Why Women Choose Unassisted Childbirth

Unassisted childbirth (UC) is also called unattended birth, because no one attends in a medical capacity. No doctor, midwife, or other professional directs the mother during labor and birth, tells her when to push, or if she should transfer to the hospital. It's also called freebirth and unhindered birth, among other things. There are many reasons women choose to have unassisted births, and one of the main reasons is control.

Physical control. As has already been said, no one from the outside manages the labor during an unassisted birth. The mother is free to birth in whatever position she feels comfortable in. She can eat and drink whenever she wants. She can walk around, lie down, watch TV, clean, or do anything else she feels up to doing. Some women have even been known to shop during early labor. When the mother has control over what she does physically, she is more relaxed, offering her baby a safer, calmer birth experience.

Mental control. Many laboring women feel like they've lost control. Their minds close down, because the professionals in attendance discourage her from listening to her body. But during an unassisted birth, the mother stays in control. She can still have the support of whomever she wishes to attend her birth. But she also keeps her thoughts centered on the birth process. Keeping this mental control allows her to labor how her body knows is best, rather than being in more pain because an attendant told her to do something she knew was wrong for her body.

Emotional control. Women who have traumatic birth experiences often suffer from postpartum depression. And while some women who birth unassisted also have PPD, it's less likely to occur. Traumatic births are often the result of interventions, frantic professionals, distressed mothers, and treating the mother like she's just another number in the hospital. Being in control emotionally makes it more likely that the mother will look back on her birth experience with joy, peace, and empowerment.

Spiritual control. Similarly, some women choose to give birth unassisted because it empowers them spiritually. We're not humans living a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings in the human experience. No matter your religious beliefs, you have a spiritual destiny. Some women believe unassisted birth is one stop on their path to self-empowerment, self-actualization, and also gives them more confidence and higher self-esteem.

To read more about why women choose to birth unassisted, visit www.mothering.com, click on "Discuss," and then on "Unassisted Childbirth." Also, read Unassisted Childbirth by Laura Shanley, and Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love by Lynn M. Griesemer