Childbirth the way nature intended it right? What is in it for you? What is in it for the baby? Is it as bad as they say? Is it as painful? How can you alleviate some of the pain and still have a good and healthy natural childbirth experience? Let us answer these and many more questions you may have on childbirth, just keep reading to find out more.
The first thing you must want to be answered is, what are the benefits of natural childbirth? So let us get right into the top questions women have on natural childbirth and why we are rooting for you.
What are the Benefits of Natural Childbirth?
There are many benefits of natural childbirth. This is how a woman was designed to give birth and by selecting this route she will protect the muscles found within the birth canal as well as the perineum and will also protect her baby.
The body provides a surge of adrenaline during labor to ensure that mommy stays alert no matter how long her labor may be. This surge of adrenaline helps to ensure that you are focused on your baby and ready and eager to meet your bundle of joy. The adrenaline also helps the baby to be alert as well on this strange journey into the world.
Natural childbirth is non-invasive and so you and your baby will have little to no potential side effects. Many women who have experienced natural childbirth will tell you that it had a very empowering effect on them.
When you have natural childbirth you stay aware of the entire delivery process and are free to move around and find positions that are most comfortable for you. Once no complications arise, this allows you the opportunity to be less likely to need medications to speed up labor etc. There is no need for bladder catheterization, forceps delivery, vacuum extractions etc.
You can make the process more comfortable with the use of visualization, breathing exercises ad much more.
What's Better C Section Or Natural Birth?
Sherri Bayles a registered nurse, lactation consultant and Lamaze instructor out of New York City notes that a healthy baby is all that is important. So the better way is the way that ensures that the baby does come out this way.
Is Recovery Easier After Natural Birth?
Delivering a baby is a traumatic experience whether you are had a vaginal delivery or a C-section birth. It is traumatic whether you were in labor for a couple of hours or even a couple of days. Your body will need time to recover no matter what your delivery looked like and entailed.
Recovery times and experiences differ from person to person. While some may see recovery in a few days, some may see recovery taking up to a few months. On average most women will experience a recovery time of 6 to 8 weeks.
During the process of recovery, it is important not to get too frustrated. Eat well for you and baby, ensure you are getting rest and take advantage of all the support you can get from family members and loved ones.
Is It Better To Have A Natural Birth Or Epidural?
An epidural provides the benefit of painless delivery experience. Some women find that they can still feel their contractions while on an epidural but the pain is reduced significantly. During a vaginal delivery with an epidural, you can still move around and you are still very aware of what is going in the birthing process
What Percentage Of Births Are Natural?
Statistics show that on average 85% of women are capable of achieving un-medicated natural childbirth. The remaining 15% of women are in a high-risk category that put them at risk and in such cases a Cesarean section allows birth to be safer for both mommy and the baby.
What Is Giving Birth Naturally?
Giving “birth naturally” is considered to be the way nature intended – un-medicated vaginal labor. Many people are now arguing that a natural birth simply is a vaginal birth whether or not, pain medication is given in the form of an epidural.
What is the Bradley Method of giving birth?
The Bradley method places emphasis on the birth process being natural. During this process, mothers are encouraged to have faith in their diet and to keep their main focus on diet and exercise throughout the entire pregnancy. The Bradley method teaches partners about deep breathing and how men can support and coach their female counterparts throughout the labor process.
How Can I Prepare My Body For Natural Birth?
So you have eaten right, taken your prenatal vitamins, exercised, took all the recommended classes and you are ready to have your baby. But the 9 months flew past and you still don’t know if you know all you need to know to have this baby. Here is a great video on how you can prepare your body for a natural birth.
Is Natural Childbirth Safer?
There is a natural childbirth movement with a message that comes off a bit overwhelmingly. They indicate that a “natural birth” is superior to a C-section. But the truth is that in some cases a C-section is a better choice as there is less risk to both the baby and her mother. A significant number of women have safely experienced C-sections to bring their babies into the world, safely and healthily.
Is An Epidural Bad For The Baby?
An epidural helps to minimize the amount of pain you feel great. But it does affect the baby as well. It is shown that babies who come out of birth where an epidural was administered have trouble latching on when breastfeeding.
There have been indications as well as epidurals cause a decreased fetal heart rate and may cause respiratory depression. So the epidural may not harm the baby but there will be some subtle effects during/after birth.
Why Are Water Births and What Are the Benefits?
Waterbirth can be beneficial to both mother and baby. Mother will find the water soothing, relaxing and comforting which will help to keep her more comfortable through natural birth. The buoyancy from the water helps to create more efficient uterine contractions and helps to improve blood circulation. This means there is better oxygenation in the uterine muscles. This, in turn, makes the birth process less painful for the mother and helps to ensure that the baby has more oxygen during the entire process.
What Are The Disadvantages Of A Water Birth?
During a water birth, there are risks. These are very low though and the large majority of water births are completed safely with no complications to either mother or baby.
There is a risk of water embolism. This can happen as the mother can find water in her bloodstream. If the baby becomes stressed during birth, water aspiration may occur. The baby’s umbilical cord can become twisted and if the baby inhales water this can go into the lungs.
CONCLUSION
Natural birth is encouraged as long as there are no complications that put either mother or baby at risk. A healthy mother, healthy baby and a pregnancy with no complications is a good candidate for natural childbirth. But at the end of it all, it all comes down to having a healthy baby and for both baby and mommy to come out of the birth process happy and in good health.
Birth is not a competition, you want to have the type of birth that is best for you and your baby. And sometimes this is a Cesarean section. Listen to your team of medical professionals, they have all the experience with this process and can help you make the best decision so both you and your baby can be healthy and happy and live a long, healthy and happy life together.
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