Who had a straightforward, birth? and how did yu manage it?

[JTN]

Last time i did yoga swimming etc etc and ended up with ds in wrong postiiton after 2 days of trying and an emergency cs. this time round what should i do to increase my chances of a straightforward dilate, pop it out type of birth, did you eat / do anything that you thought helped? that you would reccomend trying?

And I'm sorry you're feeling so fed up NowanearlyNicemum. Please have faith ! At least when you've prepared well, you know you've done everything you can to increase your chances of a straightforward birth, even if things don't go according to plan. So many of us don't do any or enough preparation and bury heads in sands etc then have a nightmare, albeit with a healthy baby at the end (of course ultimately the most important thing). Chances are with no 2 it will be the birth you hope for - especially if you keep focused and positive. What was your midwife like last time I wonder ? Were you at home or in hospital ?

From my own experience;
Stay as fit as possible - I biked into work until I was 6 months pregnant and then continued helping partner redecorate house including lifting things into the skip at 8 1/2 months gone
Don't put on too much weight, the recomended amount is 1 1/2 - 2 stone. More than that and you're comfort eating!
Drink raspberry leaf tea, buy small amounts LOOSE herb from a good health food store or better yet a herbalist and use
quickly. If you get a packet of teabags at 5 months and then use them 3/4 months later it will have lost most of its potency. (DON'T drink it before 36 weeks)
Have a planned home birth, so much more strightforward, relaxing etc. Once my waters broke I coudl just concentrate on giving birth not on trying to get to hospital 3 weeks early and at 4am!

(baby arrived unexpectedly at 1 day past 37 weeks, first baby, waters broke 3am, contractions started at 4.30am, baby arrived 8.20am. Mom back in bed and asleep by 10am)

I had five straightforward births, including one vaginal breech.

I didn't do anything special to achieve it. I think the main thing is to avoid medical intervention for social reasons.

Also, to keep a positive attitude and know that your body was perfectly designed to do what it is doing.

But there is a big element of luck in that women who have problems haven't done anything wrong or been neglectful in any way.

my midwife was neither here nor there really. I certainly didn't feel that she was making the slightest bit of difference to the way my labour progressed - nor was she in the slightest bit bothered about how I felt about it. but she wasn't unpleasant!

I struggle with the 'overly medicalised' system here in France and feel like every request I make is a constant battle. Albeit a simple one such as - no I don't want an epidural, no I don't want constant monitoring, no I don't want to lie down and be tied to this blinking table thank you very much ....

hopefully, I'll know a bit more what to expect this time around and though I'm not giving birth in the same place will be a bit more demanding. Although, when you want a 'stress-free' birth the last thing you want to have to do is fight your corner.

sorry, all a bit long, feel like I've hi-jacked JTN's thread. And I've got ages to go yet!!!

sorry, all that long-winded babble was in response to montana's question ...

I think it is totally down to your genes and your body

I am very unfit (not overweight, particularly, but don't exercise at all.

I have 2 very straight forward labours

ds1 - waters broke, contractions started 1/2hr later, baby born 2hrs after that.

ds2 - waters broke, contractions started 10mins later, baby born 15mins after that.

Both at bang on 37 weeks.

My mum had quick labours (though not that quick) aswell.

Catherine

Didm't take the raspberry stuff or do any preparation either, in fact was in denial with ds1 that I was giving birth - and if I had been told he was breech and I needed a section I would have been delighted - duh!

Hi Nowanearlynicemum,
Good news about no.2. Congratulations. Hope you can put your pied down with the docs down south.

thanks beetlejuice - how are you settling back to life in Londres?
any plans for a second baby yourselves??

My motto is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I do believe that physically it is just luck/genes how it all turns out - but you can prepare and manage yourself mentally - just get thru each contraction calmly one at a time. There is no text book labour - sometimes things slow down or halt (can be very demoralising) or speed up. I got hooked on 1cm per hour and when this didnt happen I got upset rather that going with the flow. Dont panic and tay up right -- dont feel guilty if you havent done the whole gentle birth stuff - to me it smacks of some marketing ploy - "you can buy" a good labour!! - just try and keep calm minute by minute.

