The pregnant woman of today has more choices about where and how she will give birth than her grandmother did. Not so long ago in the U. S. almost all births took place in the hospital with the doctors calling all of the shots. A pregnant woman was told how it would be, and when the time came to deliver, she was put in a bed, given pain medication and did as told. Often the baby was taken away immediately upon birth, which is when dad was allowed in to say hi to mom and wave his cigar at baby through the window.

Before medical science took over, most deliveries took place at home with a doctor or midwife present. Sometimes no one was there to help the mother through, and many babies came into the world that way just fine. But alone or with a doctor, many babies and/or their mothers did not make it through this cataclysmic miracle of childbirth. Even today with all of our modern technology, it is still a “life and death” situation, and not to be taken lightly.

So we went from natural childbirth by necessity to deliveries completely controlled by doctors and technology. Now the pendulum is swinging back again to a more natural approach. The good news is that women today can choose anywhere along that continuum for their prenatal care and birthing experience.

Women can go the standard hospital route with pain medication and even a Cesarean delivery if necessary. Or they can stay home and work with a midwife for a completely natural experience, given they have uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancies. Another option somewhere in the middle is a birthing center, which is a healthcare facility with a relaxed, homelike atmosphere, often staffed by midwives, or nurse-midwives. Family and friends can be present, and if the need arises for complex care, the mother can be transferred easily to a hospital.

There are pros and cons to each approach, so it’s up to the expecting couple to research options and choose what’s best for them.