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9 Best Tips for Natural Labor & Delivery
“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” John 16:21 (NIV)
This Kopa Birth article says that “in the US, approximately 39% of women who have vaginal births, do so without an epidural”. Y’all! Those stats are so low when we think about how our miraculously strong minds and bodies are as women. A natural labor and delivery is an opportunity to participate with God and through God in the very act of creation.
And over the last few decades, women have become more involved in their childbirth experiences. Many choose to deliver with a doctor who practices natural or low-intervention deliveries, while some may opt for a midwife. The options are endless here, and don’t forget your Doula!
I chose to stick with my OB/GYN with both of my pregnancies because she was encouraging and happy to let me go through pregnancy and childbirth in whatever way I wanted, as long as myself and baby boys were healthy.
What is a “Natural” Labor and Delivery?
Verywell Mind says that “the term ‘natural birth’ has referred to vaginal childbirth without pharmaceutical pain relief and other medical interventions.” This is true whether you plan to give birth in a hospital, birthing center or at your home. If you haven’t heard it before now, labor for a woman’s body is like running a marathon – just as much mentally as it is physically, I might add! So if you’re like me and many other women that are choosing the natural route, you better get prepared! You have 9+ months to get ready, so take advantage Mama!
When I got pregnant with our first sweet boy a couple of years ago, I already knew I wanted a natural labor and delivery, without medication. I absolutely love my OB/GYN though, so I chose to go ahead and deliver at the hospital instead of birthing center. This was a discussion my husband and I had thoroughly to think through advantages and disadvantages, but in the end it worked best for our peace of mind to deliver at the hospital.
I chose the natural route for a couple of reasons, one of which is because it offers so many benefits to both Mama and baby. As a first time Mama, you definitely want everything to be just right for your little one .. trust me .. I get it! We’ll talk about some of the benefits below and then we’ll look at some of the top tips on how to achieve your natural labor and delivery; whatever that may end up looking like for you! I also wanted to be fully present, feeling all sensations, being able to rely on God for my strength and focus.
Benefits of Natural Labor and Delivery
Let me say that medical interventions during labor have their place, but they don’t have to be the norm. God blessed us with amazing strength and miraculous bodies that can endure the pain (some like to call it pressure or intensity) brought on by labor and giving birth. So remember that God promises to keep us through this process.
“But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” – 1 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
Aside from being blessed with another soul to love, here are just a few of the benefits that come with a natural birth:
- Shorter, easier birth
- Safer/healthier for baby (no CNS depression or altered neurological behavior)
- Better breastfeeding right after delivery
- You’re present during this miraculous moment
- Quicker recovery (Check out the Top 5 Secrets for Postpartum Bounce Back here!)
- Improves healthy gut flora for baby
- Ability to move and walk around during labor
9 Best Tips to Enjoy Your Natural Labor and Delivery
Tip 1: Eat more healthy fats and proteins
Your body and growing baby THRIVE on healthy fats and proteins. These are the building blocks for baby’s brain and body development, mama’s proper weight gain and hormones and helping mama’s postpartum recovery. Healthy fats and proteins are also rich in the two main building blocks of labor: prostaglandins and oxytocin. These natural compounds help soften your cervix, loosen your ligaments, and speed up labor.
Some great examples of foods that contain these healthy fats include:
- fatty fish like salmon
- olive oil
- avocados
- full-fat yogurt
- nut butters;
- whole fat organic dairy products (raw milk is best)
- grass-fed beef or lamb
- dark chocolate
- coconut oil (I love this one on my sweet potatoes!)
Tip 2: Drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea is a gentle, but effective uterine tonic. The herb tones and strengthens the uterus, to help you bring on those strong contractions. It also helps to shorten labor and decrease postpartum bleeding. It also helps with hormone balancing and milk production during postpartum.
One of my favorite ways to have this tea is in an herbal infusion with nettle leaf and oat straw. I literally had these EVERY DAY during both pregnancies, and most days during postpartum.
