Natural birth

Some women choose to avoid the use of drugs, medical monitoring or even episiotomies all together. This is done due to many reasons, but generally women choose this route because they want to have the full experience of labor and delivery.

Giving birth this way can be done in natural childbirth centers, hospitals, or sometimes at home and often these births are attended by health care professionals, midwives and doulas. One of the most common methods is Lamaze, which leaves the decision to take medication on the pregnant woman, but encourages the idea that birth is a beautiful and natural process.

The Bradley Method focuses on natural childbirth and the coach (usually your partner) and strongly discourages the use of medication unless it is an absolute necessity.

Women who choose natural childbirth prepare for pain relief by relying on: music, focal points, breathing, meditation, massage, water therapy, imagination and even walking.

Labor and delivery times vary from woman to woman and a natural childbirth may take longer or shorter than an assisted birth. There is no real way to determine the exact duration, but often second labor is of somewhat shorter duration than the first.

This type of birth can be beneficial to your baby as there are no risks associated with medications. You’ll likely be more alert both during and after delivery and you will have no concern about medications passing to your baby through breast milk.