Natural child birth is a beautiful experience with many safe options and benefits. Learn how to get to your goal of an intervention-free birth experience.
Women dream of the perfect birth; they want soft music, low lights, a beautiful room, no drugs, and no pain. The pleasant atmosphere without drugs is possible. Even with drugs most women feel pain during childbirth. That’s all there is to it. Some childbirth books will tell you that you can relax away the pain or massage away the pain. They even recommend hypnotism. All these techniques may help to alleviate the pain and lessen it by keeping muscles relaxed and the mind calm.
However, if a woman in labor arrives at the hospital thinking that visualizing her ‘happy place’ will guarantee a comfortable and pain-free labor, she is likely to be disappointed. In fact, telling a pregnant woman that if she breathes correctly, she will feel no pain during birth is setting her up for failure. Imagine being in labor doing everything you were told to do with no results. The resulting panic could increase the discomfort and result in a request for drugs. Now, there is nothing wrong with asking for help and getting medication to alleviate the pain. In fact, sometimes the relief from the pain will help a woman get through labor and thus avoid a cesarean. But if you want to avoid drugs, there are a few things you should know. It’s possible to get through labor and delivery without drugs. The best plan to survive natural childbirth is through preparation and education. It also helps if you have a supportive doctor.
Doctors
In the days of managed health care it may be difficult to find the right doctor. Start early. Ask your friends. Call the local hospital’s maternity ward and get the inside scoop from the nurse on duty. When you do choose a doctor, ask about his or her cesarean rate and episiotomy rate. If these are above national averages, then keep looking. Once you do choose your doctor, cultivate a working relationship. Respect his or her advice. If during birth your doctor recommends pain medication or other intervention, you should listen. Presumably you chose this doctor for a reason. Listen to his or her expertise
Education
Check you area for childbirth preparation classes. The Bradley Method (also known as husband-coached childbirth) is one of the more popular classes encouraging low-intervention childbirth. It’s one of the better courses because it includes ten to twelve sessions with good information on what to expect and how to deal with it. One caveat is that the Bradley Method is not always well received by doctors and hospitals as it sometimes sets up an unhealthy relationship between doctor and patient. So if you do choose the Bradley Method, do check with your doctor and get his or her opinion. Even if the doctor does not totally agree with the method, he or she may see the merit of taking the course for the educational value in terms of what to expect during labor and how to deal with it.
There are also Lamaze classes that use breathing techniques to relax and control labor. These can also be useful. A criticism of Lamaze has been that the panting technique they espouse may cause hyperventilation in mother and baby. Talk to your doctor to see what he or she has to say about the technique and its strengths and weaknesses.
Other childbirth classes may be sponsored by hospitals and birthing centers. Be aware that the hospital’s main goal in these educational endeavors is to apprise a patient of their medical procedures and practices during childbirth, which may or may not encourage an intervention-free birth. Check out the philosophy of the facility and talk to women who have given birth there.
Classes on hypnotism have been added to the choices of childbirth preparation. This may be a supplement to another class. However, there is still little evidence to support the effectiveness of hypnotism during childbirth. So while it might be worth looking into, hypnotism is not the basket for all your eggs.
Preparation
Preparing for childbirth is more than just knowledge. You must respect your body and take care of it. This includes exercise (with doctor’s permission, of course) and a nutritious diet. There have been studies to suggest that women who engage in light exercise during pregnancy have easier labors. So get out those walking shoes and have a little stroll every day as long as your doctor gives you a green light.
The days when pregnant women were indulged in pickles and ice cream during the middle of the night are long gone. These days women are expected to keep up their consumption of protein and calcium and take their prenatal vitamins religiously. Only 200 extra calories are needed to nurture the baby. That adds up to about two glasses of milk a day. Try not to go overboard and do try to stay in the neighborhood of thirty-five pounds weight gain.
Restrict caffeine to less than two cups of coffee or get rid of it altogether. Since there is no known safe level of alcohol during pregnancy, it’s best to abstain completely. And smoking is absolutely out of the question. If someone in your household smokes, encourage them to do so outside if they cannot quite.
Practice relaxation techniques and read up on childbirth. A good book to start with is “The Birth Book” by William Sears, MD. Bradley and Lamaze also have their own publications.
Talk to your friends and family about their experiences. But try to keep your perspective and don’t let Aunt Millie’s horror story of breech delivery without drugs scare you too much. Try to talk to people who are supportive of birth without intervention.
Write a birth plan informing the hospital or birthing center of your expectations. Many examples can be found on the Internet. Keep is simple and under one page only outlining the important stuff. Nurses are busy and do not have time to read a patient’s five page birth plan.
Consider hiring a doula or birthing coach. Because the presence of doulas during a birth correlates with a lower chance of cesarean, many insurance providers are footing the bill. A doula can act as an intermediary between you and the hospital staff. She can also do much to lighten the load for your husband or partner during the birth. Experienced with birth, she may help in ways that your partner may not and allow the two of you to enjoy the experience calm in knowing there is another professional there to help. Information on doulas can also be found on the Internet.
During labor, try to walk and keep moving. Often this will actually lessen the pain and speed up delivery. Also try different positions. Crouching on your hands and knees is one of the recommended positions for back labor. Consider laboring in water if that choice is available. And remember, the sign of transition is usually when the mom-to-be starts to doubt her resolve. This could mean you are about ready to push and meet your baby.
If things don't go as planned and intervention is necessary, try to keep perspective. A cesarean may not be a walk in the park, but it's the end product that counts.
By : S. Masters
