My husband didn't understand why I would want to change things. He said having a natural childbirth was like getting a root canal without pain medication. Why would I want to do that to myself? Medical advancements have given us wonderful drugs to mask the pain. The epidural worked fine with the other 3 and since this was going to be our last birth, he figured we shouldn't change it now. Especially because I would be delivering in about 6-8 weeks.
After a few days of talking and tears, he finally understood how important it was to me. Particularly because it was going to be our last birth. I found out he was nervous about being my labor coach. When you go through labor just as long as you have to before getting an epidural, you really don't need a labor coach. He's never had to be that kind of support for me. I can understand the pressure he would be feeling. We agreed that I would look for a doula (professional labor coach) so he wouldn't have to be my main source of labor support.
I checked to see if my friend who teaches the childbirth classes would be available to offer us a shortened class. She got me in touch with a lady who was able to give us a private class. I'm so glad we took the class. It helped answer some of our questions and got us on the same page. It was great to gain more knowledge from another woman who has gone through natural childbirth. Her encouragement really helped give me confidence and hope that I could do it too.
My next task was finding a doula. I was talking with a good friend who suggested I see if a friend of hers would be willing to be my doula. She was almost certified to be a midwife so she might be a good fit. After a couple of emails and a phone call, she agreed to be my doula. I was so relieved! It looked like I was finally going to get a better birthing experience where I was in control.
I continued reading my books and doing the exercises to prepare for the big day. There were a couple of documentaries on Netflix that we watched. The first was The Business of Being Born. I had a "lightbulb" moment while watching this film. They talked about how common it is to hear women sharing their horror stories of childbirth. SO TRUE! The film really opened my eyes to childbirth in America. Frankly, it's very sad to see how we have given up control of our childbirth experiences. I highly recommend this documentary, but be forewarned, there are a few scenes of women giving birth. ;)
The second documentary we watched was Pregnant in America. A father expecting his first child decides to document their experience. I thought it was a very good film. It also peaked my interest because they live in my hometown of Tucson, AZ.
Watching these films gave me more confidence and knowledge that I was making the right decision for me and my baby. I realized that many of the issues I had with my previous births were most likely the result of the interventions I received. It is VERY common for contractions to slow down once you receive an epidural. It is VERY common to receive Pitocin or Cytotec in order to get the contractions going again. It is also VERY common for these chain of events to lead to a c-section. Thankfully, I had a doctor who gave me a chance to deliver on my own with baby #2 & #3, without jumping to an emergency c-section like too many doctors would have done.
And now, for the rest of the story:
Change-of-heart-part-3-of-3
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