Natural/Home Birth: What Important Piece of Advice Can You Give?

Use homeopathy. Find Miranda Castro book it'll lead you through.
Good Luck!
Second time is the charm.
V.

I am so glad I had both of my kids at the hospital. I had problems with both of mine. I think if I would of done it at home that those problems would of been worse than they really were.
But I know friends that have had great home births. So each person has to make the decision that will be best for them and their baby!
Good Luck.

If you have ever talked to a woman who had a close call with losing
a child and the baby was only saved because of people and equipment
only available at the hospital, you might think differently.

I did not personally have a home-birth, but a very good friend of mine did. She said, that she wished she had prepared more. Into her very heavy labor, right before pushing, she started freaking out. They hadn't made any plans, for if something went wrong. All of the sudden, she realized there was no plan, for an emergency. Of course, in a normal pregnancy/birth, it's not common for anything to go wrong. Her birth went just fine, but she really had a hard time with the fear. She is a few months away from having another home birth and feels great about this one! They have plans in place, in the rare event of an emergency. Now, she knows they are prepared. I would suggest having emergency plans in place. Not at all to assume something will happen, but to bring peace to the whole process. Good luck!!

Something that helped me calm down was remembering a documentary that I had seen about how women from some tribe in Africa have their babies. They realize it is time, get up calmly and go for a walk. They walk and walk and quietly, when it is time, squat down by the side of the road and deliver their child. By themselves, quietly. When they have everything cleaned up, they walk back and introduce their new family member. Now, if women for generations and generations can do THAT, surely I can deliver my infant from my body with my friends and families support without too much medical interference. Good luck on such an amazing experience, you can do this!

You will do GREAT. Don't worry. My second birth was a pitocin-induced delivery with no epidural....which you've already done as well :) So you know how intense that is. My third delivery was also natural, but without pitocin. He was born in exactly 2 hours from the time my water broke. It was SO much more manageable without the pitocin! Also, bank on the fact that your second birth may go much faster. My first was 15 hours, my second was 90 minutes, and my third was 2 hours. When you have natural contractions that are not induced, the pain is much more tolerable because the contractions are farther apart and less intense.

The only recommendation I have (other than think positively) is get acupuncture once a week to prepare your body - it does wonders for heightening pain tolerance. I also found that getting adjusted with a prenatal chiro is very beneficial - results in a faster labor and enables baby to engage in pelvis in best possible position. Even without either of those, you may have an easier time than you think. I PROMISE the pain will be less intense than your pitocin birth and it will be an amazing and memorable experience.

Think, "pressure" not "pain"...
Consider the Hypnobabies home course...worked like a charm for me! (And I wasn't a very good consistant student either! LOL)
I had my kids in the hospital and both births were great...one with an epidural and one without meds and I loved both experiences. (I can hardly believe I'm saying that! LOL)
Just remember, when you think it can't get anymore intense...it won't get any worse...it's time to push and you're about to meet your baby!

oh, reading all these great responses makes me jealous! I have to go back in for another c-section(#5)! I was able to have one as a VBAC- One of my friends recently had her 10lbs baby girl at home! She did great and everything went fine- but I know one thing she was doing in advance was making sure she had someone there for her other 3 kids so they wouldn't get scared or anything. Turns out she didn't need anyone- they were all asleep when their sister was born at 5:30am!
Good luck and congratulations!
~C.

Check out largefamilyliveshereblogspot.com. She is pregnant with baby number 6 and had most of her children at home for the same reasons you mention.

Hello, While I have never given birth at home or done the water birth, I have had four babies (who are now grown). The first three were delivered with the help of a "saddle block". The headaches after were pretty bad. When I was having my fourth baby, I had changed to a new O.B. He did natural births if that was what you wanted (he also did home births). I didn't want anything during labor. I was able to get through the labor and delivery without any medication. The pain you feel prior to the actual delivery is pretty much it. The delivery is much like being constipated and finally being able to go. Sorry about the way I put it. Anyway, after I delivered our fourth child, I felt so much better than I had with the first three.
Good luck with your new baby and your precious family.
K. K.

Hi-

I haven't experienced a home birth but I had my second child, a VBAC, in the hospital naturally, without medical intervention. I had a doula which helped incredibly but was what was so amazing was how focused I was during my contractions. I stayed with slow and easy breathing the whole time, didn't panic, and just stay focused. One time my doula had me hum, which was nice and a little different! I did remind myself that this pain is necessary and TEMPORARY! That really helped!

