Interventions: Cons and benefits to birth
Let's start by defining physiological birth. WHO says physiological or normal birth is as such "A normal delivery starts spontaneously and has only low risks identified at the start of labour. This situation (with regard to continuously assessed risks) lasts throughout labour and delivery. The child is born spontaneously in vertex position between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation. Normal childbirth is confirmed by normal vital signs in the child and the immediate aftermath of childbirth for the mother. It allows a serene environment to be created, promoting maternal and familial well-being and parent/child attachment."
According to the Journal of the Australian College of Midwives, there is no one definition of physiological birth and very little understanding of the psychology of birth by clinicians. Stating, "Defining physiological birth without the experience of the woman in mind has led to a medicalised approach to a biologically normal process"
This last anecdote leads us to a hot topic, interventions. Some define interventions as any method used to alter or move labor along, others describe interventions as medical procedures or treatments that help labor and delivery. Common interventions are artificially rupturing membranes, use of Pitocin to augment labor, herbs to increase contractions, episiotomy, castor oil, epidurals, c sections, or even nipple stimulation. Yikes, some of these interventions sound scary to anyone preparing to have a baby.
It's important to know the risk and benefits of these interventions to make informed decisions for yourself. An epidural after days of labor with little progression may be what one person needs to be able to relax and get things going, or a c section which may be what is best for mom and baby's health. Both of these interventions have risk attached to them such as surgical complications and failure of effectiveness.
There is risk and benefit attached to natural interventions as well such as herbs to induce labor and castor oil. Some claim these interventions to work well other have negative side effects such as unmanageable contractions and GI upset.
Understanding what you would like to happen for your labor and delivery and having a collaborative relationship with your provider are the key to navigating the waters of interventions. Some suggestions to gather information are searching through online scientific data basis such as AJOG or the NIH. Picking out a couple of well-done studies and presenting them to your provider is a great way to be informed and also discuss any concerns you may have with them. Asking questions such as "If the Pitocin is too strong will you support my request to turn it down?" "If I have a c section and I am feeling pain or unbearable pressure what are our options?"(having a consult with your anesthesiologist in advance is great here). A great provider will assess and adjust treatments in the moment according to your needs. They will take your experience in consideration and do what they can to support you through your labor and delivery.
Key points to making informed decisions about potential interventions are knowing what common interventions are and when they are indicated, research through reputable science libraries, discussing interventions with your provider, advocacy, and maintaining a flexible mindset. These are all key factors to ensuring a safe and satisfying labor with or without interventions.
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