Wordless Wednesday: Natural Birth
This week we asked: What does natural birth look like?
Read more about natural birth on our resource page titled Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting, and enjoy this week’s articles on the theme. To help define “natural birth,” we asked our readers what they think of the term, and the responses were varied! Our general thought at NPN is that it means a gentle and organic birth with low interventions, as was originally the norm, and we think it can be a beautiful thing, as you’ll see in the pictures below. Acknowledging that many parents cannot or choose not to have this kind of birth, next week’s photos will show other birthing experiences.
From Jenn: “My oldest daughter and me in between contractions.”
From Jenn: “Moments after delivery, with our doula to the right. Such a happy feeling!”
From Luschka: “Through my whole pregnancy I carried a great sadness, wondering how many hands would touch my baby before mine did. When I was lying back in the birthpool I said out loud how I wished I could raise her out of the water myself, to which the midwife said I could, no problem. I was so surprised and elated. I have no idea why I assumed I wouldn’t be able to, but it was the most amazing moment of my life. It’s the clearest memory I have.”
Luschka blogs at Diary of a First Child.
From Shannon: “Moira, shortly after being born (very quickly) at home. I ended up at the hospital for a little bit afterwards because I was hemorrhaging, but Walker and Moira stayed home to snuggle. The hemorrhaging stopped with my midwife’s help, and when I realized the doctor wasn’t planning on doing anything other than monitor me, I headed back home to be with my family.”
Shannon blogs at Pineapples & Artichokes.
From Tiffany: “Sister cut the cord after natural pulsing took place. Cal Brady birthed at home, 9/23/2010.”
From Jennifer: “Learning each other by heart, smell and touch after an AMAZING HBAC!”
Jennifer blogs at True Confessions of a Real Mommy.
From Shae: “This is Harper, my 3rd child just moments after she was born. She was my second child to be born at home in the water but the first one that I was able to ‘catch’ myself. As she was being born my midwife gave her a little push underwater towards me (I was on all fours) and I was able to scoop her up.”
You can read more about Shae’s birth experience at Yay for Home!: “Extraordinary.”
From Alison: “This is a photo of my home waterbirth, taken 2 weeks ago. This was my third homebirth AND my most intervention-free birth. “
From Alison: “Silas joined us at 1:48 am on Feb 16, 2011. He was born 2 hours and 18 minutes after my first contraction. I labored in the pool while the midwives set up. I had no internal checks at all. The midwives took my blood pressure once and periodically checked baby’s heart rate and also caught the baby because I was rather preoccupied with intense pushing.
“There were two interventions in this birth: 1) when I broke my own bulging bag of waters with my fingernail and 2) when I received a shot of pitocin after Silas was born because I have a history of retained placenta.”
Alison blogs at BluebirdMama.
A simple birth.
Image by Jennifer Wildey Photography.
You can read Mary’s birth story at Sugar Mountain Barkers.
Tell us: What did your birth experience look like?
Do you have a Wordless Wednesday post? Please link up below! And find more Wordless Wednesday linkies here.
Those are incredible and making me oh so broody!
fantastic photos, thanks for posting them. Posting this as I nurse my 12 week old daughter. Great to see women getting a natural birth!
These are beautiful photos that inspire me for my own upcoming birth!
What a great series of photos, I would love a home birth in the future.
Happy WW! And sorry for the double linky – it looked like the first one didn’t “take”.
~EdT.
Beautiful, beautiful photos! I wish I had gotten more during my birth!
Beautiful, powerful pictures!
These are AMAZING pictures!
Gosh! this is truly amazing and priceless moments indeed! thanks for sharing! your new little angel is so cute!
Amazing images. Makes me itching for a 3rd
And considering I had 2 very easy, no drugs needed during labor pregnancies…oh so tempting
Happy WW
OMG these are beautiful (and yes, inspiring) photos! I am in awe.
I’d kind of like to know how many of these might have been unattended or just had a doula vs. how many had a midwife.
This post is amazing! Love the photos and quotes. Makes me really, REALLY wish I hadn’t chickened out and planned for the hospital. My little guy was born just fine about 20 minutes after we got there. Could have done it all at home – peacefully.
Thanks to all who shared!
Oh, what gorgeous birth photos. I feel very fortunate to have had two peaceful homebirths myself. I loved being in my own space and not having to get in the car while labouring!
absolutely breathtaking!
Beautiful!
Those are some beautiful photographs! I had a waterbirth at home too, and it was probably the most amazing experience of my life. I’m so glad so many women are choosing gentle births for their babies.
Beautiful photos of such life-changing, memorable moments. What a miracle birth is!
I second Issa — these are giving me inspiration and encouragement for my upcoming homebirth. (Hopefully we’ll actually stay home this time!) I just love how peaceful and gentle it looks for everyone, and that birth-high smile on Jenn is priceless.
This makes me want to do it all over again. Wonderful, inspiring and beautiful.
My son was born at home. Amazing day and my only regret is that we didn’t get more photos.
Amazing pics of amazing women…
I had two hospital births…one with very little medical intervention…no meds, doc caught the baby just in time. and the other one was longer and more drawn out and caved for the epi… I am inspired, as are many women, by the trust and honor that you give to your body and your baby when delivering at home in a supportive environment.
Great work mamas!!