Traditional childbirth is the term used to describe the labor and delivery process that begins with labor and ends with vaginal birth. The labor process, or at least part of it, usually occurs in a hospital and is guided by health care professionals, like nurses and doctors, who are available to intervene medically if necessary.
Some of the more common medical interventions during a traditional childbirth experience include:
- inducing labor if necessary
- offering pain management, including analgesic pain medication or epidurals to block the pain
- monitoring mother and baby (the fetus) continuously
- performing an emergency c-section if vaginal birth isn’t possible
The traditional childbirth experience can vary, and you and partner or support person can make some decisions about how you want your childbirth experience to look and feel. In most cases, you will be able to make choices related to medications and the things you’d like to do to help you stay comfortable and make the most out of the experience of bringing your new child into the world.