When you're dedicated to the idea of a natural childbirth experience, as we were, you want to consider all of your options. Assuming you do get pregnant, which was a problem for us (which we overcame!), then you will want to consider all of your options first. It's important that you weigh the consequences of your actions and to keep the well being of your wife foremost and first! If you can't tell already, I'm the husband in this process.
The Hospital Choice: The first option for a natural childbirth is having it done in a hospital, as opposed to a birthing center or at home. You should be making this decision as early as you can in the pregnancy as it will set up your procedures to come. But how do you come to this decision? Just because your friends and family use the hospital, doesn't necessarily mean you have to. We went the hospital route as it was better equipped to handle what we were going to go through.
Thankfully our hospital understood our natural birthing wants and needs and accomodated nicely. Do your due diligence and ask the right questions to see if the hospital staff can accomodate your needs.
Birthing Centers: I mentioned birth centers before, and they are a good choice for some couples. At those birth centers you usually have more options and choices for how you want the birthing to go. Again ask the right questions and also ask them how many birthings they've done over the past 6 months. Not that quantity means quality, but it may be an indication that people love to go there and they're doing well by it.
Home Birthing: If you want to go the home birth route, you are more than welcome. We didn't have the space nor the tools to do that, and I think if we did, we may have done a home birth, but it wasn't in the cards for us. If you do go this route, you must be psychologically and financially dedicated to this- you can't do it at half speed. It's either you buy what you need to do it, or you don't!
Hiring a Midwife for an at home birth: If you do go the natural pregnancy home birthing route, see if you can hire the services of a midwife. They're generally more experienced than the person giving birth and can help you with all the details.
Always do your research and talk to doctors, friends and family: Your best tool for a natural pregnancy is your mind. Do all the research you can and read up on all the stories and see if it is really right for you. My wife and went that route and don't regret. You are more than welcome to visit our site to see how went that route and what we used.
by
David S