5 Advantages of Opting For Natural Childbirth

Pregnancy and childbirth are amazing processes. But it can also be hard to know which childbirth option is right for you. If you decide to go with a natural birth, you won’t use pain medications or have medical intervention throughout your labor and delivery.

While making this decision means you’ll actively have to prepare for the pain associated with labor and childbirth, it also can provide several benefits.

Dr. Kelly Morales is an experienced OB/GYN who understands the personal nature of childbirth.  At her practice San Antonio, Dr. Morales brings a personalized approach to pregnancy and works closely with you to determine your best options for labor and delivery. With so many advantages, it’s easy to see why so many women are opting for natural childbirth.

Less invasive

When you have an epidural to help manage your pain, you receive medication that numbs your spinal nerves, but it also interferes with your hormones. While these medications reduce your pain, they can also slow the delivery process and make it harder for your baby to move into the ideal position.

In deliveries that involve an epidural, it’s more likely that medical interventions, like vacuum suction, forceps, or other medications, are needed to help your labor and delivery.

Natural childbirth can also reduce your chances of a cesarean section from 30% to about 5%. That’s important because this form of medical intervention can increase your risk of bladder injury, bladder infection, or incontinence after childbirth.

Without medications or invasive interventions during your labor, you can expect a faster recovery.

Feelings of empowerment

Having a sense of control during your labor and delivery can create a more positive birth experience.

To prepare for childbirth, Dr. Morales provides tools to help you take control of the birth experience, like learning pain management techniques to help you manage your labor pains. Common pain management strategies during delivery include relaxation techniques, hypnosis, and massage.

Opting for natural childbirth can also impact your partner because it allows them to become more involved in the delivery process as they guide you through various pain-relieving techniques.

No loss of awareness

By forgoing the medications, you stay completely aware of the entire birth process and have the ability to move freely, which keeps you more comfortable. Pain relievers can make you and your baby groggy, and an epidural restricts your movement because it causes numbness in your lower body.

Spending your labor on your back can slow down your delivery and put your baby at risk. When you have unrestricted movement, it can reduce your pain, increase circulation, improve the quality of your contractions, and support your baby’s descent into the best position for delivery.

And when your baby arrives, you can enjoy the moment to the fullest with a clear head!

It’s safer for baby

Having an epidural during your delivery can cause your blood pressure to drop, which means less oxygen-rich blood going to your baby. You can also see the effects of an epidural on a baby for up to a month after they’re born as their liver processes out the medications. These signs include having less organized movements, being less alert, and being less able to orient themselves.

Taking narcotic pain medications during your delivery can also reduce your baby’s ability to regulate their body temperature, alter their neurological behavior, or depress their respiratory and central nervous systems.

Helps with breastfeeding

When you use natural childbirth, it helps you start breastfeeding easier. Not only do medications and medical interventions disrupt the natural childbirth process, it’s also less likely that a baby who’s groggy from pain medications will want to eat.

A natural birth also improves your baby’s gut bacteria, which plays an essential role in building and maintaining proper digestion and a strong immune system.

For more information on the advantages of natural childbirth, and to see if it’s right for you, call Kelly Morales OB/GYN or schedule an appointment online today.