Vaginal Birth or C-section for 2nd child?

Wow that is great news! I am so happy you found this site at the beginning of your pregnancy. Hopefully you can do a lot to prevent more problems with prolapse later.

This is my opinion but I think our bodies are made to give birth naturally but that can only happen if the right environment and circumstances are provided. Laying flat on your back and pushing when you don't have the urge is not the 'right environment'!!

There is a woman on here that documented her birth after prolapse and she has wonderful stories to share. She has given many women hope to try natural birth again but this time really 'natural'.

There are woman that have gotten prolapse after a c-section also so I don't see the point of having to deal with that plus the healing of the surgery. I guess it is a personal choice but just know there are woman that have gone on to have vaginal births after with good experiences.

I would love to hear how your pregnancy is going with prolapse. I wish I had found Christine during my pregnancy so I could put the posture into use and prevent some of my problems now.

Goodluck!!

About a 'non pushing' birth - I did this without knowing it in my third birth (one push - there she was) and I think this helped
here
http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/pushnot.html

I think if we do not push like loons - the body moves the aby down anyways - that is what it is all about...

Good luck :)

Btw - I prolapsed in my first birth - Nobody told me but i had forceps and things were feeling like i was about to give birth to a brick - My 2nd and third births did not leave me with this...
I think i would have a vaginal birth using breathing techniques (I could explain what my mother taught to me but it would take a looooooong post lol)

Sue

I was really worried when I found out I was pregnant with #3 (I had a c/s #1, and homebirth #2) because I was afraid prolapse would be worse. I actually feel better now than I did after my second birth. Birthing position is very important and listening to your body. And taking care of yourself postpartum so that your body has time to recover from the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth. I have incorporated Christine's posture and positive attitude and I feel that has made all the difference.
Jane

Congratulations ae2006, please keep us posted with your pregnancy and progress as there are many interested women here who are hoping for more children also! I think that a truly natural vaginal delivery will not cause further damage birthing in an upright or sideways position perhaps. Enjoy those wonderful days of pregnancy!!
Hugs,
Michelle.

Maybe you could do a kind of diary of your pregnancy and birth - from a prolapse point of view?

Sue

How exciting that you are on your way to having your 2nd baby. I would love to hear how it's going and how your birth goes. When are you due?

For what it's worth, both my Uro-gyno and my PT have said that 2nd birth doesn't "necessarily" make prolapse worth. I would think following the postures and trying to be in a good position for the birth would make all the difference.

Good luck and thanks for keeping us posted. You are an inspiration for those of us who want to have more children.

Ann

What is a good position?

Can anyone elaborate?

Sue

I'm thinking crouching or at the very least more upright, definitely not flat on back which narrows the pelvic outlet. I birthed on all fours and this was really comfortable for me!

There are some really good birth books that Christine has listed one the main wholewoman site that give instruction on best birthing positions. I had my last baby standing up. I was going to try to have him while on all fours and labored in baby pose for the brief time I was in labor. HOwever, I got a terrible cramp in my leg (midwife said he was probably hitting a nerve on his decent) and that forced me upright. A book I enjoyed to prepare for me for birth was Birthing from Within and Dr. Sears Pregnancy Book. Lying on the back and being paralyzed from an epidural is probably the worst position. I squatted with my second baby (who was my first vaginal birth). I really think that if we listen to our bodies and not what our attendants think we should be doing that that is the course that will cause us the least amount of trauma.
Jane

Ina May Gaskins newest book on Natural childbirth, can't remember the title, and my alltime favorite of favorite, the classic Childbirth Without Fear, by Grantly Dick Read. It's out of print, but can get used on Amazon. I highly recommend it. It's inspiring, and full of practical help, from the modern pioneer of natural childbirth. He's someone who has made an enormous contribution to women being given dignity in childbirth rather than being controlled by doctors.

I was just writing this on another site and thought some people on here who want a less 'Instrumental' type birth - might take a seconds interest (Or not lol)

So here it is...

OK - Birthing is not easy - But there are ways to 'concentrate out' the pain

My mother did this and taught it to me and so far it has worked on 6 births...

It doesnt take it all away - but it gives you a FOCUS to cling fast to...
Mum calls this 'Mavis Whitewicking' (Her friends name back then)

So...

You are in labour and a pain comes - At this moment you CONCENTRATE hard on spelling of every friends name you have - or every user name on here - something that takes a focus for you to spell one letter at a timeeeeeeeeeee. Whithin this you are breathing deep and slow - WITH the pain not against it.

This really means the people around you are not there - You are in your own world. Thinking focusing and you are focusing on what you are doing - Screaming OUT the pain is irrelivent - You want to 'scream' if you have to internally and down down downnnnnnnnnnn which is where the emphasis of this focusing is going.

