These results were formed from an online survey performed by Our365.com. The results show what the average woman has experienced during pregnancy and childbirth and the results  are quite staggering!

Birth in the U.S.A.: The big picture

On balance, moms are having positive birthing experiences – even when they’re not exactly what you’d expected or close to what you’d dreamed of. Maybe that’s not surprising: Dreams aside, when you leave the hospital with your new baby-love, what do you have to complain about?

Before the Birth

This hospital, that hospital – how to choose Moms have many reasons for choosing the hospital where they’ll give birth; the biggest one (no surprise) is doctor affiliation. Recommendation from another mom, or the hospital’s reputation, is reason number two, and proximity to home or work is also important. But for some women, the choice is more emotional than practical: many moms chose the hospital where they gave birth because they were born there!

Childbirth education – what do moms learn? We were surprised to discover that slightly less than half of all moms receive childbirth education at their birthing hospital. Those who do end up feeling well prepared for the birth process and learn a lot about drugs and medications, along with medical procedures like episiotomy – but don’t get much info about the baby’s development in utero or how to manage labor pain without medication. Most important learning for the post-birth period: how to breastfeed. On the other hand, moms don’t think it’s important to learn about self- care postpartum.

Those scary feelings Every mom is troubled by some fears during pregnancy. Almost 75 percent worry – needlessly, for the most part – that something will be wrong with the baby or something will happen to the baby during birth. One third of the moms surveyed were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to make ends meet as new parents. Not surprisingly given the C-section rate (see below), quite a few moms worry that they’ll be rushed into the operating room for an emergency Caesarean. Others are filled with anxiety that they won’t know how to take care of their babies or be good enough moms.

The Birth Itself

C-section? In the 1960s, around 5% of babies were born by C-section. A decade ago, that number had risen to 15%. In 2006 (the last year for which official figures are available) the rate was 31%, and today, according to our survey, almost 35% of babies are born by Caesarian section – a planned procedure in some cases, most likely because of the perceived risk of giving birth vaginally after you’ve already had a Caesarian.

A “Natural” birth Less than half of all moms plan to try for an unmedicated birth; if you were hoping to “go natural” but ended up being medicated, you’re in the majority – a little more than a third of moms who want to avoid drugs end up doing so. (Some moms in our survey who expected to be medicated ended up with such speedy labors, they ended up having natural births!) How do the drug-free fare? Most learn and use Lamaze or some other type of patterned breathing to help them cope with pain (comes in handy at the dentist, too!) and many try controlled relaxation. A lucky few have a doula and/or hypnobirth therapist available to help.
Lots of moms dream of using a birthing tub, massage and relaxing music during labor – only a few get what they dream of.

Who “owns” the birthing experience? Overwhelmingly, moms say “yes,” despite dreams unfulfilled – and that the hospital staff respected their wishes as much as was possible.

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Here is an article from “The Natural Family Site” on Natural Childbirth

Natural Childbirth

A natural birth (also known as an unmedicated birth) is just that – it is the delivery of a baby without using drugs or surgery during birth. A common phrase heard when talking with people about natural birthing practices is, “birth is a natural process, not a medical procedure.” In today’s society this is definitely a radical concept for most doctors, but it is true nonetheless. You really can have a beautiful, drug-free experience in childbirth even if you have your baby in a hospital. You simply need to know it is possible, you need to find a doctor (or midwife) who will support you in your point of view, and you need some training to help you prepare yourself so you can let nature take its course.

The advantages of a natural childbirth are huge. You learn about all of the advantages when you take a natural childbirth class such as those offered under the Bradley method. Here are the three big advantages:

1. Natural childbirth is much better for the mother. The mother has a completely different experience during birth if she is not drugged – a significantly more fulfilling and beautiful experience. She also feels much more in control of her body and the health of her baby.

2. Natural childbirth is much better for the baby. The baby arrives in an undrugged and therefore much more active and alert state. It is amazing to see videotapes showing the differences between drugged and undrugged babies immediately after birth. Undrugged babies are active and responsive. Drugged babies can barely move.

3. Natural childbirth is much better for the family. When an alert and active (undrugged) baby is placed on the abdomen of an alert and undrugged mother, an amazing thing happens: the baby and mother bond in a significant and real way. The baby will naturally find the breast and begin feeding. The baby will make significant eye contact with the mother and father and respond to them. This simply does not happen when mother and child are drugged, and as a result breastfeeding starts off on a much rockier road.

Make no mistake about it – you cannot have a natural childbirth in today’s society unless you take active steps to make it happen. You and your spouse must decide in your own minds that you want a natural birth. You must find a doctor or midwife who supports that decision. You and your spouse must train for the birth so you know what to expect, how to manage pain and what to do at different stages of the birth. You also need to prepare a birth plan so that you can state your desires about a host of variables including: drugs, fetal monitoring, episiotomies, IVs, birth positions, etc. The first time you look into birth plans, the number of options is bewildering. It is amazing how all of these options actually make sense once you have done the research into the type of birth you want.

There are a number of different ways for you to have a natural birth. Here are the five most common:

* With an “enlightened” doctor at a hospital
* With a midwife at a hospital
* With a midwife at a birthing center
* With a midwife at home
* Unassisted at home

You can look at these options, weigh the risks and benefits, and choose the style that works best for you.

If you are considering a natural childbirth, you should definitely start reading up on the subject, and you should consider taking a Bradley class or similar natural childbirth class.

Find a Bradley Class here