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Natural Birth
o_so_in_love
member
What is considered "natural birth"?
o_so_in_love
member
What is considered "natural birth"? Is it one with no medications at all? Or without being induced?
With my first son (twelve years ago) I went into labor at 37 weeks. I guess I wasn't progressing as fast as they wanted me to so the gave me pitocin (I think that's what it was) in my IV. I don't recall having any other medications. With my second son (over two and a half years ago) I was given Nubain to take the edge off. Are these considered to be natural births?
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Re: What is considered "natural birth"?
i really think that the definition of a "natural" birth will vary from woman to woman.
after reading several of the threads on this board, i've started using the term "med-free" birth to describe what i want this time around and what i had with dd.
This.
I think of "med-free" as laboring without any pain meds, even if you do need to be induced or have other interventions (vacuum, episiotomy, etc)
Everyone has a different opinion of what constitutes a natural birth. Some people say no interventions whatsoever and others think any vaginal delivery is natural. Some will even argue that there is no such thing as a natural birth.
To me the only part of natural birth that's not debatable is pain medication. I could go either way on pitocin, induction, AROM, forceps, vacuum, etc. depending on the situation.
ETA: To me, med-free means no induction or pain meds.
med-free birth x2, breastfeeding, baby wearing SAHM
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This is my opinion as well. Anything added to the delivery that my body didn't do itself i would not consider "natural". But as said with PP it's different from every woman's perspective. I've seen a lot of posts on this board asking if women have still gone "natural" (meaning pain med free) after induction(which I definately don't consider natural in my book).
it will be different for a lot of people.
If you didn't get the epi in my mind you went natural
that being said, ideally I would say no induction/no drugs/no nothing.
Just pure unadulterated giving birth with nothing interfering- but I know that often doesn't get to happen and I think women that give birth after pit and still don't take any pain meds CERTAINLY deserve the term Natural birth
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
Why do the labels matter? What's really important is when a mother is empowered to make the choices she feels are best for herself and her baby.
To me, natural birth is completely intervention free (no meds, no IVs, no AROM, no vacuum, etc). After pondering this I went to change my siggy because my birth experience did not meet this definition and my siggy claims natural birth mom. But, the bump appears to be broken (shocker).
What I had was a med-free birth experience. And to me this means completely med free until after baby is out. No epi, no pitocin, no nothing.
A birth with no pain meds but an induction is a pain med free birth.
I do, however, agree that it doesn't really matter. We all do the best we can to have a positive birth experience and sometimes it involves compromise.
~Working Mom~Breastfeeding Mom~Cloth Diapering Mom~BLW Mom~
Blog - No Longer on the DL ~ The Man Cave
Shawn and Larissa
LO #1 - Took 2 years and 2 IVFs ~ DX - severe MFI mild PCOS homozygous MTHFR (a1298c)
LO #2 - TTC 7 months, surprise spontaneous BFP!
This! It's way too hard to pin labels on birth and really, what's the point?
Well since this question was posted on the Natural Birth board....I think it is fair to define what natural birth actually is to women.
But why does it matter? Should I get kicked off here because I had Pitocin with my first birth? I sure hope not.
Really, a better board title would probably be something like "Choices in Childbirth." I mean, suppose someone came on here and said, "I fully intend to get an epidural, but my doctor is pushing me towards an elective induction at 38 weeks. Do you think that's a good choice for me?" I would hope that she would get responses along the lines of, "No, elective induction at 38 weeks is not a good idea, for reasons x, y, and z" -- not, "Oh, sorry, if you're planning to get an epidural, you're not qualified to post on the Natural Birth board."
The whole "what is natural birth?" debate simply serves to divide an already tiny community, and potentially make women feel bad about entirely necessary interventions that they did receive.
Mommy to DD1 (June 2007), DS (January 2010), DD2 (July 2012), and The Next One (EDD 3/31/2015)
I just think it's interesting to see what people actually mean when they throw out terms like "natural birth" or "med-free birth." I don't think anyone is trying to exclude anyone else, just see how our definitions compare.
I personally am glad that we have a birth board specifically geared towards more natural choices; it's good to have support for those of us wanting to birth without pain meds or unnecessary interventions.
Thank you! That's exactly what I was thinking when I asked this question anyway
I would think it matters because I was curious as to what other people define "natural childbirth" to be. In my initial post I mentioned the medications I had during my two labors. I've always considered mine to be "natural" since I didn't have an epidural but if I'm having a conversation with another woman who feels she had a natural childbirthing experience as well and she had no medication whatsoever I'd like to be able to see things from her point of view.
I feel like, at least with my second child since I had pitocin with my first, if you labor naturally then having something to take the edge off doesn't mean it's not natural experience. It's like taking Tylenol for a headache, except more extreme
I feel differently about epidurals since I've heard that many mothers can sleep though labor after having them, which sleeping through labor does not seem natural. Not that there is anything wrong with that!
If someone came on here asking the question you asked as an example I would expect that she would get the first answer but with pros and cons. The second answer, well that would just be rude and I hope no one would be like that. But, this board exists for a reason and it is for the people who feel they have had natural birth experiences. "Choices in Childbirth" sounds like an excellent board idea too. Maybe you can request that board be started.
Depends on who you talk to.
Some of the more severe and strict definitions would consider breaking waters, stripping membranes, drinking castor oil as having no place in natural birth that labor should start when it starts and in no way encouraged or augmented by these methods.
Some would say with out drugs, being allowed to move or do what is most comfortable. 'natural' induction and augmentation allowed, water breaking, nipple stimulation, but no assistance from forceps or episiotomy.
Some consider it anything without drugs. This is also called a med free birth
Some say anything but an epi.
Some say anything short of a c/s is a natural birth.
I'm kinda for the last one 'anything short of a c/s'. I'm perfectly happy with a woman getting an epidural if she is fully informed by her care taker of all the benefits and risks of the epidural so she can make a fully informed decision, same goes with any procedure/meds given to a woman. Explanations should be given, and permission asked and granted before they are administered. If it is a life threatening emergency and should be done immediately someone should be explaining what is happening to the mother and her partner preferably during, or as soon after as possible. Do what is necessary for you but make sure you are full informed before the decision is made.
That's it, I'm moving to Canada.
This is kind of an upsetting thread to read for me.
I already know I will be induced no later than 39 weeks due to an existing condition, but I am hoping I will go into labor sooner to avoid the induction. If I do have to have pitocin, but still go epi-free, I will have done everything I can do to go natural.
ETA: My post sounds whiney, but I didn't mean for it to. I just think the labels kind of stink, and sort of take away from people just trying to do their best.
I agree...which is why I believe 'natural birth' is anything short of c/s. I hope you go into labor before your induction! GL