They say giving birth should be your greatest achievement, not your greatest fear. Yet, in today’s fast-paced world, pregnancies are planned to the “t”, with scheduled epidurals, pain-free deliveries and so much more. Blame it on lifestyle choices, lack of physical exertion, nutrition, late pregnancies that demand a more cautious approach, and individual bodies that respond differently.
But there is hope yet. A back-to-the-basics approach — just like our mothers and grandmothers did splendidly; slowly, women are consciously opting for natural births. More and more younger women (mostly) are taking the initiative to ready their bodies for the most cherished, painful and life-changing experience of their lives — experiencing motherhood though natural birth. Many gynaecologists are also trying to induce confidence and good health back so that a woman can be empowered to make that decision. Be it Lamaze classes, Pilates for pregnant women, yoga and meditation, water birthing, the journey towards the delivery is making all the difference.
Among the celebs, British Royal Kate Middleton, Mira Rajput, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Raveena Tandon, Jessica Alba, Demi Moore, and so many more have all opted for natural births. Supermodel and mother of two, Gisele Bundchen is one of the most outspoken all-natural celebrity birth advocates. She gave birth naturally, and at her home both times. Apart from criticising hospital births, she is reported to have claimed that her water birth “didn’t hurt in the slightest.”
Kate Middleton and Prince William with their baby who was also delivered normally.
Priyanka Idicula, a certified professional midwife and co-founder of BirthVillage Natural Birthing Centre at Kochi elaborates on this reclaiming of a natural process, “When we look at history, women have been giving birth naturally. It was probably the norm till our grandmothers’ time. But there’s been a radical change in the past 60 years in the way women approach childbirth. Modern medicine is great, but we also face overuse of antibiotics, over medicalisation of childbirth.”
Priyanka adds, “WHO says the ideal rate for caesarean births should be between 10 to 15 percent in any geographical region. However, India’s private hospitals stand between 50 to 80 percent. More women want to reclaim their power to natural birth now. They are looking at how their grandmothers gave birth and how can they can give birth without intervention, and on their terms.”
Let nature take its course
Actress and talk show host Tara Sharma Saluja says it is a mother’s prerogative, “My biggest mantra is ‘to each his own.’ Luckily for me, everything was fine and in place. I was able to opt for a natural birth for both my sons, Kai and Zen. Childbirth is the most amazing thing. However, what the mother opts for should not be questioned. Of course, with C-sections, recovery time is more. When I gave birth to Zen, my second son, I managed to leave the hospital the next day!”
Rohini Idicula
This is what teacher and Delhi-based mother-to-be Babushka Chauhan is also striving for. “I want to opt for a normal procedure but it depends on the child’s health and mine, along with so many other factors. Taking care of myself, a good diet, physical exercise and emotional balance is the key to a good start. I have just entered my third trimester, and my doctor will talk to me specifically about the birth. She offers free yoga classes at her clinic, which helps one engage with other young mothers. So far, all my friends have had their children naturally. Many want to opt for a natural birth with an alternative pain relief method. Today, women are able to stand up and decide for themselves,” says Babushka.
The midwife knows best
In Europe, one can have a baby with only a midwife present, and no doctor. While India has taken great strides in making medicine a corporate profit making giant, there are those that believe in ancient wisdom.
Priyanka explains, “Midwives have been helping women give birth for centuries. The difference is that earlier, they were all wise women helping, a skill handed down from generations, while we are college-trained after a four year course. A midwife is thus, a specialist for natural birth, not for intervention.” She adds, “In countries like the Netherlands, Norway and Germany, women see only midwives and they have excellent outcomes. These are things India is slowly awakening to. While it may not be for everyone, it is the right choice for someone who has a healthy pregnancy. If someone has health issues — diabetes, hypertension, etc. — you look for advanced medical care. In the old days, women worked till the end, that is why childbirth was simple, short and uncomplicated.”
Tara Sharma Saluja with her husband and her two sons Kai and Zen
The options are endless
Natural birth depends entirely on the health and fitness of the mother. With an incidence of late pregnancies, IVFs etc, the dangers outweigh the positives of natural birth.
Dr Kedar M Padte, gynaecologist and infertility specialist from Goa feels, “It’s a great trend that more and more ladies are opting for natural birth. Monitoring is vital, and safe delivery of the mother and child should be kept in mind. In nature though, let’s say 10,000 years ago, deliveries happened in the wild, but in the normal air/ weather... not in the warm water bath tub... we need to define what is natural and correct for the mother and child and thus a confinement may happen, without the interference of a biased obstetrician. Keep in mind that maternal morbidity and mortality is profoundly high, as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality, and hence, having a good rescue hospital close by is not a bad idea! If humanity has survived thus far without active obstetric intervention...May it continue to do so.”
