Are there any Crunchy Mamas Out There?
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Prego- hubs has cajones...he will definitely stand up for me and my birthplan...after seeing parts of "a birth story" he was like "holy crap, I don't want you to be all drugged up"
nikki- CapeMay, NJ
I have a great list of NJ doalas, let me check it out for you and see who is nearby!0 -
You are a little to far south of where my list goes to (mine goes from warren county down to Ocean Grove, NJ. But there is a great site called doulamatch.net that finds you a doula based on your location and due date!0
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I am pregnant with baby #3. I had an epidural with my first, but all natural with my second. I hated the side effects of the epidural so I will have a natural birth again this time. I am seeing the same midwife that I saw with DS#2. Absolutely love her! The midwife group goes through the Women's Hospital here, but the are birthing tubs in the rooms. I labored in the tub last time, and it was great for pain management. I also plan to breastfeed and make my baby's food again.0
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I have a few questions maybe some of you (esp the nurses) can help me with....I'm also going to talk to my doc about it also.
I found a website that gives all storts of birthrates for NJ hospitals http://www.icanofnj.com/
first I just wanted to see the c-section rates in the hospitals I can deliver at but it also has epidural, induction, episiotomy and midwife attended birth rates. For most of the numbers I prefer Hospital #1, but their midwife rate is 10.9 as opposed to 23.1 (only reason I would care is if I can't have MY doctor i'd like a midwife) and the episiotomy rate is 22.2 as opposed to 4.1....that seems like such a BIG difference.
So for hospital #1 the worst number is the episiotomy (which scares the crap out of me) but it's also great to see that they have a 41.2% epidural rate as opposed to hospital #2 which is 64.3 and I really don't want to deal with them pushing meds on me.
So here's the question. I really want a natural birth. Period. I know there could be extenuating circumstances but if i need epidural, induction, episiotomy, or c-section i want it to be my choice not because they pushed it on me. So do I pay attention to the numbers or do I just talk to my doctor and know that I trust him so as long as he is there i'm good? Also, while hospital #1 has better numbers (aside from episiotomy) their rooms aren't as nice and, having been there, I can say that their nurses are kinda rude. I wish I could go to a birthing center!!
decisions decisions!
Okay. You need to be honest and blunt with your doc. Tell him what you want, and don't bend on it during your birth. Many women think that their docs are on board only to be talked into unnecessary interventions later. You need to see who your doc is covered by, and if your hospital has residents that cover him. (Residents are rarely natural birth friendly and frequently push interventions like pitocin and pain management). You need to be strong, well -educated and stubborn to get the birth that you want. Just remember, as a patient, you have the right to REFUSE anything. You should be able to eat during labor, not have an IV, and not be limited in your mobility. Make a birth plan and go over it with your doc and also bring a copy in your hospital bag. I have kicked nurses out of my room and refused to follow many hospital "procedures", and really it is all your choice! Just stick to your guns!0 -
Hi! A pal of mine directed me here, and I had to chuckle. I have never heard the term "Crunchy Mama", but I guess I would kinda qualify? I have two children- the first was a hospital birth with drugs, and my second was hospital natural birth. I am pregnant again (24 weeks), and I will be having a natural birth, and though I really wanted a midwife-assisted home birth, I had to go with a hospital birth due to some medical issues. But I will be opting for natural birth, and I will be sure most of my laboring is done at home so I can avoid a lot of the medical interventions that I don't like. I have breastfed both of my kids, each for a year, and I will breastfeed again, but I am aiming for 18 months this time. I am doing cloth diapers this time- for those with husbands that are scared of this, even if you cloth diaper and he uses disposables, you will be saving a ton! And if you get the little flushable inserts, it makes the men-folk a lot less scared. It's cool to see so many like-minded Moms on here! Love it
Can someone explain why its called a "Crunchy" mama??? lol! 0 -
I have a few questions maybe some of you (esp the nurses) can help me with....I'm also going to talk to my doc about it also.
