Last update:
25-Jun-2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a report in 1996 about the definition of a normal birth and recommended certain methods to support the physiological processes of labour. The WHO definition further stated that the aim of care in normal birth is to achieve a healthy mother and child with the least possible level of interventions, and in every case, there should be a valid reason to interfere with the natural process. Since this initial report, childbirthing around the world has become heavily medicalised with high rates of interventions and increasingly high rates of operative births. Over the past few years, there has been a renewed interest worldwide to support normality at childbirth and the term "natural birth" has re-appeared in the literature and is used interchangeably with the term "normal birth". At present, there is a consensus in the literature and the majority of professional societies refer to "natural birth" or "normal birth" as the birth achieved with no medical interventions and with no pharmacological means of pain management. In order to promote "normality" and "naturalness" at childbirth with minimal or no interventions and to enhance the birthing experience of women, it is now accepted that we need to revisit our intrapartum care practices, embrace a respectful and woman-centred birthing philosophy, utilise the appropriate clinical skills and tools, and adopt a new organizational model of midwife led care.

Key words: Birthing experience, Childbirth, Clinical effectiveness, Natural birth, Normality, Safety.