Why would anyone, (ever!), want to bear the pain of natural labor when the magic of modern medicine can save you from it? Yet, thousands of women make that choice every day. Some do it for the health of their baby, some for their ego - I did it by accident, and found (Surprise!) the most compelling reason to have a natural labor is for myself. So, from experience, I say, Birth Naturally! You'll never forget /regret it!!

This is my journey from believing in my God-given right to a totally pain free childbirth experience to being a home birth advocate. Having had a baby with an epidural in the hospital, one naturally in the hospital, and finally - the right choice! - one at home, it is clear to me the advantages of a natural labor over births with medical intervention.

With my first child, I entered the hospital at 5 cms and promptly asked - nay, Demanded - relief. I was scared and in pain. The epidural was welcome relief. When I reached 10 cm everyone assured me it was time to push. I wasn't feeling my contractions and had no idea if I should push or not. But push I did and within 15 minutes my beautiful baby was born. This sounds like a happy ending - and at the time I thought it was. My 'dream' childbirth had happened. I assumed that the feeling of being hit by a truck was normal, that not being able to stand without assistance was par for the course, that being foggy was (pardon the pun) natural.

My ignorance of the joy - and benefits! - of natural labor would have continued had not fate intervened. With my second child I fully intended to enter the hospital, demand some serious drugs, and have another pain-free experience. However, labor was extremely short and intense - only 2 1/2 hours. I labored at home, alone, with a toddler. I didn't have time to dwell on the pain because my first born was there needing attention. By the time my husband and I arrived at the hospital, I was ready to push. (You should have heard me screaming at people that I DIDN'T want to have the baby naturally!)

Amazingly, within 20 minutes of having my daughter I felt great. Less than an hour after the birth I was wandering the halls. I drove the nurses bananas. I told my husband to go home with the toddler, since I was able to stay with our daughter for any tests. By dinner time I was begging to go home. I felt GREAT.

:Laboring at home was a beautiful choice. Birthing naturally in the hospital ended up being a godsend. But I realized, for me, the key to a natural labor was being at home.

But, there were many obstacles to having a baby at home, not the least of which was the belief by many that there was no such thing as a normal labor and that one should always be prepared for an abnormal birth; ergo the best place to be was would be a hospital. (Imagine my great joy when my 3rd child was indeed born both vaginally and without any medical intervention in an abnormal position - face first, at 9 1/2 pounds. I know of 3 other people all of whom where given 'routine' c-sections because a baby born in the face up position 'satisfies all the requirements for a c-section.')

But the day came when I was 5 months pregnant and my  17 month old daughter got sick. The doctor said she was borderline needing to be in the hospital, or, if we chose, we could take her home and watch her carefully. The entire family was there (because it was Thanksgiving) and we overwhelmingly voted to take her home since we felt we could care for her better, and that she was less likely to get sick from other patients. Then it hit me:

if I don't want to keep my daughter in the hospital when she is sick,
why do I want to put myself and my newborn there when we're not?

Pregnancy is not a horrible illness, labor and birth are not dreaded diseases.  The process can be a beautiful (even joyous) event when handled in a loving, secure, non-medical environment.