According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, natural childbirth is
“a system of management of childbirth in which the mother receives preparatory education to remain conscious and assist in childbirth with minimal or no use of drugs or anesthetics”
Natural childbirth is not something to fear. It is a wonderful experience and it can happen in three places. Home, a birthing center and the hospital.
It wasn’t until the 1900s that women started giving birth in the hospital, until then women gave birth at home. Specifically, ‘Choosing Home Birth’ goes into the details of why consider home birth, who attends you, midwifery, antenatal visits, and how the midwife handles complications.
“Women may prefer a home birth to a hospital birth for a variety of reasons, including the desire for a low-intervention birth in a family setting surrounded by family and friends, and cultural or religious concerns.” According to the Center for Disease Control.
Most women in the United States choose to give birth in a hospital. However, it has its challenges. Having a drug-free birth in a hospital is hard if you don’t do your research. You need to choose the right obstetrician with a low rate of intervention and caesarean section. He/she also shouldn’t worry too much if your baby is past the due date. It’s not uncommon for a baby to reach 42 weeks because obstetricians base the date on her menstrual cycle, not the date of conception.
It is also important to research different hospitals, walk around the hospital and check how ‘homey’ the delivery rooms are, as well as collect statistics on caesarean sections and interventions. When you tour hospitals, you want to know their policies about allowing skin-to-skin contact with your baby immediately after birth and do they allow the baby to stay in the room with the mother? These experiences are something that a mother who gives birth at home gets to experience. The baby jumps faster and breastfeeding is easier.
Giving birth in a birthing center allows a woman to have a birthing experience at home in a hospital-like setting. Women who aren’t comfortable having a home birth and don’t want the stress of delivering in a hospital often choose a birthing center if one is available in their area. Plus, it’s a great way to get a home birth experience in states where having a home birth is illegal.
How to prepare for a natural birth?
Having a drug-free birth is not something a woman says “I’ll try.” That’s about as dumb as waking up one day and saying, “I’m going to run a marathon today,” except you don’t have the right running shoes and you haven’t run a day in your life.
First, decide where you want to give birth. Who do you want to give birth to your baby? Interview many professionals and explain that you want a drug-free birth and that you are bringing her team together to help her achieve this goal.
Then you should research what childbirth classes are available (not hospital classes, they don’t adequately prepare you for a drug-free birth). There are three well-known methods of teaching birth. Lamaze, The Bradley Method, Hypnobabies. Each has a website and a way to find an educator near you.
Next, you want to interview and hire a doula. A doula is a professional who comes with you and your partner/spouse to guide you through labor and delivery. She does not replace the partner / husband, but she assists them.
A doula is also a constant support for the working mother. When giving birth in a hospital, nurses come and go to help other patients and the OB may call for updates, but probably just shows up to catch the baby. There is no ongoing support for the mother, which is why a doula is so important.
A doula also assists the mother with relaxation techniques and helps reassure the mother along the way. In case a situation arises where information is needed to make a decision, the doula will assist the laboring mother and her partner/her husband to have all of her questions answered by the medical staff. She in no way makes decisions or speaks to medical staff on her behalf.
A doula meets with you several times before your due date, assists in labor/delivery, assists with breastfeeding, and visits the mother after delivery to go over the delivery and assists the mother in any way she can need. She is an asset to her birthing team and will support you in the way she wants to give birth.
Finally you need to practice relaxation. This cannot be stressed enough. Relaxation is the key for your body to open up and allow the baby to descend and be born. Spend at least an hour every day listening to relaxing music, practicing how to relax your entire body. Then, from your toes to your head, tense each area and release it. This helps you learn that you have control over your body and that you can relax. Relaxation is the key to a successful drug-free birth.
Remember, giving birth and giving birth are not suffering pains. The contractions are active. The pains you experience are manageable, all you need is relaxation and concentration (and as few distractions as possible). It takes an extreme amount of mind control to realize that with each passing wave you get closer to meeting your sweet baby. You can, however, preparation is not only recommended, but necessary.