https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 06:12:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-152481 Tue, 08 May 2012 21:07:38 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 152481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: That's exactly how I see it. I never hide the fact that I got an epidural! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150261 Mon, 07 May 2012 09:33:50 +0000 LuLu Mom 150261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>On the forums I think it means no meds, however when discussing it in real life, I take it as vaginally, and then I ask if they had an epideral or meds. I don't like to say the "v" word in daily converations, seems so weird! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150258 Mon, 07 May 2012 09:33:14 +0000 Sweet T 150258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I consider a natural birth to be a vaginal birth without pain medication. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150234 Mon, 07 May 2012 09:21:27 +0000 mamimami 150234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: Haha, I think if a coworker is asking me how exactly the baby came out, I wouldn't worry about throwing out the v-word :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150200 Mon, 07 May 2012 08:43:14 +0000 mediagirl 150200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am not comfortable saying "vaginal" birth to people so my instinct would be to say natural birth. I do expect to get an epidural (knowing my pain tolerance) and will say I had a natural birth, if asked. If asked about pain meds, I will say that I did have them.</p> <p>I can understand how people who have natural birth with no pain meds may think that is not the right thing to say but, if that's the case, what are you supposed to say to a co-worker who asks, what type of birth did you have? I'm certainly not saying vaginal to them.</p> <p>To me, natural birth is the baby coming out of the area that nature intended, with or without pain meds. I think this is one of those that may not have a good answer to it. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150197 Mon, 07 May 2012 08:35:36 +0000 mamimami 150197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here in Mexico (in Spanish), when they talk about a vaginal birth, they call it "normal" (as opposed to c-section, which is apparently abnormal!) So I think the definitions are fuzzy and imperfect, although I would never tell people I have a "natural" birth because I had an epi. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150129 Mon, 07 May 2012 06:48:17 +0000 looch 150129@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always assumed natural to be vaginal with no meds. I never ask another mother how their baby came into this world, just in case they get offended or had some bad experience they'd rather not talk about. I let them decide when they want to discuss it, but happily share my son's birth experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150062 Sun, 06 May 2012 22:31:43 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 150062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well whenever people ask me... I always say Natural but I did get an epidural (because I know they are asking if I gave birth vaginally or by c-section) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150045 Sun, 06 May 2012 21:57:27 +0000 yoursilverlining 150045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I hear people say "natural" IRL or online, I assume they mean completely pain-med/induction-med free. </p> <p>I don't really like the term "natural" either, since it implies other methods are inferior (like all the recent backlash against c-sections), and because although its obviously the way we bring more little people into the world, I don't think birth is very natural in general, considering how many women it kills every year. Seems like there should be a better way, or that a "natural" thing wouldn't be so dangerous. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150035 Sun, 06 May 2012 21:49:22 +0000 googly-eyes 150035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always think of it as med free just because everywhere online says that and it's been on some tv shows, etc. A lot of times I hear "all natural" when people mean med free. Most of the time I just hear the rest of the birth story and I don't really put a label on it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-150032 Sun, 06 May 2012 21:43:47 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 150032@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always thought natural meant med-free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149953 Sun, 06 May 2012 20:09:59 +0000 cupcakemama 149953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll be honest that I really dislike the way the term natural birth is used on online forums. IRL when people say natural birth they mean you delivered bub via your whoha. On forums it tends to mean without drugs. I don't like it because thr implication is always that usingdrugs is inferior. (Not so much on HB). I was induced (gasp!), had an epidural (nooooo!) but I still consider it a natural birth. Tell my lady parts they didn't deliver 8.5lbs of baby. (lol/sob). Anyway, those are my thoughts </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149939 Sun, 06 May 2012 19:55:34 +0000 Minnie_Girl 149939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsdaredevil: It's also a natural birth...and also, as you said, med-free. :)</p> <p>My reasoning is based on what @Arden said. Having drugs involved in your birth doesn't make it unnatural. Birth is inherently natural. </p> <p>There are plenty of old fashioned ways women used to induce labor or manage pain, but that didn't make the births unnatural! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149776 Sun, 06 May 2012 14:21:26 +0000 pastemoo 149776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: I agree! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149774 Sun, 06 May 2012 14:20:20 +0000 pastemoo 149774@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Depends on the context. I have definitely heard, "Natural or c-section" but also "natural or epidural?"