The mama who wrote about serious constipation was right on, in my opinion. I remember asking the doula if I should take an enema because I was so constipated. Nope, it was my son and when I pushed him out it was such a relief!

Good Luck!!!!

I had a natural childbirth as well. I did have a doula to help me through it all, so that was great. Also, when things were feeling pretty painful, I would focus on breathing the pain out of my body, so my breath was gathering the pain and pushing it out. Something big that helped me out was also to visualize my child, already born in various stages of his life. Of course I did not know what he would look like at the time, but I imagined what he would look like. I pictured him at the park when he was about 3, playing on the swings with me. Then I would picture him walking around and talking to me, hugging, laughing, etc.

I had a 19-hour un-medicated, vaginal birth nearly 4 years ago...and I still remember some parts of it vividly. One of the things I remember most is that delivering the placenta was nearly as much of a relief as getting the baby out.

During contractions, while I could talk through them anyway, I would breathe deeply and repeat the words of a poem that I heard Maya Angelou read many years ago (Invictus). The change in my ability to do it also sent my midwife a signal about how my labor was intensifying.

I had followed all the advice I had been given and gathered all my favorite things--lavender scented spray, mineral water and grape juice, a favorite night gown, etc. Once labor intensified...I didn't care about any of it. I also couldn't stand to wear anything other than a sports bra. I never planned on being so naked through it.

So...if I could give you any advice...be prepared to not care about anything you prepared.

Good luck. Birth is such a wonderful experience...no matter how you choose to go about it.

Since you had pitocin with your first birth, you have to remember that the contractions were different because of that. They were harder/faster/more painful than they would have been without it. So the pain should be not so bad. I loved my home birth, and I went straight into active labor as soon as it started, so I was completely zoned out the whole time. Well, maybe in the zone is a better way to put it. Every contraction was rough, but those places in between contractions, so wonderful, although pretty short. I would just look forward to those each time, when I could catch my breath and feel normal. I think the water birth will be good for you too, I spent most of my time in the bath, well 4.5 of my 6 hours of labor, and it did feel so much better. Just trust in your body the whole time, and let things happen. Your body will know what to do :) Good luck, it is a great experience.

I didn't have a home birth, but I did have a completely natural (no pain meds or IV) birth at the hospital that I am really happy with. We took classes at our local natural birth center in natural birth, parenting and breastfeeding. They were amazing, and the birth classes really prepared me for how to manage the pain, breathing etc. I also had a doula with me, who was also amazing, I would recommend one if you dont have one already. Other than that... just go with the flow and remember it will all eventually be over :) Good luck!

Expect the unexpected. I've had three children and none of my births were alike. Don't labor on your back, makes contractions worse! my second was my easiest birth. I'm serious, I was saying right after that I could do it again! Also, if you have to transfer to a hospital, don't feel like you failed!

I just had my second child in the hospital, induced, but no pain killers. The first was a natural home birth with a tub to get in and out. If they had been reversed, I never would have had a second... =) Good for your for going for it!
My advise: Breathe deep and take music that relaxes you. I visualized waves when the contractions would hit and tried to breathe all the way to the bottom of the 'ocean'. I don't remember it hurting like this last one, and the endorphines were so super good with the first one I was high for like a week...
Also, we had a birthing ball that I bounced on and that was nice too...
Anyway! Good birthing! You can do it!
R.

For most people...Labor is like the one day stomach flu. It's wretched, miserable, and all-consuming, BUT! Then it's gone. And you start to feel human again.

Remember labor is just another day, one that brings you a wonderful gift, your new little one.

[hugs]
Every happiness to you and your family.

Relax. It will be a joke. In fact, it will be as painful as you let it be ;-) Seriously. Pain is very much a function of how you approach it. If you fear it, it will hurt. If you relax in to it, and enjoy the labor as labor, you won't be bothered by it. I loved my second labor, I loved feeling myself dilate, etc. It was amazing, an experience I wish every woman could have! Just remember to keep both a relaxed jaw and hands, and breath with the contractions, not against them.

My first labor was awful. It was in a hospital, and I had access to a tub, but only for a limited amount of time. They also had an IV in me, so I had limited mobility, yadda, yadda. Oh ya, did I mention I had back labor and I couldn't even stand up because of the cramping in my butt and legs? I also had Pitocin with no pain meds, and a 24 hour labor. It was awful.

