Natural Birthing

 ‎”If a woman doesn’t look like a goddess in birth, someone isn’t treating her right.” – Ina May Gaskin

 

I had wonderful natural births. One was a planned home birth that ended up in hospital and one was in a rural area where there were no midwifes so I had to birth in the hospital.

Home birth was illegal in Canada at that time but there were a few brave midwifes who helped women to have the birth of their dreams at home. Times have changed and now there is a University Degree in Midwifery and Natural Birthing available in more than one university.

I feel my healthy lifestyle contributed greatly to my easy uncomplicated births. I utilized yoga techniques such as the 3 part breath; progressive muscle relaxation; creative visualization and guided relaxation to calm me during the birthing process. I also did a lot of research and joined birthing classes. I had birth plans in both cases and the staff in both hospitals did their best to follow them. I went home immediately after the births. My recovery was quick and uneventful.

I believe whenever possible women need to have the option to birth where they wish and how they wish. I believe in most cases birthing where they feel the most comfortable can increase the chances of a positive outcome.

Statistics show that birthing at home is just as safe as birthing in the hospital.

Below I provide some links to articles and videos that I have enjoyed on natural birthing.

Beautiful peaceful natural birth in hospital in water. The woman is smiling.

A trailer about a new movie on Organic Birthing.

Hypnobirthing Part 1    Hypnobirthing Part 2

I was lucky when I was pregnant to have an amazing sister named Jane Jordan who told me positive birthing stories.

Mothering Magazine and the Compleat Mother provided up to date information on natural birthing and parneting.

Natural Childbirth of Twins and Triplets

More links and natural birthing topics coming!

 

Home Birth

I believe all women should have the right to choose their birth place.  Where ever they feel most comfortable whether it be home, birthing clinic or hospital. – Trudy

In many countries in the world homebirth was the norm in my parents generation. Slowly over the 20th century hosptital birth became mandatory.

When my children were born home birthing was illegal and midwifes who helped happy couples birth healthy babies were always working just outside of the law. My midwife was truly an intricate part of my healthy easy birth for my first child. She provided personal care throughout my pregnancy and for a few weeks after my birth. I will be forever grateful to her even though I ended up having a natural birth in hospital.

Times change and over the years and many provinces in Canada have made it legal to have a home birth. A 4 year baccalaureate midwifery education program has operated at Ryerson University in Ontario since 1993.

There is a wealth of opportunities for women birthing in both hospitals and at home from hypno birthing to water birthing to

A two year study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2002 showed that women who gave birth at home attended by a midwife had fewer procedures during labour compared with women who gave birth in hospital attended by a physician. It was also found that rates of perinatal mortality, 5-minute Apgar scores, meconium aspiration syndrome or need for transfer to a different hospital for specialized newborn care were very similar for the home birth group and for births in hospital attended by a physician.

A more recent  four year study  published in the same journal in August of 2009 found home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric interventions and other adverse perinatal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth.

Now that we have proven that home birth assisted by a midwife is as safe as birthing in a hospital; I hope women will enjoy a wide range of options for their birthing experience.