Any labour and birth can have some “natural” elements here are some suggestions:

Simple adaptations make all the difference to increasing endorphins (the body’s natural pain killers) and reducing adrenaline (the hormone that makes you feel you want to run away from labour….

Moving the furniture and bringing a toolkit for birth

• Any labour room can be adapted to provide you with a “sanctuary “ for labour and birth.
• Keep off the bed as much as possible, move the bed to the side of the room to increase floor space
• Bring in a birth ball and a yoga mat, music and arnica tablets and rescue remedy.
• Ask for a bean bag, birthing mat
• Birth stool particularly for first labours when pushing can make the difference between a “natural Birth” and vaginally assisted birth (ventouse or forceps delivery) so really worth trying.
• Involve your birth partner before birth: practise massage and touch relaxation and visualisation techniques to use in the birth room. A tennis ball can be useful to press and roll on lower back (in back labour- when baby lying in occipito-posterior position)
• Play gentle music that you can drift into or hypnobirth tapes.
• Lavender oil to smell or burn on an electrical burner can also be soothing.
• Mantras writing them out to recite such as ‘my body is opening for birth”, ”I can do it”, “another contraction gone, another one nearer to meeting my baby”
• Move to positions that your body naturally falls into, kneeling and all fours on a mat on the floor are particularly good as the front and back of your body are free. Walking, leaning against wall and rocking
• Lying on your back (semi-recumbent position) for birth the traditional way –is not necessarily the right way for birth unless there are medical reasons e.g. ventouse and forceps delivery.
• Water – is amazing for labour and/or birth, a birth pool, bath or shower, otherwise there is something about running water that seems so linked to water in the womb.
• Breathing that is shallow in and long out is calming for labour
• Pass urine regularly to prevent damage to your bladder from overfilling and delayed descent of baby’s head.
• 2nd stage breathing J- breaths and little tiny pushes and pants as the baby’s head slowly arrives to prevent tearing (perineal massage after 37 weeks can aid this as the stretch feeling is the same sensation although a lot stronger when baby’s head is actually there.
• Delayed cord clamping for natural birth has been shown to be beneficial to baby, don’t cut cord until the end of cord pulsation.
• If “natural labour” discuss a “natural birth of placenta” as usually this occurs very easily but can take up to an hour after the baby is born breast-feeding increases oxytocin and placental separation.
• Skin to skin contact between mother and baby undisturbed for first hour should be protected for all births as far as possible, keep lights dim and observe your gorgeous baby opening little eyes and stretching out.