Natural childbirth , which women have
experienced for centuries, is undergoing a renaissance of sorts as a growing
number of women are electing to have a midwife shepherd them through the
delivery at home or in a birthing center.
Although the numbers are small -- only a tiny percentage of
births in this country occur at home or at birthing centers -- more and more
women are choosing a self-directed approach to birth. Combining safety with the
comfort of home or a birthing center allows for the natural process of birth to
unfold in an unhurried manner.
Birthing Centers
Birthing rooms at birthing centers resemble homes with a large bed, a living
area, and bathroom and kitchen facilities. Centers are usually equipped with
hot tubs or whirlpool baths. Lighting is low, the mood intimate, and the
environment soothing. Mothers are encouraged to walk, eat, drink, and get into
positions that are comfortable for them throughout labor and birth -- such as
on their hands and knees, in a birthing chair, or in a tub. As soon as the baby
is born, he or she is placed into the hands of the mother to promote
bonding.
Home Births
The mother and caregiver create the home-birth setting as they see fit,
usually in a spare room made as comfortable and as clean as possible. If a
woman opts for a water birth , a portable tub is set up in a designated room. A
midwife brings the necessary medical accoutrements, which may include a
birthing chair to take advantage of gravity during labor.
Water Births
Water births, which occur at home or at birthing centers, grant infants a
peaceful transition from the womb to the world. Tubs are heated to temperatures
of 90 to 101 degrees. Hotter water can overheat the mother and baby and cause
dehydration . "The warm water relaxes the mother's back and pelvic muscles
and takes the weight of the baby off the back and hips," explains Suzanne
Saunders, a certified nurse-midwife based in Atlanta, Georgia. "Relaxation
combined with the buoyancy of water helps the baby come down. I've seen it work
as well as drugs in some women."
Midwives and Medication
Midwives working outside hospitals often eschew pain-relieving medication, a
standard option for hospital births. "Drugs used in childbirth come with
inherent risks that are often not explained thoroughly to women," points
out Patricia Downing, Portland, Oregon-based midwife and director of Sage Femme
Midwifery School. "For example, epidurals -- commonly given to laboring
women in hospitals -- can provide relief from labor pains. However, there is a
very slight risk of permanent spinal injury to the mother."
Natural Can Be Safe
For women with normal, uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancies,
giving birth outside the hospital can be as safe as a hospital birth. In a 1991
study comparing physician-assisted births with midwife-assisted births,
midwives had a 19 percent lower infant mortality rate.
Midwives subscribe to the philosophy that the body's system
generally works if you give it what it needs, Saunders says. Birth is viewed as
a natural, common occurrence that requires time, patience, strength and
endurance -- all well within a woman's capabilities. "If a woman is in good
shape and has followed a sound nutritional plan throughout her pregnancy, when
labor begins, nine times out of ten her body will follow nature's plan and do
the job it was meant to do."
Statistics about Natural Childbirth
- Midwives attend 6 percent of all births in the United States.
- Of midwife-attended births, 95 percent occur in hospitals, 3 percent occur
in birth centers, and 1 percent occur in private homes.
- According to the World Health Organization, 90 to 95 percent of the entire
world's births are normal.
- According to the Public Citizen Health Research Group, certified
nurse-midwives have a cesarean section rate of 11.6 percent compared with a
national average of 23.3 percent.