I found a website that gives all storts of birthrates for NJ hospitals http://www.icanofnj.com/
first I just wanted to see the c-section rates in the hospitals I can deliver at but it also has epidural, induction, episiotomy and midwife attended birth rates. For most of the numbers I prefer Hospital #1, but their midwife rate is 10.9 as opposed to 23.1 (only reason I would care is if I can't have MY doctor i'd like a midwife) and the episiotomy rate is 22.2 as opposed to 4.1....that seems like such a BIG difference.
So for hospital #1 the worst number is the episiotomy (which scares the crap out of me) but it's also great to see that they have a 41.2% epidural rate as opposed to hospital #2 which is 64.3 and I really don't want to deal with them pushing meds on me.
So here's the question. I really want a natural birth. Period. I know there could be extenuating circumstances but if i need epidural, induction, episiotomy, or c-section i want it to be my choice not because they pushed it on me. So do I pay attention to the numbers or do I just talk to my doctor and know that I trust him so as long as he is there i'm good? Also, while hospital #1 has better numbers (aside from episiotomy) their rooms aren't as nice and, having been there, I can say that their nurses are kinda rude. I wish I could go to a birthing center!!
decisions decisions!
Okay. You need to be honest and blunt with your doc. Tell him what you want, and don't bend on it during your birth. Many women think that their docs are on board only to be talked into unnecessary interventions later. You need to see who your doc is covered by, and if your hospital has residents that cover him. (Residents are rarely natural birth friendly and frequently push interventions like pitocin and pain management). You need to be strong, well -educated and stubborn to get the birth that you want. Just remember, as a patient, you have the right to REFUSE anything. You should be able to eat during labor, not have an IV, and not be limited in your mobility. Make a birth plan and go over it with your doc and also bring a copy in your hospital bag. I have kicked nurses out of my room and refused to follow many hospital "procedures", and really it is all your choice! Just stick to your guns!
So true. I am NOT in my right mind when giving birth, so I have to be very straight-forward with what I want this time around. This is why a birth plan is a must. Make sure your OB office has a copy, you have a copy, and the hospital or birth center has a copy. If you don't want meds, put in there not to even offer them. This is YOUR birth, YOUR family's special moment. Be courteous but let it be known exactly what you want.0 -
So true. I am NOT in my right mind when giving birth, so I have to be very straight-forward with what I want this time around. This is why a birth plan is a must. Make sure your OB office has a copy, you have a copy, and the hospital or birth center has a copy. If you don't want meds, put in there not to even offer them. This is YOUR birth, YOUR family's special moment. Be courteous but let it be known exactly what you want.
I agree with a birth plan being a MUST!0 -
Hi! A pal of mine directed me here, and I had to chuckle. I have never heard the term "Crunchy Mama", but I guess I would kinda qualify? I have two children- the first was a hospital birth with drugs, and my second was hospital natural birth. I am pregnant again (24 weeks), and I will be having a natural birth, and though I really wanted a midwife-assisted home birth, I had to go with a hospital birth due to some medical issues. But I will be opting for natural birth, and I will be sure most of my laboring is done at home so I can avoid a lot of the medical interventions that I don't like. I have breastfed both of my kids, each for a year, and I will breastfeed again, but I am aiming for 18 months this time. I am doing cloth diapers this time- for those with husbands that are scared of this, even if you cloth diaper and he uses disposables, you will be saving a ton! And if you get the little flushable inserts, it makes the men-folk a lot less scared. It's cool to see so many like-minded Moms on here! Love it Can someone explain why its called a "Crunchy" mama??? lol!
