All Things Considered: The Non-Medicated Birth Experience
These days, more and more moms are declining mainstream doctors’ orders and opting instead to take over the reins during labor and delivery. This often debated decision is a personal one that most women don’t make lightly. With all the cards on the table, here are the ins and outs of declining the drugs, tubes, and needles, and instead relying on good ol’ nature to take its course.
Where’s The Allure?
Whether or not to give birth under the influence of medication can be a divisive issue among women. This comes from a lack of understanding of the motives behind either decision. Consider these typical inquiries about natural childbirth:
Why not take advantage of minimizing physical pain during labor?
It is believed that having an epidural can slow down the process of labor. Some also believe that the pain a mom experiences during labor is actually useful for listening to her own body’s needs, whether that be to change positions to aid in delivery or to receive the endorphins and oxytocin that come along naturally. Many who have endured labor with an epidural haven’t had enough feeling to push when the time came, and some have even had to have an emergency C-section. There is also speculation on the effect of the epidural on the baby while still in the womb. Babies can succumb to drowsiness, disorientation, and lowered heart rate under the influence of the epidural. There’s also always the risk of a mother having an unexpected adverse reaction to the epidural, thus causing undue stress on both mom and baby during delivery. Simply put, epidurals can pose potential risks. Understanding your body’s natural inclination to endure childbirth un-medicated, many agree it’s simply not worth a potentially harmful intervention.
How does a woman cope with the pain during a natural labor?
Obviously no woman wishes to put her baby (or herself) at risk for any harmful side effects, but the fear of excruciating pain during childbirth is overwhelming. All too often, the only experience a person has before their own labor is that which they’ve seen dramatized on TV. It is most often enough for a woman to opt in for mainstream medicine. What many women aren’t aware of is the vast scope of alternative pain remedies, techniques, and aids that propel a laboring mom toward enjoying a natural childbirth.
There are props such as exercise balls, hot baths, heating pads, aromatherapy, music therapy, and breathing techniques that aid in a memorable and enjoyable childbirth. Natural childbirth classes range from hypnobirthing techniques, pain-free childbirth courses, and childbirth coaching classes that showcase positive parenting videos during labor and delivery. Many such classes are offered at local hospitals, birthing centers, and even online in the comfort of your own home! Using these techniques, the mom can be fully present, undistracted by any grogginess or unwanted side effects of an epidural.
Whether you are a mom who decides to go au naturel or sign on for the medication, the most important thing is that every mom respects the other’s decision. There is no one size fits all method for delivering a baby, and no woman has exactly the same experience as another. Childbirth is as unique as each woman is. There are many healthy babies out there who will agree that there is more than one right way to bring a child into this world!
Natural childbirth classes range from hypnobirthing techniques , pain-free childbirth courses, and childbirth coaching classes that showcase positive parenting videos during labor and delivery.