A bit scared....

[Gemy]

When I had my first baby I was very shocked at how much it hurt/how exhausting and how bloody horrendous it was. But I know some women who tell me their experience was "spiritual" and "enjoyable".

So really, can anyone who's had one of these enjoyable/spiritial births give me some clues? Then, if I incorporate all into my next birth (due in Dec) I hopefully have the best chance of not having an experience that makes me shudder each time I think of it!

Any advice welcome!

Gemy, when I was writing my Birth plan with my last child, a friend send me hers, as we had similar ideas of what we wanted...it honestly had all eventualities covered, lol....both our aims were a Homebirth....but a lot of things can be transfereed into teh Hospital environment, too...if you like to look at it E-mail me on [email protected]
Maybe it will giove you some ideas of what you would like and not like.

Cargirl, can you tell us more about the 'no catheter' thing please? Why didn't you want it and how did you manage not to have it if it's hospital policy?

Hosppital policys doesn't mean you have to do whatever they tell ya....sadly , it seems, that as soon as a person goes into Hospital, suddenly they are made to feel like they have no right to refuse certain things....if the patient themselfs deems a certain treatment as something they do not want, then they are perfectly wihtin their right to refuse.
Obviously, I am not advokating to blindly refuse things...but, one must be aware that certain policys are not there to give the individual the best treatment.

Catheters can cause damage and infection, I had previously managed 3 epidurals without a catheter so why on earth agree to having one!!!! The reason why they like you to have them is to make sure you empty your bladder asap after birth.

Ironically when I had dd2 I was made to wait 4 hours to have a wee after the birth, I was told after delivery that I didn't need a wee - I was in agony I was desperate - I had to take myself to the toilet in the end, MW wouldn't accompany me in there so I fell off trying to stand up!!!! I could have made a formal complaint as it was neglect - they are supposed to encourage you to have a wee not make you wait. Lets say didn't exactly warm me to let them do anything unneccessary to me.

Didn't have an epidural in the end so it wasn't an issue & if I hadn't been able to wee within an hour of giving birth then I would have let them use a catheter but I didn't want to have one as routine.

have pasted that one into my stickies for future use!

harsh it may have been...but sadly so true...personal experience as well as sadly hearing so many traumtic experiences....
sigh....