Childbirth: Giving birth naturally

- Allows your body to do what it does naturally
- Drugs (incluidng epidurals) WILL get through to the baby
- Any interventions is more likely to lead to other (more serious) interventions
- Quicker recovery time
- Epidurals could damage your spine

1) Get your baby in position
2) Relax
3) Know your midwife
4) Write a birth plan
5) Use a TENS Machine
6) Have a water birth
7) Get into different positions
8) Eat and drink during labour
9) Get buy-in from your midwives
10) Don't forget the end point - a beautiful new baby!

Get your baby into position

The secret to having the most straightforward birth is to get the baby into position way before the baby's due date.

This is accomplished by your posture - which, when you are pregant is opposite to when you are not pregnant.

Whenever you can, ideally daily, from about 8 months onwards you need to sit in the following position:
- sit on the edge of an armless chair and open your legs wide
- then lean right forwards so that the bump goes in between your legs
- lean your elbows on your knees for balance

This position opens up your pelvis, giving the baby room to get into its ideal posision (head down, back facing to the front, head tucked right down into its neck).

The baby needs to do a little turn during its journey down the birth canal. Doing the groundwork way before the big day will help the baby enormously on its way.

Another exercise you can do is to kneel on all fours and either rock backwards and forwards or gyrate your pelvis.

Relax

The more relaxed you feel, the better your labour will be, as your body will be free to do what it does naturally.

Hypnobirthing is a technique I used to help me relax. It encourages you to relax during pregnancy and also during labour, saying mantras such as:
'My baby and my body know what to do'
and imagining your body opening up like a flower. [NB. I only used it for relaxation; don't be fooled by its claims that there is no need to actually push - in my experience the only births that happened that way are the ones where the baby had a very small head / the baby was positioned perfectly, its head tucked right down so that the smallest part of its head was leading the way]

Just remember that labour is a totally natural state for your body to be in and it has a predetermined method, which will be over in a day or so.

And don't forget the prize you will get at the end!

Know your midwife

This is something that is dealt with really effectively in Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin(see below).

As childbirth is such a basic human state, you are in a phase that links you fundamentally with the people around you and the universe itself [quite a heavy concept, I know!]

If you're still with me here, the book says that the more you trust the people around you implicitly, the more relaxed you will feel and the more able your body will be to birth the baby without a hitch.

Write a birth plan

This is an excellent method to:
a) work out what you want yourself
and: b) once you know what you want, you can commit yourself and others to do it.

You can go into any level of detail, including what intervention you want or don't want.

One thing to be totally clear on, though, is that the birth plan is written BEFORE you are in labour and one should never be so rigid as to stick to it 100%, so one should go into the experience with some flexibility (but knowing the consequences of any actions).

It is a good idea to have a birth partner with you who is very clear about your birth plan, so can help you decide on the best course of action during labour itself.

Use a TENS Machine

I had planned to have no assistance at all, except for the water in the birth pool.

However, a TENS machine was found for me to use and it worked miraculously and made me feel better from the moment it was put on.

It works by encouraging your body to produce natural feel-good endorphins. You need to get wired up, with pads on your back, but don't let that put you off.

I recommend it wholeheartedly. It helped me, it gave me focus and it was great having a 'boost' button when a contraction was in full flow!

Have a water birth

(Obviously not while you are using the TENS machine!)

If it is possible, do have a waterbirth. It is totally natural, is relaxing in the lovely warm water and it enables you to move around into positions that you couldn't normally do out of the water.

The water also supports your heavy body and makes your skin stretchier so there is less chance of tearning.

Get into different positions

Modern labour wards tend to encourage women to take the standard position of laying on their back with their legs in stirrips.

Actually, this is the worst position to birth your baby as the baby does a little turn and comes out at right angles to your body. This means that they need to go uphill, which is against gravity so much harder for the mother to push out!

Therefore, different positions are recommended.

Good ones are:
- leaning over a bean bag
- sitting on a birthing stool
- getting down on all fours and putting your head in your birth partner's lap

Eat and drink during labour

You need to keep your strength up, so something with energy such as honey sandwiches and water are really great to keep you going. Make sure you add it to your birth bag on your way out.

Get buy-in from your midwives

If you are planning on a natural birth, it is important to make sure that your midwives are on board with your wishes.

Therefore make sure that you have a number of copies of your birthplan (get them to sign it if you can) and show it to any new midwives that take over.

Don't forget the end point - a beautiful new baby!

No matter how tired you are or how you wish the experience were over, soon you will have a lovely new baby in your arms. Don't lose sight of that as the hardship during labour will only add to the sweetness and love you feel when you are holding your new baby in your arms.

You will have earned the accolade of 'Mother' wholly and completely!