Natural childbirth, all you need to know

For you, it is obvious: give birth to a baby, there is nothing more natural. And you do not want to thwart Mother Nature has done things. All this is true. But to succeed in this business you have to know what we are really talking about.
Giving birth naturally: the way forward
Natural childbirth is in vogue. More and more women reject the medicalized world around birth and looking for a more physiological approach without a machine or instrument.
Natural childbirth is a birth on left unchecked a medical point of view. Is left to the body that spontaneously knows what to do. Clearly, the epidural anesthesia that is, does not belong to the landscape of natural childbirth.Preparation is vital
Better attend preparatory courses that help to know more about what happens during childbirth. This will strengthen the confidence the unexpected, with confidence. Needless to say, anxious often do not really want this type of delivery where too many things are beyond their control or that of doctors.Beware of misconceptions
Before embarking on a natural birth, it is better not to be misconceptions, particularly imagining an ideal childbirth, soft and without violence. Childbirth is like a physical adventure with its ups and downs. And this is coming.Finding the right place
To promote the smooth conduct of delivery, place of birth is important. There is the "home" option (Read the article "Giving birth at home takes planning") or "maternity". In the latter case, better to choose a reputable institution for its openness to alternative practices or known for his particular listening to the wishes of women. It will then discuss with the team the Maternity your desire to give birth in the most natural world.Discuss with the midwife
If you are registered motherhood, trying to be followed by a midwife instead of a doctor. This specialist in physiology, that is to say, normal childbirth, often advise many small tricks. Finally, check with her if at the time of birth, midwifery care can be a little more present at your side, because the support is often essential at this time.One rule: stay active
The key to support contractions is to stay active. This is to follow the movements dictated by the body. Thus, when a contraction happens, we settle spontaneously in the least painful position (eg fours). You have to listen as to the end. After a moment, the same strong contractions become bearable because the body adapts.Accept a minimum security
Some gestures or exams are difficult to negotiate maternity. This is the case for example of the monitoring, which causes among mothers the feeling of being tied up or immobilized on the delivery table. This is true, but surveillance monitoring can be done on arrival to ensure that all goes well then interrupted. It will however accept regular monitoring fetal heart rate. Another compromise: the catheter in the arm vein. This is a minimum to accept the call to ask a quick infusion if necessary.Know your limits
The force of contraction is beyond you. This does not look like what you imagined. You are afraid. Try to make sense of things with the midwife of the birth room to find out what really takes the pain or fear. And if the pain is too strong, an epidural can then be installed. Needless to live it as a failure of the initial project. What matters is to have gone as far as possible in the project.If complications
There are also cases where nature plays dirty tricks. Caesarean section or forceps may then be necessary. This is not a failure: the perfect delivery does not exist and you have to compromise with reality.
Giving birth in a natural room
In some maternity hospitals, there are delivery rooms a little different offering the most natural births. Salles nature physiological spaces ... the names vary from place to place. Explanations.
In all maternity hospitals, women give birth in birthing rooms. Sometimes, some parts a little differently equipped are also available: there are no delivery bed, but rather a bath to relax during expansion, balloons, and a normal bed without stirrups. These are called rooms nature or physiological birthing areas. Finally, some services include a "birthing": this is actually a floor devoted to monitoring of pregnancy and childbirth with several rooms like the kind rooms.Are there any kind rooms everywhere?
No. Paradoxically, these spaces sometimes found in large university hospitals or large maternity units that have enough space to have such a place, and who also want to meet the demand of women looking for a moderate medicalization. However, we must remember that a natural birth - can take place anywhere. What makes the difference is the will of the mother on the birth of her baby and the availability of midwives.How is a delivery room in a kind?
When a woman arrives to give birth, she can go from the start of work in the nature room. There, it can take a hot bath: heat reduces pain of contractions and often accelerates the expansion of the cervix. Generally, as and as work progresses and contractions accelerate, women go out of the bath (we rarely give birth in the water even if it sometimes happens when everything is fine) and s' settle on the bed They can then move as they want and find the position that works best for them to give birth. For delivery of the baby, it is often very effective to get on all fours or suspension. A study of the Collective interassociative around birth (CIANE), published in 2013, showed a substantially lower episiotomy in physiological spaces or rooms in nature. It also seems that there are fewer operative vaginal birth in these spaces.Can we get an epidural in nature rooms?
In Nature rooms, it gives birth "naturally" is therefore without epidural anesthesia requires a fairly specific medical supervision (monitoring by continuous monitoring, infusion, lying down or half-sitting and presence of the anesthetist). But of course, we can begin the early hours of delivery in the room, and if the contractions become too strong, it is still possible to pass in a regular labor room and benefit from the epidural. There are also many alternatives to the epidural to relieve labor pains.Is the security provided in the rooms Nature?
Childbirth is an event that a priori goes well. Nevertheless, some degree of medical supervision is needed to prevent complications. The midwife, who provides support couples in nature rooms, and is vigilant to all emergency signals (eg dilation stagnant). She regularly checks the baby's heart rate with a monitor installed in about thirty minutes. If it considers that the situation is not quite normal, she makes the decision to go into a traditional dining room or, in agreement with the obstetrician, directly block for a cesarean section. Hence the importance of being located within motherhood.How are baby care room in a kind?
During a so-called birth nature, everything is done so that the baby is welcomed in good conditions but it is also increasingly the case in conventional births rooms. Aside from any disease, it is not necessary to separate the child from his mother. The newborn is placed skin to skin with his mother as long as she wants. This, to promote the establishment of the mother-child bond and early feeding. The first baby care are made in the nature room, in a quiet, heated environment. To avoid disturbing the baby, such care is now fewer. For example, we do not practice consistently gastric aspiration. The rest of the testing is done by the pediatrician the next day.Motherhood Angers presents its physiological space
One of the largest public maternity hospitals in France, the CHU d'Angers, opened in 2011 an area of ​​physiological birth. Two rooms are available for natural mothers who wish to give birth naturally. Their support is very medicalized while providing a secure environment. Monitoring Wireless, bathtubs, physiological delivery tables, creepers hanging from the ceiling to facilitate the work, all of that can accommodate the baby in the greatest harmony.