Lol the term "Crunchy" is referring to granola. (Like kind of hippyish)0 -
I guess I'm semi-crunchy. I'm American but live in the UK where un-medicated midwife-led births are the norm. I had a drug free hospital birth with my first and it's given me the confidence to go for a homebirth this time. I'm so excited about it! I have to inject with blood thinners unti 34 weeks but have been told it's fine to give birth at home as they will be out of my system by labour time. I'm going to have a birthing pool in our conservatory. I exclusively breastfed my daughter and fed her to 18 months and did baby led weaning with her and used cloth nappies, and also co-slept the first 3 months. Planning to keep things the same this time. Hope everyone gets the birthing experience they want and deserve!0
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Hi! A pal of mine directed me here, and I had to chuckle. I have never heard the term "Crunchy Mama", but I guess I would kinda qualify? I have two children- the first was a hospital birth with drugs, and my second was hospital natural birth. I am pregnant again (24 weeks), and I will be having a natural birth, and though I really wanted a midwife-assisted home birth, I had to go with a hospital birth due to some medical issues. But I will be opting for natural birth, and I will be sure most of my laboring is done at home so I can avoid a lot of the medical interventions that I don't like. I have breastfed both of my kids, each for a year, and I will breastfeed again, but I am aiming for 18 months this time. I am doing cloth diapers this time- for those with husbands that are scared of this, even if you cloth diaper and he uses disposables, you will be saving a ton! And if you get the little flushable inserts, it makes the men-folk a lot less scared. It's cool to see so many like-minded Moms on here! Love it Can someone explain why its called a "Crunchy" mama??? lol!
Lol the term "Crunchy" is referring to granola. (Like kind of hippyish)
Ok, I guess that would be me. My husband's friend refers to me as a "bark eater" (I'm vegetarian and I like very clean, healthy foods). And my sister has often called me a "granola" because of my lifestyle. Never been called crunchy though!0 -
Crunchy mamma here I did a midwife-attended waterbirth with my first and I'm planning the same with this one. Babywearing, extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, selective/delayed vaxing, holistic care, etc. etc. I didn't consistently co-sleep with my first, although she was in our room for the first 6 months or so. I just found that I could. not. sleep. with her in the bed with me! I'm going to give it a shot with this one though.
I saw a lot of cloth diapering questions in this thread and I love to get FTMs interested in cloth diapering. Maybe I'll start a new thread where FTMs can ask questions about CD and moms who have previously CD'd can chime in.0 -
You are a little to far south of where my list goes to (mine goes from warren county down to Ocean Grove, NJ. But there is a great site called doulamatch.net that finds you a doula based on your location and due date!
tried that site, unless my computer was just being wacked I clicked on "find a birth doula" and didn't let me enter any info, maybe I'll try again today and see if I get any further....how it was behaving it seemed like I had to pay just to do the search0 -
I guess I'm semi-crunchy. I'm American but live in the UK where un-medicated midwife-led births are the norm. I had a drug free hospital birth with my first and it's given me the confidence to go for a homebirth this time. I'm so excited about it! I have to inject with blood thinners unti 34 weeks but have been told it's fine to give birth at home as they will be out of my system by labour time. I'm going to have a birthing pool in our conservatory. I exclusively breastfed my daughter and fed her to 18 months and did baby led weaning with her and used cloth nappies, and also co-slept the first 3 months. Planning to keep things the same this time. Hope everyone gets the birthing experience they want and deserve!
Yay, a new topic for discussion: co-sleeping.
How did co-sleeping work out for you? Was she just in the bed with you or did you have something else? I feel like I remember my SIL mentioning something that clips onto the bed so that the kid is RIGHT THERE without being in the bed.
I feel like I would get nervous having a newborn in our bed but we definitely plan to have her very close by0 -
I guess I'm semi-crunchy. I'm American but live in the UK where un-medicated midwife-led births are the norm. I had a drug free hospital birth with my first and it's given me the confidence to go for a homebirth this time. I'm so excited about it! I have to inject with blood thinners unti 34 weeks but have been told it's fine to give birth at home as they will be out of my system by labour time. I'm going to have a birthing pool in our conservatory. I exclusively breastfed my daughter and fed her to 18 months and did baby led weaning with her and used cloth nappies, and also co-slept the first 3 months. Planning to keep things the same this time. Hope everyone gets the birthing experience they want and deserve!
Yay, a new topic for discussion: co-sleeping.
How did co-sleeping work out for you? Was she just in the bed with you or did you have something else? I feel like I remember my SIL mentioning something that clips onto the bed so that the kid is RIGHT THERE without being in the bed.
