Before we get pregnant most of us rarely if ever think about birth so we really have no idea how hard many of us will have to fight just to be “allowed” to have a natural childbirth.

Women and Babies rights are very quickly being stripped away one by one making it increasingly difficult to have a natural childbirth, especially if your plan includes a hospital.

Now I am not saying that natural childbirth can’t be accomplished in a typical OB and hospital setting, but you are going to have to work a heck of a lot harder than if you were to use a tradition midwife and birth at home.

But no matter how hard you have to fight it is worth it!

This article is all about how you can prepare yourself for a natural childbirth despite all the push for a technology centered pharmaceutical birth.

 You Must Educate Yourself on Natural Childbirth Because They Aren’t Going To

So here we are putting our trust and faith in the medical establishment to assist us in our natural childbirths. As great and safe as that sounds it is actually quite the opposite and I’ll tell you why.

Medical staff learns what they know from going to school. In school they learn how to act in an emergency, how to artificially manage birth to get the baby out as quickly as possible.

So they are taught about the drugs, the machines, the tools, the surgeries, the emergencies. Now this is all great stuff to know, however the problem is that instead of having this knowledge on reserve in case it is needed they are using emergency means to treat every birth as if they are all dire life threatening emergencies even when they are not.  

Most of them have no experience in natural childbirth, and have most likely never even seen a natural childbirth occur, so the thought of being part of something all new to them is enough to make them feel uneasy and nervous about it. So instead of taking themselves out of their comfort zone and trusting natural childbirth they try to force you out of your comfort zone and into theirs.

So how do you prevent them from interfering with your natural childbirth and turning it into a string of invasive procedures?

You will have to fully arm yourself to be informed, educated, and prepared to stand up for your right to have natural childbirth.

Step #1 For a Natural Childbirth Hire Natural Childbirth Professionals

If you want a natural childbirth you must hire people trained in natural childbirth. I have been told that there are in fact OBs that are natural childbirth advocates, but they are in fact rare.

OBs and Midwives

The ideal situation would be to hire an OB and a Traditional Midwife, that way you will be able to see for yourself the difference between the two and decide who you believe is better suited to support you in your natural childbirth. Also when your OB tells you that your natural childbirth idea is out because of reasons A, B or C you will have a real natural childbirth professional to double check with to see if in fact that is the truth or not. Many doctors work using scare tactics, “better safe than sorry you don’t want a dead baby” sort of thing. And yes this kind of manipulation works (unless you know better).

If your Doctor tells you that there could potentially be a problem do not take him at his word, and do not allow any final decisions to be made without first consulting a traditional midwife or maybe even two or three.

Most midwives offer a consultation where you can get to know them and propose any questions or concerns that you may have for free. So you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Get a Doula, They Make Natural Childbirth Easier to Accomplish 

Now if you are for sure planning on birthing in the hospital I highly recommend hiring a Doula, they are there to help you to achieve your natural childbirth whether it is rubbing your back, bringing you water, or advocating for you by making certain that your wishes are being honored. Chances are that in the midst of labor you are not going to feel like discussing your options with doctors, you are going to be busy giving birth, this is where a doula comes in and translates your requests.

Enroll in Natural Childbirth Classes

Do not take any class associated with the hospital, they are fear based. Instead enroll in a local natural childbirth class or find one online. They offer a wealth of information that can save you from having to do so much leg work. Here is a link to an article giving you some good options for classes: http://mynaturalchildbirth.org/childbirth-classes/

Step #2 Find out What Things Interfere with Natural Childbirth and Avoid Them

 I know that it can be difficult to know where to begin especially if you have never been pregnant before. So here are some important things to be aware of and to research further.

Prenatal Screening Tests can interfere with Natural Childbirth

Many of the standard tests that are performed while you are pregnant have a high false positive rate. A lot of natural birth professionals would agree that it almost seems as if they are setting you up for failure trying to find any reason they can to jump the gun, slap you with a “high risk” label and get you into the technological birthing system.

You have the right to refuse any and all tests. Some tests you may want to go ahead with if you know that in your family history there is a risk involved, but I do not suggest doing any test without researching it for yourself first.

If you are at an appointment and they send you for tests my advice is to tell them that you choose to postone the tests, and then go home and do extensive research before deciding if you do in fact want to go ahead with the test or whether you would like to decline.

Ultrasounds are not Exact Science

All too often women are missing out on their chance for a natural childbirth due to misinformation from ultrasounds. If a woman goes past her due date she will be recommended for induction by her OB. Also if a baby is guessed too small or too big it can lead to induction and/or C-section.

Ultrasounds are not an exact science, and there are many issues that are caused by treating them as if they are.

The first issue is with the determined due date. They get this figure using the assumption that every woman fits perfectly into an exact mold in which the length and frequency of menstruation is uniformly the same. We all know that each and every one of us has a different cycle making it impossible to come up with an exact date. They can not tell you with accuracy how far along you are, they can only give their best guess. And they absolutely cannot tell you when your baby will be born, only when both your baby and your body are ready will birth begin.

