Childbirth is a personal experience for mothers which may negatively or positively impact their motherhood journey. For this reason, most women choose the kind of childbirth method they prefer, and sometimes an obstetrician gets involved, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy. Regardless of whether you undergo surgery or pass the baby through the vagina, all forms of childbirth are natural and significant. Natural birth describes giving birth without medical interventions, like pain relief. If natural childbirth is your preferred method, your Madison women’s health specialist can help you be adequately prepared for the process.
Why choose vaginal birth?
Most of the time, the idea of giving birth naturally without any medication seems traumatic because of the pain involved. However, it is the safest method of delivery, which is why some women still choose this method. Although pain medications offer relief, they can either slow down or accelerate labor and sometimes cause nausea. You may also choose a natural delivery because of the short hospital stay and recovery period it requires. Other women choose natural childbirth to feel labor and make the experience memorable. Additionally, babies born naturally have strong body defense systems and are less likely to develop allergic reactions.
Are there any risks involved with a vaginal birth?
Although this childbirth method is safer, it also poses its risks, with obvious intense pain. Since people have different pain thresholds, the experience is different for each woman.
- The cervix may fail to dilate within the required time, and in such cases, your specialist induces labor using medications. Sometimes you may be scheduled for an emergency C-section.
- Umbilical cord complications. The cord may wrap around the baby’s neck or leg during labor, and if it does not come off quickly, the doctor cuts it out and then delivers the baby.
- Perineal tears. The vagina and surrounding tissues can tear due to the excess stretching during childbirth. Although some small tears heal on their own, stitching is necessary for large tears or for a patient who has had an episiotomy.
- Shoulder dystocia. It is a case where a baby’s head comes out, but one shoulder gets stuck in the vagina.
- Excessive bleeding. A woman can bleed to death if the uterus does not contract to deliver the placenta after childbirth.
What is the experience like with natural childbirth?
Different women have varying experiences, from the length they labor to how swift or complex the delivery process is. First-time mothers take longer to give birth than second-time moms, but most of the time, the experience is manageable.
Depending on whether you choose to give birth, your midwife or doctor may regularly monitor you and the baby and check on how dilated the cervix is. After you are fully dilated, you can deliver in a water bath or in whichever position you are most comfortable in. Your specialist may help you manage the pain with relaxation techniques such as abdominal breathing, rocking, walking around, and other movements.
A discussion with your doctor is helpful in your preparation for childbirth. If you are approaching your due date, schedule for consultation with your specialist at Physicians for Women today to understand what a natural birth process entails.
