adhered to.
I would say, though, there is a difference (IMO) between a large hospital in the city versus a small hospital in a more rural area. The smaller hospital, for us, was much more personal and w/ far more privacy. On the flip side, we needed a NICU after one of the births and due to the fact a small hospital does not have those facilities, the baby had to be shipped out and I had to stay (due to c-section).
It is something to keep in mind…
@Cari, That would be a heart breaker to be separated from baby.
We had a doula accompany us to our hospital births. She was invaluable! I would strongly recommend that anyone wanting to have a natural birth in a hospital consider hiring a doula. A good doula will get to know you and your plans and will then really work to ensure that your desires and your best interests are kept in mind. Ours almost ended up delivering our firstborn in the car, so just having her with us was a great source of support and reassurance for my poor dh! You can find a certified doula in your area here: http://www.dona.org/
@Jennifer, I second that recommendation! Especially if you have problems, a doula can be the one to salvage your birth plan. Whereas hospitals typically default to intervention in problematic situations, doulas default to natural solutions. Our doula was a homebirth midwife with 20+ years of experience, and she had a bag of tricks the average doctor or LDR nurse could only dream of.
Amy, I just wanted to say that I really appreciate this series. I am not pregnant, nor do I know if I will ever be pregnant (we’re still deciding about kids), but this is very informative and making the whole thing a bit less scary. Thank you.
@Molly, Thank you! I’m so glad people are getting something from it.
Please let me know if you have questions or topics you’d like to see included in the series.
I was young and naive with our first – did what the drs and nurses told me to do, and was far more medicated than I would have liked to be during the birth of our son. I had a whole birthing plan written out for each stage of labor as well, but the nurses and drs never even looked at it, and my labor happened too quickly for most of it as well. With our next two, I was blessed enough to deliver with a fabulous doctor and in a birthing center like you described. Again, labor was too fast for the whirlpool or birthing balls like I would have loved to use, but I did become fast friends with the tennis balls!
I feel silly leaving this comment on a serious topic, but…
Bring your own toilet paper. The most unpleasant part of my entire first (natural, unmedicated) birth was having to use that rough, industrial paper they stocked in the bathroom of the hospital. Just sayin’.
@JessieLeigh, Ouch.
Going to add that to my “What to Take to the Hospital” post.
Thank you so much for posting all of this valuable information and fabulous links. I have been devouring it all! I’m preparing for my 3rd birth (first 2 were pitocin-amniotomy inductions… first time ended with a vac-assist delivery and a 4th degree tear, my second baby got really mad when they broke my water and had to have an amnio infusion, FSE, and IUPC, so I got to labor lying in 1 position that didn’t cause fetal distress with an oxygen mask… and my husband is so shocked that I want a natural delivery this time!)
Sorry that was so long! I guess I don’t have any hospital advice other than avoid unnecessary induction:) but just wanted to say THANK YOU for all of the valuable information.
@Amber, I hope your experience is much more peaceful this time around!
Know your stuff! The more educated you are the better you can stick to your guns. We knew that (being Strep B +) we would know if the baby needed help if his heart rate increased and my temp went up. Each time they took it we asked how it was. Rock solid on both accounts during all 46 hours…so we were not swayed when the OB wanted our CNM to push us faster. We knew he was in no distress because we knew what signs to look for.
And have a nurse who is on your side and supportive…just like you said! We would not have been able to do as well as we did in our hospital delivery if it were not for our nurses. They passed us from one natural nurse to another during our 2 days of labor…nothing like having that kind of support when others think you are nuts!
And you must eat and drink. Tell them the sandwich is for Dad and eat when they are not in the room. A supportive nurse will absolutely understand. Labor is like running a marathon and no one would expect marathoners to not eat and drink (or just do ice chips) when running. My midwife says that rest and eating well are two keys to making labor go well, if you are lacking in either your body will often slow or stop labor.
Six weeks ago I had a natural delivery in a free standing birth center (delivered in a birth pool) and would be happy to share my story! Let me know if I can help.
Heather
@Heather, I’d love to hear your birth story! Do you have it written? If not, get it ready before Labor Day. I’ll host a birth story linky… so much fun!
I would say, DON’T let them convince you to be induced. Those contractions are MUCH worse. I was induced with my first who was over a week late. Even though my labor was relatively short (for a first time Mom) it was like going from 0-100mph in about 10 minutes as far as contractions go. It was awful. They urged me to push with all my might-and I did- and ended up tearing through my rectum. NOT a fun recovery. I couldn’t sit comfortably for weeks, and using the bathroom was awful. With my second I had contractions for a couple of days—few and far between—but my body was much happier about the delivery and I had much less tearing.
