My best friend Susanna had her baby 3 months ago (you can read her story here). When she was pregnant, she was adamant on having an all natural child birth. I've gotta admit, I thought she was absolutely crazy. I mean you wouldn't want to go to the dentist and have a cavity filled without Novocaine, so why wouldn't you take the same comforts when it comes to having a baby?
I remember Susanna telling me, "Just wait until you're pregnant. You'll do the research and see what's right for you." Knowing me as well as she does, I think she knew I'd be on her same path when the time came.
My decision was sparked when I watched the Business of Being Born. If you're expecting you absolutely must watch this movie (it's on Netflix). It changed everything for me. I began to research the benefits of having a baby naturally and it's amazing what I discovered. I truly believe that the few hours of laboring hell, will be well worth the after math. Here are my top three reasons for wanting a natural birth:
- Less Interventions: I definitely do not want to be cut open, either by cesarean or an episiotomy (if you're not sure what that is, you don't want to know). Statistics prove that through natural birth there are less complications that result in tearing, cutting and c-sections. Talk about a rough recovery... yikes.
- Better for Baby: Drugs like pitocin cause you and your baby to undergo (in most cases) unnecessary stress. Physically, nature has designed a baby's skull to be compressed as it travels through the birth canal. When this important compression is missed due to c-section or with other interventions like forceps, the baby can have problems sleeping, nursing, feeding etc etc.
- Better for Mommy: I know my body... believe it or not, I knew I was pregnant about two weeks before a test could prove it. I also know that I do not react well to pain medications. I often experience terrible side affects from medications and while an epidural may help with pain during labor, I feel like the recovery post labor will continue to be a struggle. I want to prevent post-partum depression, be able to nurse right away, and let my body do what it was designed to do... have a baby!
It's truly amazing how my outlook towards birth and motherhood has changed since being pregnant. Now in my second trimester, I realize things may change in the future but I do hope to have a natural birth in a hospital. Perhaps the pain will be too much and I'll be begging for the drugs, but at least I'm going to give it a try! I believe that a woman's body was designed to birth a baby and I plan to do it the best way that I can for me and my baby. However, as long as my baby is healthy, I'll be a happy mama! Did any of you have a natural birth? What was your experience like?
PS. I'll be finding out the sex any day now! xo
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