What is a "Natural" Birth to You?

i had an epidural with pitocin, and i feel it was a natural birth, i did not have to get surgery. i didn't need to get the vacuum or forceps. i was lucky my daughter came out with no other help then my pushing.

I consider both of my births "natural" but they were very different. My first birth was spontanious labor, no pain meds, only antibiotics and something for nausea late in labor. They forced me to stay on my back the whole time. I tore badly and had to have pit to save my life afterwards because I was hemmoraging. My second was induced due to PROM at 36 weeks. I had no pain meds, no nausea medication, but I had antibiotics and pit throughout. I was up the entire time walking, squatting, showering, etc. I literally laid down minutes before she was born. No tearing, no hemmorage. This time around, I am planning an induction at 37 weeks unless I have to before (I have mild pre-e now at 30 weeks). I plan against pain meds and plan to be up. I expect it will be a fast labor as both of my others were. All of these different situations and many others are natural.

I don't know. Usually when I hear about natural birth people are talking about giving birth with no epidural or anything.

Natural birth to me is having a baby without anything for pain.

My opinion is not having any pain meds, and also not having a c-section. to me that is natural. but I'm not a dr.

Well to me I consider that my 1st son was born naturally - and I say that because I was induced with pitocin - yet never had anything for the pain - yes I was supposed to have an epidural but at the time they had 2 women whom they thought were going to go before me - and then by the time they got to me - they said sorry - it's too late - so I experienced not only the pain after being induced - but all the way through until he was born!!! Of course after all had been said and done you bet I was glad in the end that I didn't have anything because I was able to leave the hospital with him even before 24hrs was up!!!!! And even better it actually snowed the day he was born - yes here in North TX in March of 93!!!! I took it all as a blessing from the good Lord above!!!!

Really I don't know

to me it means having the baby at home with no pain meds, but with a midwife.

something that would hurt

its when they are born through vigina

well first congrats and i think no c section is a natural birth but hey pat any mother on the back that has had a baby no matter how she had it because it is a very hard thing to go through but wonderful in the end good luck

I was told that epidural has high risk if not done properly.

A natural birth is a birth with no medical intervention

I consider a natural birth to be one without or with minimum medical intervention. A natural birth can take place in the hospital, but one with pain killers, induction medication, etc. is not a natural birth. A natural birth is one when things are allowed to progress and be felt naturally. I do feel that a precautionary IV (no medication or fluids, just the IV set up) can occur in a natural birth, but once medication is administered it is no longer natural. If a vacuum extractor or forceps are used, even if there are no painkillers then I think it is no longer a natural birth.

Hi! How about pitocin withOUT the epidural? Talk about pain, pain, pain! I guess I always thought that a natural birth was when the baby comes out the birth canal. I never thought about all the rest. :-)

Natural birth: Well i think the most natural birth is having a baby at home with a midwife. With that being said, i also think that having a baby in a hospital with no meds is the next closest way to having a baby naturally. i will never have a baby at home with a midwife because i just want to take precautions if something goes wrong, meaning i will have real doctors by my side if an intervention needs to happen.

well yeah for me as long as it was not a c- section then its normal...but lately i have heared about giving birth in the hospital without giving you some painkillers?? its i think the most normal delivery i have known.. its called lamaze? did i get it right..i mean the word..

To me the whole pregnancy is "natural". It doesn't matter one bit how the baby came out of the mother's body, but the fact that it did is what it's all about...the birth, however it happend.

Natural birth for me is having a baby without any medical intervention such as c-section or even pain killers. I agree that natural birth is better and quicker for the mother to heal, but I don't mind to do c-section if it is necessary for the safe of the baby.

I'd never really thought about this one - I guess perceptions can vary widely, huh? To me, a "natural" birth is one entirely free of medical interventions - continuous monitoring, Pitocin, epidural, episiotomy, etc. "Natural" is letting the body do what it is designed to do, using natural methods of pain relief (water, etc.) Just my thoughts, though.