Natural Birth Blog

I apologize for the long time between posts. My husband currently works at a school around children, and brought home a nasty bug that has made the rounds in our household. I haven’t had time to do much. So, finally, here is a much overdue post.

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What is natural childbirth?

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Generally, women who choose to have a natural birth are those who view childbirth as a natural, normal process; one that doesn’t generally need outside intervention in order to have a healthy baby. They (or we) have confidence in the fact that our bodies are designed to birth new life, and we realize that women have been doing this for centuries without assistance, and in most places around the world they still do it that way.

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In the United States, this mindset is not normal by any means. We, as a country, have turned this normal process into a medical “condition” that requires a surgeon’s expertise (that is what an OB/GYN is, after all: a surgeon trained in the surgical repair or removal of female body parts). Women are taught to fear the prospect of labor, and are told to trust a surgeon to safely deliver their babies. Doctors frequently perform “emergency” cesareans and “save” the baby or mother from certain death. Of course, these “emergencies” mainly occur due to the doctor’s medical intervention in the first place, but more on that later.

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Natural childbirth does not rely primarily on surgeons, but on the woman’s own body. When I say “natural childbirth,” I mean a birth that is completely drug-free, during which the woman is allowed to labor and give birth in a position she chooses, rather than one that is forced upon her. In all situations, unless there is a real medical reason to have to perform a cesarean, a natural birth is many times safer for both the mother and baby than births that rely on drugs or other interventions (induction, forceps, suction). The reason for this is that drugs always have side effects, and many of them are not only unpleasant, but downright dangerous for mother or baby.

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The Purpose of this Blog

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In future posts I will be going over how to successfully have a natural birth, from nutrition during pregnancy to the best labor positions and relaxation techniques. I want to provide a myriad of resources to childbirth classes and reading material that may help you in your own birth journey. I will also cover each common intervention such as epidurals, induction via pitocin or cytotec, twilight drugs, forced removal of the baby vaginally, and cesareans. My goal is for women to go into labor knowing their options, knowing the risks and benefits associated with each drug, when that drug is likely to be used, and to have the ability to make decisions for themselves.

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What I desire for you

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I want you to know the truth, and then to make your own decision based on facts. Although I am, admittedly, an advocate for natural childbirth and firmly believe it is best and safest in the majority of cases, I don’t just want you to have a natural childbirth. Although I love homebirth, I don’t necessarily want you to have a homebirth. What I desire is that you have the information so that you are able to choose how to birth your baby with your eyes wide open, rather than out of fear or intimidation or ignorance. Whether that be with drugs or without, in a hospital, birth center, or at home, my goal is twofold: one, for you to know why you’re making the decisions you make and, two, not to fear childbirth but to welcome it as the miraculous event it truly is.