</p> <p>So... what if it's without epidural but with some different pain medicine? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149750 Sun, 06 May 2012 13:31:57 +0000 Arden 149750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do think the definition is a natural birth with no drugs or interventions, but I don't like the term because I think it makes women who have other types of births feel like they had an "unnatural birth". I think we should just call it unmedicated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149717 Sun, 06 May 2012 11:58:47 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 149717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think "natural" means med free. Vaginal birth with meds/induction I consider just a "vaginal birth."</p> <p>If vaginal birth with meds/induction is "natural," then what do you call a med-free birth? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149716 Sun, 06 May 2012 11:55:07 +0000 cyneswith 149716@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Before I was looking into having my own, I used "natural" to mean "vaginal." Now I use "natural" to mean "med-free vaginal." Mostly because I've had some horrible experiences with medication side effects, and it's VERY important to me to not have meds while my baby has to deal with the consequences. I don't object to either usage in general, but I want my doctors and nurses to understand completely that my body does NOT handle drugs well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149696 Sun, 06 May 2012 11:20:45 +0000 BSB 149696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always thought natural birth meant no epidural and a vaginal birth. I thought natural means you feel and push the baby without meds.</p> <p>Now, I'm not so sure.</p> <p>Now that I'm on this HB, I realized that they give you meds when you are induced. Also there are different kinds of pain medication. I thought there were pain meds that allowed you to feel some of the pain.</p> <p>My mom and sister had a natural birth but I'm not sure if they ever had to be induced. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149694 Sun, 06 May 2012 11:11:17 +0000 daniellemybelle 149694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on the context. For example:</p> <p>"I'm going for a natural birth." - This means no pain medications.</p> <p>"Was she able to have a natural birth?" - This would mean "vaginal." I think in this context people feel funny about saying the V word, which is why they use the word "natural" instead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149690 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:57:53 +0000 bpcmarj 149690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: I actually agree with you and need to start changing the way that I say things. I usually say natural birth when referring to birth without pain meds. But, I think that would really be NO interventions. I am being induced today and hope to have a pain med free birth, but will have some induction medicines so I won't really be having a natural birth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149689 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:53:17 +0000 mrbee 149689@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think when most people use the phrase natural birth, they are conveying that they didn't use pain meds (during a vaginal birth)! </p> <p>In the purely literal sense though, a natural birth would not involve even non-pain meds (like pitocin). I'm ok with either usage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149685 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:44:36 +0000 Minnie_Girl 149685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If the baby comes out of the vagina, I consider it natural. A c-section is major surgery and definitely not what nature intended! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149681 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:41:08 +0000 Boogs 149681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: Agree. </p> <p>Usually when I've been asked the question it's people wanting to know if it was a vaginal birth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149678 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:38:59 +0000 Andrea 149678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: agree! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149674 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:28:37 +0000 Honeybee 149674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hate the term "natural birth" because it implies every other form of birthing is "unnatural." It's also confusing because different people mean different things, using the same term. I choose to use the terms "med-free birth" or "vaginal birth" instead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149672 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:25:47 +0000 tequiero21 149672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I consider it with or without meds because it's vaginal. Whereas c sec is not natural. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149671 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:25:05 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 149671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I consider it without meds as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149657 Sun, 06 May 2012 10:05:57 +0000 heffalump 149657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I consider it without meds. I had an epidural and I don't say I had a natural birth. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-definition-of-a-natural-birth#post-149645 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:52:35 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 149645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've always wondered because I feel everyone has a different definition of natural birth.</p> <p>Does it mean :<br /> 1- vaginal birth (med-free)<br /> 2- vaginal birth (with meds)</p> <p>I consider I gave natural birth even if I was induced and had an epidural. But maybe that's just considered vaginal birth. </p>