Birth today in the U.S. is often treated as a risky, over-medically-managed event. In reality, birth is neither a disease nor an injury. For the majority of women, birth is a safe, healthy and very normal bodily process. If you’re seeking a more natural, low intervention birth, but aren’t quite comfortable with home birth or don’t have access to a birthing center, there are effective ways to keep birth in a hospital natural, safe and healthy. It will take some effort, planning and perseverance on your part, but the potential payoff is huge!
Inform – Whether you’re planning for your first, second or fifth birth, becoming informed key. What does a healthy birth look like? What are the risks to typical medical birth interventions? How can I give my baby the best start? Learn specific tactics to simplify the birth process and help alleviate fears and manage pain by watching short videos that describe six healthy birth practices: Let labor begin on its own; Walk, move around and change positions throughout labor; Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary; Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your body’s urges to push; Keep mother and baby together – It’s best for mother, baby and breastfeeding.
Investigate – Interview your care provider before you become pregnant or in the early days of pregnancy. Take a hospital tour early in your pregnancy. Research your hospital’s intervention and cesarean rates and research customer feedback. Find a mother-friendly care provider in your area (learn what makes a mother-friendly provider). And remember that it’s never too late to change your care provider or place of birth if you are unhappy.
Educate – Take a childbirth education class from a certified childbirth educator. Sometimes, hospital-based education courses are not taught by certified educators and instead simply prepare you for birth by teaching hospital procedures and guidelines. Seek a certified educator to learn evidence-based education on the healthy and normal process
of birth. (I hear that Lamaze offers excellent childbirth education classes, wink, wink!)
Plan for Support – While labor and delivery nurses can be helpful during birth, they must attend to several mothers during their shift. Further, with the high rate of cesarean section and epidural use in the U.S., many nurses are not accustomed to assisting women through natural birth. Designate a person (or more) to support and advocate for you during labor and birth. This can be your partner or spouse, a dear friend or mother, or consider hiring a birth doula. Whoever you choose, make sure that they know your wishes for birth and are able to provide continuous, positive emotional and physical support.
Remember that birth is a natural, normal process that your body instinctively knows how to do. Become an informed and empowered mom-to-be, surround yourself with positive influences and have confidence in your body’s ability – the rest will fall into place.
Cara Terreri is the site administrator for Lamaze International’s Giving Birth with Confidence—an online community and blog written for and by real women (and men) with a variety of trustworthy, timely and appealing stories, articles and tips related to pregnancy, birth and parenting. The goal is to help women achieve healthy pregnancies and safe, satisfying births by offering a meeting ground to obtain information and support from other women, Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educators and other knowledgeable experts.
My husband and I enrolled in the Bradley Method of childbirth education classes. Thanks to the information provided in the 12 sessions and the support from the teacher, we were fully prepared to tackle whatever came about for our birthing experience – physically, emotionally and mentally. We knew enough about what was happening to stay at home as long as possible and rides the waves of contractions in the quiet comfort of our bedroom – and kitchen – and backyard – and staircase. We showed up at the hospital just in time to start pushing, our baby girl was born within 45 minutes and we were able to go home less than 24 hours later to recoup our energy in our own bed. We knew the right questions to ask at the right time and were able to demonstrate to the hospital staff that we were educated in what to expect and what to watch out for. I highly recommend the Bradley Method because in addition to an excellent childbirth education – it focuses on making the father the strongest support for the birthing mother. The bond that my husband and I strengthened through these classes guided us through a completely natural hospital birth and has helped us greatly in the challenges of new parenthood.
Great article Cara. I had two natural, hospital births.
Thanks Tiffany– nice to hear about your own experiences!
Jen– Thanks for sharing your experience and insight. I think the key is to become truly informed and prepared, regardless of teaching method. Congrats on your positive experience and success with Bradley… I have also heard good things about their classes!
Great article! It’s all about preparation. I agree with Jen. Bradley Childbirth classes gave my husband and I the confidence and knowledge to have the homebirth we wanted. My friends – and my mother had no idea what was happening to them when they went into labor and were terrified and actually screamed through childbirth. My friend’s “childbirth class” in the hospital did exactly what Cara said; they taught hospital procedures and informed her of her medical intervention options. I am only bummed that there are no Bradley practitioners in London and I am pregnant with #2. Thanks for sharing an insightful article.
Thanks for an awesome article! This is exactly what I needed ;-)
I am not pregnant…yet. But, I have my heart set on a home birth and I don’t have very much support from people around me except for my mom and sisters. I feel that I may have to compromise and go to the hospital just so that other people are comfortable. They always say “But what if something goes wrong???” So, I decided that if I was going to the hospital that I would be as natural as possible there. This article really made me feel like that could be achieved and now I’m not too concerned about where I give birth. Just as long as me and the baby are healthy and the experience is amazing ;-)
Your choice in birthing location should never be about what makes other people comfortable. You are the woman that will have to go through labor.
Fact of the matter is study after study has shown homebirth to be safe if not safer than hospital birth. The people who are telling you not to homebirth “because what if something goes wrong” speak from their own fears of birth. This fear has been programmed into women for quite sometime, and in reality, is unfounded.
If you feel safe to birth at home, birth at home.
Feeling unsafe in labor can actually be a hindrance to labor itself. But feeling safe allows the body to release the proper hormones for labor and allows the process to unfold.
And the answer to what if something goes wrong is -‘then we will go to the hospital’
My husband and I went through hypno-birthing classes with my first child and it was the best money we spent during my pregnancy!! I was so excited to go into labor that people thought I was nuts when they would ask if I was terrified about labor and delivery (not sure why everyone has to ask a pregnant women that question). I told my nurses not to offer me any medication and that I would ask if I needed some. I was lucky that the hospital did everything I asked them to, including giving my son to me the second he was born even before cutting the cord!! My husband was the only one in the room and so the energy was calming since none of our hyper and overly excited relative were there. I am only days away from giving birth to our second child and plan on doing the same thing.
Hi Tiffany,
I am a research midwife currently writing a paper on birth unit design and wonder if you would give me permission to use the photo on this website.
Kind regards, Calida Bowden
Calida it is a stock photo so I do not have rights to it beyond my own use. It can be purchased at istockphoto.