I rejected the idea that I needed to use drugs and medical interventions during labor. So I chose natural birth. Here I share what natural birth is and why natural birth is the right birth for you too.
By Shayla Brown
IN THIS ARTICLE
- What is natural birth?
- What are the benefits of a natural birth?
- What are the risks of a natural birth?
- Is natural birth right for you?
What is natural birth?
Natural birth refers to vaginal labor that takes place without the use of drugs or interventions. It’s controversial to say, but not all forms of childbirth are natural and if you want a birth with the most safe and satisfying outcome, natural birth is the best way to go.
When you choose a natural birth, you very fortunately avoid:
- routine IV
- labor induction
- routine episiotomy
- assisted delivery with forceps
- vacuum extraction
- cesarean section
What are the benefits of a natural birth?
The best part of my very first natural birth and the 5 natural births after was that I enjoyed knowing exactly what my body is capable of without medication. There were a few other benefits I enjoyed as well like:
- Being able to move. Moving during labor helped me cope with pain. I walked the halls, took a warm bath, swayed on a birth ball, and had the freedom to move as much as I wanted— unlike some of my doula clients who were confined to their bed after getting an epidural. During my 2nd birth I learned that moving during labor also helped my labor to progress. I have personally witnessed an epidural pushing stage take 3 hours opposed to my pushing stages of 15 minutes MAX.
- Pushing was more effective. Because I didn’t debilitate my lower body with an epidural, my muscles didn’t lose their ability to push my baby out. I have personally witnessed an epidural pushing stage take 3 hours opposed to my natural pushing stages of 15 minutes MAXIMUM.
- I was able to walk sooner. I was able to get out of bed and walk around sooner post-birth, since I wasn’t numb from an epidural, groggy from “pain medication”, or injured from a C-Section.
What are the risks of a natural birth?
The only risk of having a natural birth is receiving ridicule from people who wish to diminish what you’ve accomplished even though they were not as brave, as intuitive, as thorough, as fortunate, as conscientious, or as successful as you at achieving a natural birth.
Is natural birth right for you?
YES. At its foundation, natural birth requires you to:
- search and find truthful information
- have faith in the truthful information you find
- then prove your faith by making whatever sacrifice is necessary to succeed.
If you accept that work in exchange for a safe, healthy, and satisfying experience for you and your family, then YES; natural birth is right for you. If you wish to outsource that work to someone else, or you want to avoid that work, then no, natural birth is not for you.
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You’re welcome,
