What is "natural" birth anyway?!

[silver_penny]

I term both of my births as natural, in so far as they were both vaginal births without instruments or any drugs. However, they were far from similar situations. With DS1, he was a vaginal breech birth in the hospital with no pain meds. However, I did have a forced managed third stage, as I refused it, yet they did it any ways. With DS2 I had an unassisted birth. Nothing was "managed" though I did take Evening Primrose Oil in efforts to try to kick start labor after my waters had gone.

So in the end, I think the term "natural" is a very loose term that's thrown around quite a bit. With every labour and birth, its a very personal and unique experience that cannot be captured in any one word.

 

[madasa]

Oh man! That's so unfair that we don't have that here. Don't know if I'd use it or not during pregnancy, but I'd like it for other things. Now I remember hearing that people used to get laughing gas at the dentist's office, and now they don't. I wonder why. Weird. But, knowing the U.S. maybe there's less money to be made in "gas and air," as opposed to anesthesia, other prescription drugs, etc. Oh well, bummer.

Thanks for responding, Madasa! And sorry for the mini hijack.

You might be able to access gas and air if you want to have it on hand for your birth. I think it depends where you are and how the health professionals feel about it. I have heard of some women in the US having it, but they had to order it or the MW had to order it or something. If you;re interested, it might be worth exploring. It's not total relief, but it does take the edge off for most women - it just gives you that little bit of help if you wobble towards then end because you're tired or what have you. If you don't like how it makes you feel, just stop using it and the effects go almost straight away. The biggest help for me was how it helped to focus my breath.

 

[madasa]

I say.....don't box me in dude. I gave birth. End of.

Me too, mostly. Although, most of the time, I can't resist throwing in "~~~at home and it was flippin' AWESOME!" YMMV

 

[lynnikins]

I class my first birth as partly natural it was in my eyes a natural labor as i started with no drugs and took no drugs during labor not even the paracetamol they kept offering lol caus i know it does nought for me lol,
my second it was a Natural Birth in that there was no intervention or drugs involved in the process but my labor was Augmented as I had been induced ( even if it was only one lot of gel lol ) and i was monitored in early labor.

This one i hope starts naturally on its own and i dont need the drugs to give me that push and i hope that again i can manage with no drug pain relief and deliver this baby with minimal physical contact from the MW's on me or the baby if i can manage that even if i use water, tens, heat, massage then i will class it as "All Natural"

 

[xxchelseaxx]

i consider a natural birth to be vaginal delivery with spontaneous labor, absolutely no medication INCLUDING gas and air, and no intervention for delivery of baby. no forceps or vacuum used to deliver baby. if you use gas and air at any point in time or any sort of pain relief, i don't consider it a "natural" birth, it's an assisted birth and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. the only pain relief measures included would be if you do self-hypnosis, massage, etc. i think of it this way - a natural birth is what i would have if i went into labor in my house and delivered the baby with no medical personnel or equipment.

delivery of placenta and cord cutting doesn't really come into play in my mind. the birth is the birth of the child, i don't consider the placenta to be my baby.

i agree with the above.

 

[madasa]

Given that, if it does go Pete Tong it disrupts those magical first hrs with your newborn (like it did for me last time) I don't hold that view anymore. If the placenta is still attached, then the baby still gets any drugs you get. And anything that can mess up the just given birth hormones that are whizzing around is to be looked at with caution, IMO.

 

[hot tea]

Natural birth is spontaneous labour, no episiotomy, no use of forceps or vacuum, and NO drugs whatsoeever. That is includes gas and air. Anything else I consider just a vaginal birth.

By my standards I had a natural birth.

 

[AP]

I say.....don't box me in dude. I gave birth. End of.

love it!

 

[AP]

whats more natural than giving birth, producing a child, whatever the way? i hate how the term natural is used sometimes

 

[chuck]

It's an argument/debate over a term that there can never be 1 answer to. It's a highly sensitive and personal experience that will have different meaning to everyone.

Although I wish I had a bit more of your attitude MM/sb22 I still can not think of myself as having given birth to my first son. He was delivered, pulled out of my body and shown to me - medical and devoid of any care or emotion. My second son I birthed, I worked I laboured I breathed I bled I sweat and I pushed and brought him into the world myself.

Having survived both ways of doing things I know which I prefer and I still grieve having done it 'naturally' once.

 

[AP]

chuck x

 

[hot tea]

It's an argument/debate over a term that there can never be 1 answer to. It's a highly sensitive and personal experience that will have different meaning to everyone.

Although I wish I had a bit more of your attitude MM/sb22 I still can not think of myself as having given birth to my first son. He was delivered, pulled out of my body and shown to me - medical and devoid of any care or emotion. My second son I birthed, I worked I laboured I breathed I bled I sweat and I pushed and brought him into the world myself.

Having survived both ways of doing things I know which I prefer and I still grieve having done it 'naturally' once.

Amazing job on ypur vbac. Love to see mommies like you! I know very random, but truly. It touches me so deeply.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I think throwing CS in to the equation will always shed a different and much more emotive light on a discussion like this. I think it's totally valid to feel that waspy Chuck and no one should try to flower it up, it's almost patronising I imagine. I hope however, yur VBAC has healed some of the hurt from Dewi's birth. You've definitely triumphed this time and birth YOUR way

 

[birdiex]

I consider a natural birth to be a birth with only what nature provided you with - so no drugs or medicated anything whatsoever, but herbs and water are natural so that can still be used in a natural birth.

 

[chuck]

My first experience is s car that runs deep, I dont think it'll ever be as good as new but its healing slowly.

I know by the journey I've taken so far that I have helped other women merely by sharing information I have learned if not by being an inspiration (don't want to get ideas above my station LOL). I don't think I'll ever look at what happened in a positive way but I can use it positively to help others I guess.

I keep meaning to contact my local NCT branch to offer my contact details for any Mum's who want to speak to someone who planned HBAC and or got a VBAC.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Find your local ICAN group. Tina Coley on my fb list is one of the national coordinators so she would be able to help you x

 

[leighbaby]

to me: natural - is the way nature intended it - vaginal...i include drugs though (as they are based on the structures of naturally occuring substances which have useful qualities such as pain relief - but have not got the side effects that the natural drug might have)

i tried gas and air, but it didn't do much for me and didn't have any other pain relief.

next time - sod it, i'll have whatever they are offering!!

 

[moomin_troll]

Find your local ICAN group. Tina Coley on my fb list is one of the national coordinators so she would be able to help you x

OT but tinas my doula shes lovely

 

[Mervs Mum]

She's ace isnt she so pleased you found her x

 

[mum22ttc#3]

This may be a silly question but when people say spontaneous onset of labour does this include having a sweep. I kinda see it as a bit of an 'intervention', yet I had a sweep with both of my last pregnancies and when I look back in the notes it does state spontaneous labour?

I also find that how people describe natural labours differs greatly, the main one I think being as to whether using gas or air = natural or not.