Define "Natural"?

FyreFlyeRush

Can someone define natural for me? When I had my daughter back in the last century, it meant without pain relief, induction, or water breaking. By those rules, I delivered naturally. No epidural, spontaneous labor, and my water broke at home.  Now, it seems to mean a whole host of things. I've mentioned wanting a natural birth to friends, and they seem to think that means I can only deliver at home. 

flyer23

I think it has always meant a whole host of things.

Personally, I use it to indicate a tendency towards a low-intervention birth experience. For example, I will say that a provider or place of birth is "natural birth friendly," meaning that they tend towards minimal use of interventions like epidurals, Pitocin, AROM, EFM, constant IV, etc.

I do believe that an OB and a hospital can be "natural birth friendly." It's not just the domain of midwives and homebirth.

But I don't find it particularly helpful to classify actual births as "natural" or not. My daughter was born in a hospital after an induction (but no pain meds). My son was born at home after spontaneous labor. I know some people would say that my daughter's birth was "not natural" and that my son's birth was "natural," but to me, they're both just BIRTHS.

I think it's more helpful to focus on creating positive birth experiences, which I define as birth experiences where the mother is empowered to make safe, well-informed choices for her and her baby. A "positive birth experience" can cover everything from a homebirth to an elective c-section, depending on the circumstances.

That's very much what this board is focused on, but "Creating Positive Birth Experiences" just isn't quite so catchy of a name

FyreFlyeRush

Thanks. That helps a lot. It's a matter of letting the mom not be pressured by the hospital and doctors.  That's what's important to me.

JLG95

I define it this way.  No pain drugs, no surgery, no pitocin, spontaneous labor, no breaking the bag, no forceps, no vacuum, etc.

You can have a "natural" birth in a birthing center or hospital.  I did.

sschwege

flyer23:

I think it has always meant a whole host of things.

Personally, I use it to indicate a tendency towards a low-intervention birth experience. For example, I will say that a provider or place of birth is "natural birth friendly," meaning that they tend towards minimal use of interventions like epidurals, Pitocin, AROM, EFM, constant IV, etc.

I do believe that an OB and a hospital can be "natural birth friendly." It's not just the domain of midwives and homebirth.

But I don't find it particularly helpful to classify actual births as "natural" or not. My daughter was born in a hospital after an induction (but no pain meds). My son was born at home after spontaneous labor. I know some people would say that my daughter's birth was "not natural" and that my son's birth was "natural," but to me, they're both just BIRTHS.

I think it's more helpful to focus on creating positive birth experiences, which I define as birth experiences where the mother is empowered to make safe, well-informed choices for her and her baby. A "positive birth experience" can cover everything from a homebirth to an elective c-section, depending on the circumstances.

That's very much what this board is focused on, but "Creating Positive Birth Experiences" just isn't quite so catchy of a name

Well said!  

OP: Some people even define natural childbirth as anything that doesn't involve a c-section.  So in their minds natural means a vaginal birth.

I don't really use the term 'natural birth' because it is so vague and there are so many different meanings.  I use the term med-free to define a birth that was unmedicated, so no pit, epi, etc.  There is also intervention-free which to me means no interventions including AROM that kind of thing.   

wifeofadam

It's whatever you want it to mean.  For me it means birth without intervention like pitocin, pain medicine, c-section, etc.  There are some interventions that I don't lump into the "unnatural" category, like artificial rupture of the membranes, but for the most part I view a natural birth as one where the mother just goes with the flow and lets her body give the cues.

But that's just my definition and I think in the end, every birth is natural when there is a mother and a baby involved.

LorriAnn

When I had both my kids (now 20 and 18) natural meant no drugs/pain medication whatsoever.. no epidural.. no nothing.. I had to have my water broken with both but thats because I was 9 cm and ready to push and it hadnt broken.  Either way.. good luck to you!

LindseyJW

i define natural birth to be a vaginal birth wtihout pain medication, labor augmentation and generally no/low intervention. 

i've learned through conversations with other women, and from reading the boards, that most women define it differently. i once talked with a woman who said that she, too, had had a natural birth. she showed up for her induction at 40 weeks and 1 day (b/c she'd passed her due date without going into labor), did the pit for a while, then got her epi, had a host of other interventions, but was so glad she delivered naturally. i was like, wtf? but realized that her definition of natural was really just vaginal.

since then, when the topic has come up, i've referred to my birth as unmedicated instead of natural.  

iris427

+adamwife+:

It's whatever you want it to mean.  For me it means birth without intervention like pitocin, pain medicine, c-section, etc.  There are some interventions that I don't lump into the "unnatural" category, like artificial rupture of the membranes, but for the most part I view a natural birth as one where the mother just goes with the flow and lets her body give the cues.

