An Objective Look At Natural BirthFor first time mothers, it is quite common for the idea of a natural birth to grow on you as your pregnancy progresses. Yet, at the start of pregnancy, it is fair to say that for many women the thought of pain, stirrups, cold sweat and screams is enough to make them run a mile from the whole thought of a natural birth. The main reason of course is that often we have a preconceived idea of what labor and delivery will be like, sometimes this image is because of general gossip and tittle tattle or stereotypes from the movies. It is not until we are part of the process that we learn it is not like this at all, for starters stirrups are not used in most hospitals these days. As we begin to take antenatal classes and discuss the idea of a natural birth in more detail, our eyes are opened. Often this is due to a teacher or class member that has experienced a natural birth and is keen to extol the virtues and their positive experience. These stories can be incredibly powerful, especially if they describe a loving, spiritual birth with a short and relatively pain free labor. Often they will make us think about whether we should seriously consider a home birth or not. The point of this article is to hopefully make you think a little more about a natural birth. Not because we support it or are against it, but because there are a huge number of women who describe such wonderful experiences, that it would almost be foolish not to consider it, if even for a short while. Yet, a good argument is based upon an objective view. The alternative to a natural birth is a medical assisted birth, some pregnancies are always destined to require additional medical assistance. The point is, we're all different, each and every pregnancy is different. You might decide to have a natural birth, yet circumstances prevent this from happening. In our experience, most of the more modern birthing centers support the choice of a natural birth. Their delivery rooms are more homely and less hospital like, they will also have fewer medical devices on show. The great thing about a birthing center is that they are often attached to large hospitals, this means should something go wrong, you have a safe feeling in the back of your mind. Which is important as it will help you to relax. For anyone that has experienced a natural birth, they will explain that being relaxed and calm is one of the most important factors to a successful natural delivery. For some natural birth commentators, there seems to be a line being drawn about the use of gas and air. They argue that gas and air is medical assistance, while many other people suggest that it is something that is available to help calm the nerves and body. Our view on this is simple, whether you choose to have a natural birth, a home birth, water birth, with or without drugs, the simple matter that everyone seems to overlook is that it is one hundred percent your choice. How you give birth is down to you to decide, after all medals are not given based on your pain threshold. Enjoy the moment on your terms. Read more of our articles on natural birth Natural Birth - The Choice Is Yours |