Tips and tricks for preparing for a natural birth?

Question

First time mommy & I’m set on not having an epidural

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Take a hypnobirthing class and read the book.  It's not as weird as it sounds but it definitely helps with pain management.  Have whoever will be with you read "the birth partner" by penny simkin.  It gave my husband so much insight on how to help me through the whole process. I also highly recommend getting a doula!

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Following because same. I would love to have a water birth. I feel like traditional birth is also sooooo exposed ! At least with water I wouldn’t feel completely just out there 😭

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Moving (swaying, walking, etc) during the birth process has always helped me through labor a ton. Water births with my last two babes were excellent! 
I definitely want to birth in water again – makes it feel SO much easier! (Didn’t year with last babe either, which was an accomplishment for me... hehe 🥳)

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So I didn't want an epidural with my first but I kept telling the midwife that I wanted it as an option. By the time I started having actual contractions the first sentence out of my mouth was "I want the epidural now"😂 But by the time it arrived (1.5 hours after the first contraction) I had the urge to push and the midwife said it'd be quicker if I just had the baby.
You never know how your labour is going to go, maybe tell the midwives that you'd prefer to go natural but have it on standby just in case. With my first the only pain relief I had was sterile water injections, I didn't even want the gas & air because I was worried it'd make me nauseous 😂 so it was a 100% drug free birth but I would have killed someone to get that epidural. Some things I found helpful are:
1. Staying hydrated, I had my husband offering me sips of water every 5 minutes or so
2. Deep slow breathing, each contraction my husband and mum coached me to breathe deep and slow to manage the pain
3. Warm water in my lower back was a lifesaver, my mum had the showerhead on my back and it was the best thing ever
4. If your midwife says don't push, don't do it! I listened to my midwife and I managed to only get a small graze, it still hurt when I peed for like a week so I can't imagine what an actual tear with stitches feels like.
5. Be flexible, everything could go sideways in a blink of an eye, know what you want but if it doesn't turn out how you want it's okay. The end goal is a healthy baby 😊

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Following because I’m also interested in a water birth.

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Exercise and stay in shape during pregnancy. Move during contractions. Staying still laying in bed makes it worse. I was better when I was walking around during each contraction. Your body will give you the urge to push, do not fight that urge and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 
My second baby I did not intend on having a natural birth. She just came so fast I didn’t have time for any medications. My first I dialated so fast I was already at 10cm before they gave me an epidural. I really should have just pushed at that point instead of spending my energy laying still getting the epidural, but they were trying to encourage me not to push and the epidural slows that down. 
For this one I plan on all natural like the second. The pain was awful and I was screaming, but in the end it happened so fast and I was up and walking to my post-labor hospital room no problems within an hour.

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Keep moving! Walking at least 2 miles daily I think really helped. I labored in a tub and then on a birthing ball with my son and it helped so much! I went from being dialated at a 5 to a 10 in less than ten minutes. Four good pushes and baby was out. I want to go all natural again for my September baby!

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I’ve had two natural home births. First was 28 hours with 7 hours of pushing because he was facing the wrong direction. It was soooo tiring. With my second I laid over an exercise ball a lot and let my belly hang to encourage him to be in the correct position. His labor was 6 hours and I pushed less than 15 times before he was out. The pain can seem unbearable. Just remember that once you’re past that really horrible transition part, you get to start pushing. And that feels DAMN GOOD.  Lots of deep breathing. If you’re at the hospital make sure your partner can tell the nurses and staff to fuck off if they start trying to get you to take interventions. Hospitals are notorious for this, and the more interventions they do the more likely you’ll end up with a c-section.

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**and didn’t “tear” during last birth (autocorrect is killing me today)

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*movement during LABOR process, is what I meant 😄

Tips and tricks for preparing for a natural birth?

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