With each contraction you spell out new names... With each pain you are breathing through it. Yeah you may grunt a little or a groan but all focus is inside of you. This is taking you inside of yourself and the body is well designed for this work you are doing.

It is really hard to explain Mum's 'MavisWhitewicking' lol - But it really does help - And the focusing means you do not need Epidurals which may cover the pain but also covers the feelings you NEED to feel to make the birth effective and avoid prolonged pushing which doesn't always help at all - But hinders.

Remember - You do not need to push push push - The body will do this itself - Thats what contractions are all about. Listen to your body - It knows what it is doing - It is designed for this task...

At the end of my last labour - All of a sudden my stomach went rigid - Like concrete - I knew I HAD to push now...

One push - maybe 2 - And she was out...

This protects your internal organs from prolonged pushing and the damage that this causes (I only wish I knew the no pushing technique for my first twobirths)

I hope that helps - Or at least gives you something to think about - lol

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/pushnot.html

Sue

With wishing I had known more before my first delivery! Next time I hope to have a midwife and experience what my body is fully capable of doing naturally.

I have 3 children, all were born naturally without any meds or intervention. The first two were delivered by a mw who was totally hands off & I pushed when I felt the urge to push, never before. My second child actually slid out without me pushing at all!

I am 6 wks post-partum after my third child right now & I had an OB this time, BIG, HUGE mistake!!! He was awful (not that all OB's are awful) he scared me into pushing when I didn't feel the urge by saying that I was endangering my baby's life AND he had me on my back while the nurses pushed my legs back - I have never & will never birth like that again, we are just not meant to birth that way. I totally contribute a lot of my problems with this pp period with that delivery. I only pushed for maybe 5 minutes, maybe 3 pushes, but it didn't feel right when my body wasn't telling me to do it.

I think if you listen to your body & birth vaginally, the way nature intended, you'll be fine. IMO, once you start interfering with nature's plan, it's a downward spiral.

~Erin

Thanks for this comment. So many women (many of whom opt for subsequent c-section) like to describe how dreadful vaginal birth is, but make no distinction between a gentle assisted birth and the average obstetric nightmare. Someday, someone will be able to put all of the data together so that it makes sense.

I have had 3 Non Epi births... I did have Gas and Air - In UK we get that. It is bad - But non deadly lol

You just hafta concentrate sooooo much that everything around you goes into a haze - You are listening to your body from the inside out. Spelling names - Concentration is the key. And when and only when your body says PUSH DAMMIT then you push and wahey baby is here...

Sue

I had a wonderful "non epidural" delivery three months ago and yes the pain was bad but I had a wonderful doula to keep me focused on the goal at hand which helped a great deal. It went pretty fast, five hours from first contraction to baby out and I was EXHAUSTED at the end. I totally listened to my body and birthed on all fours which was SO comfortable. A nurse tried to make me lie down and put the fetal moniter on and I was INSISTENT that I wouldn't do that as it felt so much more painful that way! (My midwife fully supported what ever I wanted to do). I was very nervous about this delivery as my first was terribly long and hard but this was truly the most wonderful experience of my life, (along with the birth of my eldest daughter of course!) I remember basking in the after delivery glow and looking down at my sweet baby and thinking immediately I would do it all again in a heart beat. So, the short answer, yes it did hurt but it is definitely bearable and of course truly WONDERFUL!! You CAN do this especially after passing a kidney stone which I understand is excruciating!! So excited to hear all about your pregnancy and thanks for keeping us updated!
Michelle.

I think the most important thing a woman has to do when she finds out she is pregnant is to find a fabulous, competent, experienced midwife, the more holistic the better.

My labors were all VERY quick & intense. The first was 3.5 hrs, the second was 1 hour! and the third was 2 hours. With all three I was sound asleep & awoken by a contraction & was holding a baby within the above times. LOL, the 3rd was almost a car delivery!

I read A LOT of books & learned to keep my mouth in an "O" position which is supposed to relax your perineum & open your cervix. I would breathe deeply through the contrax with my mouth in the "O," imagining that my cervix was opening into that "O" shape. I also paced & refused to lay on my back (except for the 3rd baby) or have any interventions.

Here are some books I recommend reading:

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin

Spiritual Midwifery - Ina May Gaskin

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way - Susan McCutcheon

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth - Henci Goer

The Birth Partner - Penny Simkin, P.T.

Birthing From Within - Pam England CNM, MA & Rob Horowitz PhD

Baby Catcher - Peggy Vincent

Wise Woman Herbal Childbearing Years - Susan Weed

Labor Pain: A Natural Approach to Easing Delivery - Nicky Wesson

~Erin

I second about finding a midwife. They are women watchers, not crisis seekers.
Jane