But that's just my definition and I think in the end, every birth is natural when there is a mother and a baby involved.

Agreed.

Robot births, on the other hand.  Definitely not natural.

https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-04-15-robot_x.htm 

iris427

flyer23:

I think it has always meant a whole host of things.

Personally, I use it to indicate a tendency towards a low-intervention birth experience. For example, I will say that a provider or place of birth is "natural birth friendly," meaning that they tend towards minimal use of interventions like epidurals, Pitocin, AROM, EFM, constant IV, etc.

I do believe that an OB and a hospital can be "natural birth friendly." It's not just the domain of midwives and homebirth.

But I don't find it particularly helpful to classify actual births as "natural" or not. My daughter was born in a hospital after an induction (but no pain meds). My son was born at home after spontaneous labor. I know some people would say that my daughter's birth was "not natural" and that my son's birth was "natural," but to me, they're both just BIRTHS.

I think it's more helpful to focus on creating positive birth experiences, which I define as birth experiences where the mother is empowered to make safe, well-informed choices for her and her baby. A "positive birth experience" can cover everything from a homebirth to an elective c-section, depending on the circumstances.

That's very much what this board is focused on, but "Creating Positive Birth Experiences" just isn't quite so catchy of a name

x 1000 

honkytonk_kid

If someone told me they had a "natural birth" I would assume they meant vaginally, pain med free, no pitocin augmentation. But, I wouldn't argue with anyone who consider anything else a "natural birth."

Like pp said, many people refer to vaginal birth as "natural" birth- I guess to avoid saying vagina? I don't know. 

 

julyjennifer

flyer23:

I think it's more helpful to focus on creating positive birth experiences, which I define as birth experiences where the mother is empowered to make safe, well-informed choices for her and her baby. A "positive birth experience" can cover everything from a homebirth to an elective c-section, depending on the circumstances.

That's very much what this board is focused on, but "Creating Positive Birth Experiences" just isn't quite so catchy of a name

Well said!

pinksweetpea2

iris427:

+adamwife+:

It's whatever you want it to mean.  For me it means birth without intervention like pitocin, pain medicine, c-section, etc.  There are some interventions that I don't lump into the "unnatural" category, like artificial rupture of the membranes, but for the most part I view a natural birth as one where the mother just goes with the flow and lets her body give the cues.

But that's just my definition and I think in the end, every birth is natural when there is a mother and a baby involved.

Agreed.

Robot births, on the other hand.  Definitely not natural.

https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-04-15-robot_x.htm 

::snickers::  

wifeofadam

iris427:

+adamwife+:

It's whatever you want it to mean.  For me it means birth without intervention like pitocin, pain medicine, c-section, etc.  There are some interventions that I don't lump into the "unnatural" category, like artificial rupture of the membranes, but for the most part I view a natural birth as one where the mother just goes with the flow and lets her body give the cues.

But that's just my definition and I think in the end, every birth is natural when there is a mother and a baby involved.

Agreed.

Robot births, on the other hand.  Definitely not natural.

https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-04-15-robot_x.htm 

bwahahaha

flyer23

iris427:

+adamwife+:

It's whatever you want it to mean.  For me it means birth without intervention like pitocin, pain medicine, c-section, etc.  There are some interventions that I don't lump into the "unnatural" category, like artificial rupture of the membranes, but for the most part I view a natural birth as one where the mother just goes with the flow and lets her body give the cues.

But that's just my definition and I think in the end, every birth is natural when there is a mother and a baby involved.

Agreed.

Robot births, on the other hand.  Definitely not natural.

https://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-04-15-robot_x.htm 

LOL. OK, I have no problem classifying THAT type of birth as unnatural But the geek in me just has to say: That is some pretty cool technology!

BravoVA

I am in agreement with several of the other ladies here. I prefer to use the term "unmedicated" because saying that someone's labor was "unnatural" just seems wrong. 

redheadinlove

I think it means hundreds of things. To some women it simply means vaginal birth.

To me, I think it should AT LEAST mean vaginal and pain med free.

But to me personally, it means no pain meds, no induction, doing what I feel is NATURAL for my body during labor (walking around, eating, changing positions, how I breath, when I push, etc etc).

Just means something a little different to everyone 

When people say it has to be at home, I'd be perfectly fine delivering in a hospital if it were easier to have these things done. (I'd still probably choose the comfort of my own home, but I wouldn't freak out at the thought of a hospital birth like I do now)