Is Natural Birth for You? Having a baby is a little like getting married, in the sense that everypregnant woman has a…

Is Natural Birth for You?

Having a baby is a little like getting married, in the sense that everypregnant woman has a vision of how her labor will unfold. You might picture yourself in a modern hospital delivery room, pain-free and supported by every medical aid available. Or you might envision a more natural scene: giving birth surrounded by friends and family, with no drugs.

How you deliver is your choice, barring medical complications. But just like a wedding, natural childbirth requires some research and planning, well before your first contraction kicks in.

What Is Natural Childbirth? "In general, it implies a non-medicated birth where you're letting the natural process of labor and birth take place without any interventions," says Christine Isaacs, MD, director of the General Obstetrics & Gynecology Division at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and director of Midwifery Services for the VCU Health System.

Childbirth Options: What's Best?

During natural labor, you won't get an epiduralor medicine to relieve pain, although you may use pain-relief methods, such as massage, hypnotherapy, or a warm-water bath. You'll also avoid medical interventions like an episiotomy, in which a doctor cuts the area between thevagina and anus to widen it for birth.

Isaacs says she's a fan of natural childbirth because it counteracts a lot of the anxiety attached to the birthing process. Yet natural childbirth isn't for everyone -- especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy. "The purpose of prenatal care is to determine who is a good candidate for a natural birth versus who might not be," Isaacs says. "That's where having a relationship with a trusted provider becomes very important."

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