Natural birth in hospital?

Here are some ideas to birth naturally in hospital: Read, read, read. Books, websites, any written info from your care provider ... read it all. You also need to know the difference between facts presented to you in an honest and unbiased way, and facts that are being filtered through hospital policy. This is where women benefit from having a private midwife by their side.

Be assertive As with most human relationships, a great deal can be resolved with a calm, respectful and firm manner. Know what you want and why you want it. Engage a private midwife to assist you with obtaining relevant and impartial information.

Listen. If you are choosing to use a hospital and an obstetrician for your birth, then you acknowledge that their presence, education and experience have some value.

Be Flexible. Understand that sometimes things don't go the way we had planned. There might be some occasions where you'll be happy to accommodate the hospital policy, and other times when you'll want to stand your ground.

Ultimately, it is true that the most important aspect of birth is safety and a healthy mother and baby. But that doesn't mean the other aspects are unimportant, and I believe you can have a great birth - and a safe birth - in any location.