Second kid, at home. It was a joke. When the midwife arrive, hubby and I went for a walk. It took us an hour to do my regular 10 minute walk. When I returned, I was in transition. After getting the midwife and her assistant some food, we headed to where I was going to labor and hubby got the tub ready --do get the tub ready early! I had to wait for it a bit and that sucked.

At one point, I turned to my midwife and asked her what I could do to speed things up. I was afraid my contractions weren't working hard enough because I was so relaxed it didn't feel like anything was happening! I was so anxious to see my son that I actually wanted the contractions to hurt more, cause then I knew we would be getting closer to push time!

I also recommend visualization techniques. Just focusing on what was happening lessened the pain. I was so amazed by the process of dilation that the contractions didn't bother me.

If you are doing it at home, you will be amazed by how much more relaxed you feel. You are in a safe environment. You are in control. If you don't like the bright light, you can turn it off. You get to do what you want, with teh support and guidance of people who want to see you be successful. It truly is so different from a hospital birth (no matter how supportive the hospital staff might be) that you just can't compare them. It is amazing.

ENJOY IT.Don't fear it. Birthing at home is truly amazing, I get teary eyed just thinking about it.

Congratulations! My homebirth was such a wonderful experience (with my second son) so I am always excited to hear about other mothers having one because I know that they will be in the company of people (midwife, midwife asst, doula, and husband) that support her decision and who will let her have control over her own body and in an environment that she feels comfortable in too. It was so nice to not have to think about the logistics of when we needed to leave to go to the hospital (like with my first child). It actually felt completely natural and while I was in labor I never even thought about the fact that I was having a homebirth vs. a hospital because I was in the moment. Here's some advice: invest in a doula!!! I cannot stress this for all births, home, hospital, natural or caesarean. The studies show that having a doula at your birth lowers all kinds of complications. Read Birthing From Within, the first half was all these crafts projects which weren't for me but they had fantastic pain management exercises which were INVALUABLE during labor! Especially the Non-Focused Observations. If you have stairs in your house, use them! I labored on all fours on them and it was a great position to be in because you're using gravity but you're supported on your hands and knees.We used a birth pool which was fantastic but a bit of advice about that; have someone clean it out sooner than later because my husband let it sit around for 24 hrs. and it wasn't pleasant but if you do it right away like a friend of mine's husband did, it's not so bad (use a sub-pump). I see you have an older child, most labors happen at night, as did mine, but I wish that we had had someone lined up for the morning after because my son woke up at 5am, an hour after the midwives left so we were exhausted! So a family member or babysitter would be a very good idea. As with all labors, remember that it is painful but you and your baby are working together and he/she is going through this with you and it is only time so no matter what, it will come to an end. Lastly, and most importantly, you need to TRUST that your body knows what to do (especially with a second birth). I feel that doctors and hospitals often undermine women's innate trust in their body and that is often what leads to complications. On that note, I switched midwives during my pregnancy and that made a world of difference. The first one was great but I was more nervous about the process and then I switched to another and suddenly I had no more nervousness anymore at all. More and more of my friends and people I meet are having wonderful birth experiences at home and I wish you an amazing experience too! Best wishes!

In response to AJ and Diane V. That wasn't the question. Everyone always has a horror story about a birth, wherever it took place, so your input on this subject is neither helpful or pertinent. Please trust that we have done our research which shows that hospital births have far more complications and mortality rates than home births. There is a reason why California has one of the worst mortality rates, it's because of inductions at hospital births. Of course, there is always a time for medicine, like when you're sick! Being a fear-monger is not going to help this Anne with the choice she has made. A well-trained mid-wife knows exactly which signs to look for and will have a plan in place in case of emergency. Fyi, my midwife has been a midwife for over 30 years and has only had to go to the hospital less than 5 times, with no mortality. Please keep the negativity and horror stories to yourself because it isn't nice at all to do to an expecting mother!

I don't think you can compare a "natural" labor with one assisted with pitocin: my understanding of the way that pitocin works is that the level of intense contractions are intensified many fold. After what you have been through, natural labor will seem easy! I had a home birth with two midwives and my mom and three of my sisters with me. My husband was my coach as well as my birthing chair. It was a beautiful experience. just keep breathing and stay calm - relaxed muscles are the key to a "painless" birth process. Enjoy your experience and I wish you all the luck and happiness and joy a new baby can bring!
LL

Remember that during transition, every woman feels like she can't go on. If you can just get past that period (which is thankfully, the shortest part of labor) the pushing phase will begin and the sensations will change completely. You will get your second wind. So when you find yourself thinking that you can't do it, just know that you are probably in transition and soon you will meet your baby.

