6 Benefits of Natural Birth That’ll Change How You See Labor

No matter what type of delivery you are considering for your baby, whether it is a hospital birth with medical interventions or a natural childbirth in the comfort and safety of your home, it’s important to know all of the benefits that come along with making an informed decision.

Natural childbirth can be especially rewarding for many mothers due to its physical and emotional advantages during labor, as well as contributing to long-term health outcomes. In this blog post we will take a close look at the pros of natural childbirth so that you can determine what might be best for both you and your baby when the big day arrives!

Natural Birth Benefit #1: Lower Risk of Medical Interventions

One of the many benefits of having a natural birth, is a lower risk of experiencing the infamous cascade of interventions. In the birth world, the cascade of interventions is a term used to describe the domino effect that can occur after one intervention.

Let’s use Pitocin as an example. Pitocin is synthetic oxytocin and is a drug that is used to either start or speed up the process of labor. It is one of the most common labor interventions women are faced with daily in the birth space, specifically in hospital births. The issue with Pitocin is that it interferes with the body’s physiological processes

In a natural birth, your body produces beta-endorphins (hormone) which are responsible for pain control during labor and for regulating the release of the oxytocin hormone. Yes, your body already produces oxytocin on its own!

With Pitocin, this natural process of regulating does not occur, and the body is thrown into labor without the benefit of the endorphins that are responsible of managing the pace and growing intensity of labor.

This is the reason why many moms report that their contractions are a lot more intense and painful when labor is induced with Pitocin. The cascade of interventions that usually follows a labor induction with Pitocin is the use of an epidural to help cope with the intense contractions, an IV to pump fluids to increase blood pressure (since epidurals can lower blood pressure) and then, continuous fetal monitoring to ensure that baby is handling labor well.

With natural birth, the body’s natural physiological processes are undisturbed and the process of childbirth is easily facilitated.

The less we interfere with the natural physiologic process of labor, the more we can expect that a laboring woman’s body can do what it has been designed to do effectively and without major complications that will require further intervention.

Natural Birth Benefit #2: Freedom of Movement During Labor

One of the benefits of a natural birth is having the freedom of movement during labor. 

Not only is moving around during labor and remaining in an upright position very effective ways of coping with the intensity of childbirth naturally, but doing so can also shorten the length of your labor, and decrease the risk of a c-section.

Standing & walking

Forget all those images you’ve seen of women laboring while lying down flat on their backs. Standing during labor is a simple and yet very powerful way of facilitating the process of labor especially during the first stage.

Standing realigns your pelvis and opens it up by up to 15%, making it easier for your baby to descend further into your pelvis and eventually out of your birth canal. You can stand as you walk, lean forward against a wall or your birth partner for added support during contractions. 

Kneeling on all-fours

Kneeling on all-fours, especially over an exercise ball, is a great way not only to get rest from standing, but a great way to get relief from back pain during labor, and to encourage dilation and help baby descend.

It helps you take full advantage of the pull of gravity while giving your legs a break. If you do decide to get into this position, be sure to use pillows under your knees for comfort. Swaying your hips even as your kneeling is something you may find yourself doing instinctively and will help the the movement of baby and with giving you natural pain relief.

Squatting

Squatting is not only meant to be done at the gym, it’s a great position to get into during the second stage of labor. Women have been giving birth in this position for thousands of years! It can increase the size of your pelvic opening by up to 30%.

As a matter of fact, I believe it was part of the reason why I didn’t tear during labor because I instinctively got into the squatting position and birthed both my children.  According to this study, squatting helps reduce the risk of medically assisted deliveries, episiotomies, and tearing.

To get into this position you can use a squat bar, a blanket or rebozo, a chair, or your birth partner/doula for support.

Side-Lying

Lying down on your side while you use pillows or a peanut ball to keep your legs apart is a great way to get rest from the other birth positions which require you to put in more physical effort. It keeps your pelvis open allowing baby to have an easier time moving through the birth canal, and can be a great way of slowing down a very fast labor (which can increase the risk of cervical and vaginal tearing, as well as hemorrhage.  

Natural Birth Benefit #3: Increased Awareness and Connection During Childbirth

Another benefit of having a natural birth is having a deeper connection to the birthing process. Not having my senses numbed by labor analgesics and feeling every change and movement that was taking place within my body, was extremely empowering.

Both times I knew that my body was physically there, but I also felt like I was on another planet. Just me, and my baby. Although labor was intense, being able to feel my babies move down my birth canal, and being able to read my body and flow the way it wanted me to was really beautiful and liberating.

Many moms also report that they too have felt more connected to their child birthing experiences with a natural birth. I believe that it’s because you are fully there. Your senses aren’t numbed so you don’t need guidance, your body’s natural physiological processes aren’t hindered, and your able to pick up your body’s signals.

With an epidural (most commonly used form of pain relief for labor), you are numb and you have to rely on your birth team to assist and coach you, rather than relying on your natural senses. Not being able to feel your way through childbirth can make you feel as if it’s a process that is happening to you, rather than a process that you and your baby are both going through together. 

Childbirth is a deeply intense, primal, and supernatural process. Going at it unmedicated can definitely give you a greater sense of connection and that in itself is very gratifying.