Also, go to the hospital as late as possible. I know that might not work if you are far from the hospital. We were only 5 minutes away, so with my 2nd (5 months ago), I did most of my laboring at home. I knew the signs and I could do what I wanted at home. When we did check in I was already at 7cm, so when I said no epidural, they didn’t argue–they realized I meant it–most of the work had been done! It was such a good experience compared to my first. I had a great nurse that completely supported my decision. In fact, after my little girl’s birth she thanked me for giving her the opportunity to assist an un-medicated birth! I didn’t realize that was such a rare thing!
@Johanna, You poor thing. I have no experience with it, but I’ve heard lots of induction horror stories.
Totally agree on going to the hospital as late as possible. I don’t want to deliver in our van
but laboring at home is much more pleasant!
Can’t offer any tips, but I’d love to share my experience with having a home birth!!!
@Emily, Do you have your story written out? I could sure use it!
@Amy, Here’s the birth story, as written by my husband Ryan. Let me know if you need anymore info from me!
@Emily, Oops! Forgot the link:
http://thebenhasehome.com/introducing-our-son/
Amy, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this series. I’m just about to enter my 3rd trimester and hadn’t even considered a natural birth before I found you. After talking it through with my husband we’re certain that this a natural birth is the direction we want to go. After doing some Googling and reading what other women in our area experienced at the hospital that we’re delivering at (brand new birthing center with tubs, whirlpools, birthing balls, pro-natural childbirth, excellent mid-wives, limited intervention by OBs – unless requested) I’m feeling less stressed about what is to come.
After reading everyone’s tips, I’m already putting my list of questions together for the Midwife interview my OB’s office scheduled for me.
@Jackie, You have NO IDEA what your comment means to me.
Thank you! And what a blessing to have a hospital like that. Sounds like you’re in a great situation. Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
I’ve never given birth, but I work in a NICU and see all the scary things that come from complicated pregnancies and deliveries. I work urge you to opt against home births because you never know what may happen and what is happening with your child inside of you. Hospitals are equipped for emergencies, homes are not.
@DixyAnn, As someone with many friends and family who’ve safely given birth at home, I have to respectfully disagree. The average woman gives birth without complications, meaning homebirth is safe for the majority of moms and babies. In fact, it’s still quite common in many Western European countries, where infant and maternal mortality rates are much better than in the U. S. In addition, it’s very rare that serious complications (of the kind only a doctor can handle) arise spontaneously during labor–they’re typically uncovered during routine prenatal care, which well trained midwives are qualified to conduct. Finally, while a home may not be equipped for an emergency, a good midwife is. In the state where I live, homebirth midwives are state-certified and better qualified than LDR nurses. They carry equipment such as IV rigs, oxygen, etc., and have the training and tools to handle minor complications on their own and/or stabilize mom and baby for emergency transport to the hospital, if that becomes necessary.
@Kathryn, There is discrepancy across countries in the measurement of infant mortality. For instance, some countries do not consider the births of premature babies who then pass away as “live births,” so they don’t include them in their statistics.
While some midwives are well-prepared others are not, so it seems wise to inquire about the emergency capabilities of your midwife before you choose one. However, it seems to me that the wisest option would be to eliminate the risk and just use the hospitals and the technology they offer. I am thankful that we have hospitals where mothers and infants can get some of the best care in the world- why not use them??
Also, I don’t think there is any shame in using an epidural to assist in labor. It doesn’t take away from the courageous and beautiful act of carrying and birthing a child
I know this conversation is really old, but I just came across it and I have to tell you Amanda, your experience not withstanding, that many of the ‘best care’ practices in American hospitals for giving birth, are, in fact, some of the most interfering, damage inducing practices out there. A country with a 60%(?) c-section rate is not the best care in the world.
If I had a high-risk pregnancy or any complications during labor, there is nowhere else I would rather be than in a U.S. hospital. We go to great lengths to save the lives of women and children, no matter the cost. While we may over use c-sections in the U.S., one can take control of that aspect of their pregnancy by expressing preferences beforehand.
I just think that in the U.S. we sometimes don’t recognize how fortunate and blessed we are with regards to the health care and technology we have available
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Sneak in LOTS of food. Have a doula. Make sure your husband is informed.
Annie Kate (1 hospital birth, 4 home births)
Love it. I love all your positive comments about natural childbirth. We had our first baby in a hospital with a midwife and thought it was a wonderful experience. We have since had three more children, all born at home. Each is an experience I wouldn’t change ever! I have each of their birth stories written down…