I can only give you info from FL... and here a 'normal' birth ni a hospital is around $9,000, a cesarean is about $13-15K, and a midwife is about $5,000. Doulas usually range about $400-800 and are very helpful in that they are well versed in how the changes go, how to support the Mother when needed and when to leave her some privacy. She is your advocate in a way your close family cannot be. Definitely a personal choice.

I know you will do just great! Congrats on going the true normal route!

Have you heard of a TENS machine? It is a natural pain killer method which does not use any drugs at all. There are 4 small electrode pads you apply to your back and a small electrical current goes to your back, it enhances your natural pain killing endorphins. I used one for my 42 hour labor and didn't use any drugs at all.
If you are worried about pain I would thoroughly recommend using one. I got mine from England where they are routinely used for labor pains. Here is a link that explains its use:
http://midwifeinfo.com/articles/tens-transcutaneous-elect...

Congrats! I have had 2 boys. The first birth was medicated towards the end as pitocin was added, and I was afraid of the pain associated with the artificial hormone. My second was completely free of pain medicine. Both were in the hospital. I really don't think that my second experience with no pain meds was any more difficult than the first time, so you shouldn't worry needlessly about this time around being worse. This may be specific to my situation and that my pain meds lasted only about 45 minutes in my first labor.

My advice to you is to practice relaxation techniques, positive affirmations, and breathing exercises. My fear was my worst enemy in my first labor and it held me back and, I think, made my labor last as long as it did. Because I felt so much fear remembering my first experience, I looked into hypnobirthing. Ask your midwives about this. My doula was a trained hypnobirth expert, and I asked her to give me lessons. I only had about 6 weeks to prepare for my due date, and this short amount of time really helped. The affirmations I mentioned may seem cheesey, but I used them. I placed little post-its all over the house that said things like, "My body was meant to have children" or "I will have a relaxing childbirth" etc. The difference between my first and second experiences may have something to do with the fact that the 2nd usually comes faster, but I believe my preparation was the biggest factor. When I was getting ready to go to the hospital, my sister remarked that she couldn't even tell I was in labor. I just turned inward for each contraction. While other moms in the triage room were screaming and crying at dilated to 1 cm, I was quietly breathing away and dilated to 8! Remember that each contraction (some call them surges or waves) is getting you closer to your baby and the finish line!

I had a natural delivery in a hospital. It was pretty quick - 11 hours of labor overall, but about 6 of those were really bad back labor. The back labor started unexpectedly and right after we got to the hospital, so there wasn't time to unpack all my comfort items or even the birth plan. And right at the end the cord got crushed by the baby's head and he wasn't getting enough oxygen, so he had to come out "right now" one way or the other. Through all of that, the advice here was mostly what got me through it: breathe hard, don't be afraid to vocalize with the breathing (screaming is different but I found my little "ha" breaths turning into HAAAAAAAs), find something to focus on, concentrate on how it's for the baby, etc.

What really made the difference for me was being really well educated. I read books and web sites, and took classes on pregnancy, labor&delivery, and even childcare. So I never had a single panic moment of "I don't know what's going on, I'm not ready for this". I was in so much pain that I couldn't benefit from explanations from the nurses, so it was imperative that I was able to follow everything going on from just a few words here and there. Even when things got crazy at the end, and the doctor didn't have time to explain anything, she just said a couple quick words to the nurse and I knew exactly what was happening, what she was going to do, and what I had to do. It let me really handle my own delivery instead of freaking out (which probably would have led to a c-section).

I have a friend who is very passionate about this subject. She has a blog all about it, so I thought I'd share the link. :)
http://www.theartofnaturalbirth.blogspot.com/

Good luck!

Had all my babies naturally and each experience was different (and all were wonderful!). I like to think of each contraction as a good thing. Every contraction brings you closer to holding your baby so I just reminded myself of that. Also with my last labor, I talked to my baby the whole time and I visualized him moving through the birth canal. Your mind is an extremely powerful tool! Sounds like you have a great support system, that's awesome. I always had lots of support around me but it's turns out I like to labor solo. Listen to your body, you'll do great. Best of luck mama!
ETA: I just read your update. I used a doula with my last labor but just like you we were on a budget so I used a "doula in training." She needed to attend 3 births to earn her certificate and I was her 3rd. NO FEE! I just bought her some flowers and a gift card. Maybe check with a doula network in your area?

