Natural Clip of Childbirth

Each clip of childbirth is graphic in nature.   They are both excellent examples of just how different giving birth can be. The first is a home waterbirth and the second a hospital birth. They are polar opposites that demonstrate how place of birth can determine the course of a woman's birth experience.

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The first video conveys that natural childbirth is not about "being a hero/martyr" or having anything to prove.  Choosing a natural birth is choosing to trust your body in its greatest work, the purpose for which it was specifically designed.  There is no drama here.  Watch as this family is gently united with no interventions - no rubbing, no early cord clamping, no stress of any kind.  This baby is caught by her own mother in the privacy of her own home.  You'll see nothing but a calm, peaceful birthing.

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The next childbirth video is an example of what birth doesn't have to be.  It highlights many non-evidence based interventions and practices that occur routinely during hospital births. The woman is flat on her back; her legs are being pulled back, forcing her to push uphill against gravity. She has an external fetal monitor strapped to her belly. In theory, this monitors the baby for signs of distress; in reality, this intervention has been shown not to improve birth outcomes, but to carry a high rate of false readings and is a proven factor in increasing the rate of unnecessary cesarean sections.

The baby is also being unnecessarily twisted, tugged and otherwise manhandled throughout the entire birth. As birth is an overwhelming sensory experience for a baby, it is important to make the infants first experiences gentle ones.

As illustrated throughout the many other videos in our collection, women can give birth easily and safely without being poked, prodded, handled and maneuvered, when left to themselves to follow their birthing instinct.

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Page Last Modified by Catherine Beier, MS, CBE