I read this book after two medically managed births in a hospital and before my third labor and delivery (which will hopefully be natural!) and I just found myself wishing I had read this book prior to my first child because it would have been so much more useful to me then. I thought this book gave some very practical and straight-forward information, particularly for first time moms. It's hard to know exactly what kind of birth experience you'll have in a particular hospital if you have not had any babies there yourself or heard anyone else's story. However, I do believe the book gives an accurate idea of what is typical in most hospitals. I think the author gives a pretty well rounded view of what you should know going into it, but I would have loved to see her delve further into many topics that are addressed. For further reading I definitely recommend both Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, both of which gave me immensely more information overall.
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Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel is an informative, helpful, and encouraging guide to giving birth in a hospital without unnecessary medical interventions. Gabriel is a doula, medical anthropologist, and mother of three who is passionate about helping women achieve the birth experience they want. I'm not a hippie or a person into "natural" for the sake of natural; I have simply educated myself and have come to the conclusion that natural birth, whenever possible, is the best thing for both the baby and the mother. And that is why I am pursuing it.

There are so many helpful things about this book; where do I start? Gabriel studied birth in Russia and came away with many insights, one of which was simply that birth pain is not honored in Western culture. It's viewed as something terrible to be avoided at all costs, and yet it is a natural part of childbearing that deserves just as much respect as any other aspect of motherhood.

I appreciated the insight into the inner workings of a hospital and the possible motivations behind the staff's insistence on certain procedures (scheduling, convenience, protocol, etc.). It was helpful to hear that you don't have to deliver your baby while lying prone on your back (that's actually not the greatest position for the woman or the baby—it's really more for the convenience of the doctor, sadly). Gabriel could easily come across as combative and belligerent toward the medical establishment, but that is not the case. On the contrary, she is very diplomatic and talks a lot about working with rather than against your doctor and nurses. I really liked how she emphasized keeping things positive in your birth plan (rather than coming in with a negative list of what you don't want, come with a positive list of what you do want and enlist the staff's support with your commitment). If and when we're pressured to have a certain procedure, the line "let's wait an hour" will also be very useful. If it's not an emergency, we have time. As Gabriel says, we probably have an hour.

And not that I needed permission, but it was nice to hear someone affirm that it's okay to write a birth plan that you really want to stick to. Most people tell you to be flexible and not get hung up on things being a certain way, and I totally understand why they say this—there's so much out of our control when it comes to giving birth. No one can predict how her labor and delivery will go, and if you don't get the experience that you want, you'll be disappointed at a time when you should be most joyful. But the alternative is basically insulating yourself from the possibility of disappointment by choosing not to care. Now, for me as a Christian this is only half the story; I want to hold my hopes with an open hand, knowing that God may have a different (and ultimately better) plan for me. But to deliberately choose passivity because I might not get what I wanted otherwise—I don't know, that seems a little overprotective. Yes, there is always the risk of disappointment, but I should be able to handle it in a godly and mature way. Again, it goes back to the idea that pain is not something to avoid at all costs.

Quick suggestion if you are contemplating a birth plan: try to get your doctor to sign it, even if he/she will definitely be the one handling the delivery. You'll have nurses who may have their own ideas about what labor should be like, and being able to back up your wishes with your doctor's signature should help you negotiate more strongly. Gabriel doesn't actually suggest this (perhaps most doctors are not as accommodating as mine, who signed ours with a few small changes). She does recommend getting your doctor to agree to the provisions of your birth plan verbally beforehand and then using that as leverage with the staff, but I think having a signature is more powerful.

There were two things I wish had been explained better. In one of the sample birth plans, the woman had written that she wanted the staff to hold off from clamping the cord until it stopped pulsating, and the reason for this was never explained (I talked to my doctor about it). The other thing that was mentioned without a good explanation was why you might request not to be given routine Pitocin to help deliver the placenta and clamp down the uterus. After doing some research, I understand why Pitocin is given after the baby is born (it cuts down on the incidence of PPH, postpartum hemorrhage) but couldn't find a ton of support for avoiding it, other than the simple desire to be completely unmedicated in all stages of labor. But once the baby's out, and the benefits are proven as they are by a good number of studies, I don't see a hugely compelling reason to fight this battle with my hospital where it's standard procedure.

At several weeks out from my due date with my first child, it's easy for me to be a proponent of natural birth. I have not yet experienced the anguish of labor, and reading a book even as assiduously as I read this can't prepare me for what that will be like. I don't mean to be disrespectful toward women who have chosen interventions such as an epidural or C-section for whatever reason (and boy, will it be humbling if I can't handle the pain and accept the epidural, like 95% of the women at the hospital where I'm delivering... yes, 95%). The prospect of labor without medication is a daunting one no matter what your convictions, and ultimately I need to entrust myself to God who does have it all under control. Despite the fact that all our tactics and plans could go out the window when our son comes, this book helped us feel more prepared. We plan to keep it on hand during the labor process. ( )