Women today want to be more in control of their health, including the birth of their children, and the medical profession has generally responded enthusiastically to the changing desires and needs of women. Choices in childbirth have never been greater; nor women’s wishes more paramount. Most mothers want to have their children more naturally, either in a birthing center or a hospital.
THE MODERN NATURAL BIRTH
Most women would like childbirth to be as natural as possible: they want the process of birth and delivery to be familiar so they don’t feel nervous or afraid; they like to have a calm, friendly atmosphere, in which they’re allowed to take up the positions that are most comfortable for them and there’s no undue pressure to take pain-relieving drugs; and they prefer to avoid any unnecessary medical intervention. Female bodies are well designed for giving birth; the soft tissues of the birth passage open so that a baby can pass through. Breathing and relaxation techniques can make birth even easier to manage, and most women now have opportunities to learn these techniques.
Most of the natural childbirth philosophies include some form of psychological re-learning to help you reduce your expectation of pain and raise your pain threshold. Learning special breathing techniques is usually central to the philosophy. There are slight variations in the different types, but all teach you intense concentration on breathing patterns and the ability to relax your body at will. The best way to experience a totally natural birth is in a dedicated center or at home. But most general hospitals now accept that women want to give birth in whatever position they find most comfortable. Some hospitals have birthing pools and other helpful aids to make labor less painful.
THE MODERN MANAGED BIRTH
Normal pregnancies and uncomplicated births are managed, many times, by teams of midwives and, although they may take place in a hospital, the trend is toward less medical intervention. In a managed birth, labor is actively controlled for the safety of both mother and baby. A highly controlled birth in a hospital is essential for some women who may have complications during pregnancy, labor, and birth.
In a hospital setting all the modern obstetric procedures are available, whether your birth is complicated or not. Epidural anesthesia is literally on tap and electronic fetal monitoring may be necessary. Consequently, medical intervention is more common in a hospital than at a birthing center, and you can expect more inductions and Cesarian sections there. Although these practices are of course helpful in the percentage of births where intervention is needed, it’s now recognized that the routine use of them isn’t justified. However, many women find a hospital setting makes childbirth the event they expect it to be, and they feel more secure there. If there were a true emergency, a few minutes could have a major impact on the outcome.