What does ‘natural birth’ mean?

Doctor's Answers 1

Technically the term natural vaginal delivery in obstetrics refers to the spontaneous birth of a fetus as opposed to an assisted vaginal birth, which means being assisted with forceps or vacuum.

However in common usage these days, a natural birth generally refers to an unmedicated birth, or at least a birth with as minimal intervention as possible. Women who are keen on “natural birth” also tend to decline pain relief options in labour.

This desire for such a birth has in the past two decades or so might represent a push back by some women against what they feel is the over medicalisation of a “natural process”.

For many women who are relatively young, fit, and healthy, birth is generally smooth and uneventful. However we have to bear in mind that “naturally”, things may go awry and very rapidly as well. That's where medical staff have to step in and intervene in order to prevent bad outcomes for mother and/or child.

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