Natural Childbirth
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
What could be more natural than childbirth? Just as the growth of the fetus during pregnancy occurs at its own pace, the normal birth process unfolds naturally and independently of external factors. Labor sets its own pace and rhythm as the about-to-be-born baby moves from the environment of the womb to the world outside. And though a woman can control the place in which she chooses to give birth and those who will be present, she cannot control how the birth itself will unfold.
What is natural childbirth? Some take it to mean undrugged childbirth or birth without use of interventions of any kind. Others include any birth that occurs vaginally while still others think of prepared childbirth, in which a woman follows a particular set of rules or guidelines that take her through labor.
The focus of most prepared childbirth methods has been twofold: drugless techniques that minimize pain, and education regarding the birth process. The first such method was introduced by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read in 1933. He advocated the use of relaxation and deep breathing, believing pain to be a product of fear and tension. Next came Dr. Fernand Lamaze, with an entirely different regimen of breathing exercises used to help women cope with and minimize the pain of birth. A third method was discussed by Dr. Robert Bradley, founder of “husband-coached childbirth.” He returned to slower, deeper breathing, this time with the father as “coach.” Author and surgeon Michel Odent emphasized privacy and darkness to facilitate the natural process and advocated the use of water pools in labor.
Today most hospitals offer their own childbirth courses. In addition, independent teachers are available on referral by a midwife or physician. Such independent courses can offer several advantages: smaller class size with individual attention, an orientation toward choice in maternity care, the ability to cast a critical eye on hospital routines, and more innovative information and guidance on working with the female body’s innate birthing knowledge.
None of the methods currently in use offers “painless childbirth.” Why avoid the use of drugs when they can eliminate pain during birth? Drugs tend to interfere with the body’s natural processes. For example, anesthesia and sedatives can slow contractions or render them less efficient; many women then require artificial hormones to augment labor. During the pushing phase, pain relievers can interfere with a woman’s ability to bear down, increasing the need for forceps, vacuum extraction, and cesarean section. Moreover, many women feel that being drugged robs them of the full experience of childbirth.
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In the end, birth is more than a method. The essence of “natural childbirth” is respect for the wisdom of the birthing process, trusting nature to work in the most efficient way for each particular mother and child. When a woman is taught to move beyond pain and fear, she can then work in harmony with her labor, reducing or eliminating the use of interventions. She can be mobile throughout the labor, choosing positions that allow gravity to assist the birth process, and she can be fully conscious to appreciate welcoming the baby into her waiting arms.
