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Natural birth is having a vaginal birth without using pain medication (such as epidurals) or other medical interventions (such as IVs).
At Dignity Health North State, we want you to have the kind of childbirth that’s right for you. That’s why we offer personal care during natural births in Northern California. Find a Doctor at one of our maternity and family birth centers and talk to them about your options for labor and delivery.
You might want to consider giving birth naturally if:
Sometimes women have a natural delivery simply because labor progresses so quickly there is no time to perform interventions.
Your natural birth experience depends on your baby’s position, the progress of your labor, your expectations, and your pain tolerance.
By far the longest, it’s divided into three phases:
This is the pushing phase. If you’re having a natural birth, you’ll likely feel an irresistible desire to push and a burning sensation as your baby’s head stretches the vaginal opening.
The third stage of labor begins with your baby’s birth. You’ll feel relief when the baby’s head exits; the rest of the baby’s body quickly follows. Once your baby arrives, you’ll likely be preoccupied with your newborn as you deliver the placenta.
You may want to discuss these alternative natural birth pain relief methods with your health care provider:
During every stage of labor, Dignity Health North State doctors and midwives will support your mental, physical, and spiritual needs for a safe natural birth experience in Northern California.
Recovery after a natural birth varies. Some women take weeks to regain their strength and stamina; others feel more or less normal within hours.
If your perineum tore, you may feel sore for a few weeks. Your doctor or midwife will discuss postpartum pain relief and recovery with you.
Dignity Health North State offers maternity care with humankindness for natural birth in Mt. Shasta, Red Bluff, and Redding, CA.