Natural birthing techniques are non-invasive procedures that help women naturally accept pain and move past that pain to experience everything labor and delivery has to offer. Some women find the experience empowering and others are overwhelmed with the level of pain from the beginning stages of labor. No two women have the same natural delivery experience, but all have the same piece of advice – know the truth about natural delivery before making your final decision.

The Benefits of Natural Delivery

Natural delivery is a time when you can use natural methods of pain reduction to stay alert and active during labor and delivery. Advanced pain interventions like the epidural and spinal limit your ability to move during labor – no walking and movement, to a more comfortable position in bed requires assistance. If you choose an epidural or spinal you will also need to have a catheter as you are unable to walk to the bathroom. These are limitations some women are not ready to accept.

Natural delivery also removes any question about potential side effects of pain medications and treatments on the fetus. No matter how much science says about the safety of pain control during labor and delivery, some pregnant women believe the fetus is at risk.

The Real Facts About Delivering with Pain

The benefits of natural delivery are numerous, but there are cons as well. Natural delivery means dealing with the pain from the start of labor to delivery. Labor can go on for more than 24 hours, in some cases. Pain during labor comes and goes, but there is a steady build-up of pain as contractions and labor progress to the final stage of delivery. Dealing with pain can be exhausting, leaving you little strength to push when the time comes.
There are some medical centers and obstetricians who suggest skipping pain relief like an epidural or spinal if your labor is progressing quickly and you will need to start pushing soon. According to one anesthesiologist, pain relief via spinal or epidural can be administered at just about any time during labor. There are no medical contraindications, but it is important to talk with your birth team about how long you have before you no longer have a choice to medically reduce labor pains.

Natural Delivery Does Not Prevent Advanced Medical Intervention in All Deliveries

There are many women who will attest to beautiful, natural deliveries that lasted only a few hours. Some of these women even claim shorter recovery times after natural delivery; however, no two deliveries are the same. Just because you have chosen a natural delivery does not mean you will have the perfect birth. C-sections, advanced delivery techniques like suction and forceps and other medical interventions are used in natural delivery settings.