Natural Hospital Birth

Natural childbirth is not easy to achieve in hospitals, which may come as a surprise to pregnant women and couples who assume this option will be readily available, if they so choose.  Doula and medical anthropologist Cynthia Gabriel, PhD, has a lot to say on the topic, and offers parents her guidance for how to maximize their chances in her book, Natural Hospital Birth.  One of her tips that I love best is this strategy for active labor:  when the hospital staff has questions for the laboring woman, her spouse or support person can be the one to answer, so the mother can maintain her concentration and momentum in strong labor.  I have noticed how this technique can work beautifully in a hospital setting, where frequent interruptions are common and appear to slow down labor for many women.  Below, Cynthia Gabriel sheds light on the paradox of "natural hospital birth," and offers an inspirational viewpoint on what it can mean for families and those who care for them.

Teaching Parents About Doulas in Birthing Classes

by Ananda Lowe

Over the years, I have attended numerous childbirth classes – as a doula accompanying my clients, as a childbirth educator-in-training, and as a pregnant woman myself.  These included natural childbirth, prepared childbirth, twins birth, hypnosis-based birth, hospital-affiliated, privately-run, paid and free classes.

What struck me is this:  although the evidence is clear that doulas may be the most important intervention to utilize for parents desiring natural childbirth, even doulas themselves tend to undervalue their role when teaching childbirth classes — which is unfortunate, I believe.

The last time I observed a natural childbirth class, I timed the portion of the class on the topic of epidurals, and it totaled over 30 minutes, while there was no formal time dedicated to the topic of doulas.   (To be fair, some of my educator colleagues have reported to me that they do provide instruction on the topic of doulas in their classes.)

Imagine the impact childbirth instructors could have if every family leaving their classes had a clear understanding of the medical benefits of doula care, how to find a doula, and how to afford the expense.  Here is an array of suggestions childbirth educators can use to make sure the topic of doulas is central to their classes: