Natural vs Medicated

Question of the day, natural or medicated childbirth? The decision time has come, it’s time to sign up for childbirthing classes and it has left me with the tough decision of which one to sign up for. Should I do the regular childbirth class for mothers who will most likely choose a medicated labor, the natural birth option which covers several different options for coping with natural childbirth, or the hypnobirth class which focuses on the specific technique of hypnobirthing to cope with childbirth.

I had never even considered natural childbirth prior to getting pregnant, I always just thought why suffer in pain when there are medications that can make it painless? But as I have learned more facts and gained some more insight I’m beginning to see the benefit of having this baby naturally.

Here is a short list of some benefits of natural childbirth that I have found;

1. Mothers who labor naturally can move freely, go to the bathroom, walk and change positions throughout labor. According to the Cochrane Review, recent studies have shown that getting medication makes changing positions even after birth more difficult.

2. Since you can feel your body's reflexes in natural childbirth, mothers can push better and generally faster. In fact studies show that getting an epidural prolongs your pushing time.

3. The pain during labor serves a purpose by guiding the mother to seek certain positions. For example, if her back hurts, she will naturally seek positions off her back which can help to turn her baby. Having back pain is one sign that the baby might be posterior and needs to rotate.

4. Mothers often describe that their recovery after a natural childbirth was faster and easier since they could get right up and walk and shower. Usually they eat right away and their appetite is normal. (a plus since the pain killers for my wisdom teeth made me violently ill)

5. Endorphins secreted during a natural childbirth have been found in the placenta and umbilical cord. This may serve a purpose to help the baby adjust to life outside as well as make the journey more comfortable for baby.

6. Research has shown that in mothers who have natural childbirth, babies are more alert and show more interest in pre-breast feeding behaviors such as sucking, as well as the actual length of time they spend nursing within the first 90 minutes.

That is a pretty convincing list of arguments! All of which I had never previously considered.

Here’s a list of reasons to have a medicated labor;

1. Mothers who are having a very long labor can benefit from using pain medication to get some rest before the pushing stage.

2. If the mother is tensing up during contractions, pain medication can help her relax so that her body is not fighting against the labor.

3. If the mother has a lot of fear about birth or issues from her past, it may affect the progress of her labor. At times, medication may help to ease her anxiety.

Also, a good reasons to have a medicated labor. But it seems that the evidence supports opting for a natural childbirth initially and if it carries on for to long to resort to medication.

So that decision is made now, which method do I use to cope with the labor? It’s a very difficult decision. I had no idea how many options there are out there associated with everything related to children and babies. And there seems to be no right answer, it’s simply a matter of preference. So I suppose I’ll just have to put my mind to work on this problem and search out which method fits me and my needs the best.