The next issue is with determining the size of the baby. Often times they will tell you for whatever reason that they believe your baby to be too big or too small and that you cannot have your natural childbirth. They then tend to reffer you for induction or even C-section. Please don’t fall for the wrong size baby card. All babies just like all humans are different sizes, unless there is truly a danger  we should have enough respect for our babies to allow them to grow at their own speed.

I have had friends who have fallen victim to this wrong size baby lie and agreed to whatever the doctor suggests only to find out that they were way off about the weight, that in fact their babies were born within a perfectly normal weight range.

Just know  that there is no sure method of measuring your babies weight, only guesses. The estimation from an ultrasound is also just an approximate guess, and can be off by + or – 2 to 3 lbs which is ALOT! It is the difference between a healthy 7lb baby and 4lb baby, or an 8lb baby and and 11lb baby.

There are also other risks associated with ultrasound, making it definitely worth educating yourself further.

Induction is Rarely Necessary

It sadly seems that induction has become the new norm. We may be uncomfortable; we may want our bodies back and our babies to come out, but there are no rushing these things. Baby knows best when it is time to be born. Induction is very dangerous and has a ton of risks associated with it. And as far as sound medical reason for induction, that is extremely rare for a healthy low risk pregnancy.

No matter what the doctor tells you do not agree to induce without getting a second, third or fourth opinion and not just from doctors but midwives as well.

Drugs in Childbirth are Dangerous

There is no safe drug. Pictocin, Epidurals and all other drugs should be avoided at all cost! Do further research into these drugs and they will likely scare the crap out of you!

Step #3 For a Positive Natural Childbirth Fill up With Positives

Once you educate yourselves on all of the risks of technological birth it is then time to put that aside and fill up with positive ideas, images and thoughts about natural childbirth.

Watch natural birth videos and documentaries that teach and show you how amazing natural childbirth is. A few of my favorites are “Birth into Being”, “The Business of Being Born” & “Orgasmic Birth”.

Also read as many great books on natural childbirth as you can. “Spiritual Midwifery,” “Ina Mays Guide to Natural Childbirth,” “Birth Without Violence”, “Birth Without Fear”, and “Birthing from Within” are all good ones.

The Most Important Thing to Remember

Listen to these words and do not ever lose sight of them. In the end this is YOUR and YOUR BABY’S birth! All decisions about your birth are truly yours to make. Be sure to keep researching and educating yourself so that you can make informed choices. And do not allow anyone to sway you from your purpose, which is to give your child a sacred, respected, honorable and loving natural childbirth.

Preparation is the absolute key in giving yourself and your baby a wonderful birth; one of the best things you can do for yourself is to find out what natural childbirth classes are available to assist you and which childbirth classes will benefit you the most.

In this article I’ll share with you how you can benefit from taking  childbirth classes, and help you to discover which childbirth classes may be right for you.

How Taking Childbirth Classes can Help You to be Better

Prepared for Birth

Aside from making it much easier to set the proper time aside for preparation, taking natural childbirth classes is great because they help you to

1) Get  Answers to Your Questions: Childbirth classes provide an easy resource of information and knowledge to get your questions answered, and the information is nicely put together in one place for you, which makes it easier and much quicker than gathering all the information on your own.

2) Get  a Better Idea of What to Expect: When you know what to expect you’ll  be better prepared to embrace the experience of birth rather than being caught off guard when your birthing time begins. And even if you already have an idea of what birth is all about childbirth classes can help to reconfirm your beliefs and make you more confident with your choices.

3) Learn about You on Your and Your Baby’s Options: Many childbirth classes include your and your baby’s options for Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum so that you’ll be able to make informed choices.

4) Learn  Helpful Tools, Tips and Techniques to Use: Including the most effective birth positions and relaxation techniques that help you to have a more comfortable birth.

5) Involve Your Birth Partner: Childbirth classes help them to become more comfortable, confident and relaxed about the birth process, answers their questions, allows them to become more involved, and to better understand their role and how they can support you.

Choosing the Perfect Childbirth Classes

I’m not sure if there is one all inclusive “Perfect” childbirth class, I think that more likely it’s different for everybody. Start by asking yourself what is important to you, what are you wishing to gain out of the class, does it align with your beliefs? And when choosing a  class always remember to pay attention to your intuition, do you feel good about it?

Even when you find a childbirth class that you like, there still may be some things that you don’t like in it. But that’s OK, you can always just take and apply what’s helpful and beneficial to you and leave the rest.

Following are the most widely popular natural childbirth classes, there may also be some childbirth classes offered locally that are just as wonderful. Also you can do some of these childbirth classes online. Don’t be afraid to explore all of your options before deciding.

