Natural Childbirth Video

Do babies ever just "fall out"? Watch this natural childbirth video to find out.

“ Just as a woman's heart knows how and when to pump, her lungs to inhale, and her hand to pull back from fire, so she knows when and how to give birth.” - Virginia Di Orio

This natural childbirth video shows the planned unassisted homebirth of our third child, born into my own hands while I knelt on our bed, in 16 contractions, with my husband and two daughters (ages 7 and 5 at the time) by my side.

I awoke on this morning, Tuesday, March 9th, 2010, to bloody show and the loss of an intact mucus plug when I was exactly 38 weeks, 0 days pregnant. Contractions began immediately and we began prepping the floor with disposable shower curtains and the bed with chux pads, followed by setting up the video camera. As my previous births had both been precipitous (defined as a total labor time of less than 3 hours) and had also occurred at exactly 38 weeks, 0 days, we'd had the birth supplies prepped and ready for several weeks beforehand so everything we needed was readily at hand.

The video was started as soon as I confirmed that I was actually in labor, which was about 20 minutes from the time I experienced the bloody show. The rest of my labor is captured on the video. If you're wondering why there doesn't seem to be much noise, well, it's because I wasn't making any. This natural childbirth video is visual proof that natural birth does not mean painful birth and for some women, there is no urge or need to vocalize. Birth can be as easy as this looks. You'll notice a little bit of effort right near the beginning of the video at 00:28, but that's about as dramatic as it gets - this is actually the point at which the baby began to crown.

At 00:34, you'll see me turn to my husband - I'm attempting to tell him to call our daughters in from the kitchen where they're eating breakfast as the baby is coming, but I'm don't have enought time to even speak the words before his whole body slides right into my hands. At 00:38, my husband and I both see that we have a son!

Once he's born, he coughs and sneezes immediately, clearing his own airway. His cord is looped over his shoulder, which is perfectly normal and not a cause for immediate concern, as 25% of all babies are born with their umbilical cord wrapped around some part(s) of their body (1) and you'll see me at 00:45 begin untangling it. He's very slippery as he's covered in vernix, blood and amniotic fluid, so I ask my husband for assistance in unlooping the umbilical cord as my hands are also wet and slippery. At 00:51, the baby urinates for the first time.

At 00:54, I attempt to reposition him but discover his umbilical cord is very short, so short that I was unable to hold him up any higher than what you see in the video as he's still attached to the placenta and it to me. Since I can't provide full skin-to-skin contact to keep him warm, I asked my husband to get a blanket to keep him warm until the placenta stopped pulsating so the cord could be tied off and cut. He is very peaceful and quietly alert as he rests in my arms. At 1:35 my husband asks me what time it is, and I haven't a clue.

We ohh and ahhh over him, thrilled with our new baby. Our girls have been standing in the room, off to the side, and we call them over to meet their new brother properly. Eden, our oldest child, asks a few questions, but for the most part both girls just watch their new baby and make a few comments to each other about him. Our younger daughter, Iris, is elated and can barely contain her excitement. She ultimately can't hold it in and hugs her older sister, Eden, triumphantly, smiling sweetly at her and then resumes inspecting the new baby boy in my arms.

Oren was born at 38 weeks, 0 days weighing in at a very unexpected 9lbs, 3ozs, and was 21 inches long.

This was the first natural childbirth video we were able to make as our daughters were both born in the hospital where recording or taping was not permitted during the actual delivery. I hope our natural childbirth video opens your mind and exposes the true face of normal, physiologic birth.

References

1. Cruikshank, D.W. Breech, Other Malpresentations, and Umbilical Cord Complications, in: Scott, J.R., et al. (eds.), Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 9th Edition. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2003, pages 381-395.

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Page Last Modified by Catherine Beier, MS, CBE