Assisted birth (eg, epidural, forceps etc)
- If you've been in labour a long time, use the epidural relief to get some rest
- It's not necessarily the 'easy' way: After the birth of my first baby (induced, epidural, forceps) I felt like I'd gone 3 rounds with David Tua. I was bruised from where the IV has been inserted (like my whole hand was purple), the epidural entry throbbed not to mention the stitches!
- Your feet and ankles might swell up for the next week or so from all the IV fluids (noice)
Natural
- Consider a female support person (in addition to your partner/husband) and talk to them before the birth about what you think you will need most from them (gentle reminders of focus, calming words etc). Ideally they'll have given birth themselves (and therefore have awareness of the process) and will support your choice for a natural birth.
- Try to take the contractions one at a time rather than worry if they are getting worse. Easy to say when you're not having them but it helps to think of each one as one step closer to the end and meeting your brand new bubba!
- Be familiar with the signs of Transition: When it was all getting too much and I wanted to give up (which is itself one of the signs of transition), I vomited and I realised then that I was in transition and the next stage was close. This realisation was exciting and gave me the energy I needed.
- Get someone to stay with you that for day/night. You don't know which nurses will come and go throughout and some will be brilliant, some not so much. Having someone you trust on hand to help you can make the world of difference.
- Take your own pillows, hospital pillows suck.
- No visitors the first 2 days. As hard as it might be, be firm with visitors and tell them they are welcome to come and see you and baby in a couple of days.
Heidi and I moments after my son was born. Will see if I can find a shot of Heidi and Finn (that ought to get Heidi's attention- hehe )
Check out the Belly Beyond resources page for more on natural birth as well as tips on things to do before baby arrives and what to pack for labour
2 comments:
Comments so far from our Facebook page.
Things can change, and fast, i couldnt get in the tub with max for pain relief as it would take 20 mins to fill and i knew by then he would be born. Sure enough he was.
Dont be afraid to say no if you feel you really can do it without drugs.
Pack different sized baby hats, Max didnt fit any of the ones i had for him they were too small lol... Read More
Dont be afraid afterwards if your not breastfeeding to stand by it and not be made to feel bad for your choice.
Believe in yourself and trust that you know what is right for your baby. Have the self confidence to do things the way that you want to. Have good support and forget about your sense of dignity and personal boundries until its all over.
If you want a natural birth, do everythnig you can to go for it, but do not let yourself see an emergency c section as a failure as your recovery is much quicker and easier if you can stay in a postive mindset.
i had an assisted for my first - induced and then ventouse and it lasted all day but i dont think i would recommend an epidural. i did however take the pethedine and that gave a great break from some intense contractions. i know pethedine isnt everyone's cup of tea but neither is an epidural.
Another comment from our FB page.
keep a open mind....things dont always go to plan...plan for the best but just go with it if you have to have things you didnt plan for. trust yourself. ask questions.postive thinking and focus focus focus!!!!and remember its soo soo sooo ssooo worth every little bit of the pain!!:-)
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