For some reason I have always wanted to have a natural childbirth. Even if it is just for the first one. Part of me just wants to say that I did it. Another reason is that, for me, few stories in the Bible are as clear as the story of Adam and Eve. God tells Eve that because she has sinned He will greatly increase her pains in childbirth and that with pain women will give birth to children. When I tell people this, most are downright rude and tell me that I'm crazy. I was even told that you don't get a gold star for having a baby naturally. I don't care how anyone else gave birth, with or without an epidural. At the end of the day you still did it and that is amazing. I just want to do it differently. I don't have a problem with epidurals and I may even have one someday, but I have only heard two good epidural birth stories.
That is another thing about being pregnant. People love to tell you their birth story. For the most part, I enjoy hearing them - both good and bad. I figure that if you can put your body through that kind of distress and live to tell the story then you deserve to shout it from the rooftops. Other than our mothers and grandmothers, I only have one friend who gave birth naturally. In my mind, her birth is one of the best stories I have heard. Other women tell me that they had an epidural that worked everywhere but where it was supposed to, or that the epidural wore off early and the doctors wouldn't give her any more. Could you imagine going from no pain at all directly to the worst pain that you have ever felt in your life? Then there is my friend who said she was flipping through magazines and listening to her iPod when she felt "some pressure" that happened to be a baby. She pushed for a half hour and voila.
Now I don't plan to just go in there unprepared and pop out a baby like a Gladiator. Paul and I attended our first of 12 birthing classes on Monday night. Paul wasn't too thrilled about going to a class once every 12 weeks, but I'm hoping he'll come around. We chose to go with the Bradley Method. Of the couples who take the course, about 86% have given birth naturally. I was really terrified of signing up for the class. I can say I want a natural birth all I want, but signing up for the class made it feel awfully real. Within the first hour of the first class, I knew this is what I wanted. The class covers everything from nutrition and exercise to relaxation and breastfeeding. Relaxation is the key to the method and while we have a lot to learn, I know that by the end I will not have a fear of giving birth. If nothing else, the method will teach me how to labor at home long enough that by the time I get to the hospital and I am screaming for an epidural it will be too late. :o)
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I say go for it Cassie! We were planning the Bradley Method too, but my water broke and I had no choice but to go in. But 12 hours later, out she came. Oh, I must mention, that because I was having a dry birth that I opted to have an epidural. But after my muscular back from the crutches popped the 3rd cathedar out, I of course followed through with our Bradley Method.
ReplyDeleteCassie-
ReplyDeleteI thought that c-section was the way to go until we went to our classes and after the classes, I also was against the epidural. But truthfully, I think the best way to go is to just take it minute by minute- don't make a decision that will make you feel like you have failed or are disappointed that things didn't go the way that you wanted it or planned it to go. I was blessed with having two nice easy labors that did not require an epidural or any drugs at all- and I know that does not happen very often- but they were wonderful! Good Luck to you!!!
Hi stranger,
ReplyDeleteMichelle told me you were pregnant, and sure enough I happened to find one of these sites that seem to be all the rage with expectant mothers. Congrats, and I'm glad to see all is well.