Unassisted childbirth is an option that some people take that is essentially, delivering a baby without any supervision or medical assistance whatsoever.
As with any childbirth plan, this is a choice that has both pros as well as cons. One of the cons is that unassisted childbirth is illegal in some places. In some countries and states, you may not deliver a baby unless medically trained and qualified. In an unassisted childbirth, a plan is made to have a child without any assistance from a doctor or midwife and doing so could result in prosecution. While this is common in some underdeveloped countries, it’s now becoming more common in countries such as the USA where some women’s groups support the right of the mother to make her own choice about how she will give birth to her child.
Another obvious con might be the fact that if something goes wrong with the labor and delivery, the mother as well as the child could be at serious risk. Many believers in unassisted childbirth have determined that they feel completely safe in their plan to have an unassisted birth and that they are exercising their right to give birth without medical intervention. Many argue that they educate themselves and prepare for the birth of their child and as such will be perfectly safe. Some couples report having several unassisted childbirths at home without any problems whatsoever.
There are many resources online for childbirth. Whether you are interested in natural childbirth, planned cesarean (c-section) section, water birth, home birth or unassisted childbirth you will find a wealth of information, resources, chat forums and videos online to help you educate yourself.
One tip for any pregnant woman is to make a birth plan. Regardless of the type of birth you want to have, making a plan with your wishes and actions you must take in order to reach that goal will help you have a clear outline of what needs to be done. There are many checklists online for many types of birth plans. Those who choose to have an unassisted childbirth are cautioned by medical authorities about the practice of having babies without presence of a medical professional. People who support this type of birth argue that it has been done for centuries with great success and that women have the right to choose how they want to give birth to their babies.
The information highway is a great resource for any information you might want pertaining to unassisted childbirth as well as other birth preferences. You can join discussion groups, purchase books, view videos and read success stories about this topic to find out if it is right for you.