Benefits of Natural Childbirth
You may wonder why some (even many) women choose to give birth naturally. What are the benefits, if any? There are actually quite a few benefits of natural childbirth. Here are some of them.
More Alert Baby
Without medications, newborn babies are much more alert than those who were birthed under the influence of drugs. Mothers who give birth naturally may get a lot of comments on how alert their baby is! Nursing and bonding may be enhanced by this alertness, too.
Breastfeeding
Natural childbirth promotes a healthy breastfeeding relationship. As noted above, babies born naturally are more awake and aware, and this really helps them show interest in suckling. The drugs used in medicated childbirth can render a baby unable to focus and coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing for hours or even days.
Bonding
In a natural childbirth scenario, the birth “belongs” to the mother more than to the institution in which she is giving birth (if she is, in fact, in an institution – she may choose to birth naturally at home). This means that the baby is seen more as a part of the mother and less likely to be viewed as “owned” by the institution. Therefore, the baby and mom have time to bond together rather than having the baby whisked away to undergo a battery of hospital procedures.
Natural birth concludes with skin-to-skin contact, the importance of which has been shown in study after study. Babies born naturally tend to respond to their mother’s touch and interaction sooner and better, helping mothers and babies feel closer to each other.
Personal Satisfaction
Women who have a natural childbirth benefit from a strong sense of accomplishment. This helps them respond to and participate in the birth process, and can help offset post-partum depression.
Fewer Overall Interventions
When pain medication such as an epidural is administered, it may start a cascade of interventions. The pain may be relieved, but so are the other sensations, and the mother can’t feel what’s happening. This gets her out of synch with her body and its rhythms, including the urge to push, which may mean forceps or vacuum extraction. There is plenty of research on the damage that can be done by these interventions.
Faster Labor and Recovery
Generally speaking, natural childbirth goes a lot faster. Medications and interventions tend to slow down the process. Recovery for the mom is facilitated, too; in an unmedicated labor, the mother doesn’t have to experience the severe headaches and dizziness that often accompany recovery from an epidural. She doesn’t have to deal with the grogginess brought on by general anesthetic, either.