Tag: birth plan

Managing pain during unmedicated labor/delivery

So Viv is now over 2 weeks old and I’ve had more time to reflect on our successful unmedicated vbac. Im going to eventually blog on tips for having a successful vagina birth after caesarean, but today I just want to blog from the standpoint of a “normal” labor and delivery. Since I labored at home and didn’t get to the hospital until pushing time, I was treated like any other laboring mom and other than wearing a monitor I didn’t have any weird requirements as a result of having a past c section.

So let’s talk about unmedicated child birth. First things first, no epidural doesn’t mean no pain management. You HAVE TO have a plan to deal with the intensity of contractions to make it through an unmedicated child birth. Continue reading “Managing pain during unmedicated labor/delivery”

Why I am skipping the epidural this time

I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately about my birth plan, and why I plan to skip the epidural this time around even though I am planning a VBAC, so I thought I’d write about it here.

First of all, I think all momma’s should choose what is best and most comfortable for them when it comes to birth plans. Whether it be epidural or not, vaginal or csection, etc. There’s no one size fit all perfect plan. I am also not a doctor or medical professional and all of the following I have found out through planning and talking with my midwife/doula and researching. None of this is medical advice – my only advice is RESEARCH.

With that said, I am not planning for an epidural during labor and delivery of my daughter. There are a few reasons why – but to explain I need to go into what happened during labor/delivery via emergency CS with my son.

I was afraid of labor during my first pregnancy. I didn’t take a child birth class or do any research, and my only plan was to head to the hospital and get an epidural and just chill until delivery. This is one thing I advise against (dont be so scared that you don’t plan! write a brith plan! know your options!). I planned on an epidural without knowing any of the risks, or things I was giving up by getting one. After the epidural, LB’s heart rate went crazy and was up and down the entire rest of labor. I was pushing, he was crowning but stuck, and I couldn’t feel to get him pushed out. The guided pushing was exhausting and I couldn’t move off my back. After a few interventions (vacuum) and a lot of scary heart rate fluctuations it was decided he needed to be delivered immediately via CS.

So here’s what I didn’t know:

Continue reading “Why I am skipping the epidural this time”

Why I decided to hire a doula

Welp, I hired a doula. And i’m really excited about it! But I did want to document and share why I decided to hire a doula. First, I guess I should explain what exactly a doula is for those who don’t know. By definition, a doula is a woman who is trained to assist another woman during childbirth and who may provide support to the family after the baby is born. Doula’s are a support person for mom (and dad!) during labor and delivery. A doula is different than a midwife or OB. They are there to support you and keep you comfortable during labor – not to delivery the baby or make medical evaluations. Different doula’s offer different services but most will help you draft a thorough birth plan, are trained in massages/relaxation/pain mangement techniques, and ensure your birth team (midwife or OB) follow your birth plan and any deviations are explained to you.

So, with all that said – here is why I chose to hire a doula this time.

Continue reading “Why I decided to hire a doula”

Why I changed from my OB to a midwife practice

Last week I did something I’ve been needing to do for months –

I broke up with my OB.

I’m sad about it for a few reasons. One – I love love love my OB. I came across him by chance (I was going to another gynecologist, she retired, and I was transferred to him). From my first check up I liked him. He’s easy to talk to, listens to my concerns, never cuts my appointments short AND somehow is still always on time. And… let me be honest – he’s a fellow African America. Basically we feel like family. He was excited for us when we had the second ultrasound to confirm we were expecting (the first there was just a sack – we weren’t sure if this one was gonna make it). And I look forward to updating him on every appointment about my workouts/runs/baby movement/etc. His staff is also excellent.

The problem? Something I’ve known from that first appointment I had with him – a year before I got pregnant with this blessing.

His VBAC policy.

Continue reading “Why I changed from my OB to a midwife practice”