Various institutions offer workshops for a pregnant mother. One of Isha Foundation’s initiatives is designed to prepare pregnant mothers for childbirth. Even your friendly neighbourhood gynaecologist’s yoga or meditation or Lamaze class can go a long way.
Mira Rajput with Misha
Kavitha Datta, a volunteer, for Isha Foundation, explains, “Isha Thaimai is an initiative that is designed for expectant mothers, to bring more awareness about the pregnancy, teach them how to keep their body, mind and emotion pleasant and make pregnancy a joyful experience. It is an eight day programme where expectant mothers are taught various asanas to strengthen the pelvis, spine, back etc. Pranayamas help in breathing and meditation.” Interestingly, they see about 15 to 20 expectant mothers every batch.
Delhi-based Nutan Pandit has been running her Lamaze Programme for Childbirth since 1978, and has penned two books on pregnancy, and one on parenting. She conducts sessions on how to handle the pain of labour. The regime includes breathing techniques, relaxations and positions for labour.
“The body is designed for prepares itself to deliver naturally. Recent research shows the advantages of a normal delivery — the baby’s immunity is better and it’s physiologically better for the baby,” she says, adding, “C-section rates are pretty high as they take the day of estimation very seriously while childbirth can happen two weeks earlier or later. A baby should come when it’s time and naturally. My clientele consists largely of pregnant women who have realised the importance of normal delivery.”
Hollywood actress Jessica Alba with her child
Rohini Idicula of Birthvillage also agrees, “Pregnancy is a natural process — it has always been. The changes in lifestyle have contributed to unhealthy habits. We spend a lot more on our personal needs but fail to invest the needed money and time into being health conscious. More people have started opting for natural birthing but the number of centres that offer natural birthing are less.”
For actress Sneha Prasanna, who tried natural birthing for her son Vihaan, complication prevented it. “My mother and many older women had normal deliveries. That is not the case now — because of our change in lifestyle. We’ve stopped doing exhaustive physical work so we have to resort to classes. People have also started realising that the old ways are the best. The times are changing for the better,” says the mother who also opted for yoga during her pregnancy.
Age-old wisdom prevails
Anita Faria, the mother of actress and Miss World Earth Nicole Faria, had 100 percent natural childbirths, thrice. “I have never taken an epidural for pain. I had a strong feeling of empowerment during labour, a sense of accomplishment afterward. Personally, being in charge helps lessen the perception of pain. Many women today are opting for the same. Some women who don’t have complications are opting for water births too. The modern generation prefers natural and basic principles,” she says.
Even actress Shwetha Menon, who was in the thick of controversy, when her childbirth was filmed for Malayalam film Kalimannu, feels the positives of a normal delivery are many. “Growing up, one heard that natural delivery is a kind of rebirth. My Amma gave birth to me by a normal delivery. I decided I too will do that, and had fantastic support from my doctor, family and my baby,” she shares.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with Aaradhya Bachchan
Kochi-based writer and trainer Shana Susan Ninan, who had a caesarean section for her first child and a VBAC or vaginal birth for her second, says “Natural birth is different from normal birth. Very few choose natural birth and opt for vaginal birth. The first time, we chose a natural birthing centre but I didn’t deliver there.” However, for her second child’s birth, Shana didn’t go to the hospital for the first and second stages of labour, preferring to walk and exercise through it at home. She birthed with the least amount of interventions, and stresses on the need for awareness, “Many men and women do not know the different stages of labour. Attending Lamaze classes helps.” Both times, she began doing pre-natal yoga from the third month, along with regular household work.
Garima Chauhan, a homemaker based in Gurgaon, who gave birth to her son Dhairya eight months ago, shares, “A baby’s safety and health is primary. While I am afraid of pain, I chose to have a normal delivery because of the side effects of C-sections and epidurals. The healing time of stitches, is around three months and you can’t feed your kid properly during this period. In a normal delivery, you get two to three stitches but in a Caesarean, it’s about 25, which also causes obesity.” Right through her pregnancy, Garima read various blogs about delivery and good health, followed a prescribed diet and went for regular checkups while keeping active with daily chores.
However, Dr Duru Shah, a Mumbai-based gynaecologist and the author of Pregnancy and You believes, “There’s not much difference between a normal pregnancy and a C-section. Things have advanced in the past 50 years, and a caesarean isn’t as bad as it is made out to be. A study recently said that women who go for normal pregnancy in the long term have complications, could suffer urinary incontinence. I would encourage women to indulge in pelvic exercises like duck walks or squats, all with the doctors’ assistance, obviously. These reduce backache, and make it easier for the baby to come out.” So, even as women nurture a new life and prepare for motherhood, it helps to make a good start and let nature take its course.
— With inputs from Uma Ramasubramanian, Julie Sam, Cris, Priyanka Shankar, and Pratyush Patra
