Planning an Unmedicated Birth
Why would a woman choose to experience the sensations of labor when we have modern medicine that can eliminate the pain?
Are women who chose to birth without drugs simply brave? Have something to prove? Have a high pain tolerance?
How have we become a society where the natural sensations of birthing our children are seen as unnecessary and of no value? A culture where the average women thinks that she could never give birth without an epidural and are in fact SCARED to even attempt it?
As a midwife I have witnessed woman after woman labor and birth their babies without medication. They aren’t any braver or stronger than women who birth with an epidural. The fact is that every single woman is capable of giving birth without medications.
There are, of course, times when the epidural has a purpose. It is a tool and should be used as such. Not a tool to undermine a woman’s belief in her body. But that is a post for another day. Today, I’m discussing birthing without drugs.
I asked a few mothers to share who have given birth with epidurals and then went on to have a homebirth. They’ve given me permission to share here. (Following the quotes are my tips for planning an unmedicated birth.)
“I had my first baby in the hospital under the care of nurse midwives. I was insistent to have a non-medicalized and unmedicated birth. After my water broke before labor, I was given no choice but to speed things along with the help of Pitocin. I had read that labor was more painful with induction and I was very fearful and worried. After hours of the Pitocin drip being titrated upwards, I gave in to the need for medication for relief. I didn’t want an epidural so I reduced Fentanyl. Even though Fentanyl is a strong opioid, it did nothing to relieve my anguish! Ultimately, I had an epidural placed. When I was fully dilated, I was so numb that I couldn’t even feel enough to use my muscles to push my baby out. I was faced with an immediate c-section, or the chance to turn off the epidural in hopes I could feel enough to help push my daughter out. I chose the latter, and shortly thereafter she was born. I felt everything! It was not a pleasant experience, and even though I tore, I was happy my precious daughter was born. When I became pregnant with my second child 14 months later, I knew I wanted to plan a home birth. Because I had never experienced a spontaneous natural labor, I read every book I could get my hands on. I read a lot about coping with labor pains. I was worried about what the pain would feel like, how intense it would get, and if I could handle it. I realized that my body was physiologically designed to give birth and that unlike other pain, labor pain was not an indication that something was pathologically wrong. I read a lot about moving my body and how the use of positive affirmations and water could ease discomfort. I carried some worries as a neared term about pain in labor, but my excitement overpowered my anxiety. I knew that being at home with a midwife that I trusted would make me less anxious. The comfort of my home, my family and less anxiety would all equate to more manageable labor pains. Also, I knew that I was doing the hard work that my female body was an expert at doing. I saw childbirth as a rite of passage, something women have been doing since the beginning of time. My son was born on Mother’s Day morning in a birth pool into my own hands. The labor was 8 hours long. It’s true that transition was more challenging than I had imagined, but the rest of my labor was relatively easy. The joy of giving birth unmedicated and without medical intervention was ecstatic! I later went on to birth two more daughters at home. ”
“My first three births were hospitalized and medicated. Honestly, I didn’t know anyone that had done it any other way. I remember going into the hospital saying I would have an unmedicated birth but feeling terrified. What if I couldn’t do it? How long would I be in pain until my body just gave up? Birthing without an epidural was something I had only read about. And, going into my hospital births I not only didn’t have the support, but I hadn’t built up a mental foundation of stability that birth is natural and that my body was designed to bear children.
Looking back, my hospital births were traumatic. Nobody slapped me or shaved me with a dirty razor because I gave birth in a first world country. But, I was treated as though the other people in the room were the authority and that this event was a trauma to be handled. I was pumped with Pitocin (which had I been informed of the harmful effects I never would have consented), made to stay in bed strapped to a monitor, and told when to push all for my “safety” and “the safety of the baby.”
I have a one-year-old now, that was born unmedicated and in my home. It is by far my greatest accomplishment, my most joyful memory, and the only way that I would choose to give birth going forward. What’s hilarious is that although this was my fourth child, but I felt like I was giving birth for the first time in my life. I remember thinking, “I’m going to feel everything!” and “I know my body is supposed to be able to do this (and it has before) but what if the pain is so unbearable, I collapse?” Also, “Can I really do this?”
I’ll be honest, none of my births have been orgasmic (although I have read many accounts of this experience). Even the first three- heavily medicated, hospitalized births with nurses and midwives coaching me on when to push was effort and painful. The parts that stand out between my births with an epidural and my homebirth was the support I received leading up to the birth, this idea that my body is designed to have children, my surrender to what is natural, birth my way- my choices, the setting that my child was welcomed into, the euphoric rush of dopamine after (something I did not experience with my medicated births), and the postpartum care I received. It’s silly to say, but all of this happened where I felt safe and comfortable- in my home surrounded by love and support.”
Tips for having an unmedicated birth:
Plan a birth at home. Hire a midwife!
Stay well hydrated and nourished during labor.
Take advantage of the benefits of laboring in water, either in a birthpool or the shower.
Move and find what positions feel best for you.
Make noise! Don’t feel embarrassed to make noise. The vast majority of women vocalize during contractions and it can really help you handle the sensations.
Consider a childbirth education such as this one or this one.
Surround yourself in labor with people who believe in your ability to give birth.
Some women love music and find it helps them relax. Others find it too distracting. I think having a playlist available of your favorite music is a good idea.
Cool washcloths on your forehead and neck can feel amazing in labor.
Drop your shoulder and open your palms during and between contractions. This can really facilitate your body to relax.
Remind yourself of your lineage. All of the women who have come before since the beginning of humanity have given birth without drugs (up until about 150 years ago). You are just as strong and able as them. Believe in yourself!
