Live birth video? You want to know what birth is like and how it happens.

Birth is considered a shattering experience of pain, fear, risks, a sacrifice the mother does for her child.

But many women have experience birth differently. For me birth is a great joyful empowering experience. The pain is definitely bearable and is as long as you want your contractions to continue. The moment you say "YES!" to birth and communicate to your baby and your body that you allow and welcome the birth, you very quickly enter into labor which can be short and easy. Do not push, just let your body do its work and enjoy it. There will hardly be much pain if you do not let the fear in.

If you are in hospital, choose carefully your doctor and medical staff and follow your needs.

One of the most important things is to stay on your feet. You are a client, not a patient. You can see this attitude demonstrated in the live birth video at the end of the article. Refuse any interventions, monitoring, and checks unless you feel that you need any. All these should have been done before the birth, so that you know that natural birth is completely possible for you. Keep walking until you are in labor and need to stay in one place. If necessary, hold yourself somewhere to keep you upright. Gravity helps the baby to move down, pressing on the cervix. Since the weight of uterus is not on your back, you will not experience less pain.

Walk and dance, rock and let any sounds out. Do not be ashamed of giving birth. Enjoy it! Celebrate it! The pelvic twists and rocks will open up the cervix for the baby and will adjust for best delivery easing your baby lower and deeper in the birth canal.

If you stay on your feet in hospital, you can prevent any unwanted interventions. Watch how women are giving birth with dignity in the Lamaze live birth video below.

When you feel the urge to push, you can perfectly well give birth standing or squatting. I have delivered my second baby in a squatting position - it is well not to be too high from the floor, so that if the baby slips it will be just a few centimetres from the floor.

If you are in an upright position, you will not need an episiotomy. The perineum stretches enough to let the baby descend.

The pelvic bones will move in the best way to help the baby go down. You will have less tears and a much faster labor.

In this Lamaze International live birth video you will see birthing mothers standing on their feet, being themselves during birth.

Everyday Miracles: A Celebration of Birth

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