I want to preface this post in saying that there’s no easy way to bring a baby into the world. Whether natural, epidural, c-section, or adoption, there are hard things about all of them. I am not here to judge or belittle anyone’s choices or birth experience. We are all fucking badass bitches for growing another human being inside us and then getting them out one way or another.

Let me also say that nothing in this post is intended to offer medical advice. This is simply my thought process and my story. As always, you should consult a medical professional for any of your birthing decisions. 

I grew up hearing stories about my brother and my births. My mom did lamaze and had both of us unmedicated. This always stuck with me, because if she could do it, then so could I.

Fast forward to when I decided I wanted to become a Doula. I had always loved everything about birth and babies, and I was already shooting birth photography so it made sense for me to become a Doula. As I went through the training it became more and more obvious to me that an unmedicated birth was the right choice for me. And having witnessed many births (both unmedicated and with epidurals) I didn’t have the fear around giving birth that many women do with their first baby. I knew what normal birth looked like (Spoiler alert: it’s NOT like in the movies).

There are soooo many benefits to mom and baby having a natural/unmedicated birth. I will go over these below, but I also want to mention that in my soul, I needed to experience birth in a way that so many women before me have. I needed to connect with my baby while working with her to bring her into this world. I needed to know I could do it. I didn’t want to be stuck in a hospital bed, unable to move about freely. I wanted to be able to eat and drink as I pleased. I wanted to be able to labor in water, either a tub or shower.

And no, there’s no trophy or awards for skipping the epidural, but the reward for me was being completely present and in control of my emotions and what happened to my body during a very vulnerable time.

I believe women are designed to give birth.

Birth is a normal biological function, not a medical event. I’m thankful for advancements in medicine and science for when a situation calls for interventions, but we sometimes lose sight of the fact that birth normally happens on its own.

There’s a lot of fear around birth being painful. And it is. I’m not going to sugar coat that. But it’s manageable. It’s pain with purpose. There is a huge difference between pain because something is wrong, and pain from contractions that are meant to bring your baby out and into your arms.

Labor pain in natural birth helps a mom find what works for her to bring baby into the world. The choices she makes instinctively will help her contractions be as productive as possible.

Pain helps tell mom when it’s time to change positions so baby can continue down the birth canal. It also helps mom know when it’s time to push, how to push, and when to stop pushing to avoid a tear.

Alright, so let’s talk benefits of unmedicated/vaginal birth!

1. Labor Is Often Shorter
   
   
   When epidurals and other pain relief methods are used during labor and delivery, they often interfere with the body’s natural way of laboring, resulting in slower contractions. Once it’s time to push, as mentioned earlier, your body will be able to tell when and how to push much easier without an epidural. And you won’t need “coaching” for pushing nearly as much.
   
   
2. Faster Recovery Time
   
   
   When I had to have an ECV to flip Olive from breech to head down, I got the epidural. I had a lot of gross complications from it, my blood pressure dropped, I felt nauseous and faint. And my back was sore from the needle placement for weeks afterward. But mothers who go through a natural birth are able to get up, walk around, and shower shortly after birth if they want. During labor, the body releases endorphins which act as calming and pain-relieving hormones. Women who have a natural birth will release more endorphins than women who utilize pain medication.
   
   
3. Breastfeeding is Facilitated more Easily
   
   
   Babies that are born via a natural birth tend to be more alert and have a heightened interest in breastfeeding. What most women don’t realize is that the pain medication that they are given to help with the contractions is passed on to their babies, which can impact breastfeeding.
   
   
4. More likely to avoid the Cascade of Interventions
   
   
   If you’ve never heard this term, HERE is a great article that goes deeper into it!
   
   
5. Lower risk of respiratory problems for baby
   
   
   Babies born by vaginal birth have considerable lower risk of respiratory problems. The compression of the baby’s thorax expels the amniotic fluid during the birth process and helps to prepare the lungs to breathe air. There is a high risk of respiratory distress syndrome in babies born by cesarean and a high risk of asthma. CC Buhimschi, MD and I.A Buhimschi, MD, Advantages of Vaginal Delivery, Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volume 49, Number 1, 167-183
   
   
6. Babies benefit from receiving protective bacteria
   
   
   Babies born vaginally receive protective bacteria as they pass through the birth canal. These bacteria colonise in the intestine and are crucial for developing a balanced immune system, from childhood right through to adulthood. Professor Patricia Conway, of the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences at the University of NSW.
   
   
7. Improved heart rate
   
   
   Narcotic drugs cross the placenta to reach the baby’s bloodstream and can affect the baby’s heart rate during labor as well as their transition to breathing and breastfeeding after birth. Narcotic medications affect babies in the same way they affect moms, producing drowsiness, disorientation, and depression of heart rate and breathing.
   
   There’s more but that’s good enough for now! You can read my birth story here and watch the beautiful film my doula created for me!