Nobody believed I could have my babies naturally until I had them all at home. My births were wonderful, peaceful moments of joy for my babies and for me -- but we are not special or unique in some way. You can have this same peace and joy.
Natural childbirth is an amazing and wonderful thing. There is nothing like the joy and ecstasy a woman feels upon giving birth to her baby naturally. Natural childbirth can happen at home, in a birth center, and even in the hospital.
If you want to have a natural childbirth, the best thing you can do is to become educated. Read all you can, learn all you can. Be viligent about your healthy pregnancy, choose your care provider well. And trust...Trust yourself and your womanly body.
So You Want a Natural Childbirth?
Resources for Getting Ready
Don't expect your OB/GYN to do it. Don't expect your midwife to do it. Don't expect your partner, your mother, or your dog to do it. You need to be responsible for your own care. All of these people help you during your pregnancy (even your dog), but only you can be sure that you are getting the excellent care that you need.
You can start right away - check out these links!
- Natural Birth and Baby Care.com
- An excellent website (I'm biased - this is my site :) NBBC focuses on healthy pregnancy and preparing for a natural birth. It also has plenty of information on raising your baby naturally.
- Mothering Magazine
- Mothering is at the forefront of activism for natural birth and for natural family living. It is inspiring and uplifting, as well as an invaluable resource for solid birthing and parenting information
- MotheringDotCommune
- Mothering Magazine's forums. You will find plenty of support and information for your natural birth choices on these forums. You'll also find info on cloth diapering, baby carriers, the family bed, and more.
- Blue Ribbon Baby
- the late Dr. Tom Brewer's site. Read and absorb all the information on this small website to realize just how important nutrition is and how it can prevent major pregnancy and birth complications!
- Midwives
- NBBC's midwife information page. You'll discover why midwives are an excellent choice when you are planning a natural birth, and you'll find out how to locate a midwife near you.
- Birth Balance
- This is an excellent site on water birth. It has great photos as well.
- The Birth of Grey Forest Walt
- This is one of the most amazing, inspiring birth stories I have ever read. This birth story helped me to prepare for my first child's home birth and I still love to go back and read it.
- NBBC's Birth Stories
- Speaking of birth stories, Natural Birth and Baby Care.com has quite a few stories for you to enjoy.
- Bornfree!
- This is an amazing website devoted to unassisted childbirth (UC). Even if you plan to have your baby in the hospital this website will inspire and empower you to realize just what women can do. I love reading the birth stories Laura Shanley has collected on this site!
- NBBC's Pregnancy Diet Pages
- Basics on assuring that you have a nutrient-dense pregnancy diet that will nourish you and your baby.
Birth Tips
What helped you the most when you had your baby (or babies!) Share your best birthing tips here!
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AngEngland
Great lens, thankyou. I've lensrolled you to my pregnancy class lens! Posted January 06, 2007 |
The Must-Read List
Spiritual Midwifery
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/11/2008)
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Amazon Price: $11.56 (as of 10/11/2008)
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way: Revised Edition
Amazon Price: $12.92 (as of 10/11/2008)
Great Expectations: Your All-in-One Resource for Pregnancy & Childbirth
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 10/11/2008)
Prenatal Yoga and Natural Childbirth, Third Edition
Amazon Price: (as of 10/11/2008)
The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth
Amazon Price: $19.60 (as of 10/11/2008)
Feeds about Natural Birth
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byNatural Pain Relief Tips
- Choose a care provider and birth place that will allow you freedom in labor and plenty of support.
- Practice relaxation during pregnancy.
- Use affirmations and visualization during pregnancy.
- Choose labor companions who will support and encourage you - consider a doula.
- Read inspiring birth stories during pregnancy.
- Labor at home as long as possible.
- Make your location as comfortable as possible.
- Go about your daily routine during early labor - sleep if it's night.
- Eat and drink as you need to.
- Move. Walk inside or outside, use a birth ball, slow dance%u2026movement helps.
- Surrender to the power of labor and the power of your body, embrace it.
- Play music that you love, that helps you move deeper into labor, or that soothes you.
- Stand and bear down on low support, or pull on a soft rope support if it helps.
- Be grateful that you'll be meeting your baby soon. Be grateful for your attendants.
- Vocalize - use deep, open moans. Relax your jaw. This relaxes your bottom.
- Know that you can do this.
- Visualize your body opening and your baby moving down.
- Keep peeing. This gets you moving and some women like laboring on the toilet.
- Try aromatherapy. Massage with essential oils in a carrier oil can be wonderful.
- Have an attendant use counter-pressure for strong back labor.
- Use a hot sock, rice sock, or aromatherapy stuffed animal to apply moist heat.
- Use cool washcloths or a frozen hot sock, rice sock, or aromatherapy animal for cold.
- Get in the shower.
- Get into a tub of warm water.
- Have an attendant give you a massage on your legs, or anywhere that feels good.
- Don't try to escape the pain - embrace it, go with it. Explore it, be curious about it, if it helps.
- Feel the love of those around you.
- Talk to your baby.
- Look in the eyes of your support team.
- Do what your body tells you to do.
- Breathe.
- Trust yourself.
