Like many expectant mothers, you might want a natural birth without an epidural. If this is the case, you should choose a maternity clinic that offers a natural delivery room. You should also discuss your birth plan as soon as possible with your maternity care team: as long as your pregnancy isn’t presenting any particular risk, they’ll welcome your birth plan! If not, you’ll be referred for a more medicalised birth, for your own good and/or for the good of your unborn baby.

What is natural childbirth?

Natural childbirth, or physiological childbirth, is a birth that takes place with as little medical intervention as possible. Some maternity hospitals may reserve a specific area dedicated to natural births, known as natural delivery rooms or physiological wards. Natural childbirth means, for example, giving birth without an epidural or bladder catheter being placed (a procedure commonly used in the case of an epidural, as the latter can lead to urine retention).

In addition, a natural childbirth plan eliminates the need for the continuous monitoring traditionally used during birth, which forces expectant mothers to lie on the delivery table. In the natural delivery room, intermittent monitoring or wireless (and waterproof) technology is used to check the health of your unborn baby, allowing you to move about freely.
 
You’ll normally be looked after just by a midwife, who’ll help you use the room’s equipment, respecting your birth plan as much as possible. This means you’re free to choose your birthing position – upright, lying down, on all fours, etc.

Birth equipment in the natural delivery room

The equipment available in the natural delivery room varies slightly from one maternity hospital to another, but as a general rule, includes:

•  A birthing ball: the positions you adopt on the birthing ball can help relieve pain and facilitate the baby’s descent into the pelvis;
•  Ropes or swings, which can also help relieve contractions and facilitate birth;
•  A birthing stool, practical for resting between contractions or even for giving birth in a squatting position;
•  Cushions to help you get more comfortable;
•  A birthing pool for giving birth in water or simply for relaxing.

Techniques for facilitating natural childbirth

Several techniques can be used to prepare for birth and in the delivery room itself. You could try, for example, sophrology for your natural birth. This technique relies mainly on breathing exercises to help you better control pain and recover between contractions. 
You could also consider hypnosis, which is increasingly being used in the medical field for relaxation and pain reduction.
Another interesting option is acupuncture, a gentle technique for easing back pain, relaxation and making the perineum more flexible.

However, you should bear in mind that even with the best possible preparation, the strength of contractions can sometimes be surprising. Don’t hesitate to ask for an epidural if you think you need one – there’s no shame in it, and you can be proud that you’ve got this far in your birth plan. Also, you should be aware that in the event of complications, the medical team may be required to perform an unexpected procedure, such as a C-section, for instance. Here again, don’t take this as a failure – there’s no such thing as an “ideal” birth, and the most important thing is that you and your baby stay healthy.