Natural Birth Benefit #4: Natural Birth Can Make Labor Faster and Easier

During an unmedicated labor, the body produces a special cocktail of hormones that facilitate the process of childbirth which can contribute to an easier and faster labor. Some of these major hormones include oxytocin, which is the hormone responsible for uterine contractions and the softening and thinning of the cervix, and endorphins, which are powerful hormones that are known as “nature’s narcotic”, due to their pain relieving properties. Oxytocin is also responsible for the release of the endorphins, as you progress through labor more oxytocin is produced and secreted throughout the body. As this is happening, your body also gradually produces and releases more endorphins to help you cope with the increasing intensity of labor naturally.

Common labor interventions such as inductions and epidurals disturb this natural physiologic process and can cause you not only to experience unnaturally painful contractions, decreased mobility which has proven to contribute to longer labors, and increased risk for fetal distress, maternal exhaustion, and c-section.

Going back to the basics of birth

I believe that this is in fact God’s perfect design! The human body is so powerfully and beautifully complex that is able to go through all of these processes to help itself and help you create, carry, and birth another human being. Going back to the basics of birth and learning natural ways of managing labor is key to having a faster and more pleasant childbirth experience.

If the entire process of childbirth is left undisturbed, and you are: following your body’s signals (changing positions when needed), supported when we need it, and following these tips to help you manage labor naturally, chances are that you will have an easier and faster labor. 

Natural Birth Benefit #5: Natural Birth Can Make Establishing a Breastfeeding Relationship Easier

I think it’s so cool that one of the lesser-known benefits of natural birth is that it’s easier to establish a breastfeeding relationship.

The Impact of Interventions On Breastfeeding

According to Dr. Gilbert J. Grant, “Any medication that you take to relieve pain will reach the baby.” Although some may claim that these amounts are small, the effects they can have on a baby (and mom) can vary widely. 

The issue with labor analgesics and narcotics is the fact that they do interfere with the natural production and flow of labor hormones, and they increase the risk of having a medically assisted birth, or even a c-section. All of these medical interventions come with risks of their own which can include potential downtime for both mom and baby after the birth.

Some studies have shown that pain relief medication can impact baby’s suckling which has a direct impact on breastfeeding. In this study, it was found that babies of mothers who did receive an epidural during labor had poorer motor skills in the first month of life, than the babies of mother who went unmedicated.

How a Natural Birth Can Make Breastfeeding Easier

With a natural birth, most babies will begin doing the breast crawl (amazing and oh so adorable!) within the first hour after birth. The breast crawl is a natural instinct that newborns possess which allows them to locate the breast and latch onto the nipple. That’s why it’s so important to place baby on your chest as soon as possible after birth, to bond and to establish that breastfeeding relationship.

That first hour after birth, also known as the golden hour, is crucial, and it is during this time that breastfeeding should begin. In an uncomplicated natural birth, where mom and baby’s bodies aren’t under the effects analgesics or narcotics, that cascade of labor hormones is in full effect, and mom and baby can experience the advantages of the oxytocin hormone which provides the boost of energy and feelings of love (oxytocin is known as the love hormone) that facilitates breastfeeding.

When mom and baby are fully alert and healthy, it is much easier to establish a breastfeeding relationship.

Natural Birth Benefit #6: Better Postpartum Recovery

When comparing unmedicated births to other methods of birth (epidural and c-section), many moms report having an easier postpartum recover after having had a natural birth. It’s important to remember that every drug and medical procedure comes with its own set of potential side effects that can impact your recovery.

Without any drugs interfering with the body’s natural processes, it is not a surprise that postpartum recovery after an uncomplicated natural birth is generally easier. You don’t have to wait for any drugs to wear off, you can go to the bathroom unassisted and without having to worry about a catheter, and you don’t have to worry about dealing with a fresh incision. 

My first postpartum recovery was OK. It could have been much easier had I known how to push properly during labor. I didn’t tear or experience any kind of other trauma however my vagina was swollen from pushing incorrectly and my entire body was sore.

However, after having my second baby, my postpartum recovery was a breeze compared to the first. I had a much easier and more enjoyable childbirth experience and I can attribute my easy postpartum recovery to that. After I had my son I was up and running almost immediately. It felt good to feel like myself again, especially after being pregnant for so long.

Resting is KEY!

It’s important to remember that regardless of how you give birth, and how you feel after your given birth, your body will still need time to recover. Mama, I know that you’re a strong woman but it’s OK to accept help and to ask for help when you need it. Trust me, your body will thank you!

You may feel totally “normal” after having had an unmedicated birth but if you don’t give your body the chance to rest, you may experience complications such as heavy bleeding and pelvic organ prolapse.

Your Childbirth Experience Matters

It’s also important to note that one factor that can affect your postpartum recovery is your childbirth experience. Just like I mentioned above, I really had no idea what I was doing. I pushed way too hard and way too long for nothing.

Now that I look back, I understand why my body felt like it got hit by a ton of bricks and why I had a rougher recovery, in comparison to my second birth. Yes, I was up and running almost immediately but I didn’t feel too good. If you had a natural birth but you’ve exhausted your body during labor like I did, or experienced more severe tearing, you could have a longer recovery compared to someone who has had a medicated birth.

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