Perceptions of childbirth methods

renerian, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2002

I had my kids, au natureal.......LOL. NO pain meds but had pit with each one after I would not dialate. I believe 100% in a drug free childbirth but that is for me and not what other people have to go by. I wanted to get up right away and needles in my back are not my thing. Would have liked to not even had the pit but I would not have had any kids without it, I would have just died.

renerian

OzNurse69 · Dec 30, 2002

My first child was born with epidural, epis from a-hole to breakfast time (which, BTW, still aches in the cold weather!!) forceps, internal monitoring, mec liquor, HR about 85 - basically everything but the kitchen sink. Oh, & they were prepping me for a caesar as they pulled him out.....NOT fun. I was 21 at the time & basically did as I was told....not knowing any better.

Cut to 3 yrs later for my 2nd....I had been studying in the meantime, & yes, I turned into a "stubborn, militant" b!tch!! To the point where I told the midwife to F&*% off & let me do this by myself when she tried to examine me at one point (had a friend who was a midwife in that hospital, & apparently they were talking about me for days!!).

Anyway, recovery time was 24 hours as opposed to 3 days (even though the second labour was 7 hours from start of 2nd stage instead of 45 min with the first), bub B/F straight away, I had no problems B/Fing, & I didn't have to spend the next 6 weeks standing up to eat with a wound infection!!

Don't know what method it was.....basically me doing what my body told me. All the books went out the window, & I moved around & positioned myself according to what felt comfortable. I'm afraid I did turn into a raving lunatic, but to the midwives credit they stepped back & stayed there for support, & didn't try to make me do anything I didn't want to, & it was a much more satisfying experience for all of that.

fergus51 · Dec 31, 2002

I don't really love any of the "methods". I think letting women just be is the best method. A lot of my patients used to come in as lamaze militants, but by about 8 cms, that wasn't working for them anymore and they needed to have the flexibility to just do what their bodies wanted to.

They're all ok as a general strategy and I haven't seen one method work much better than any of the others. I just think the key to success is to use them as a "GENERAL" strategy, not a written in stone plan.

mark_LD_RN · Jan 5, 2003

as some here might know i am a big fan of the bradley method. I like it because it's main message is for the women to do what ever feels natural to her. no artifical breathing etc. it has worked well for my patients, have very low epidural,narcotic use and c/s rate here with the bradley method.

thatldo · Jan 5, 2003

I also agree with the Bradley method.

Growing up w/animals and seeing how they gave birth w/out drugs put it into perspective for me. That and the fact throughout labor I kept telling myself, "Grandma and countless others before me could do this and so can I! Not to say I didn't experience pain, but it helped having the room quiet, and not letting anyone touch me!

TinyNurse, RN · Apr 14, 2003

I had my son in a homebirth. had a lay midwife and my mother RRT in attendence. I had not yet started nursing school at that point in my life.

The reason I started nursing school, was to work OB, and then eventually assist other mothers in homebirth.

My clinical experience in OB was disheartening. I could not work OB for the life of me.

Personally I felt that these women and their children were violated in ways that were unimaginable.

I believe in natural birth. The most important things are a good mindset about the birth. Embracing the experience, and being surrounded by positive people during the birth process.

I cannot imagine being in a hospital with four walls, a foley, monitor, and nurses that I'd never met before. I feel that may set me up for a weird/uncomfortable birthing experience.

yes, even after ALL i've learned in nursing school. i will still choose to homebirth.

jenni

june 13, 2003 to graduate ADN

sanakruz, ADN · Apr 14, 2003

Lamaze was crucial in my 3 births-

I had 1 ok experience and 2 negative experiences with my hospital based births.

Very negative experience at Yale-New Haven. But that was 18 years ago.

Had I not been a nurse and savvy to the way hospitals do business, It would have been worse.

jamistlc · Apr 15, 2003

My preception of childbirth from our experience as a birthing couple is tainted since it is from the spouses prespective and in a hospital 19 and 16 years ago. Both were failure to progress births and all the interventions that occur with that DX were preformed short of a C-Section. My wife has a epidural with both births along with the old labor room style of L&D wards. She was confined to a bed almost from the moment we entered the hospital. All these and more interventions slowed the birth process I know today as a Nurse and as a Birth Doula. I personally teach Lamaze techniques to my clients today. I also advocate DEM (who are certified as CPM) and homebirths due to the reduction of noscominal infections and stress for both Mother and Child.

I look at birth as a natural rite of passage and the less invasive the better. I know as a Nurse that there is some medical conditions which require a hospital birth and those interventions but not as the standard of practice.

kvalcourt · Sep 11, 2003

It's great to hear the support you give for direct-entry midwives. I am one of 22 years along w/ being a RN. I was a midwife first though & returned for nursing years ago mostly for a way to help support the family & a stepping stone to the CNM, if I ever decided to do that. Well, i did decide to do that, as the political climate here in my state has become very harsh to non-CNM's & the nursing boards is always on the hunt for non-CNM's. I'm so glad to meet you. i have also had our 4 at home & caught my two gradnbabies at home, w/ another midwife colleague there as the objective one.karen of BirthTender

nrsnan_1 · Sep 17, 2003

A "method" works as well as the woman believes it will work. I don't think there is any one magical method for labor and birth. Individuals experience and cope with pain so differently. I always felt bad for the diligently prepared mom who is overwhelmed with labor and feels like a failure because her "breathing" isn't helping her cope. What I stress to Moms is if this doesn't help, lets try something else. Having an experienced labor support person is the most valuable asset a birthing mother can have, in my humble opinion. In my 15 years in OB, that has been the most important difference in how a mom experiences labor and birth.