Natural Vaginal Birth

You are here because you want a natural vaginal birth and you've done research and now your head is spinning...

How do you prepare for labor?

What kind of attendant to you want?

Do you want to hire a doula..or not? And what is a doula anyway?

Where will you give birth?

Should you write a birth plan or not?

What foods should you eat or stay away from?

You know you should exercise but which one is best?

Are there any natural remedies to help with a natural vaginal birth?

Should you take birthing classes? If so which ones? Bradley, Lamaze, etc....

Arrrrg!!

Please try not to stress...we want to help you. Yes, you can muddle through all the tough decisions you will have to make before your baby is born.

Birth Attendants

You are well aware that - most - American women choose to give birth at the hands of an OBGYN...about 96% of them to be exact.

So can you safely assume that an OBGYN is the best attendant to have present at the birth of your baby...right?

Well...to be perfectly honest...no. Research does not bear witness to such a claim. For all risk factors - excluding planned c-sections - midwives fair better than doctors.

Yes you read this correctly.

Why you ask? Well there are many reasons: One of the main reasons is that their scope of practice is very different than for doctors.

For more information in midwives vs doctors click here.

Indeed midwives focus on maintaining your health - and the health of your baby - through proper nutrition and exercise, while doctors expect things to go wrong and therefore are trained to intervene.

And remember, midwives cannot perform c-sections...for this major abdominal surgery you want a surgeon - an OBGYN.

And indeed when it comes to surgery, OBGYNs are wonderful and highly trained. However, if you want a natural vaginal birth then you may want to choose a different birth attendant.

If you must have an OBGYN then we would suggest that you hire a Doula and write a birth plan.

Your doula will be well worth the money you spend to hire her and your birthing plan will be added security that your wishes are respected.

Places of Birth

Here again most American women choose a hospital. We have indeed been effectively brainwashed to believe that a hospital is the only safe place to birth a baby.

Somehow when a baby dies in a hospital - due to medical errors - it never seems to make the front page news...and believe us it does happen. Moreover, good luck prosecuting a doctor since it is a fact that most of them cover for each other.

However, if a baby dies out of a hospital, it is always assumed that it was due to being out of the hospital. You are then guilty until proven innocent.

Case in point, we have a friend whose baby was born with a congenital anomaly incompatible with life. It was assume right away that she was guilty because she chose to have her baby at home.

An autopsy proved the opposite.

Midwives are persecuted all over the world and brought before boards because they practice out of hospitals. If you thought "witch hunt" was a thing of the past...think again!

Here is a fun statistic: over 70% of OBGYNs will be sued. It is almost unheard of for a midwife to be sued. Hum!

Anyway, we digress.

A hospital is not the only place to give birth nor is it necessarily the safest.

More and more women choose to give birth out of hospitals and in some countries - such as for example the Netherlands (Holland) - it is the norm. In England, they are also trying to re-introduce homebirth as a safe alternative.

You could also choose to birth in a free standing birth center or even - dare we say it - at home!

In all studies, homebirth - for low risk women - has proven to be as safe if not safer than hospital births.

Celebrities Who Gave Birth At Home

Famous people who gave birth at home

Famous people who were born at home

Natural Childbirth Education

Prenatal childbirth classes can be a life saver especially if you have no or very little support around you.

As with anything, for a natural vaginal birth, being prepared is a must. And that preparation, to be successful, must be physical - exercise and prenatal nutrition - as well as emotional and spiritual.

It may be surprising to learn that your mind plays a huge part in the birthing process. We would even venture to say it can be more important than the physical. As an athlete prepare for an event, you will want to do the same in order to have a satisfying and safe natural vaginal birth.

However, when it comes down to birthing classes...which one will suit you the best and enable you to achieve your natural vaginal birth?

Again we want to help!

Indeed, they are many to choose from.

Other Ways to Prepare For A Natural Vaginal Birth

aromatherapy

flower essences

herbal remedies

homeopathy.

Yes, you can have the birth of your dream: a safe, satisfying natural vaginal birth.