Tip 3: Take Your Vitamins
A prenatal vitamin can be a woman’s best friend when it comes to preparing the body before pregnancy and during pregnancy. Your prenatal vitamin is not just for baby. It helps ensure healthy weight gain and provides calcium, iron, and folic acid. Without enough of these nutrients in your body you will be unable to efficiently produce the required amounts of oxytocin – the love hormone that starts and progresses labor.
Tip 4: Meditate and Visualize your Perfect Labor and Delivery
A daily mediation practice can help you connect with your baby and tune into the inner wisdom and strength of birthing. I liked to use different guided meditations to help me relax at night, and visualization meditations to help me picture in my mind what I wanted my experience to be like. This tip also helped me reduce any anxiety I might’ve had about going through it all without any medication.
Prayer also played a big role in my preparations. Praying and meditating over scripture and God’s promises to both me and my boys was such a joyful experience. I took scripture affirmations with me to help me stay grounded and at peace through it all too!
Tip 5: Exercise or Walk Daily
Walking daily during your entire pregnancy is essential when planning to have a natural labor and delivery. Not only will it help your body prepare for labor, but walking decreases the risk of C-section by 68%. Moving how your body was designed to move creates the ideal environment for baby and mama to be strong, healthy and ready for birth.
Exercising during pregnancy strengthens the muscles necessary for giving birth and helps speed up labor. And walking allows you time to connect with your baby and relax those mind muscles that might not be relaxed otherwise! For the best exercises to prep your body for natural childbirth, check out this post.
Another highly recommended tip! I walked every day before, during and after my pregnancies. If you’re one of the lucky ones who is pregnant during the “good weather” days, get outside and walk .. it’s super relaxing and much easier to enjoy a walk outside than on a treadmill!
Tip 6: Let Essential Oils Help you Out
Essential oils can be used in your daily labor preparation and during labor (and EVEN during your postpartum days)! A few of the best oils to use when planning how to have a natural labor and delivery include:
Using essential oils help calm emotions, promote peace and relaxation during birth for both mommy and baby. I used clary sage to help progress my contractions, lavender to keep my mind at a relaxed focus state, and deep relief on my lower back and hips to keep the pain at bay during contractions. I didn’t use the deep relief with my first, and BOY did I wish I had after feeling the difference with the second. Major game changer, y’all! I used quite a bit of all of the above listed during my first 4-6 weeks of postpartum too, helping me to bounce back physically and mentally from that marathon they call labor and delivery!
Tip 7: Do your Kegels
Kegel exercises are used to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles – all of which are used during pregnancy and childbirth. Just a few benefits of Kegels are:
- helps prevent bladder and fecal incontinence (during and after pregnancy)
- shorter active phase of labor (because your muscles are strong enough to get the job done)
- helps to make sex more enjoyable (during and especially after childbirth)
- helps prevent pelvic organ prolapse
Tip 8: Get Acupuncture and/or Chiropractic Care
Including these practices in your journey to natural labor and delivery allows your body’s flow of energy (or chi) to move smoothly throughout the body. This enhances how quickly you’ll go into labor, as well as how easy the birth process ends up being for both mama and baby!! Both practices help keep laboring muscles relaxed, allowing easier delivery for both mommy and baby!
I had weekly adjustments through BOTH of my pregnancies and wouldn’t go through one without it. I truly believe they helped keep me from having any pelvic or hip pains, and made sure my body was in line and ready to give birth!
Tip 9: Get your Support Team Together
Find a doctor who cares about how you want to have your baby. If necessary, switch doctors until you find one that supports how YOU want to have YOUR baby. Find your family and friends that will support your decision for natural birth, encourage you through your pregnancy and be there for you both physically and emotionally. A Doula is also a GREAT option for this area. Supportive people around you who understand how important it is for you to have a respectful birth experience makes all the difference – I can attest to this one too!
Conclusion
There you are! Some of the best tips to have a great pregnancy and enjoy your very own natural childbirth. Remember that it’s essential that both you and sweet little one are healthy during pregnancy, if you are choosing to have a natural birth! Also having the support, encouragement and trust in your body is a keyway to have a natural labor and delivery.
“...Be strong and courageous…” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Best of luck Mama! <3
