How to Have an Empowered Natural Hospital Birth

Not only is it possible to have a natural hospital birth, it is possible to have an empowered natural hospital birth. Indeed! By reading the following most popular articles on Mother Rising, you will be well on your way to a positive, satisfying and EMPOWERING natural hospital birth. You can do it!

How to Have an Empowered Natural Hospital Birth

The following articles have each been placed in a category, each an important part of planning for a natural hospital birth.

1. Pack a Bag
2. Become Empowered
3. Create a Birth Plan
4. Strategize
5. Get Support
6. Cope Well

Pack a Bag

One of the first things we can do to prepare for a natural childbirth is simply pack a hospital bag for birth. This is a simple task that will get your head in the game, if you will. If you are planning for a natural birth, you’ll likely be packing differently than someone who is not!

Become Empowered

Check Your Cervix

One thing that will leave you feeling empowered, is to learn how to check your cervix. The reason why this skill is empowering is because you will be the tiniest bit less reliant on your care provider to tell you information about your own body. Does that make sense?

Every time I was pregnant I checked my cervix during pregnancy, early labor, and even when I was pushing. It was amazing to know exactly what was happening all by myself.

Ask Good Questions

Another key component to having a empowering and natural hospital birth is to learn how to ask the right questions when working with your care provider(s). The goal when working with your birth team, is to get informed consent and to be a part of the decision making process.

In my childbirth classes I teach a really neat tool to help parents ask good questions and make decisions. It’s so effective!

Create a Birth Plan

One way to have an empowered, natural hospital birth is to create a birth plan. The main goal of this birth plan is not for use at your birth, but during pregnancy to solidify your wishes, desires, requests and demands ahead of time.

The creation of a birth plan is a great conversation starter between your partner and care provider. If a birth team is not seeing eye-to-eye during pregnancy, because labor has not yet started there will still be enough time to make adjustments (fire your ob? hire a doula?).

Prevent Tearing

An OBGYN once told me that in his practice it was normal for most first time moms to have second degree tears. Say what?! This doesn’t have to be the case!

The semi-reclined lithotomy position is what most women use when pushing at hospital births. Despite the convenience this position offers care providers, it’s one of the more common mistakes that don’t actually prevent tearing.

On the other hand, when left alone, women will typically assume a position for birth that is exactly what is needed. It’s instinct. Furthermore, as she progresses through the second stage of labor (the pushing stage), she will change positions as needed for comfort, baby’s needs, and labor progress.

According to one study, birthing positions that take pressure off the sacrum like kneeling, standing, all‐fours, side-lying, and on a birth seat, may help prevent tearing during birth. (SOURCE)

In my article about how to prevent tearing you’ll discover even more surprising ways to prevent tearing that you’ll want to read before creating your birth plan.

Plan for a Cesarean but Don’t Expect One

Another way to plan for an empowered, natural hospital birth is to plan for a cesarean without expecting one. (And just for the record, planning for a cesarean will not make one more likely to happen.)

If, for whatever reason, a cesarean becomes your next best thing, it’s best to know what to expect, how to make it a better experience and what procedures you would or would not like to have happen.

TIP:  Don’t skip over this one ladies. Most women who’ve had a cesarean skipped over this sort of information and come postpartum, wish they hadn’t. It’s important to know your options in whatever birth scenario comes your way!

Request Delayed Cord Clamping

Delayed cord clamping is so important! Unfortunately, there is a lot of mis-information circulating on the internet and even with care providers. Learn all about delayed cord clamping and how it will help you to have a natural, empowered hospital birth.

Strategize

Labor at Home

One of the best strategies for having an empowering, natural hospital birth is to labor at home as long as possible or at minimum, don’t go to the hospital as soon as you begin experiencing signs of labor. In my experience, laboring at home increases the odds of a natural childbirth and reduces the chances of interventions like pitocin and epidurals.

But, how exactly does one labor at home as long as possible without having a “car baby”? How do you know when to go to the hospital? How far apart should contractions be before going to the hospital?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Read this article and you’ll have an excellent idea of how to show up at the hospital during or right before transition.

Get Support

If you will be relying on non-professional birth support (a husband, partner, family members, etc.) for labor support, make sure they read the 10 things to never say to a woman in labor (and what to say instead). Our words are incredibly powerful, and birth is no exception.

Also, in my opinion if you are planning on having a natural hospital birth a doula is absolutely necessary.

Cope Well

Finally, if you are wanting to have an empowering, natural hospital you will absolutely have to know how to cope through hard labor. If you are wanting to know how to get through transition without an epidural, again, I’ve got you covered. Birth hurts, it’s hard work, but YOU CAN DO IT!

Leave a Comment

If you had an empowered, natural hospital birth leave me a comment and let me know what worked for you. If you are planning for one, leave a comment and let me know that too! Thanks! ♥