This post is dedicated to those wanting to know more about natural birthing.  For most, natural birthing is nothing more then a vaginal birth.  Me, and others have a more refined and specific definition.

A natural birth is:

• A vaginal delivery
• Unmedicated (including epidural)
• Non-induced---delivery comes on the mother's and baby's time not the doctors and mother's
  
• No forceps, vacuum or extraction tool

Natural births may occur in the hospital but very commonly (in other countries), births are at home.  There are many whom question the safety of this practice.  They are usually shocked or dismissive when shown the studies of the success and safety in home birthing.  For example, did you know that home birthing has the least rate of "emergency" c-sections when compared to hospital births? 

What about medications?  People are baffled at the thought of doing child birth without medication.  Medications are a large reason for slow delivery and can lead to problems with mother/ baby attaching among MANY other complications. 

More facts about medications during pregnancy or labor:

• Aspirin has been shown to prolong pregnancy. 
  
• Nose drops can shrink the placental bed (this can reduce the amount of oxygen and nutrition the baby needs to grow and thrive)
  
• Birth defect risks unknown for most new drugs
• Studies of antibiotics in pregnancy lead to increase chance of baby developing allergies or asthma.
• NSAIDS (Aspirin, Celebrex, Motrin, Exedrin, Voltarin, ect) linked with miscarriage.
• Paxil (anti-depressant) linked to birth complications 
• Babies who's mothers had epidural, had a lower APGAR score, may have heart problems, are more likely to have seizures and brain damage, ect. (see below for more on epidurals)
  

The baby can receive 20x the same dosage of a drug that a mother receives.  20 times!

Even the American Academy of Pediatrics states "there is no drug, whether over the counter remedy or prescription, which when taken by the child-bearing woman has been proven safe for the unborn child"

 More on epidurals (this excerpt taken from www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com ):

"The epidural relaxes pelvic muscles and makes it more likely that a posterior baby will remain posterior throughout labor. This makes the birth harder for both you and baby and again increases the risk of assisted delivery - which also increases the risk that the baby will be injured at birth. Bruises, blood clots, and facial injury are all possibilities for the newborn."

"Epidural analgesia significantly affects the hormones that run through your body during birth. The depression of these hormones means that you're robbed of some of the natural ways to cope with labor.

It's harder to work with your labor because the hormones that would encourage your getting into the birth rhythm have been stopped or reduced by the epidural.

Labor has been shown to take longer with an epidural. With an epidural you're also more likely to need labor augmentation (help) from synthetic oxytocin to keep your labor moving. This greatly increases the risk of distress for the baby and cesarean section for the mother.

The natural high and euphoria of birth may also be taken from you. Because the hormones of birth are slowed down or stopped you don't feel the final surge of "feel-good" hormones as you push your baby out.

These hormones prepare you to hold your baby - and they help you to be alert and ready to interact with him or her. Loosing them can cause bonding problems for some mothers and babies."

I have heard many times "Your wife must be crazy!" or "You wife is very brave".  Although the second one is certainly true (and the first to some degree;), we truly believe that the ones that are a little crazy are the ones that trust in the system to give them healthy, perfect and even (shockingly) a pleasent and beautiful experience.  If you don't believe that it is possible ask people who have actually done it.  More natural birth parents have a positive and loving experience of the birth then the people in hospitals by far!

You can read more on the safety of home birth on the link below:

Home Births as Safe as Hospital Births

The largest study of its kind has found that for low-risk women, giving birth at home is as safe as doing so in hospital with a midwife. The Department of Health said that giving more mothers-to-be the opportunity to choose to give birth at home was one of its priority targets for 2009-10.

Read the entire article here: www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7998417.stm

Natural Pain relief:

I have Pediatricians refer to my office for many ailments associated with pregnancy or post natal care.

Chiropractic is a great natural way to help with the minor to moderate aches, pains, headaches, nausea, ect. associated with pregnancy.  Contact us at the email link below or click on "Contact Us" Tab for phone or address.

 I also do a one hour lecture on Natural Children: Our Lasting Effect

In health,

 Dr Brett