I had 2 premies, so my pain experience might be naturally lessened, but I didn't have any drugs for either and the 2nd was MUCH easier than the first, I think because I used a Hypnobabies audio session that I listened to frequently. My friend who tried a home birth with her first but ended up with a C-section (failure to progress, what else?!), was able to have a natural home birth with the 2nd and also swears it's all in your state of mind. Relaxation is key!!! Oh, and she had a midwife & her hubby; no doula.
Best wishes for a healthy baby no matter how s/he joins the world!

I haven't ever had a home birth -- but my brother and his wife have had all of their children at home. I wish you the best of luck in a healthy, happy and wonderful birth experience. I would say "Trust your body." It knows what to do. This is a natural process - like going to the bathroom and if you pay attention to your body's signals what you need to do will be clear. If you want to change positions - do it. As the baby presses into your pelvic area and it's time to push you will actually release endorphins that help block pain.

Perhaps you could ask your midwife group for some books they recommend? I believe there is a line of magazines... "Naturally" or something like that? A midwifery magazine with personal stories, tips, anecdotes, etc.

The only other advice I have is to accept the end goal is a healthy baby. You haven't failed if something doesn't go as planned. My Brothers most recent child ended up needing to be delivered in a hospital and there were some complications. She didn't get to have her waterbirth and she was really disappointed, but in the end -- her son was healthy, and she was healthy. She didn't fail - she did what was right for her and the baby.

Good luck Momma!

Everything everyone else said, and a large plastic shower curtain or tarp for under your sheets, makes cleanup easier. And rent a tub from a company that comes back for it and takes it away to clean it!

I have 4 kids, the last 2 were delivered natural. I didnt think Id ever plan to do it natural but once I did it, I knew I could do it and that it was way better for me. So with #4 I went in with the intent of doing it and doing it well. The best thing that I can say is breathe with your contractions. Breathe in and out HARD out of your mouth thru the entire contraction. I see ladies on tv screaming and just hanging on and I always think, "oh, if youd just breathe!" That focus on the breath takes away the focus from the pain. Now pushing....thats another story! :) Just pray the baby comes fast! Good luck!

My #1 piece of advice for a natural birth is to hum through your contractions. It gives you something to concentrate on and helps move the baby down too.

I tried for a water (hospital) birth with our second. Also a VBAC. The water TAKES AWAY ALMOST ALL THE PAIN! I ended up not delivering in the water but the laboring in the water is GREAT! I highly recommend it to everyone! I don't even really remember it "hurting" once I was in the big tub! And I dilated MUCH faster too!

Congrats on your baby and on making the decision for a natural birth! I delivered my son naturally 8 weeks ago (though it was in a hospital). I didn't take any classes, but I read the book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth--it is a MUST READ! Make sure you pick it up in these last few weeks of pregnancy.

As for the one piece of advice during labor...a good friend of mine told me "When it gets to the point where you think you can no longer take it, and you'd do anything for drugs? You're almost done." It was totally true in my case. My labor was only 3.5 hours long, and the last 10 minutes were the only part I felt like I might not be able to do it. I wanted drugs, anything to make it stop. Before I knew it, though, he was out...and the pain was totally gone and my recovery was easy. Also, try to invite the contractions--let them do the work for you. Try not to fight them (this is hard, but at least early on try to just "go" with them). Good luck!

I took Bradley classes, and the best thing I learned was visualization. It helped me tremendously. But if you love your midwives like you say (and I loved mine!), just follow their lead, and you will do fine.
"You are a strong mama warrior about to enter battle, you will fight and win," was something my midwife used to say.

On the flip side, I also mentally and emotionally prepared for something to go wrong. We discussed every possible outcome, and that helped me know that decisions had already been put into place, we knew the best course of action for practically every scenario where something would go wrong.

Birthing at home requires intuitive strength on everyone's part as well as infallible trust. If you have those things, the rest will fall into place. A blessed birth to you!

True, the pain will not last forever. Once that baby is out of there, about 95% of the pain is gone! You nearly feel 100% as soon as the baby is out. Of course, no song and dance, but you do feel good.

I purchased to colorful stress balls and clenched onto them during my last contractions and birth. I am a photographer, so I took a book of my favorite photos and looked through it. I could look at photos all day long, especially black and whites.

