Low-intervention birth: What you need to know

Childbirth can be a beautiful and empowering experience, so if you’ve known for a while that you’re pregnant, you may already have ideas for how you want to bring your baby into the world. You also might want to know more about the decisions and choices you’ll need to make.

Whether you’re wanting an unmedicated or a low intervention birth, HCA Virginia Health System’s obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) and certified nurse midwives (CNM) will listen to you and work with you to ensure your peace of mind and the healthy arrival of your precious baby.

Understanding and preparing for a low-intervention birth

Remember, maintaining a healthy pregnancy is the first step to a low-intervention birth. Our midwives will help balance you and your baby’s unique health needs and birth plan. We’ll encourage you to have a healthy labor using your natural physiological abilities.

Recent research from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists shows it’s preferable to use techniques involving minimal interventions. While certain actions such as labor induction,  epidural, fetal monitoring and caesarean sections (C-section) are either needed or desired,  our physicians and midwives strive to avoid any unnecessary procedures.

Keep in mind, many study results support offering choices to healthy women with low-risk (routine) pregnancies, from the birth setting to the type of birth. Mothers planning birth with midwives generally experience fewer interventions, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

With their advanced training in the female reproductive system and childbirth, our CNMs may help to lower medical intervention during pregnancy and delivery. They are experts who can aid and advise you during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. They’ll help you customize your birth plan and build a strategy so you can choose the procedures and providers that align with your needs and wishes, even after baby is home.

Communicate often and early about your birth plan and make changes if necessary. Make sure you and those supporting you understand what’s most important to you (for example, declaring that you don’t want to push as long during labor, or making choices to speed up recovery after birth).

Remember, if complications arise, your CNM can work with an OB/GYN so you and your baby continue to get the care you need.

Doula, birth partner and support people

Having the best support system you can may reduce the need for intervention, and improve your experience as your child is born.

Continuous support from your doula, a birth partner or support people including nurses and midwives (or all of the above) may help your body’s labor process. Continuous support can help you feel more confident, strong and in control during birthing time. Your support system could also help lower your chances of postpartum depression. A doula is privately hired and professionally trained to provide pregnancy, labor, and post-partum support.

Keep moving

Keep exercise in mind as a way to help you both physically and mentally. Keeping mom as healthy as possible throughout the pregnancy is especially important for low-intervention births. Exercise options like group classes, low-impact training and prenatal yoga make great options for staying active.

Exercise throughout your pregnancy, whether it’s the gym, brisk walks, prenatal yoga or something else. Talk to your midwife or doctor about what exercises can help your baby’s position in the womb along with exercises that can strengthen you and help you have the most optimal labor for you and your baby.

Making a birth plan

Developing your birth plan early can help guide you and your team as you go through the process. Share it with your midwife or doctor so they know why and what’s important to you, what kinds of decisions you prefer to make and consider making a contingency plan for what to do in the face of necessary interventions.

Thinking of your birth plan as a guideline rather than as the rule can help, too. Keep talking to your doula, birth partner or others in your support system about what you want to happen.

Unmedicated (natural) childbirth education  

Look for a childbirth education class that you’re interested in and will enjoy. Decide if you prefer a virtual or in-person class, and research different childbirth education classes (Lamaze, Bradley Method, and so on).

You’ll see that some classes have more of a focus on managing unmedicated childbirth compared to others. Many classes are one-time, but others continue for weeks and are not only wonderful learning experiences but terrific bonding experiences among parents/birth partners with similar goals.

You may find that a class that teaches techniques such as visualization to support you during an unmedicated birth is especially helpful. Hypnobirthing and childbirth education classes do a deep dive on preparing what to expect, planning for a low intervention birth, managing discomfort and overcoming fear. There are other programs that can help teach positions and educate parents on techniques for comfort and a smoother childbirth progression.

We offer short, free childbirth and new parent education classes at some of our hospitals, such as Beyond the Basics of Labor. See available classes at our hospitals across the state as well as virtual classes.

Early labor at home

If you’re in a low risk, healthy pregnancy, you’ll likely want to labor at home until appropriate. Spending the early hours of labor at home can increase your comfort and help prevent unnecessary interventions. Listen to your body, stay hydrated and eat if you are hungry and feel like eating.

Walking, bouncing on a birthing ball, listening to peaceful sounds and staying supported by those around you can help a lot in those early hours.

Ask your midwife or doctor what else can help you during early labor at home. When it’s time to come to the hospital, we will be ready to give you the labor and delivery care you deserve.

Understand benefits and risks

Remember “BRAIN” as you make choices for your birth. Ask yourself:

• Benefits: How can this benefit my baby and I?
• Risks: What is the risk to my baby and I?
• Alternatives: Are there other procedures I can consider?
• Intuition: What is my gut telling me?
• Nothing/need more information/no: What would happen if I do nothing right now?

At HCA Virginia Health System, our labor and delivery experts are here to support you. Reach out to our midwives today to make the next step in your birthing journey! We also offer a variety of classes and events tailored for new and expectant parents, including tours of our maternity units, designed to prepare you for the journey ahead.