Childbirth Classes Using the Hypnobirthing Method

For natural child birth “Hypnobirthing” is a very popular and effective method of preparation. For a better description of what hypnobirthing is watch this video http://mynaturalchildbirth.org/hypnobirthing-video/

Here are the most popular “Hypnobirthing” Childbirth Classes:

Hypnobabies Childbirth Classes

http://www.hypnobabies.com/

Hypnobabies is a good program. It’s a good blend of preparing your mind to be in the right state for birth and educating you on your options. In Hypnobabies you use positive visualization scripts and CDs to release any negative thoughts or fears and replace them with positives. It has helpful information on nutrition, and does a good job of educating you on your and your baby’s options and rights, especially in a hospital setting.

Andy and I took hypnobabies and we enjoyed it! Aside from Andy’s falling asleep during the relaxations and cracking obvious jokes right in front of the teacher it was very helpful.  By giving us the answers to a lot of our questions, and educating us on our options it really helped Andy to feel a lot more comfortable with the process, which lead to his full support of having a home birth.

It went into detail about a lot of risks and benefits of the various hospital procedures, which didn’t pertain to us because we had decided to do it at home, but if you’re planning a hospital birth are extremely beneficial. And it helped to reconfirm what I had already felt inside, “that I could definately do this”, and helped me to release stress and to ease into that peaceful Zen like mindset that I needed to be in so that I could have the amazingly enjoyable, gentle, loving and pain free childbirth, that I ended up having!

Hypnobirthing Childbirth Classes

http://www.hypnobirthing.com/

Hypnobirthing is similar to Hypnobabies, from what I have heard they just don’t have as many CDs, but the ones they do have are amazing! They also have a 302 page handbook, relaxation scripts, information on exercises, nutrition, relaxation and breathing techniques, and handouts for planning your birth preferences. A lot of Mommas I have heard have great results and love this program!

“I was so impressed with the way my attitude toward birth changed. I started the class scared and skeptical, and now I am completely confident and excited about the birth of our first child. I found HypnoBirthing a relaxing, natural way to birth a child. The program has helped me to reclaim my power as a woman and trust my body to do what it was designed to do.” -Jody (UK)

Birthing from Within Childbirth Classes

http://www.birthingfromwithin.com/parents

Birthing from Within sounds like a great class! If I had known about it when I was pregnant I probably would have taken it. They also use “self hypnosis” and visualizations, but they seem to be a little more in tune with the spiritual aspects of birth and encourage you to look inside of yourself to find a place of peace and acceptance for whatever may happen during birth and to open your body and mind to go with the flow and allow birth to happen. Also it encourages creative connection and free expression through art.

“The classes have opened our eyes, minds, and hearts to a lot of amazing truths about the birth journey…my wife has felt deeply empowered and informed. We’ve talked about and become more aware of our feelings, our relationship, and the shape of our journey.” ~Stuart

“My Mentor spoke from a place in her heart that resonated experience, understanding, power, and warmth. Thanks to her, I broke through barriers that would have inhibited me in childbirth. I learned a lot about myself, my partner and birth, and felt my confidence grow with every passing week.” ~Jen

Bradley Childbirth Classes

http://www.bradleybirth.com/

Bradley is one that we’ve probably all heard of, it’s been around for a long time and many of our parents may have even taken it. It does not do hypnobirthing, but its focus is on natural “drug free” birth. They seem to provide a lot of important information on avoiding complications, relaxation and breathing techniques and trusting your body. It is called “husband coached childbirth” as they focus extra attention to the coaches role in assisting the Momma. They cover nutrition, healthy pregnancy, and the various stages of labor.

“I can’t believe what a difference The Bradley Method® classes made for me!”

“After taking The Bradley Method® classes, I had a totally natural birth, a strong healthy baby boy, and I felt absolutely wonderful afterward! It changed my life!”

Prenatal Yoga

Along with any other childbirth preparation class that you may take I highly encourage you to enroll in prenatal yoga classes. Yoga is the perfect practice of allowing your mind to enter into a place of peace and ease, while your body is at work, just like in birth. It also makes you feel great, and helps to align your energy centers to create the perfect balance of mind, body and spirit.

“I feel very strong physically and emotionally, as well as extremely focused and clear every time I leave your yoga classes.”

“Prenatal Yoga was exactly what I needed to strengthen myself during my pregnancy and help me through my labor. Without the classes, I would have never been strong enough to make it through my natural delivery and push the baby out. The stretching, breathing and kegel exercises were especially helpful during all stages of labor. It’s a wonderful nurturing place that I’d recommend to any pregnant woman.”

Remember that whatever childbirth classes you choose it is still always your experience and your birth, and so is up to you to pick and choose from what information best suits you. Use these classes as a way to reconfirm that you are on the right path and to prepare yourself mentally physically and spiritually to be in the right state for birth. The right class for you will align with your beliefs, will encourage you to trust in birth and in your body, and will make you feel great inside and out! Always listen to your intuition.

Mommas if you have taken any of these childbirth classes please feel free to share your wisdom, did they work? What childbirth classes did you like, dislike, or would you recommend?