I feel like I would get nervous having a newborn in our bed but we definitely plan to have her very close by
During our first few weeks, I usually ended up falling asleep with the baby on my chest or at the breast just because of exhaustion, but when we got into a sleeping routine, the baby stayed in a cradle right next to my bed because I tend to move a lot when I sleep, and I am too nervous to hurt the baby when I have a history of knocking my 250 lb, 6'3" husband right out of bed! As long as the baby is nearby, I am cool with it, I just can't trust myself to safely co- sleep.0 -
I guess I am fairly crunchy myself. We homeschool, delayed and nonvaxed- but are considering an alternate schedule now for all. I am planning to try breastfeeding again, and am determined to be successful this time. We're a close knit family with strong back to roots family values. We are baby wearers who use good nutrition and alternative supplements most of the time (our boys are delayed, ADHD, and ASD- which we treat naturally), and cloth diaper part time. I keep a bassinet next to the bed for the first few months, but don't trust myself to co-sleep. I have had three natural hospital births and one epidural but I aim for a natural birth- it just happens so quickly! 0
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Hi! A pal of mine directed me here, and I had to chuckle. I have never heard the term "Crunchy Mama", but I guess I would kinda qualify? I have two children- the first was a hospital birth with drugs, and my second was hospital natural birth. I am pregnant again (24 weeks), and I will be having a natural birth, and though I really wanted a midwife-assisted home birth, I had to go with a hospital birth due to some medical issues. But I will be opting for natural birth, and I will be sure most of my laboring is done at home so I can avoid a lot of the medical interventions that I don't like. I have breastfed both of my kids, each for a year, and I will breastfeed again, but I am aiming for 18 months this time. I am doing cloth diapers this time- for those with husbands that are scared of this, even if you cloth diaper and he uses disposables, you will be saving a ton! And if you get the little flushable inserts, it makes the men-folk a lot less scared. It's cool to see so many like-minded Moms on here! Love it Can someone explain why its called a "Crunchy" mama??? lol!
This made me laugh! I was the one that wasn't thrilled about using cloth nappies but my husband really wanted to. He did all the soaking, rinsing, and washing. I just had to change them while he was at work. I've never seen someone so obssessed with getting nappies white. He did such a good job they still look brand new going into a second use. And yes we saved a bundle and will save even more using them on a second child! 0 -
I guess I'm semi-crunchy. I'm American but live in the UK where un-medicated midwife-led births are the norm. I had a drug free hospital birth with my first and it's given me the confidence to go for a homebirth this time. I'm so excited about it! I have to inject with blood thinners unti 34 weeks but have been told it's fine to give birth at home as they will be out of my system by labour time. I'm going to have a birthing pool in our conservatory. I exclusively breastfed my daughter and fed her to 18 months and did baby led weaning with her and used cloth nappies, and also co-slept the first 3 months. Planning to keep things the same this time. Hope everyone gets the birthing experience they want and deserve!
Yay, a new topic for discussion: co-sleeping.
How did co-sleeping work out for you? Was she just in the bed with you or did you have something else? I feel like I remember my SIL mentioning something that clips onto the bed so that the kid is RIGHT THERE without being in the bed.
