
Giving Birth Naturally: Top Birthing Tips From One Mother To Another
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“Birth is an opportunity to transcend. To rise above what we are accustomed to, reach deeper inside ourselves than we are familiar with, and to see not only what we are truly made of, but the strength we can access in and through birth.” – Marcie Macari
Birth changes us forever. It is the journey of birth which leads us into motherhood. You will never forget the moment that you birthed your precious baby. Even in old age; you are likely to recall and remember those powerful, intense, other-worldly hours of birth. So, we turn to giving birth naturally. What could natural birth mean for us as we move into motherhood? What could it mean for our precious newborn baby? How can we make giving birth naturally more likely to happen on the big day? What birthing tips can support us to have a positive, natural and empowering birth?
Why Is Giving Birth Naturally Important?
In this blog, I will predominantly talk about birthing tips to support you in giving birth naturally. First, I will briefly touch on the significant benefits to you and your baby when giving birth naturally. Look out for my other dedicated blogs on this topic if you want to find out more about this. For now, here are some important reasons for when considering if a natural birth could be right for you and your family.
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A natural birth avoids the risks associated with an epidural.
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An epidural makes it more likely that you will have a longer birth. Indeed, giving birth naturally lends itself to an active birth which helps to maintain smooth, efficient contractions.
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Giving birth naturally avoids the risks associated with a c-section (note that a c-section is more likely if you have an epidural). Remember that a c-section is classed as a major surgery. You need to recover after this; for example, most women can’t drive for at least 6 weeks following a c-section and will need support lifting and caring for their little one initially.
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The research shows that breastfeeding is more likely to be successful when giving birth naturally [1].
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Giving birth naturally is a gentler transition into the world for your newborn baby. There is some evidence that this leads to a baby who is more content and peaceful [2].
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You are less likely to need an episiotomy (cut to the vagina) with a normal delivery; giving birth naturally is the quickest way for your body to recover from birth.
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Giving birth naturally is more likely to lead to a positive birth experience. Indeed, if you have a natural birth then you are less likely to experience birth trauma or suffer with postnatal depression.
Birthing Tips For A Natural Birth
So, what can we do as mothers-to-be to make giving birth naturally more likely? Whilst none of us can predict how our birth with unfold on the day (indeed, each birth is unique); what birthing tips can support women who would really like a natural birth? My birthing tips aim to gently guide and inspire you; to enable you to make the right choice for you and your family. May you find the freedom and knowledge to birth in the way which is best for you and your little one. In the words of Dr. Sarah Buckley (natural birth advocate); this is “an experience of the phenomenal capacity of our birthing body can give us an enduring sense of our own power as women. Birth is the beginning of life; the beginning of mothering, and of fathering. We all deserve a good beginning.”
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Arm yourself with knowledge: the first of my birthing tips for giving birth naturally is to be well-informed with reliable, accurate birthing information. Reading this blog is a great start! Indeed, the research tells us that gaining good antenatal education is positively correlated with “reduced maternal stress, improved self-efficacy, lowered caesarean birth rate, and decreased use of epidural anaesthesia” [3]. In other words, if your desire is for giving birth naturally then you need to be well-educated and informed about all things birth.
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Choose your birthing information wisely: this leads me nicely onto another of my top birthing tips. There is a lot of birthing misinformation out there; particularly when it comes to giving birth naturally. Do you know any friends or family members who have had a natural birth? They are likely to be a great help in guiding you to helpful information. The breastfeeding charity La Leche League International can also signpost you to local birth education resources and classes [4]. You can also ask your local midwife or doula for natural birth preparation classes.
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Consider midwifery-led care: the research tells us that midwifery-led birth makes giving birth naturally more likely than other medicalized birth models [5]. Indeed, the word midwife means ‘with woman’. If we want natural birth to happen; we need to empower and respect the birthing mother. We need to trust that, for by far the majority of women, giving birth naturally is possible, preferable and life-changing. Midwives who attend natural births are extremely well-placed to sit back quietly and watch natural birth unfold at its own pace and in its own way. Considering midwifery-led care for your birth is another of my essential birthing tips because it is this model of care which puts the birthing mother at the centre of the picture; where she belongs. It is midwifery-led care which understands that every birth is unique and if we do not disturb the birthing process then it is most likely to happen smoothly and efficiently.
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Create a comfortable, safe birthing environment: Dr. Sarah Buckley tells us that "the parallels between making love and giving birth are clear, not only in terms of passion and love, but also because we need essentially the same conditions for both experiences: privacy and safety". My birthing tips would not be complete without this valuable piece of advice. In other words, the same environment which makes a baby; gets a baby out. As the birthing woman; you need to feel safe, cherished, empowered, respected and loved in order to relax your body and go deep within yourself. In this way you can switch off from the distractions and ‘outside world’ around you; and so, trust in your body and your baby to birth naturally.
May you know the intense beauty and power which giving birth naturally brings.
References
[1] Leixi Li, Wenlin Wan, Chan Zhu, Breastfeeding after a cesarean section: A literature review, Midwifery, Volume 103, 2021, 103117, ISSN 0266-6138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103117
[2] Lupu VV, Miron IC, Raileanu AA, Starcea IM, Lupu A, Tarca E, Mocanu A, Buga AML, Lupu V, Fotea S. Difficulties in Adaptation of the Mother and Newborn via Cesarean Section versus Natural Birth—A Narrative Review. Life. 2023; 13(2):300. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020300
[3] Kwan Hong, Hari Hwang, Helin Han, Jaeeun Chae, Jimi Choi, Yujin Jeong, Juneyoung Lee, Kyung Ju Lee, Perspectives on antenatal education associated with pregnancy outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis, Women and Birth, Volume 34, Issue 3, 2021, Pages 219-230, ISSN 1871-5192, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2020.04.002
[4] La Leche League International: https://llli.org/breastfeeding-info/birth-and-breastfeeding/
[5] Poškienė, Ingrida, Vanagas, Giedrius, Kirkilytė, Asta and Nadišauskienė, Rūta Jolanta. "Comparison of vaginal birth outcomes in midwifery-led versus physician-led setting: A propensity score-matched analysis" Open Medicine, vol. 16, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1537-1543. https://doi.org/10.1515/med-2021-0373