The Gentle Birth Method is not about buying anything ! Its about preparing your mind and body very thoroughly for labour and post natal recovery, helping as you say to 'prepare for the worst and hope for the best'. Its a shame it comes across as a 'marketing ploy' because it really isn't. It is totally possible to follow it and spend very very little on it, as I discovered and thankfully it worked for me and lots of others I've spoken to since. And I really don't mean to make anyone feel guilty for not doing it, I'm just trying to get the word around that it is possible to prepare in such a way to up your chances of a quick labour, manageable pain and no stitches etc, even for your first. Which is why I'm risking sounding like an obsessed nutter who keeps going on about it !!!!! x

Montana - I think you will find you were "sold" to you have to buy a book, raspberry leaf tea, almond oil etc...the lady who is the "founder" of this method charges massive fees for classes and recently thru her PR agency secured a prominent piece in the Sunday Times to sell more books/classes etc. Its not given out free on the NHS...my point is that nothing can guarantee a pain free delivery - I agree prepare and do the best you can but I have many friends who have put a lot of faith in alternative approaches only to be very badly let down and take personal responsibility for things not going smoothly...just need to be more open minded.

Dr Gowri Motha's approach is not 'alternative' - she is a obstetrician and works in the NHS. Her birth preparation classes cost less than the NCT ones. The book is around a tenner. Raspberry leaf tea, other herbs and vaginal stretch oil are as cheap as chips. The book contains everything you need to know / do without spending anything more, except a reflexology session every couple of weeks - around £20 depending where you live or an advanced student can treat you for free. Gowri genuinely wants to help women prepare themselves properly for the experience, rather than depending purely on good luck and genes. And she doesn't guarantee a pain free delivery, just effective ways to reduce the chance of unmanageable agony and stress for you and your baby. How much do we spend when we buy the cot, the buggy, decorate the nursery ? I am NOT the sort of person who is sold to. Do I sound that gullible ? Don't knock something that helps countless women until you've tried it.

THE NATURAL WAY
I used herb tinctures to prepare for the birth of my second child - squaw vine and nettle. The first ensures safe and easy delivery and nettle because I was anaemic and it contains vitamin c and iron. Also used raspberry leaf tea to strengthen uterine muscles in two weeks leading up to due date (be warned, can bring on strong braxton hicks). BUT another vital ingredient was reflexology on my feet from a wonderful maternity reflexogist. My little story to back all this up is this: first labour was three days and four nights long ending with cervical sweep/hormones etc then epidural but luckily a normal delivery. My second I decided to try and help things so researched (try Anne McIntyre The Herbal for Mother and Child or you could ask at Neals Yard) and found the above. I also had in stock black cohosh to make contractions more effective (my prob first time) as well as different essential oils. I had the reflexology session (foot massage) with the reflexologist on a Monday night, got mild contractions on the way home (yikes!), was wandering around town the next day thinking I was having good ole Braxton Hicks then on Tuesday evening I started going into labour. My second little boy was born two hours after getting into hospital with no problems at all and just TENS machine and chamomile/lavendar oils for pain relief. I used a birthing ball and kept really mobile which was essential. Of course you must consult herbalist or do good research before using herbs. But I am convinced it made all the difference to my second labour.

wow clare that sounds great i will look into getting some reflexology near and the herbs if suitable - thanks evryone starting to feel a littlwe more prepared this time.

I'd just like to back up Knackered. I do think you can influence your labour through exercise, helahty eating, raspberry leaf tea etc. HOWEVER things can and will change, don't set yourself up with high expectations. I was certian I woudl be an absolute wimp and never manage without drugs. In the end it was so quick I didn't have any pain relief! But then a friend who had hypnotherapy, waterbirth etc etc couldn't cope and ended up after 24 hours having a spinal block thingie. She spent the whole first year of her babies life feeling guilty that she hadn't managed her 'perfect' natural birth.

The best advice anyone can give you is to plan for every eventuality but expect none of them. Accept that alot of it will be out of your control and thank all the gods for the helahty child and mum at the end of it!