The birth of a child can be painful, but a new mother soon forgets the pain because of her joy a child has been born. First-time expectant couples have many concerns and one of those is what to expect during their child's birth. For expectant moms and dads who want to preview the many styles of labor and delivery, there are many childbirth videos available online.
The Miracle of Childbirth
Many couples who are expecting their first child take childbirth classes that offer a video during class time the group views. However, you can watch the miracle of childbirth in the privacy of your own home. Below are several that will give you a sampling of what you can find online.
Water Birth
Many people feel a water birth is gentler on the baby and less stressful for the mother.
All-Natural Hospital Birth
In a hospital that is a birth center, pregnancy and birth is considered a natural and healthy process.
Cesarean Section Birth
Some cesarean sections are planned, others are done when the unexpected problem arises, but almost one in three babies are born by C-section.
Delivering Identical Twins
Birthing twins is similar to giving birth to a single baby, times two. About one-third of all twins are born vaginally. Vaginal deliveries usually require an epidural for pain relief.
What to Expect
One of the great things about childbirth videos is that you can select different aspects of the birthing process that most interest you, from epidural placements and the stages of labor to the placenta delivery and recovery. You can also choose videos that showcase different ways to induce labor and breathing techniques.
If you find a video that demonstrates a particular relaxation technique you'd like to try during your own delivery, this is the perfect time to use the video for practice. In the privacy of your own home, you can check out different breathing techniques and practice right along with the women in the video. You'll also see how the technique works for them. It's almost like a "test drive" for delivery.
More Childbirth Videos
There are hundreds of childbirth videos online you can watch on a webpage or download to your own computer. Here are a few great places online where you can find birth videos to get you started.
Babycenter.com
Babycenter.com, the online version of Baby Center magazine, has a video center. Just scroll down to "Giving Birth," and you'll find videos that include c-sections, induced labors, breech babies, twin deliveries, and more. One of interest is Lisa and Rob's Epidural Birth. In this video, a laboring mom is given an epidural, her pain eases within 20 minutes, and the delivery is painless.
A Baby Story
A Baby Story is a TLC series that allow viewers to get the know the family and their plans for labor, then follows them through the actual birth and the first weeks of their new life. TLC is a free service with your TV subscription. There are TLC Go apps, and it's also included on Amazon Prime.
BirthBootCamp.com
The creators of birthbootcamp.com say birth videos are an important aspect of childbirth education. They include 11 in their all-time favorite birth videos. These are videos of natural birth, and there's even one that shows a breech birth. However, your favorite is likely to be the sweet outdoor water birth of Henry, where mom gives birth surrounded by all her animals.
Videoofbirth.com
Videoofbirth.com warns some videos are graphic, but here you'll find videos that represent many styles of birth. These videos span everything from natural water births to c-section. Among the most interesting are moms telling their birth stories and a video that chronicles 10 Lb. Jonah's unassisted home birth.
YouTube
Just Google "childbirth on YouTube" and you'll find plenty of interesting and appropriate videos from families chronicling the birth of their child on YouTube. Like most YouTube content, some videos are highly produced and professional looking, while others are shot by a happy, excited dad in the delivery room.
Your Own Birth Video
Many people like to capture the first moments of their baby's life on film. Perhaps in your excitement, you'll even want to post it online. However, before you do, take a moment to decide if you're really okay with putting such personal information out for everyone to see. You may also need to get permission from anyone who appears in the video before you broadcast it. If you decide to keep your video private, you'll still have a wonderful keepsake to share with your child as he or she gets older.
