Natural Birth – Want It, But Can’t Handle It?

I have met so many wonderful pregnant women that sell themselves short. When I ask them of their plans for birth, they jump and say, ‘epidural, epidural, epidural!’ They have shut themselves off before even exploring any other plans. What I want to say to these women is to open your eyes to the possibility that you CAN handle it.

It doesn’t take much effort to say, ‘ok I will try’. This then opens your mind to other options, options that may lead you down a very happy, rewarding path. I am not judging you and I am not trying to change your mind, I am asking you to also look into natural birth and have the epidural as a back stop. This then allows you to go down the path of natural birth without the pressure it inevitably brings.

I wonder if women actually know what an epidural entails, well it is a needle that is inserted into the epidural space in the lumbar region of your back. Through this needle, a catheter or a very small tube is inserted. The needle is then removed and the tube stays in your back as a port to administer drugs. This tube is connected to a machine which delivers a measured dose of narcotics and local anaesthetic. You may also have a button that you can press to deliver more drugs if the pain worsens. The dosage is adjusted according to the pain you are feeling. It is a very fine line between total numbness and slight discomfort. The goal of an epidural is to have you feeling sensations but not pain, this allows you to feel the urge to push so you can help your baby out into the world.

Now you have the facts on epidurals you can learn the facts on natural birth and ways to achieve a natural birth. You may find an avenue that totally works for you and then an epidural is left by the wayside. Or if you are totally adamant about having an epidural you may want to learn how to modify its use. For example, there are many relaxation techniques, breathing techniques and pushing techniques used in the study of natural birth. If you were to have an epidural during the first stage of labor and then have the epidural weaned down for the second stage of labor, fully dilated to birth, then you may implement some of the natural birth techniques that you have learned.

So you can see that even if you choose to have an epidural as your birth plan, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use various techniques to relax during birth. These relaxation measures can also help you prepare for a c-section. It is a scary procedure, you are alert, you don’t know what you are going to feel and you are in a very strange environment. Don’t you think that learning breathing and relaxation techniques would help you cope with this stress?

I have interviewed experts in the field of natural birth and yes, we do discuss the various aspects of natural birth but we also discuss how the magnificent female body is designed to go through birth. Women need to trust their body and their baby and work as a team during birth. No matter what technique you choose, whether it is natural birth, drugs or c-section, your baby and your body still need to go through this together. To learn to trust this natural process is the key to having a birth that you are comfortable with.

If you want to learn more about my interviews then go to my website http://www.child-birth-options.com and have a read of the amazing information. Just remember that you can choose to have the birth you want just look at all your options and you may be surprised with what works for you and your growing baby.

Take care and enjoy your natural birth planning,

Loretta