Natural Childbirth

Natural childbirth has gained an unfavorable rapport with many people these days. Very likely because of media and entertainment, but also because of an unsupportive environment in hospitals, where most women give birth in the U.S.A. There are many restrictive rules and regulations, which are for the benefit of the obstetrician and/or midwife, but make it almost impossible for the mother to be comfortable during labor and birth, thus making birth truly painful.

When I became pregnant for the first time, I decided after some reading, that I wanted to give birth naturally. The day came when I went into labor. I didn't get the midwife I had been seeing, and instead of going to the birthing suites I had planned on, I had to go to the hospital because it was Christmas and they didn't have a nurse on call. The birth didn't go at all as I had envisioned. I didn't exactly expect to have a painless birth, but I certainly hadn't imagined all the interventions that were thrust upon me either.

After Benjamin was born I lost a lot of blood which left me exhausted. The nurse on call told me to sleep while they bathed and checked Benjamin in the nursery, but I just wanted to hold my new baby. I didn't sleep a wink. In many ways I felt like a victim during the birth.

So it is for many women. Natural childbirth has a bad reputation, and for a reason. Women trek off to hospitals (a place for the sick), they are hooked up to all sorts of wires and machinery and expected to lie still and give birth. Natural labor "helpers" and painkillers like walking, squatting, bathing, and dimming the lights are not allowed in most cases. Pitocin is given intraveniously which is known to make the pain of labor much worse, and often unbearable. Women who give birth naturally in these conditions truly suffer. They want their babies to be healthy, but don't realize that it is also the environment that is making birth painful and dangerous.

However, when a mother truly gives birth naturally, in an environment where she feels loved and protected, her body will tell her what to do to have minimal pain and discomfort. Her body will also aid her by producing natural anesthesia such as endorphins. You can read more about this in my article "Nature's Plan for Success in Childbirth". These benefits are lost in most births which take place in hospitals, even unmedicated births, because the conditions inflicted upon birthing women in most hospitals interfere with nature's plan for childbirth.

So what conditions need to take place for a woman to have a good natural birth?

• She must be free to give birth where she will feel relaxed, comfortable, and uninhibited.
• She must be free to choose a birth attendant she feels comfortable with who will not restrict her in any way. Or free to choose no birth attendant at all.
• No artificial induction of labor i.e. rupture of the membranes, pitocin, and administration of cytotec (which has shown to be dangerous in many cases).
• Vaginal exams are unnecessary in most cases, and should not be administered if the woman does not want them.
• Electronic fetal monitoring (internal or external), IV's or anything that confines a woman to bed or a certain position are potentially harmful and will cause unnecessary pain.
• Freedom to eat and drink for energy and to satisfy thirst to prevent dehydration.
• Freedom to assume positions of choice for labor, birth, and postpartum.
• She should be able to catch her own baby or have the husband catch depending on her wishes. No one should take her baby away from her after the birth. It is her baby. This should be respected.
• Her modesty should be preserved.
• No intervention unless absolutely necessary, and as little as possible. Nature should be allowed to correct itself.

Ideally birth would take place in the home. Trekking to a hospital to give birth is unnatural in itself. No animal builds a nest and goes off to birth at a different location. If the woman chooses to have a birth attendant (midwife or doula to support her) the attendant should not intervene unnecessarily. She should only offer support when needed (if needed).

Be careful when choosing a birth attendant. Most obstetricians are trained to intervene. They don't know how to deliver a baby any other way. An obstetrician manipulates and tries to control a natural process, and in doing so he interferes with the mother's unique birthing rythm which causes her pain. I don't believe it is the obstetrician's intention to cause the mother pain, but that is how a woman's body responds. In fact, he tries to save her from pain with numbing drugs, but doesn't really understand how much is lost in the process.

Some midwives are the same way. I believe there are many midwives out there who do not intervene unnecessarily, but this is not always the case. "Polly's Birth Book" has a quote which reads "The ability to instill confidence in the mother regarding her labor is the epitome of the midwife's task and pleasure". If only more birth attendants could see it this way.

When a woman gives birth without unnecessary intervention and in a place where she feels respected and loved, it can be said that she had a natural birth. A natural birth is so much more than just avoiding that epidural... A natural birth allows the body to work optimally and the body will create all the necessary hormones and endorphins, so that the mother will feel less pain and more satisfaction. A natural birth is a birth that leaves a woman feeling empowered, joyful, and confident. This will in turn transfer over to confidence and joy in caring for her new baby.

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