Thread: Hi!

I have been lurking here since before I got my BFP and I have posted just a time or two. I was waiting until I saw the OB and had an u/s to start posting.

The OB I saw yesterday was great. He took the time to talk to me and he seemed very open to my questions and ideas. The only "iffy" things he said were that there were two things this practice has very strong feelings about: 1) they would not attend home births (what OB does?) 2) They required IV access at the hospital. He DIDN'T say I had to have the IV fluids which is good.

I was feeling very good about everything, but then he also said, "I will just share that most women DO get the epidural because having a baby really hurts." Hmm. I hope that doesn't mean they push epidurals on their patients.

Anyhow, I am here and am looking forward to getting to know you better!

Welcome to the board and congrats on baby!

And in my experience, they might "require" an IV, but they can't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Any midwives in your area?

Just midwives who work in hospitals. I hear from some folks around here that these midwives are just like having an OB. :/

Welcome and congrats

He is probably meaning a hep-lock. They stick everything they need for an IV in you with out actually hooking you up to an IV. I had one with my second and it wasn't that bad. They ended up hooking me up to some fluids after I had the baby because I lost so much blood.

To me it sounds like, if he is already mentioning that "most" women get the epi, that they probably continue to ask them through the labor. You can ask them not to ask you. My hospital always asks unless asked not to. They were pretty respectful of my wishes. My advice to you is get into a birthing class that teaches you relaxation. I did Hypnobirthing and many on this board have done Hypnobabies. There are others those are just the two most popular.

Welcome to the board and congrats on your pregnancy!

To be honest, what the OB said makes me think he has very little experience supporting natural childbirth. It is one thing to let the woman do what she wants, and something else entirely to provide the emotional support most women need to have an unmedicated birth. I think having a provider who has a philosophy that supports natural birth is worth shopping around for. Call the hospital and ask to talk to the nurses at labor and delivery and ask who the best doctor or midwife is for women who want to go with less medical intervention. You can also ask any doulas or childbirth educators in your area for recommendations. If you can't find anyone better than the OB you just saw, I recommend finding a doula. We doulas love supporting women who want natural births

Welcome and congrats! I think others have some good suggestions for getting the natural birth you want.

Welcome and congrats! I hope your ob will be supportive. I think it's really hard to know this early in pregnancy what their real philosophy is. I would maybe ask around town if you can about that hospital/doctor or you could ask your doc for some references?

Welcome and congrats!

Thanks for all the great advice ladies! I have a friend planning a natural birth who is due soon. She has been with the practice the whole pregnancy. She's also taking a natural childbirth class right now. I hope her experience will give me some insight into what this group is really all about.

BTW - So far she says that she has felt very supported in her decision to go natural, although the OB I saw is not the one she mentioned.