There are three basic options for natural childbirth: birthing at home; at a birth center; and at a hospital amenable to a drug-free delivery. Any of these options can be done with the assistance of a midwife, doula, family, and friends. At a hospital there is a doctor available, and regulations may vary on a midwife’s practices in the hospital.

State laws also govern what a midwife can do and where he or she can practice. The Midwives Alliance of North America website lists the laws by state here .

If you decide to use a midwife at home or at a birth center, you may find that the cost is much lower than a hospital delivery, especially since the hospital delivery usually incorporates a two-night stay for mother and baby. At a birth center, you will generally not have an overnight stay, but instead will be able to go home a few hours after the birth.

Of course a woman can have a baby at home without the assistance of a midwife. In many cases like this the woman has already had at least one child and has a family member or significant other who is knowledgeable enough to help.

Who Can Have a Natural Childbirth?

Birth centers and hospitals have rules about who can deliver there or use a midwife without a doctor present. It will depend on the state and the facility, but some factors include how many children the mother has already delivered, whether it is a multiple birth, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, medical and past pregnancy history, and possibly the mother's age.

What About the Pain?

Some women report having painless or even pleasurable natural birthing experiences. Others have varying degrees of pain and difficulty. It is important to know that natural methods do not eliminate the pain; they are methods for working with or dealing with the pain.

There are several methods that can be used to deal with the pain of labor other than drugs. Some common ones are hypnosis, changing positions, water birth or hydrotherapy, breathing exercises, visualization, massage, and just plain gutting it out. Lamaze is one well-known method which started as a set of breathing techniques but has expanded to incorporate more education on the whole process of childbirth. Another "name brand" method is the Bradley Method. The website www.bradleybirth.com says: "The Bradley Method® encourages mothers to trust their bodies using natural breathing, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, and education."

My first son was born through natural childbirth and I would have regretted it if I never had that experience. It was long, grueling, and unfortunately I chose the gutting it out method of pain relief (along with some position changing and a bath), but I will always be glad of it. There is nothing like being aware of everything, absolutely everything, during the birthing process.

The type of childbirth you choose will have to be your personal and deeply-held decision because it is so important and so many factors enter into the process. I chose differently for my second son. Both experiences had positives to them and my husband and I were in charge of the choices made. That is the biggest factor for a good experience.

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