When they are well prepared, women are inherently capable of giving birth and have a deeply rooted instinct about what they need to do to when giving birth without medical intervention. This is the essence of the philosophy of natural childbirth. In natural childbirth, there are no drugs that alter the pace or nature of the labor process. The idea is that women need to be mentally strong and physically well-nourished so they can give birth using the natural powers of their bodies, and with little risk of complication. Women who take on the challenge of a natural childbirth typically do so under the care of a midwife. San Francisco is home to a number of fantastic midwifery services. If you're thinking about a natural childbirth, San Francisco couldn't be a better place to live--providing easy access to many well-trained, dedicated midwives.

Many people ask, "Why would a woman want to have a natural childbirth?" Some women get a sense of empowerment from being able to endure such pain, and it makes them feel more closely bonded to the newborn. Many women also feel it's safer and healthier for both them and their babies to experience the labor process without doctors, drugs or any sort of unnecessary medical attention. People who profess the benefits of natural birth strongly believe that through this method, babies are born into a more peaceful environment, and because their mothers aren't recovering from the side effects of narcotics, they're able to hold and breast feed their babies almost right away.

Advocates of natural childbirth argue that the natural process of labor is really quite simple and efficient. After all, this is how it has been done since the beginning of mankind. Women want epidurals because of their fear of intense pain. But ultimately, that often excruciating pain that is caused by contractions is what guides a laboring woman through the moves she needs to make to facilitate delivery. How she responds to what she feels actually increases the efficiency of the contractions and encourages the baby to move down the birth canal. When the mother feels little or no pain at all, the body's system of feedback is interrupted and labor can slow down and, well, become quite laborious. When pain increases during natural childbirth, endorphins (which are, by the way, much stronger than morphine), are released in increasing amounts. Acting as nature's narcotic, endorphins naturally relieve some of the pain.

Not only do many women choose to give birth naturally, but some also opt to have a home birth. San Francisco, or wherever you live--there are experienced midwives all across the country--has midwives who specialize in supporting women through a safe and natural home birth. Midwives often recommend this setting to the women they support, as their experience has shown that the home provides a comfortable, warm, and safe place to bring a baby into the world. When you find the right midwife (San Francisco based or not), you will have at your disposal a compassionate source of reassurance and knowledge that is needed to get you through a safe and healthy childbirth without medical intervention.