I’ve been very fortunate for two reasons when it comes to birth issues.

First, it’s the voices of thousands of families who developed and have used the skills in the Birthing Better online birthing classes inside my head that permits me to speak on behalf of the collective of these families and our Humanity.

Second, I’ve lived and visited in many traditional communities that have no access to modern medical care and have the first-hand experience that we are One Humanity and there are a set of birth and birth-coaching skills that can work worldwide in all births. This is what I’ve learned … birth is natural and normal no matter what happens because birth naturally and normally follows pregnancy for 100% of pregnant women. This is the reality of life as human beings.

Why is birth always normal and natural?

Let’s take away modern medicine and ask the question ... ‘What is natural birth or physiological birth?’

The answer is simple. Birth is always natural and normal even when death, injury or illness are part of the experience. How can we take away the bad from the only experience that perpetuates our species? We can’t.

So, the bottom line is simple. Everything about birth is normal and natural. There is a paradox when birth advocates or midwives talk about normal or natural birth. For example, what do midwives mean when they believe they are the best birth professional to support ‘natural’ or ‘physiological’ birth? Do they want birth in modern countries to do without medical care? Obviously not. Do they believe only women with ‘low-risk pregnancy and birth’ should be entitled to midwifery care? Hopefully not. Do birth advocates think that all healthy women who have a normal pregnancy can cope well with the natural occurring pain of contractions? In reality, health and the ability to manage are not linked.

Few pregnant families would consider having no medical care around birth in modern countries. This would be considered to be ‘backward’, primitive and stupid.

Traditional women

In reality, many traditional cultures would like to see more medical care available to the women during pregnancy and birth because they know for certain that death, injury, and illness are a natural and normal part of pregnancy and birth. Some of these things they would like to prevent.

This is the same as the use of antibiotics and immunization. Traditional people don’t want the normal and natural 25% of children under 5 years old to die.

For women who live in modern countries, we must acknowledge that birth is full of potential problems and modern medical care is used and available in order to prevent or reduce those potential problems. As for us as women, we’d lay down our lives for our children. So, if a doctor or midwives tells us there is a potential or obvious problem during pregnancy and birth, we will do anything to make certain our baby is safe.

So, we know everyone wants birth to be safe for mothers and babies. We also know that the increase in cesarean delivery implies more and more babies and mothers are at risk and would have been injured or dead if a cesarean hadn’t been performed. But is that right?

Through our own preparation during our pregnancy than using our skills to work with the natural pain of labour contractions rather than fighting them, we can improve the positive aspects of birth and outcomes.

Through our own preparation during pregnancy, we can use our skills on way to the hospital, while being prepped and during a c-section.

In other words, giving birth to your baby is normal and natural and you’ll have to do the activity of birthing your baby no matter the circumstances. You’ll birth better when you birth with Birthing Better skills.

Birthing Better skills were developed by moms and dads in the early 1970s in the US and used by many thousands globally in all types of birth. Birthing Better online birthing classes are housed in Common Knowledge Trust.