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It absolutely depends on your OB and the nursing staff at the hospital. I would ask around and find out which OBs and hospitals are known to be supportive of med-free birth. My nurses were awesome! The on-call OB? Not so much. Doulas are also a huge help in assisting you achieve a med-free birth. I prepared for my son's birth with the Bradley Method classes, but you can totally just read the books and do the relaxation exercises in lieu of formal classes.

I've worked on 2 different ob floors and you can absolutely have a med-free birth. Most nurses and doctors will support that decision.

I had two med free hospital births, both attended by OBs. I do think you need to be very vocal about your desire for a med free both and will likey need to advocate for that throughout your delivery (I had to anyway). Having a supportive DH to help me advocate was a huge help.

Why do you want an ob? I had a midwife through an OB practice so there was always an OB around if needed. I loved the combination.

I had a pain-med free induction so it is definitely possible, my only advice is to let yourself in that moment decide what you want. I asked for an epidural at one point but it was too late but had I gotten it I wouldn't have regretted it, in that moment I needed it!

Also I had a doula and didn't find her that helpful. She wasn't ok with my induction and didn't comfort me as well as I'd hoped.

I'm pregnant again and intend for another pain-med free birth (hopefully not an induction but that's up to my blood pressure) and we will not be using a doula.

I know many people who had med free hospital births with an OB. You need to find the right OB for you and also you'll want to feel comfortable with their on-call OB. I'd say a larger OB practice with a rotation model isn't going to be your best bet. Maybe consider hiring a doula to help you through it, as well.

I was with a hospital-based midwife practice, and their group is one of the reasons the hospital I was at is so friendly to med-free births. They're a busy practice and it's a relatively small hospital, so the nurses see a lot of families who want to avoid meds. They even assigned me a nurse who was familiar with my birth prep method (hypnobirthing) so she wouldn't unintentionally disrupt me when I was in my groove! Anyway, I know that even a lot of the mamas who use OBs at that hospital choose to avoid the epi and it's totally routine there. A friend of mine also went med-free at a different hospital with an OB, no problem. So depending on the hospital and doctor you choose, it can definitely be done!

Try interviewing several providers, it took me a few tries before finding the place I felt must comfortable. I also highly recommend preparing yourself as much as possible. We did the birth class at the hospital and hypnobabies and it made an enormous difference for me. The techniques I learned were truly the key to coping with labor.

It's ABSOLUTELY possible to have a med-free birth in a hospital with an OB, you just need to make sure you find one who is positive and supportive of it. It shouldn't ever be an "us vs them" thing - if it is, get a new doctor! If your doctor isn't completely supportive and positive about a med-free delivery, find one who is. There are also midwives who work in practices with OB's, and deliver in the hospital with an OB as a backup in case of a necessary c-section.

A doula is a worthwhile investment, I promise. Again though, make sure you find one who supports your goals. If she's more intense about it than you, or brings personal opinions into her work, find a new one. You need a doula who supports YOU and what YOU want.

Absolutely. My hospital and OB were not super supportive (I live in a super non-"crunchy" area) so I hired a doula to back me up. I would highly recommend a doula if you are in a similar situation.

With my first no one at the hospital suggested any medications to me. In fact, my nurse encouraged me to walk the halls and utilize the labour tub instead. She even discussed with me that there were more "mild" drugs available, if I did want that to help cope a bit. I denied all drugs for the first day and a half of my labour but eventually asked for the epidural. I had not received any sort of pressure from the hospital staff, though.

I asked for my epi after 37 hours. I had taken a natural birth prep class, done yoga prenatally and tons of prep work but after that many hours of no sleeping or eating, I just couldn't fight anymore. I ended up with a c-section about 15 hours after my epidural. Since I did dilate completely and push for an hour, I am hopeful that we can attempt an in hospital vbac for our second.

You can definitely have a med free birth with an OB!

That was my plan. However I ended up having to be induced. I accepted when I agreed to the induction that I was probably not going to get my natural birth. I was going to try, but I made peace with the fact that it probably wouldn't happen. It didn't happen, but I was one step ahead and well educated of the interventions that came my way. When I had my c section, it was on my terms and I felt very in control.

My advice is to read up on all medical interventions anyway. I'm definitely not telling you to plan to fail, although it sounds like it. However if your planned birth doesn't happen, you don't want to leave feeling pressured or violated or robbed. Know what's coming next so you are prepared and you don't feel pressured.

Anything is possible in any scenario, so I think the best thing you can do is to educate yourself as much as possible and make sure that your partner is up to speed on as well. Some things will be non-negotiable, my hospital had a policy that all women giving birth were required to have a hep-lock in place, but that doesn't mean that the hospital is pro-intervention.

I didn't read all the comments so forgive me if I'm repeating anything, but I could have totally written this post 8 months ago and I did end up having a successful med free birth in a hospital with an OB.

Here's what I did that I think helped me be successful (not saying that you need to do all of these, but you can see what helped me):

- Took a natural birthing class. This really helped me know what I wanted in my birth plan.
- Went over my birth plan with my OB early. This let me know what things were doable (most everything on my plan) and what things were not feasible or against hospital policy. This was nice because I didn't have any surprises, I knew what I could ask for a what I couldn't. I had her sign my birth plan and put it in my chart, that way if I had proof that my OB agreed with my wishes in case a nurse tried to push something on me.
- Hired a doula. This was mostly to give me confidence that I could do this and that I would have someone in my corner (she actually ended up not making my birth).
- Staying at home as long as possible. My OB actually said, "If you want all these things on your birth plan, don't come to the hospital before 6 centimeters."
- Was OK with straying from the plan. Most of all, I did not want to be pressured into an intervention. I knew there was a chance that I would want an epidural or would need pitocin, but I felt like if I put that in my birth plan then I would feel pressure to actually get one. I wanted to at least give the nurses/OB the impression I was hardcore natural birth so that that door was left open, you can always request more interventions, but you can't go the other way.

Just an FYI, you are 100% in control of your labor and delivery. As long as you are mentally stable you have the right to decline any medical intervention. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. You just have to stand up for yourself!

@zeebaby: If you have a doula, they'll come to your home and stay with you throughout labor. They are pretty good at reading cues and let you know when things are getting real and it's time to head in.