I feel like I would get nervous having a newborn in our bed but we definitely plan to have her very close by
You'll find people for and against, and you'll find research for and against. I co-slept with my kids sometimes, but never with a pillow or blankets near them. I also made sure they could not fall out or be rolled on by my husband. Sleeping with them near my head seemed to be safer to me, since I wouldn't cover my head and I can't roll over on something in my face. But if you are a hard-sleeper and don't trust yourself, don't do it. In that case, it could do more harm than good, for sure. It will be different for each person. Also, I don't really like my kids to get dependent on falling asleep with me, since it can become a problem. So I would put them to sleep in the bassinet and then bring them into bed for night-time feedings and let them sleep there. The things that attach right next to the bed are a good option for someone who wants the convenience and comfort of having baby really close, but are worried about rolling over or smothering them. You'll have to see how you are once you have the baby. Before kids, I was a heavy sleeper. After, I became a very light sleeper.0 -
Hi! A pal of mine directed me here, and I had to chuckle. I have never heard the term "Crunchy Mama", but I guess I would kinda qualify? I have two children- the first was a hospital birth with drugs, and my second was hospital natural birth. I am pregnant again (24 weeks), and I will be having a natural birth, and though I really wanted a midwife-assisted home birth, I had to go with a hospital birth due to some medical issues. But I will be opting for natural birth, and I will be sure most of my laboring is done at home so I can avoid a lot of the medical interventions that I don't like. I have breastfed both of my kids, each for a year, and I will breastfeed again, but I am aiming for 18 months this time. I am doing cloth diapers this time- for those with husbands that are scared of this, even if you cloth diaper and he uses disposables, you will be saving a ton! And if you get the little flushable inserts, it makes the men-folk a lot less scared. It's cool to see so many like-minded Moms on here! Love it Can someone explain why its called a "Crunchy" mama??? lol!
This made me laugh! I was the one that wasn't thrilled about using cloth nappies but my husband really wanted to. He did all the soaking, rinsing, and washing. I just had to change them while he was at work. I've never seen someone so obssessed with getting nappies white. He did such a good job they still look brand new going into a second use. And yes we saved a bundle and will save even more using them on a second child!
Ha ha, your husband rocks! Can he teach my husband a thing or two about cloth diapering?
I just think that is SO cool when husband's are involved like that. I am really encouraging my husband to be more involved in the whole "baby thing", but its so against how he was raised. But he's a good sport. 0 -
I guess I'm semi-crunchy. I'm American but live in the UK where un-medicated midwife-led births are the norm. I had a drug free hospital birth with my first and it's given me the confidence to go for a homebirth this time. I'm so excited about it! I have to inject with blood thinners unti 34 weeks but have been told it's fine to give birth at home as they will be out of my system by labour time. I'm going to have a birthing pool in our conservatory. I exclusively breastfed my daughter and fed her to 18 months and did baby led weaning with her and used cloth nappies, and also co-slept the first 3 months. Planning to keep things the same this time. Hope everyone gets the birthing experience they want and deserve!
Yay, a new topic for discussion: co-sleeping.
How did co-sleeping work out for you? Was she just in the bed with you or did you have something else? I feel like I remember my SIL mentioning something that clips onto the bed so that the kid is RIGHT THERE without being in the bed.
I feel like I would get nervous having a newborn in our bed but we definitely plan to have her very close by
During our first few weeks, I usually ended up falling asleep with the baby on my chest or at the breast just because of exhaustion, but when we got into a sleeping routine, the baby stayed in a cradle right next to my bed because I tend to move a lot when I sleep, and I am too nervous to hurt the baby when I have a history of knocking my 250 lb, 6'3" husband right out of bed! As long as the baby is nearby, I am cool with it, I just can't trust myself to safely co- sleep.
:laugh: I'd be nervous, too! That's impressive if you can take out a man of that stature in your sleep. I wouldn't wanna mess with you when you're awake
It just goes to show ya, different things work for different people. I don't like it when people say you HAVE to do it this way or that. It's going to vary so much from person to person. You just have to know yourself and your sleeping habits.0 -
Thank you all for weighing in on the hospital situation (and those that sent me PMs) After talking to the doc I'm going with Hospital #1, he said that if I want a natural birth I should go there because the other one really pushes meds and this one is better about getting out the birthing ball and stuff. He also recommended I stay home and birth at home as long as possible. Since this is my first and the hospital is almost an hour away I'm going to try but I imagine I'll find myself at the hospital sooner rather than later....If I go too long at least my husband went through EMT training so he could always deliver her Is it weird that the prospect of my husband delivering my baby doesn't really bother me? He's never done it before but he went through the training and I feel like "in the olden days" it's not like women had special training or anything, our bodies are made to do this! *sigh* no wonder my friend's husband calls me a "crazy hippy freak" lol 0
