QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am 26 years old and 36 weeks pregnant with my first child. I am passionate about having the most natural birth experience possible (although, having said that, I am not having a home birth for this one - I'd like one "under my belt" before going that route!).

I am very interested in knowing any advice you may have on going into labor without taking drugs for induction, ensuring that labor progresses at a good pace, and avoiding C-section (unless there's a cord incident or other emergency, of course).

How do you feel about giving birth? If you're afraid of giving birth, you're not alone. In fact, fear seems to permeate the culture of birth today. But giving birth can teach you that your body has a wisdom all its own and has strength and resilience.

The term "Natural Childbirth" is most widely used to describe a birth in which the mother labors without the use of pain medications or unnecessary interventions. The female body is designed to labor and give birth, and centuries of history attest to the fact that a natural birth usually results in a healthy mother and a healthy baby.

As pregnant women, we get so many negative messages about childbirth, and they take their toll, making us stay in a state of fear, producing adrenaline and other stress hormones, which cause constriction of the birthing muscles.

Near the end of delivery, it may be apparent that mother and baby need a little extra help for a successful delivery. After ensuring anesthesia is working, an obstetrician would gently apply forceps or minimal suction to the baby's head.

Epidural. In the Childbirth Universe, no four syllables have more power as an argument-starter. The word provokes defensiveness in some and smugness in others. There's hand-wringing. Rationalizing. Pontificating.

For the past week or so I have been really eager to get started on the baby's room and get it all put together. Then tonight, while I was in the shower, I started scrubbing away at the tile because I wanted it to be clean. Could it be the start of a nesting phase?

Thanks so much for reading my birth story! I'm going to start documenting my postpartum recovery and new mommyhood adventures in the baby journals section! Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this journey -- it's been an AMAZING 9 months!