Sunday, October 5, 2008

Au Natural~ Again!


I had a fabulous mom last night who decided to go Natural with her childbirth. I tell ya! There just aren't many women willing to go that extra mile and decline the epidural these days!

They know I like the natural ones..cause its how I birthed my baby's. So I usually get those mommy's. And I love it!

This mom was a first time mother and determined to go without medication. I asked her why and she said she just didn't want a needle stuck in her back; and she was afraid of the side effects of the epidural on her baby. Her dad asked me what his first grandchild felt like when I did the vag exam. He asked for my name again and said he wanted to remember the name of the first person to have her hands (or fingers) on his lovely wee one. I was touched..

Good points mom! Sorry girls. I know its the popular way to birth these days..and I Have been convinced by more than a few that its appropriate for some situation. But I'm not convinced there isn't risk that we don't know about......now. I'm thinking that one day they will come out with some facts that will scare the crap out of us. Ok so call me crazy. It's just what I wonder about.

So anyway her labor went wonderfully. She came to me at 1am at 5-6Cm's and was 8-9Cm's by 7am. She sat upright (HF) in the bed and was able to walk around her room and go to the bathroom. She breathed thru her contractions and her family was there to rub her back and encourage her. She was just so IN control it blew my mind! I kept the praise up to her and told her what a wonderful job she was doing. At some point when I told my fav OB resident that the pt. was the poster child for natural childbirth, the resident said.."Oh no You're the poster child lol". She knows about my large chubby baby's =)

I was disappointed to leave this am. I hope she had a fabulous birth this am and I can't wait to see how she did.

Women you CAN DO IT!!!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's nice to hear that there are some of us still around. I have birthed six babies without medication. I know this last time the nurse was not used to it. In 1996, when I had my first they didn't act like it was so strange. They actually told me at the hospital this last birth a year ago that I could for sure get the whirlpool room because it's so uncommon for a woman to be without pain medication or induction. I didn't get it because my nurse wanted to monitor continually...and there was a decel early on. Still though, I made it without pain meds. They didn't like all the movement I did to handle the pain either, telling me I was breaking the sterile plane by moving my leg into it...ugh.

I always wonder if autism or add or other problems come up because of pain meds in birth, but hopefully that is not the case. Wonder if anyone would be brave enough to do a study?

Just Me said...

I tell anyone who asks...."Go natural if you can." I had an epidural with my first, mainly because I was "frightened" into it. Comments like "This is your last chance, and if you don't take it now, you won't get it...and I can assure you it's going to get a lot worse now!" didn't help! With my second, I was much more prepared, and I went au naturel all the way. If I had to do again (and I won't!...lol) I'd try the natural way again.

LauraT said...

Good for her! Of all my 6 deliveries (all vaginal) 2 were au natural and I loved those ones. One baby was delivered precipitously because my OB recommended a low dose of pit when I was having prodromal labor for days, but she didn't break my water (good for her!). I labored comfortably till SROM and wa lah! She was literally "expelled" minutes later by my uterus into the L & D nurse's hands (who was really a midwife- yeah again!)and it was a little crazy but I loved it! I realized that I'm that odd patient who labors "comfortably." With my last baby I wanted to avoid the epidural and could've, even on a high dose of pit and AROM, but I was getting my tubes tied and my doctor recommended the epidural because surgery would be right after delivery. It was a crazy, scarey delivery and I could've avoided the epidural after all which would've been MUCH better. Oh well, I hae 6 healthy babies and tell women that they can do it naturally of they want to.

Jody said...

Anon! Great job with 6 babies! And LOL at sterile plane. Come on now. Gimme a break. It's Not the OR!

Ditto on the autism thoughts. I think I posted something wayy back about that. I mentioned it in front of a young pediatrician and she was going to goggle it.

I wonder what the future will bring concerning Long Term side effects...

Jody said...

Marls, I find the nurses pull from their own fear and experience to sway moms one way or the other.

I try to stay neutral. But if the mom states she wants no epidural, then I share my birthing storys with her and encourage her all the way. But I remind her that if she changes her mind, that I will do as she wishes.
They just don't build em like us anymore hehe!!

Sorry girls!!!

Jody said...

..Lct4j.
Thanks for your visit here!

Yeah I think back to my labors. I Know I didn't yell or scream out. I Do remember tossing my head back and forth tho lol.

Its all about whats in your head. IF you prepare, and mentally know its going to hurt..Ok be uncomfortable for those politically correct; then you just figure out the best way to cope. You breath. You focus. You distract yourself.

Please drop by again!

LauraT said...

Hi Jody: I realized with my labors where I had no pain medication that breathing exercises hurt! While waiting for the anesthesiologist this last time I had remembered that low groaning or "growling" sounds were absolutely crucial to establishing that "zone" of coping. I've seen midwives instruct their laboring moms to do that, too, and it works! I've thought of becoming a doula to help women out, especially because my last two deliveries were traumatic and scarey due to marginal, bad nurses and negligent and insensitive doctors (both OB's had great reps, too).Doula work is hard, though - those natural labors can be LONG! Anyway, I enjoy your blog. Keep posting!

Anonymous said...

Good for her. It sounds like she was wonderfully prepared.

I'm envious that you get to be part of all the newness of life.

Anonymous said...

My first baby was a homebirth transfer to c/s, but my second was an amazing homebirth VBAC. The difference in recovery and bonding was incredible!
~Flo

Jody said...

Flo! I love VBAC's. The older OB nurses are sooo skeptical. But I've never seen one go wrong yet!

Good for you!

Anonymous said...

Jody, I love your blog!! I always wanted to be a L&D nurse...the birth process is so remarkable. How cool that it is your job!! Have you seen the documentary "the business of being born"? So great...shocking and true (i work in a gyn/onc clinic and they have the surgeons to a T!!)
-Kirsten

Stacy said...

Whenever anyone asked about my birth experience, I tell them my awful, awful experience with the epidural on my 1st. I was hoping to go totally au naturale on #2, but transition beat me up and I got some nubane for that. I should have just passed it up since I don't think it did much good. The doctor did tell me to stop screaming, but hey, it felt good to get that energy out of me. They shouldn't have told me to wait when I had the overwhelming urge to push! I never felt that with #1.

Jody said...

LOL Stacy. I love hearing a woman Not be afraid to scream when she feels like it. Why not! As long as they're not screaming AND climbing off the bed at the same time. I've had That happen.
Don't feel bad about the Nubain. Did you know it only works in early labor? So it couldn't really halp your discomfort in transistion.