What is The Natural Birth Experience?

The Natural Birth Experience provides family-centered care and supports a holistic childbirth experience. A natural childbirth is a normal vaginal birth with no medical interventions. This type of birth honors and supports your body’s natural ability to give birth to your baby. Your health care team will provide educational, emotional, and physical support during your pregnancy, labor, and birthing experience. This includes prenatal education and empowerment, patient-led interventions and shared decision-making, integrative care options, and family support.

The Natural Birth Experience is currently available at the The Mother Baby Center at United Hospital and Children’s Minnesota.

What to expect during The Natural Birth Experience

In your natural birth, your labor will start and progress on its own. Your body and mind will work together to help promote effective labor. Your health care team will provide continuous support allowing you to labor and birth in whatever position you feel comfortable, including the option of using a birthing tub.

During labor you will be able to:

• Move around freely
• Use hydrotherapy (baths or showers)
• Eat and drink
• Use nitrous oxide to help you cope with pain

Right after your baby is born:

• You, your newborn and family will have uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact
• The umbilical cord will not be clamped until it stops pulsating
• You will have support for breastfeeding, if you choose

Is The Natural Birth Experience at United Hospital right for you?

The Natural Birth Experience might be a right fit for you if:

• You are pregnant with one baby
• You are having a healthy, low-risk pregnancy
• You have a body mass index (BMI) of less than 40
• You gain less than 50 pounds during pregnancy
• You have not had a previous Cesarean birth
• You are not taking medicine for gestational diabetes

If you need a medical intervention during your labor or birth, you may be moved to another room in the Labor and Delivery Unit where you and your baby will receive extra monitoring or specialty care, if needed. Your health care team will continue to care for you until you leave the hospital.

If you need to have a Cesarean birth, other health care team members, including an obstetrician (childbirth specialist), may join your health care team.

If you have questions or would like to learn more

Talk with your health care provider if you have any questions or contact us to learn more about The Natural Birth Experience at The Mother Baby Center at United Hospital and Children’s Minnesota.

Visit our blog to get answers to other common questions about The Natural Birth Experience from a lead certified nurse-midwife.