Birthing your child without drugs isn’t easy, but it is possible. Follow these guidelines to increase your chances of having a successful natural birth.Getting a solid prenatal education is step one to planning a natural childbirth. Seek out classes that include how labor and birth work, as well as natural labor pain management techniques like breathing, self-hypnosis, and relaxation.
Your hospital probably offers an evening or weekend course, but that might not be enough information, especially if they have a high epidural or C-section rate.
Instead,research independent educators. Try a few different classes or styles until you find one that feels like a good fit.Once you have an idea of your ideal birthing experience,
the next smart step is creating a birth plan that details what you’d like to happen before, during and after labor. (Check out Mama Natural’s visual natural birth plan template that shows all your preferences displayed as super simple symbols.)
Along with general preferences such as who you’d like to be in the hospital room during delivery,
- No medication
- Free movement
- Natural water rupture
- Intermittent monitoring
- No episiotomy
- No vitamin k
- No eye ointment
- No bath for baby
- No IV
- No membrane sweep
- Pitocin only if necessary
But outlining your birthing preferences is only part of the battle when it comes to having a normal delivery naturally. Here are 10 more things to consider when creating a successful natural birth plan:
what the physical environment should be like, and if you wish to breastfeed, your natural birth plan may include extra preferences like the following:
