Unless proven otherwise, in most cases the pregnancy is normal and healthy, followed by a healthy birth. In other words, what I love most is a birth that does not require medical intervention, but takes place safely in a hospital setting…
The birth picture that I am trying to draw is an environment where the mother and father-to-be are together but alone, away from unnecessary and tiring crowds – which may consist of both family members and medical personnel – where no one enters the room unless necessary, and even I stay away from time to time in order not to disturb their privacy. The birth environment we tried to create based on the motto  ‘You cannot give birth in an environment where you cannot make love’ is really possible, even if it is a hospital room, a couple who brought family scents, music, lights, candles, and set up an environment away from external stimuli like in their bedrooms.. Expectant mother and father in there, who welcomed the contractions with great peace…
Is it necessary to go to the delivery room? Do we have to leave our private room? Do we have to go elsewhere? Do others have to enter our birth too?
Let’s come to the medical questions.. Do you have to open an episiotomy? Do I have to have a continuous serum and intravenous line in my arm? Do I have to stay in bed all the time? Do I have to be constantly bedridden for NST withdrawal? Do I always have to have a vaginal examination by health personnel I do not know?
The answer to all these questions can be no… and remember that we have the answers; in you and me. If there is a point in the medical process that needs to be intervened, of course I am the person to intervene, I am here to do everything in my power to protect you and your baby. However, it is possible for you and your partner to make all non-medical decisions. Also, walking and moving during childbirth is not just a matter of permission, it is absolutely necessary, I think. Taking a shower to use the soothing effect of the hot water, or even using the water birth option in a birthing pool whenever the possibilities allow, standing and walking in the shower, squatting or using a birth ball are all excellent possibilities.
We generally take this approach, as it is scientifically just as safe to  ‘Intermittent monitoring’, i.e., checking at regular intervals during labor instead of constantly monitoring due to NST.
One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘Will the episiotomy be performed?’ Another is ‘Do I have to lie on my back while pushing?’; I tell my patients that episiotomy will be done in very rare cases, when there is an emergency and at a point where the baby needs to be delivered quickly (if I think it will take longer to get a cesarean section), but we should not forget that all possibilities are for us and every option is included in the delivery package.
For the position while pushing, any position where the perineum can be protected is suitable. Many women prefer to lie down when they start to get tired. However, we often help them to push by lying on side, sitting, squatting, on all fours or even standing, and we ask which position they are most comfortable in during the whole process and let the mother decide. Every option, every possibility, every method is possible for us. As long as we choose the one we are most comfortable with, let’s find the most suitable one. A pleasant birth journey, a life-long miracle awaits us…