10 Advantages of a Natural Birth
The advantages of a natural birth are well documented, but not broadly understood. The miraculous experience of labor and childbirth can seem daunting, but it's important to remember that a woman's body was created to handle natural delivery - without medical intervention.
I'm Paula Grady LM, CPM a midwife with 25 years of experience helping mamas experience natural childbirth. If you have not heard of me and would like more information, you can find it here. In the meantime, let's talk about the advantages of natural birth.
Remember: Pregnancy is Not a Medical Condition
In our modern world filled with medical technologies, it’s easy to believe that pregnancy and childbirth are “conditions” that need to be “treated” like a disease. Expectant mothers are often concerned about health issues and all the things that could potentially go wrong.
But childbirth is not a disease. As I shared in What is a Natural Birth, the vast majority of new moms have low-risk pregnancies and delivery occurs without complications, making most moms a good candidate for a natural birth.
While there are certainly exceptions, requiring the occasional emergency c-section, it’s important to remember that problems with the birth experience are just that, exceptions.
Natural childbirth is defined as a vaginal delivery involving no medical interventions such as forceps, vacuums, or epidurals.
Medically trained professionals like licensed midwives and doulas are available to assist with natural, unmedicated birth, whether the birth itself takes place in a hospital, stand-alone birth center, or at home.
Some Advantages of A Natural Birth
For the vast majority of women, natural childbirth is not only safe and possible, but also has many advantages for both the mother and newborn child. Here are some of the biggest benefits of a natural birth plan:
1: Perfect Timing
Your baby and your body know when it’s the right time to begin the labor process. Natural childbirth means the best timing for a baby's arrival. Interventions such as cesarean section and inductions are often scheduled for the convenience of the healthcare provider, and in some cases, can cause more difficulties if your body or baby is not ready.
2: Freedom to Move
Contractions during active labor serve a purpose in the delivery process, but they can certainly be uncomfortable. Freedom to move can ease the discomfort and help move the process along. The ability to change positions when desired is obviously more difficult if you’re being machine monitored or have an epidural.
3: Smaller Risk of Complications
Unfortunately, many medical interventions and drugs can have side effects or unintended consequences. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, “there is an increasing body of research that suggests that the routine use of each of these interventions, rather than decreasing the risk of trouble in labor and birth, actually increases complications for both women and their babies.”
4: Less Vaginal Tearing
When labor progress occurs naturally without pain medication, it’s easier to push instinctively, rather than simply 'on command' from the health care provider, reducing the likelihood of tearing.
5: Shorter Pushing Time
Labor pain helps tell the body what is happening and what to do. Medicated pain management can interfere with the body's natural impulses during childbirth (remember, there are many natural approaches to pain management and relaxation techniques that we will discuss in Part 3 (link(). Being able to feel contractions means that you’re working with your own body instead of against it as baby progresses through the birth canal.
6: Sense of Accomplishment
Everyone takes pride in completing something “all on their own." Childbirth is no different. The sense of accomplishment felt by mama after such a magnificent achievement is usually more powerful than anything she has done before. I know that sounds dramatic, but I hear it every day from the mothers in my care. It is definitely one of the advantages of a natural birth.
7: Immediate Bonding
Mothers that choose natural childbirth are often alert and ready to breastfeed immediately after delivery, which leads to immediate bonding.
8: Fewer Side Effects
While it’s true that your body will need time to heal after labor and delivery, natural childbirth means you’re only healing from the birth - NOT recovering from the side effects of medications and other interventions as well.
9: Faster Recovery
When comparing a vaginal birth with a c-section birth, the National Partnership for Women and Families, reports that “even though labor and vaginal birth can be hard work, they are generally easier on a woman's body than a cesarean. Recovery after vaginal birth is usually shorter and less painful than after a C-section, and allows the woman to spend more time with her baby.” Any medical assistance including forceps or vacuum assist, epidurals, or other interventions can also lengthen recovery time.
10: Ability to Return Home Sooner
Most new mothers are anxious to return home after labor and delivery to begin the joyous and challenging process of child-raising. Since natural childbirth means a faster physical recovery and fewer side effects to monitor, it’s easier to make that transition.
It’s important that women and their support team decide what is best and most comfortable for them when it comes to labor and delivery. The advantages of a natural birth are many and deserve consideration during this exciting time.
Questions to Consider
Let's see how you are feeling at this point, mama. Choose the statement that is MOST true for you right now (of course you can always change it later):
CHOICE A: I want the certainty and safety of a hospital birth experience
CHOICE B: I want the personal choice and control of a natural birth experience
Now you may be asking: Do I have to choose between A and B? What if I want a little of both? Can’t I have the best of both worlds?
Spoiler alert: Yes, you can! And if you are curious about the costs involved, have a look at "How Much is a Midwife." For more information on the various roles available to you, as you select your own ideal care team, take a peak at "What Does a Midwife Do?"
Learn More about Paula Grady LM, CPM