natural childbirth

childbirth involving little or no use of drugs or anesthesia and usually involving a program in which the mother is psychologically and physically prepared for the birth process. Cf. psychoprophylaxis.

[1930-35]

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Any of the systems (e.g., the Lamaze method) of managing birth without drugs or surgery.

All begin with classes to teach pregnant women about the birth process, including when to push and what breathing and relaxation techniques to use at which stage. The goal is to reduce fear and muscle tension, which can increase the pain of labour, and to make the mother an active participant in the process. The father or another partner usually attends the classes with the mother and coaches her during the birth. See also midwifery; obstetrics and gynecology.

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▪ biology

      any of the systems of managing parturition in which the need for anesthesia, sedation, or surgery is largely eliminated by physical and psychological conditioning. Until the early 20th century, the term natural childbirth was thought of as synonymous with normal childbirth. In 1933 the British obstetrician Grantly Dick-Read wrote a book entitled Natural Childbirth, in which he postulated that excessive pain in labour results from muscular tension arising from fear of the birth process; he proposed that pregnant women attend a course of study to learn more about the birth process and to be instructed in breathing techniques and relaxation exercises useful during labour. Dick-Read's and other methods became popular in the mid-1950s.

      Some of the natural childbirth methods that have developed from the Dick-Read method include those of Fernand Lamaze, Elizabeth Bing, Robert Bradley, and Charles Leboyer. Although there are differences among their methods, all share the basic belief that if the prospective mother learns and practices techniques of physical and psychological conditioning, her discomfort during delivery will be lessened. Preparation also includes full instruction and coaching on the anatomy and physiology of the birth process, thus enabling the mother to better cooperate and facilitate the delivery rather than to resist the process. Many of the methods encourage participation by the prospective father during labour and delivery, primarily to provide emotional support. See also Lamaze.

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