Woman centered childbirth

Another bit of writing for my childbirth educator class... a question about woman centered birth and its benefits for mother, partner and baby... I feel I could have written a book, but I don't think I was supposed to...

The most crucial element to making a birth truly 'woman centered' is that of choice. Every woman should have the freedom to choose the place in which they would like to give birth, and who their care provider(s) will be. Inherent in this choice is the need for the woman and her supporter(s) to be able to access appropriate education and resources that will allow her to make an informed decision, and will empower her to trust that she is capable of making choices and giving birth to her baby.


An informed decision can only be made when there is appropriate information available. It is worrying that a great number of women will read hugely popular mainstream 'catch-all' pregnancy/birth books while they are pregnant, attend their local hospital classes and think that they are well-informed. Unfortunately they are receiving information based largely (if not solely) on the technocratic model, and embed themselves deeper into a culture of fear-based standardized care. The widely read book 'What to expect when you're expecting' has only one page (of 437) dedicated to describing alternatives to standard hospital care. The language speaks volumes (my italics);

on water births... “Though many women who have experienced such a birth report that it was exhilarating, most physicians and hospitals feel that the risk of the fetus drowning, though probably remote, is still too great to make the procedure an acceptable one.”

on home births... “ And sometimes such a birth is very successful. (..) Those low risk women who insist on a home birth will need to be certain they will be attended by a physician or certified nurse-midwife”

Woman centered birth is about the woman being truly informed of all her options, and being educated in what labor is, how it works, how varied labor is from woman to woman, how she can deal with it naturally and what support is available to her. This as well as having at the least a basic knowledge of what medications and procedures may be suggested, why they may be suggested, what they are intended to help with, and what negative effects might be.

The more relaxed and at ease a woman can feel during pregnancy and especially during labor, the more efficiently her body will function. When the woman is comfortable in her environment, when she has privacy and is able to labor undisturbed, when she is well-supported in her choices and attended by people who trust in her ability to birth, then birth can more easily be the natural experience it is meant to be.

A woman centered birth means a deep trust in a laboring woman's intuition about what is best for herself and her baby. A laboring woman is not a patient, no-body else 'delivers' the baby. Birth is not a medical condition controlled by attendants and by technology. The medical institution can be considered a resource to be used in specific circumstances, The Statement of Values and Ethics of MANA (Midwives Alliance of North America) says that the mother is “the only direct care provider for her unborn child”. This does not mean to say that the mother is alone, just that other providers should trust her with that responsibility and thus empower her to know that childbirth is what women do naturally and that she can do it too.

Advantages for the mother are huge! - feeling supported, trusting her own body in its amazing capacity for giving birth, feeling informed and making choices -all these things will make her feel at ease, which will help with the effective and safe progression of labor. There is a greatly reduced chance of intervention. The life-changing empowerment of the childbearing experience for any woman cannot be denied, yet sadly is often missed when a woman feels that the whole process was controlled for her and that she was a passive recipient.

Advantages for the partner are that he or she will have an important role in being a partner to the mother. They will lose the sense of powerlessness that can come from not being informed. If they are as well informed as the mother then they will not need to be so fearful, they will know too that labor varies widely and that there is no 'normal' or 'right' way to do it. They will not be so very afraid of the mother's labor pain, and this way they can truly be a calm presence for themselves and the mother. Their trust in an attendant that they have been involved in choosing will further help them to be confident and peaceful in their role, and they can really share in the birth process.

Labor is hard on baby too! Essentially gentle birth can happen when mother is relaxed and following her instinct. Her trust in her own body means that she can be in connection with her baby – this is not something that is happening to her, mother and baby work together. Physically and emotionally the baby has a far easier time if the mother trusts and can feel safe. With the lessened chance of intervention comes many benefits to baby, he or she arrives more alert, less stressed and in better physical condition.