Trying for a Different Kind of Birth

So you want to have a natural delivery, but you're not quite ready for a home birth or a birth center. This post is for all you mamas out there that are curious to try a natural birth, but aren't comfortable with being outside of the hospital. First off I believe that every woman has the right to decide where she feels most comfortable to deliver her baby, for some that may be at home, others at a birth center and for some of us a hospital seems like the best place. This post is for you, how do you have a natural delivery in a hospital setting? 

1. Get educated.

This is the most important step in the process. Finding a hospital and OB/or midwife that you are comfortable with is so important. Find out their csection stats, pitocin uses, episiotomy rates etc. this will help you gauge whether or not they are the right fit for you and your family. You also want to get educated on the actual labor process itself. Someone who wants to run a marathon has to train to get there, much like labor one must train and be educated. It is surprising how many women I have met that have had multiple babies and still don't know the difference between active labor and transition. This is going to be crucial for you to know where you are in the labor process if you are trying to go natural.

2. Get support

When I told family and friends that I wanted a natural delivery most people laughed or asked me why I wanted to go through all that pain. It can be really hard to find the support that you're looking for. In my case my husband was my biggest advocate and birth coach! I was so blessed by that. Having a spouse, family member or friend that can support you during your pregnancy and labor is so crucial to receiving the type of birth that you want. My husband literally coached me through my entire birth and when I thought I couldn't do it--- he believed in me. It not only made the process possible, but strengthened our marriage in a way that I can't describe!

3. Make a Birth Plan

In a lot of cases women walk into the labor and delivery floor without their birth plan in hand, leaving those big decisions to the doctors. If you state clearly what you want and don't want to happen you won't have to think about it in the middle of labor (trust me then is not the time.) Everything from episitomies, epidurals, pitocin etc should be listed. Include after birth plan as well, do you want skin to skin immediately? Breastfeeding support? These are crucial to helping the medical staff and you work well together. Transition isn't the time to be fighting hospital protocal- be clear and specific and you will be calmer.

4. Have Grace

Like most of life our birth plans don't go perfectly, when entering the hospital understand that things can go very differently, and have a back up plan in place, as well as, some grace for yourself if it doesn't all "turn out."

Steps to Having a Successful Natural Hospital Delivery

1. Get out of bed!

In a hospital setting it is really common for a woman to be on her back hooked up to monitors just waiting for baby to arrive. Labor is hard work on your baby, don't make it harder by lying on your back. Get up and move around. Use a yoga ball to bounce on during early labor, walk around, stretch, take a shower. But whatever you do try to stay out of bed as much as possible. In many hospitals monitoring becomes difficult this way, try and make a deal using your birth plan prior to arriving on D day explaining that you want to be monitored for only 20 minutes every hour. This is a great compromise and allows you the freedom to not stall labor.

2. Eat and drink

In many hospitals they don't want you eating and drinking in case of a c-section, however, if you clearly explain in your birth plan that you will be eating and drinking it goes a long way. You may have a little bit of an uphill battle in this one, but eating and drinking will keep your energy up so that labor will progress and you will need less interventions. Remember the less interventions the hospital does for you the better success you will have in delivery your baby naturally.

3. Laugh

Many women the minute they enter a hospital setting notice that their labor stalls, studies have shown that this is because a hospital is a stressful environment. So find ways to keep the mood light and fun. Be sure to do a tour of the hospital beforehand so that you know where to go etc. And find ways to have fun in the process. Women that laughed during labor had labors that were almost half the time of women that didn't. Laughter really is great medicine. When I was in labor I had my husband describing cheesy pizza to me, it was a great way to relax and laugh about his descriptions.

4. Mindset

Your mind is the most powerful place for ensuring you have the birth you want. You have to be very clear in a hospital environment what you want and be set on it. If you don't want and epidural or pitocin, being firm but nice is essential. The hospital is a place where nurses and doctors heal people from pain, sickness and ailments. Unfortunately pregnancy is treated as such. If  you walk into the hospital fully believing that you are not sick, but capable then the entire process will be different. Remember birthing at a hospital is only for convenience sake if something goes wrong, but if nothing is wrong then keep on doing what you're doing-- you can do it even if the staff don't believe you! When I gave birth to Bree the nurse and doctor actually shared with me that they had never seen a natural delivery. This shocked me.... and really needs to change! A doctor should always have to deliver a baby naturally in my opinion, but if you're like me and their first experience, show them what a woman's body is capable of. Show them that intervention is not always the answer!

If you'd like more information, doula services or just have some questions feel free to message me or comment below!