In the beginning stages my older daughter was there, her boyfriend, my BIL, and hubby. It was like a giant slumber party. I kicked them all out eventually for a private birth.

Best wishes and congratulations.

@Luci's Mom, I would be worried the lavender would make my delivery team sleepy...don't want that!

Hi Anne,
Congrats on your pregnancy and planning a home birth! I had a home birth for my 2nd, and despite what others may say, home birth is often SAFER than hospital birth. I got so much better care with my homebirth midwives than the first time around with an OB practice - my chart was open to me, I had 30-40 minute prenatal visits, no one forgot to call me with test results, no one "lost" records of things that happened, and they spent much more time with me in labor.
My piece of advice? Don't do too much planning. You won't know what's comfortable for you til you are going through it. You may not feel like using the tub, or you may find you don't want a lot of people around or that pushing on your side is actually more comfortable than squatting. Listen to your body! I found that although my homebirth labor was more painful, I was able to relax better because I knew I was not going to suddenly have to abandon what I was doing, get dressed, etc to go to the hospital. Also, a lot of families planning a home birth invite a bunch of people - because after all, you can, there are no restrictions, but think about whether you really want that. I knew that I would not.
Good luck. Have you read Journey Into Motherhood by Sherri Menelli? I don't think it's in print any longer but you can probably find a used copy on Amazon and it's such an inspiring read for any mom planning a natural birth in any setting

I had one hospital "medical model" birth and two hospital waterbirths (all natural - no drugs).

My second birth was was scared, and I think what helped me most was focusing on each contraction, without thinking too far ahead. Each contraction has it's purpose, focus on that, try to relax and rest between them.

My third birth was a cakewalk. Of course I can say that now that it's two years past and memory fades of how intense it really was. But, again, focus on the task at hand, breathe and relax.

You'll do fine.

J.

My child's birth went completely different from what I had planned. It was in a hospital, and not the hospital I wanted. I was downstate for a wedding and went into labor 8 wks early. This is going to sound silly, but I had a manicure the day before, and I kept concentrating on my nails and kept thinking, "At least part of me is pretty!" Of course I am super shy and had about 20 med students in the room that WOULD NOT LEAVE standing at the foot of my bed! So my advice is have something to focus on, because it helps.

Congrats!

I am in a similar situation to you. I have given birth twice in a hospital, both times with a midwife - once un-medicated (first) and once with a very late epidural at 9 cm (second). I am now 24 weeks pregnant with my 3rd and planning a birthing center birth with a midwife. I too am fearful about the pain! I thought after doing it the first time that my second delivery would be easier, but my coping skills flew out the window and I opted for an epidural at the last minute.

I KNOW this is b/c I didn't have a good support team. I was completely panicky and had no one to talk me down from the ledge, so to speak. I think it's absolutely imperative to have someone there telling you it's temporary, encouraging you to breath deeply and calmly and unclench your muscles, and to remind you of your goal (a beautiful baby!). I didn't have this at my second birth (with a midwife who really had very OB practices it turns out).

As far as a doula goes - I did have one with my first birth. I actually had her for free b/c she was a doula in training and needed to fulfill her 3 births before she could be certified. I found her presence helpful and calming. Perhaps you can look into something like that? But honestly it sounds like between your midwife and an assistant, and your mother and husband, things should be taken care of.

Good luck!!

K

What helped me through my first child and natural birth was that going into the process I believed in what my body could do. Nothing really prepared me for the pain but I expected it so that kind of took off the edge (maybe???). Also, I had a great midwife and wonderful nurses that coached me through it. I think it is more of a mental thing...you educate yourself prior and don't come down to hard on yourself if something doesn't go as planned.

I just had a baby last week--my second. My first was induced because of preeclampsia, but I had a wonderful midwife and labor nurse. It hurt, but they were there the entire time helping talk me through the contractions. My labor was about 7 hours of intense labor. My last labor was in a hospital with a family doctor (we moved and my preeclampsia is a condition which precludes me from a home birth in my state) and it was much worse because of the lack of support. My doctor was a dud (now I know :(...and the labor nurse was sweet, but I got the impression she hadn't attend many unmedicated births. I was really scared and it felt overwhelming (although it went so fast!)--I say this because I realize how incredibly important a great support team is--I think with a home birth midwife you should have plenty of support. Both times I labored in the tub which was very helpful! You can do this!