12 Reasons to Try for a Natural Birth
1. YOUR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
With a natural birth you have the freedom to move, which is a great thing! Movement during labor is your friend. Gravity is helping you bring baby down and the more you move, the sooner you will have your baby.
2. MORE CONTROL OF YOUR BIRTH
With a natural birth, you have more options available to you, which allows you to be more of a participant in your labor. You then have many different options to relieve discomfort/pain during labor available to you, like massage, counter-pressure, hydrotherapy, hypnotherapy, music, movement, visualizations, different positions like the birth ball or walking the halls, hot and cold therapy, you name it!
3. REDUCES YOUR CHANCES OF A C-SECTION OR OTHER INTERVENTIONS
When labor is allowed to progress on its own, in its own time-frame, and the woman is allowed to respond naturally to the pain she is in, labor tends to go smoother and needs less interventions.
4. A SHORTER LABOR
Walking, rocking, squatting, or changing positions help your baby to descend and speed up your labor. When you feel that it’s time to push, you also push a lot better and faster which makes your pushes more effective because you can feel the urge of where to push.
5. A FASTER RECOVERY
When a woman delivers naturally she may feel better almost instantly after giving birth and she can get up and move around shortly after delivery, or whenever she is ready.
6. TO EXPERIENCE REAL LABOR
The labor experience is not just about experiencing pain, it’s about knowing what labor feels like, and knowing what you and your body are capable of.
7. IT’S BETTER FOR BABY
A HUGE reason to try for a natural childbirth is so that your baby can avoid having unnecessary and potentially dangerous medications pass through his/her system. By avoiding pain medications your baby will be born more alert and more active than babies that have been exposed to pain medications.
8. LESS RISKS FOR MOM AND BABY
Even though serious complications from epidurals are extremely rare, they can happen. Likewise, using other pain medications during labor (such as Nubain, Demerol, Stadol, etc.) also comes with risks. Pain medications can lower your blood pressure as well as your baby’s, can cause respiratory depression for both mom and baby, can slow down your labor, and can make you feel nauseous or dizzy. Using medications during labor adds risks that are not otherwise present in birth. Having a natural birth decreases your chances and removes a lot of these issues.
9. A MORE SATISFYING BIRTH EXPERIENCE
Most women are thrilled to see their new babies, no matter how their baby was born. I am all about women having the birth that they want, no matter what choices they make because it’s all about them and their baby. I will say though, women who have natural childbirths often report feeling more satisfied and happy with their birth experience. With this it also has been proven to reduce their chances of having postpartum depression.
10. BREASTFEEDING IS EASIER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL
Babies who are not exposed to pain medications are more alert after birth and this helps them to be more successful with breastfeeding. They latch better and feed longer. When you don’t have those medications in your system, you also have an easier time as well. When your body is on heavy medications, it’s hard for your body to understand that it’s time to make milk.
11. INCREASES YOUR CONFIDENCE
Preparing for a natural childbirth involves strengthening who you are as a person, learning how to say no, to stand up for yourself and your wants and desires. It doesn’t mean you become rude or pushy, but it does mean you don’t allow yourself to be told what to do by people with no authority over you, your body, and your baby.
12. WHY NOT TRY?
Most new moms wonder how bad the pain is and whether or not they will be able to handle it. There really is no way for you to know how your labor will be, how much pain you will have, or whether or not you can handle it until you actually try it. Even if you’re an experienced mom and have been through labor before, every labor is different. Why not take some classes, prepare your body, learn different comfort techniques, and give natural childbirth a try and see how it goes? If you are at a hospital, pain medications are there if you need them and if you are at home or at a birth center, a hospital is close by if you really need/want them. It doesn’t hurt to try though, right?
The Labors of Love Birth Center was conceived, labored over and birthed to meet a growing need of families in the upstate of South Carolina and surrounding counties of North Carolina. Our midwives had practiced in homes over the past 11 years, but were getting calls from women who did not want to be in the hospital to give birth, but were not desirous of home births. These were young educated women who often contacted us after they had done hours of research on their own and had finally found what they were looking for; someone who would respect their opinions, provide them with resource and then give them options on where and how to birth. Research was done, a plan was launched, permits were acquired, a building was secured and renovations began. We were able to now have the best of both worlds, a home-like environment and easy access to medical facilities should they become necessary.
The Tranquility Suite was designed to reflect calmness and peace. It is decorated in a soulful blue color scheme with beautiful hydrangeas symbolizing abundance. This suite exudes abundance from the ample tub which can be used for laboring or giving birth to the abundance of attention paid to details. The suite is spacious but cozy. Everything needed for birth and postpartum is close and available. No need to change rooms or disrupt the flow of bonding.
The Serenity Suite is decorated in a shabby chic décor reflecting comfort and simplicity while conveying quality. It is warm and energetic.Everything needed for delivery is close and convenient. The deep Sanajet tub alleviates the pain of labor, many call this “the midwife’s epidural”. There is never a need for the baby to leave the new parent’s sight, as newborn exams are done right in the room. Whether you choose to labor in the tub, on an exercise ball, on a birth stool, in the bed or walking around outside, our goal is to support your birthing choices throughout your labor and birth.
