I Had My First Birth Unmedicated in a Hospital, Here Are My Takeaways

2 days ago

2 min read

My first birth taught me so much. 4 years later, these are my biggest takeaways about unmedicated hospital birth I want to share with you.

move well with lindsay birth ball birth prep to prepare for unmedicated hospital birth

Unmedicated Hospital Birth Takeaway 1:

Birthing people absolutely need to understand more about their body and the process of physiological labor.

Read books, listen to podcasts, or watch documentaries about unmedicated birth.
Learn about "transition" and that every person who has birthed a baby has probably gotten to a point in labor where they say out loud "I can't do this!" Know that you are not alone, you are not weak and you are almost there!
Move your body intentionally during pregnancy to prepare the pelvis and pelvic floor for birth (Hi, I can help with that).

Unmedicated Hospital Birth Takeaway 2:

Hospital staff need to understand and support physiological birth better. Most hospitals aren't seeing a lot of unmedicated births these days. With inductions and C-sections rising, the staff just haven't had the experiences of supporting unmedicated births.

Talk to your provider ahead of time about movement and support options like a birth ball, peanut ball, sling, or stool to support your movement (and most importantly, baby's movement) through labor.

Unmedicated Hospital Birth Takeaway 3:

A doula can be a game changer in the birth room. While a doula and birth aren't all about "vibes", your nervous system plays one of the most important roles in birth. A body that doesn't feel safe, heard or respected isn't going to have a smooth, flowing birth.

Birth is not the time to be arguing about hospital policy or being forced into decisions you don't want. Doulas can do the communication and advocacy on your behalf so your body can continue it's journey and stay in the labor flow state.

Unmedicated Hospital Birth Takeaway 4:

A qualified provider should be able to "catch" your baby in many more positions than on your back. Did you know that the typical on your back birth position isn't actually for the sake of getting the baby out efficiently, but to make it easier for the provider to "catch the baby". That position actually makes the pelvis outlet smaller. This can result in longer pushing times, more force and interventions and more tearing.

Talk to your provider before hand about other options you'd like to try like hands and knees or side lying which create more space for baby to come out.

Unmedicated Hospital Birth Takeaways:

The most important thing my first birth taught me, is that pregnancy and birth should be a time of empowerment, education, nourishment and intention. Instead it can feel like it's treated as a rushed emergency as opposed to a physiological process to be supported. If you are pregnant and hoping to have an unmedicated hospital birth, it's up to you to do the intentional work and preparation to feel confident and empowered. I'd love to help guide you through 1:1 sessions or my self paced prenatal exercise and birth prep program.