Natural pregnancy and birthing is a strengthening trend within the pregnancy community. Pregnant moms are looking for natural options during their pregnancy, labor and delivery, including things like alternative pain management, birthing techniques and alternative birthing non-hospital birthing locations. It is important to have a choice and for women to be well educated about their options.
There are many things to consider when choosing between a birth center, home or hospital birth. It is important for the mom and dad to be comfortable with their decision: finding a provider they trust and communicate with them. Making sure to always consider the risk factors associated with her body and her birth and her general preparedness for having a home birth or hospital birth is important. Take all of the myths and stories out of the equation, and base her decision on what kind of experience she can create is a freeing and educated way to approach the decision.
There are many things that can be done to prepare for a natural labor and delivery. To learn how to allow a mom's body to do what it naturally needs to do during the labor and delivery time, a mom can take child birth education and hypnobirthing classes, utilize yoga, proper nutrition, and learn about alternative pain management options and stress management techniques.
The positive attributes to having a hospital-setting birth is that if difficulties arise during labor and delivery, there are plenty of resources available to help the baby gently come into the world, while keeping a safe environment for mom and baby. There is also a lot of close follow- up of the newborn and mom, within the first 24hours, by nurses and doctors to ensure that everyone is healthy and attuning to their new family.
The labor and delivery nurses are the mom’s advocate, being a liaison between the patient and the doctor. They are an extended part of the mom’s birth network that help out when needed. Developing a relationship with them by sharing a birthplan is a great way to create a stronger relationship with the nurses on staff during a mom's labor and delivery. It is true that there are more policies and procedures the hospitals need to follow, based on safety standards for the patient. These parameters have been put into place over the years and sometimes may seem rigid, but they are in the best interest of the patient and babies safety.
There are also a multitude of options of creating a homey feel to having a hospital-setting for the labor and delivery. Some of these include relaxing to a play list of songs, and use meditation and familiar essential oils to enhance mood and manage labor pain, bringing a pillow and pillowcase from home, and using favorite colors to decorate the room. Bringing LED “candles” to create a calming atmosphere in the birthing room and utilizing facilities the hospital has to offer are also great. Some hospitals have meditation gardens, birthing balls and even tubs to labor in. Touring a hospital is a great way to inspect the rooms and facilities and explore what they have to offer. Hospitals usually set up beautiful birthing and post-partum rooms that create privacy with limited distractions. In a large comfortable post-partum room, the baby can stay with the mom and dad or the baby can spend some time in the nursery to give time for mom and dad to rest after the birth.
Remember that the baby is the ultimate decision-maker in what the labor and delivery will look like, but there are many choices that every mom can make to set up the birthing experience that most resonates with them. Education and preparedness are the foundation of good decision making and creating the ideal birthing environment.
Written by Dr. Christine Brass-Jones DO, Dr. Denise Grobe ND and Sherry Fragosa LMT from the Center for True Harmony Wellness & Medicine, Mesa AZ. True Harmony physicians provide a complementary approach to medicine. Dr. Brass-Jones and Dr. Grobe are currently accepting new patients. 480-539-6646 or info@trueharmonywellness.com to contact True Harmony
