The Best of Both Worlds: Natural Childbirth in a Hospital Chapters

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THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: Natural Childbirth in a Hospital

Growing Together
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Passion.

Joy.

Purpose.

Energy.

Growth.

PART II: GIVING BIRTH

Five: Overview: What Labor Feels Like: A Guide to Sensations

women who have never given birth, has been overwhelmingly positive. They say that this chapter
women who have never given birth, has been overwhelmingly positive. They say that this chapter
answers their question of “what is it really like?” better than anything else they have read.
answers their question of “what is it really like?” better than anything else they have read.

Six: Early Labor

Stay At Home

Women planning a natural birth should go to the hospital only after active labor has been
established. Studies show that going to the hospital in early labor greatly increases medical
interventions. For a woman committed to natural birth, it is crucial to judge correctly the advent of
active labor. This chapter gives detailed information about how to know when labor is truly
established and what to do during early labor.

Early Labor Challenges

The most significant early labor challenge is waters breaking before contractions begin. Once
waters break, most hospitals put a time limit on labor. If a woman does not give birth within the
time limit, usually six to twenty-four hours, she faces significant medical intervention and very often
a Cesarean Section. This chapter explains what to do before labor and during labor to increase a
woman’s odds of achieving a natural, vaginal birth in this situation.

Transition to the Hospital

This section covers the ride to the hospital and the experience of checking in at the Triage Desk.
Women should decide beforehand whether or not they want an initial vaginal exam at check-in and
they should appoint a support person to answer medical history questions before going into labor.

Seven: Active Labor

Setting the Stage for Your Natural Labor

The most important piece of advice directly related to labor in a hospital is contained here. Women
and their partners are urged to keep the phrase “We’d like to wait an hour” on the tip of their
tongues as a non-confrontational, proven method of avoiding unnecessary medical interventions
during labor. Several examples of how and when to use this phrase are provided.

Active Labor Challenges: When Progress Slows

One of the most ubiquitous challenges of hospital labors is getting stuck at a particular dilation.
When this happens for more than an hour or two, hospital personnel recommend interventions.
The natural alternative is to treat plateaus as normal parts of labor. “Eat, Cry and Move” are three
possible ways to handle plateaus naturally without medical intervention. This chapter contains
many illustrative cases of success with these organic techniques and tips on how to convert
hospital staff into allies.

Active Labor Challenges: Your Baby’s Heart Rate does Something Funny

Since this situation so often leads to Cesarean Sections, this section explains the difference
between real fetal distress and unimportant changes in fetal heart rates. In the case of real fetal
distress, medical interventions may be unavoidable. The goal is to give women and their partners
the tools to evaluate medical advice so that they do not have to second-guess the necessity of
interventions later.

Active Labor Challenges: The Pain Feels Overwhelming

When pain is at its peak, women are vulnerable to well-meaning suggestions that they try
pharmaceutical pain relief. It is crucial at this point in labor that women have access to real support
for natural birth choices. This chapter explains what partners can do to keep medical intervention
at a minimum and to facilitate a woman’s ability to handle her pain.

Active Labor Challenges: You Are Confined to Bed

When a woman is confined to bed during labor, the intensity of labor pain usually increases. She
loses some of the most powerful natural pain management techniques (such as walking or using
the shower). This chapter explains several techniques for coping with labor pain while in bed.

Active Labor Challenges: Complications Arise that Seem Ominous

This section addresses situations that could require medical decision-making. It aims to give
women and their partners the tools they need to continue with natural labor while rapidly evaluating
recommendations and making decisions.

Pushing and Giving Birth

This section explores the ways that women experience the pushing stage of labor. It recommends
that a woman follow her instinct about breathing and positioning and explains how her partner can
support her choices, especially if the hospital staff is recommending more standard procedures
(such as directed pushing).

Eight: The First Hours

The First Two Hours of Your Baby’s Life

A baby is generally very alert for one to two hours after birth. Making the most of this intense
bonding time with a newborn can be challenging in a hospital. This section explains how to
negotiate with staff about administering eye drops, weighing the baby, and performing routine
tests in the first two hours. The partner is a key participant in these hours, especially if the woman
needs suturing after the birth.

The First Three Days

Now that the family is probably home and on their own, their natural birth is still not over. This
section covers the issues that typically arise in the first several days after a natural birth, including
the nearly universal needs for women to cry often in these days (which is not a sign of post-partum
depression), to get help with breastfeeding, and to tell their birth stories out loud.

Challenges of the First Hours

The most common challenges of the first hours are breastfeeding difficulties and separation from
baby issues, especially if the baby is sent to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). A hospital
diagnosis of newborn jaundice is also common. Breastfeeding challenges can arise almost
immediately. Conflicting advice from nurses who change shifts and the hospital lactation
consultant can make women, already tired from labor, feel overwhelmed. This section helps a
woman and her partner make choices about whose advice to follow. When babies are in the NICU,
families probably need expert help to understand their real options around such issues as
keeping mother and baby together, avoiding formula and/or artificial nipples, etc.

Chapter By Chapter Outline - continued

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