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Home birth

Between 1 and 2% of mothers in France opt for a home birth, with the desire to live a natural birth without medical appliances or white coats ... But this decision that requires careful consideration requires considerable preparation.
The home birth practice
Epidural, episiotomy, forceps ... they do not want it! Moms who choose home birth, wishing above all to flee the hospital environment they find surmédicalisé.
At home, pregnant women feel manage childbirth, not suffer it. "We do not impose anything to the mother. She can eat, take a bath, two baths, a walk in the garden etc. Being home allows him to live the birth of his child fully and as it sees fit. We are there to ensure that everything goes well. But it is she who chooses his position or who decides when it starts growing eg, "said Virginia Lecaille liberal midwife. Freedom and control offered by a home birth requires considerable preparation. "Any woman can not give birth at home. You have to have a certain maturity and awareness of what constitutes such an adventure"
In the Netherlands, home birth is a very common practice: almost 30% of babies are born at home!Homebirth enhanced surveillance
Giving birth at home is reserved only for mothers in perfect health. Pregnancies at risk are of course excluded. In addition, about 4% of home births end at the hospital! An expectant mother who wants to give birth to her child at home must wait until the eighth month of pregnancy to get the green light from the midwife. Not planning a home birth if you are pregnant with twins or triplets, you will be denied! It will be the same if your baby is in the seat, if the birth is premature announcement, if, on the contrary, gestation exceeds 42 SA or if you have hypertension, gestational diabetes, etc.Better safe motherhood upstream
"Obviously, we do not take any risks during a home birth if the baby's heart slows down, if the mother loses too much blood or simply if done in torque demand, we go on to the hospital field "said V. Lecaille. That there must be a transfer! Parents and the midwife who accompanies them in this adventure must know how to go if motherhood issue. Even if the hospital can not refuse a woman in labor, better thinking to enroll in a maternity during her pregnancy and prevent the institution you are considering a home birth. A prenatal visit with a midwife from the hospital and taking an appointment with the anesthesiologist in the eighth month allows a medical record ready. What facilitate the work of doctors in case of an emergency transfer.Birth at home: a true team
Most often, only one midwife attends the mother who gives birth at home. It establishes a very intimate relationship with prospective parents. They are fifty in France to practice of home births. Midwives provide comprehensive support only. "If everything goes well, the mother may not meet doctor for nine months!" Midwives keep track of pregnancy: they examine the mother, the baby's heart monitor etc. Some are even entitled to do ultrasounds. But "the biggest part of our work is to prepare home birth with the parents. For this, we are discussing a lot. We take the time to listen to them, to reassure them. The goal is to give them all key to make them feel competent to put their child into the world Sometimes the discussion goes beyond. Some are eager to talk about their relationship problems, sexuality ... things we never talk during a prenatal visit in the hospital, "said V. Lecaille.
On the day, the role of the midwife is to guide delivery and to ensure that everything goes for the best. No hope of any intervention: epidural infusions, use of forceps or vacuum are not part of his skills!
When we choose to give birth at home, it necessarily involves the daddy! Men generally feel more actor than spectator: "I'm happy and proud to have lived this birth at home, I think I was more active, more confident and relaxed as if we were in the maternity" says Samuel, Emilia companion and father of Louis.

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