About Natural Childbirth
There are a lot of misconceptions about natural childbirth. One is that only a few
women are capable of delivering without drugs. In fact, women who have had
previous medicated births and then had natural birth under the supervision of a
midwife, report that natural birth was actually easier and less painful. This is due in
part to extensive use of position changes, massage, heat and supportive care from
one person.
Babies born to undrugged mothers are healthier, more alert, and do not have their
respiratory efforts impaired by the effects of drugs given to their mothers.
Mothers giving birth naturally are not exposed to the potential dangers that all
drugs carry, and do not have to overcome their effects. Most women report that
labor did not become very painful until just prior to the delivery of the baby, and that
is not the time to take drugs! All drugs cross the placental barrier and affect the
fetus.
What the Research Says
“Recognizing the evidence that births to healthy mothers, who are not considered at
medical risk after comprehensive screening by trained professionals, can occur safely
in various settings, including out-of-hospital birth centers and homes… Therefore,
APHA supports efforts to increase access to out-of-hospital maternity care services…”
American Public Health Association, Increasing Access to Out-of-Hospital Maternity Care Services
through State-Regulated and Nationally-Certified Direct-Entry Midwives (Policy Statement). American
Journal of Public Health, Vol 92, No. 3, March 2002.
“Several methodologically sound observational studies have compared the outcome
of planned home-births (irrespective of the eventual place of birth) with planned
hospital-births for women with similar characteristics. A meta-analysis of these
studies showed no maternal mortality, and no statistically significant differences in
perinatal mortality risk in either direction.”
Murry Enkin, et al, A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. Oxford Press, 2000.
“It is safe to say that a woman should give birth in a place where she feels safe and
at the most peripheral level, at which appropriate care is feasible and safe. For a
low-risk pregnant woman this can be at home, at a small maternity clinic or birth
centre in town or perhaps at the maternity unit of a larger hospital. However, it must
be a place where all of the attention and care are focused on her needs as safely,
as close to home and her own culture as possible.”
Maternal and Newborn Health/Safe Motherhood Unit of the World Health Organization, Care in
Normal Birth: A practical guide. World Health Organization, 1996.
“Excellent outcomes with much lower intervention rates are achieved at home births.
This may be because the overuse of interventions in hospital births introduces risks
or the home environment promotes problem-free labors.”
Henci Goer, Obstetric Myths versus Research Realities: A Guide to the Medical Literature. Bergin &
Garvey, 1995.
“This study supports previous research indicating that planned home birth with
qualified care providers can be a safe alternative for healthy, lower risk women.”
Anderson RE, Murphy PA. Outcomes of 11,788 Planned Home Births Attended By Certified Nurse-
Midwives. A Retrospective Descriptive Study. Journal of Nurse Midwifery, 1995 Nov-Dec;40(6):483-
92. (Abst)
women are capable of delivering without drugs. In fact, women who have had
previous medicated births and then had natural birth under the supervision of a
midwife, report that natural birth was actually easier and less painful. This is due in
part to extensive use of position changes, massage, heat and supportive care from
one person.
Babies born to undrugged mothers are healthier, more alert, and do not have their
respiratory efforts impaired by the effects of drugs given to their mothers.
Mothers giving birth naturally are not exposed to the potential dangers that all
drugs carry, and do not have to overcome their effects. Most women report that
labor did not become very painful until just prior to the delivery of the baby, and that
is not the time to take drugs! All drugs cross the placental barrier and affect the
fetus.
What the Research Says
“Recognizing the evidence that births to healthy mothers, who are not considered at
medical risk after comprehensive screening by trained professionals, can occur safely
in various settings, including out-of-hospital birth centers and homes… Therefore,
APHA supports efforts to increase access to out-of-hospital maternity care services…”
American Public Health Association, Increasing Access to Out-of-Hospital Maternity Care Services
through State-Regulated and Nationally-Certified Direct-Entry Midwives (Policy Statement). American
Journal of Public Health, Vol 92, No. 3, March 2002.
“Several methodologically sound observational studies have compared the outcome
of planned home-births (irrespective of the eventual place of birth) with planned
hospital-births for women with similar characteristics. A meta-analysis of these
studies showed no maternal mortality, and no statistically significant differences in
perinatal mortality risk in either direction.”
Murry Enkin, et al, A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. Oxford Press, 2000.
“It is safe to say that a woman should give birth in a place where she feels safe and
at the most peripheral level, at which appropriate care is feasible and safe. For a
low-risk pregnant woman this can be at home, at a small maternity clinic or birth
centre in town or perhaps at the maternity unit of a larger hospital. However, it must
be a place where all of the attention and care are focused on her needs as safely,
as close to home and her own culture as possible.”
Maternal and Newborn Health/Safe Motherhood Unit of the World Health Organization, Care in
Normal Birth: A practical guide. World Health Organization, 1996.
“Excellent outcomes with much lower intervention rates are achieved at home births.
This may be because the overuse of interventions in hospital births introduces risks
or the home environment promotes problem-free labors.”
Henci Goer, Obstetric Myths versus Research Realities: A Guide to the Medical Literature. Bergin &
Garvey, 1995.
“This study supports previous research indicating that planned home birth with
qualified care providers can be a safe alternative for healthy, lower risk women.”
Anderson RE, Murphy PA. Outcomes of 11,788 Planned Home Births Attended By Certified Nurse-
Midwives. A Retrospective Descriptive Study. Journal of Nurse Midwifery, 1995 Nov-Dec;40(6):483-
92. (Abst)
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