Having a natural birth in the hospital is something that rarely just happens to people, especially first-time parents. Did you know that more than 80% of women who give birth in St. Peter's Hospital have an epidural? That's a big number! Of course, many of these people were never planning to have a natural birth (which can mean different things to different people, but for the purpose of this article it means no pain meds).
What this means is that if you're flirting with the idea of a natural birth, just hoping for it to happen most likely won't get you there. Trying to have a natural birth in the hospital can sometimes be like being on a diet and spending all day in a candy store. A natural part of labor is getting to that point of feeling like you can't do it anymore like you need to "give up." Birthing from Within mentors call it "the gate of great doubt." So when pain relief is so readily available, you really need great tools and even greater support to get through the hard parts without drugs.
What this means is that if you're flirting with the idea of a natural birth, just hoping for it to happen most likely won't get you there. Trying to have a natural birth in the hospital can sometimes be like being on a diet and spending all day in a candy store. A natural part of labor is getting to that point of feeling like you can't do it anymore like you need to "give up." Birthing from Within mentors call it "the gate of great doubt." So when pain relief is so readily available, you really need great tools and even greater support to get through the hard parts without drugs.
| “If you're flirting with the idea of a natural birth, just hoping for it to happen most likely won't get you there.” |
So what can you do if you're hoping for a natural birth in the hospital? Here are some ideas for you!
