Physiologic Birth Support

An OB nurse helping a pregnant woman with physiological birth as she sits on a birthing ball while leaning against a bedPart of our care philosophy at New Beginnings Birth Center is embracing the female body's natural ability to give birth. A normal physiological labor and birth is powered by the natural, human ability of the mother and baby. To support mothers who want to have a physiologic birth, Brookings Health offers physiologic care options. 

The low technology techniques foster the normal, biological birth process and reduces the need for medical intervention. Evidence-based care practices Brookings Health uses include inducing labor only when medically necessary, freedom of movement during labor, continuous labor support, avoiding routine interventions and restrictions, encouraging spontaneous pushing in positions other than lying on the back, and keeping mothers and babies together after birth.

Benefits of physiologic birth support include: 

  • Reduced chance of cesarean section
  • Increased breastfeeding success
  • Improved birth experience
  • Reduced cost of care
  • Improved mother-baby bonding and attachment

Watch & Learn

Brookings mom, Ellie Arndt, shares her experiences with Brookings Health’s obstetrics team and how she took advantage of physiological birth techniques.

Prenatal Positioning & Stretching

Regular stretching and moving performed on a daily and weekly basis can help you train for labor and delivery. Check out these moves from Spinning Babies to help you naturally prepare for birth and properly position your baby. 

Childbirth Pain Management

There are techniques outside of an epidural and IV medication to manage pain. One option Brookings Health offers is nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. It allows mothers freedom of movement and does not disrupt the release of oxytocin, the hormone that promotes early mother-baby bonding and breast milk production. Laboring patients who use nitrous oxide still have an awareness of labor pains and contractions, but the pain is dulled and made easier to cope with. 

Some parents opt to include mindfulness techniques to help manage pain, such as breathing and guided imagery. Brookings Health also makes birth combs and birth affirmations available to assist with mindfulness. Learn more about these in the resources below.

Labor & Delivery Positioning

The goal during labor and delivery is to get the baby to rotate as it descends through the pelvis. The pelvis must flex for the baby to fit through. Through different positions and techniques, a baby can naturally rotate and descend through the birth canal. Learn more about different labor and delivery positions in the resources below.