https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:43:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-153261 Wed, 09 May 2012 16:38:20 +0000 owlwho 153261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You should be able to do hospital tours for L &amp; D and Mother/baby units and can ask questions and get a feel for the hospital staff. And I agree with others - don't feel guilty! Do what is best for you and LO! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-152158 Tue, 08 May 2012 15:56:29 +0000 yoursilverlining 152158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh, this – making women feel defeated and guilty for taking advantage of the advances in modern medicine – is my main beef with the uber-natural-birth crowd. Listen – please DON’T feel guilty about birthing in a hospital; you have nothing to feel badly about, regardless of whether or not you have a high risk pregnancy. Please don’t add additional stress to yourself and your body. :) The fact of the matter is birthing babies is dangerous, it always has been and it still is for most of the world. Giving birth in a hospital doesn’t make your experience any less valid or special than someone who births at home, and it doesn’t at all have to be the movie stereotype of a sterile room full of lab-coats who won’t respect your choices and will force interventions on you.</p> <p>Sure, every hospital is different – but don’t stress yourself out assuming that your hospital won’t be receptive to your desires before you discuss them with your hospital/OB and/or a patient advocate.</p> <p>My hospital (which is the biggest hospital in the state, and only NICU – so not at all a “natural” birth center – it’s a big ole hospital) PREFERS you give birth unmedicated if possible. They only offer epidurals after you’ve labored a certain amount of time, and they offer lots of other pain management techniques; including massage and acupressure. Each L&amp;D room has a whirlpool tub, shower, yoga balls, etc. and they are happy to bring in whatever will make you relaxed and comfortable. You can eat and drink what you like. Maybe that’s outside the norm for hospitals – but if mine does it, others do too. Don’t be afraid to ask and demand what you need while you labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-152145 Tue, 08 May 2012 15:51:00 +0000 Mrsbells 152145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I told my OB that I wanted a natural birth she advised me to labor at home for as long as possible before coming to the hospital.I think that is great advice, although didnt get to use that advice since I never went into labor on my own </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-152136 Tue, 08 May 2012 15:48:26 +0000 Mrs. Blue 152136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm wandering if @Mrs. Stroller might be able to shed some light. If I recall she had a hospital birth but seemed to refuse an IV, at least for a long while. Maybe she can help answer this, too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-152104 Tue, 08 May 2012 15:34:05 +0000 mamimami 152104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I recommend "Birthing from Within" which has a lot of good tips for an unmedicated birth and also a good, very brief section on compassionate use of epidurals and other pain relief. Don't beat yourself up if the induction makes contractions too strong to bear. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-152018 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:49:07 +0000 mediagirl 152018@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It really does depend on the hospital. Our hospital allows you to stay hydrated on your own and stay off all IV's unless you need one (like if you need antibiotics or aren't drinking enough). They allow you to sit on a birthing ball if that feels good, use the tub, etc. Check with your hospital to see what they allow. Some are making great strides to make the Moms happier during their birth experiences and not just making them lay on their back s to push out that baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-152014 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:46:48 +0000 SAHM0811 152014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also labored at home as much as possible and had a med-free birth at the hospital. One thing I ended up doing during labor that's mentioned in Ina May's book (that I didnt plan to do... It just happened that way), was relaxing my jaw during contractions. She says this helps you to progress/dilate faster... Not sure if it helped, but it helped me take the edge off of intense contractions while at home and in the cab ride to the hospital. </p> <p>Btw, even my doulas thought her stance on kissing during labor was weird! Haha, but whatever works for some people... more power to them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-151999 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:42:51 +0000 chopsuey 151999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My hospital allowed drinking during labor.<br /> I read one book and started feeling really guilty and crappy, so I decided no more reading for me!</p> <p>There's nothing wrong with having a hospital birth! I was all about going drug free too, but lemme tell ya.. I totally DO NOT regret my epidural! It allowed me to get an hour of sleep, relaxed me like crazy and I went from 5cm-10cm during that one hour span too.! </p> <p>Just do what feels right to you and don't feel bad or guilty if it goes against certain things you've read! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-151996 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:40:35 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 151996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pelikila: Thanks for the tips.<br /> I have an induction scheduled for Sunday, so I am hoping and praying I will go into labor naturally before then so I can labor at home.<br /> If I end up having to do the induction, I have a feeling a natural birthing methods will be out the window. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-151992 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:38:05 +0000 pelikila 151992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read the book and had a med-free hospital birth. I labored at home as long as possible so I was able to do what I wanted with no fear of judgement. When we did our hospital tour I asked their policies on IVs, fetal monitoring, labor balls, squatting bars, etc and was told at that hospital they left that up to the individual doctor. I then asked my OB what her "requirements" were and was told that as long as I got a hep lock she wouldn't require an IV drip and as long as everything was looking fine she wouldn't require constant fetal monitoring, which would allow me to move around. Now, with that said, once I went into labor I had high blood pressure so if I hadn't labored at home for the length of time I did, then I likely would have ended up with an IV drip as the L&amp;D triage was questioning my husband on my blood pressure once we arrived and seemed concerned. While at home I spent a lot of time in the shower, on the toilet, and laying quietly on my side in bed. I loved the exercise/labor ball when not in labor but during labor it was a no-go for me (this was available at my hospital too). I did not feel like eating or drinking but if I had it wouldn't have been an issue while we were at home. My lesson learned from my experience was to labor at home as long as possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-151974 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:31:38 +0000 Rock n Roll 151974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It really depends on the hospital. The hospital I was in with my first was not very supportive of alternative birthing techniques. The hospital I'm having my second at supposedly is. If you haven't taken a labor &amp; delivery tour yet, make sure to ask about it when you do! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth#post-151959 Tue, 08 May 2012 14:27:39 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 151959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just finished reading this book, and while I feel like it has some amazing information in it that I definitely agree with, I can't help but feel guilty and defeated because I am having a hospital birth.</p> <p>I am technically a "high risk" pregnancy, so birthing at home or in a birthing center isn't an option for me. However, there are still many elements of Ina May's birthing guide that I would like to incorporate into my hospital birth. The book, on the other hand, makes it feel like that's almost impossible to do. I am started to feel panicked, like having a hospital birth is going to "ruin" my labor experience.</p> <p>Were any of you (who had hospital births) able to incorporate natural elements into your labor experience? Could you apply the things Ina May suggests, such as refusing an IV or eating and drinking during labor? She also suggests kissing/necking with partner during contractions and other things that I feel a hospital staff would think are crazy.</p> <p>Just curious as to your experiences/thoughts etc..... </p>