360° Motherhood Evolution

What Are Hospital Procedures in Birth?

Below is a list of medical procedures commonly applied in most hospitals — not just in European countries but on other continents as well. You might think they’re just “standard protocols,” but the truth is that many of them are implemented automatically, without explanations and without your real consent.

⚠️ Important note:

The information in this article is provided strictly for educational and informational purposes. It is not medical advice and does not replace professional consultation. I am not a doctor and do not hold a medical degree — I am simply sharing what I’ve learned through personal experience and individual study.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to discuss any concerns or decisions with your doctor, who knows your specific case and can give you the best recommendation.

The purpose of this article is to offer you clarity and the courage to ask questions and make informed decisions.

I gently encourage you to ask the hospital or maternity clinic you’ve chosen — whether public or private — what procedures they usually perform.

Why is it important to find out?

- So you won’t be caught off guard.

- So you won’t be faced with a done deal.

- So you’ll know you can say NO.

- So you won’t come out of birth with trauma.

- So you won’t end up telling the same sad story you hear everywhere today.

When you know what are the procedures for, when it’s justified and when it’s not, you become the architect of your own story. You have a voice. You have options. You’re no longer at the mercy of the system. The excuse so many women use — “I didn’t know.” or “It just happened to me.” — won’t become your story.

But what does a truly natural, unmedicated labor actually look like?

Before we talk about interventions, I want to show you what birth looks like when nothing is being done to interfere.

♡ Labor starts on its own, in your body’s own rhythm.

♡ Contractions come gently, in waves, gradually increasing in intensity.

♡ You’re at home or in a safe space, where you feel private and comfortable.

♡ You move freely, choose your own positions, drink water, eat if you need to.

♡ Your cervix dilates gradually, and your body produces exactly the hormones it needs.

♡ You go to the bathroom when you want, change positions, and make whatever sounds feel natural.

♡ Natural oxytocin flows, love expands, and your body and your baby work together.

♡ No one rushes you. No one stands between you and your baby.

♡ Birth happens — it’s not something that’s done to you.

♡ You hold your baby in your arms. You meet. You look into each other’s eyes. Or your baby simply dozes off peacefully beside your heart, just like they did in the womb.

♡ You wait for the placenta with your baby on your chest. They have time to initiate breastfeeding, to search, to smell, to connect. To latch properly, with your gentle guidance.

♡ The umbilical cord is cut only after it turns white.

♡ There is presence. Wonder. Deep relaxation. Falling in love.

♡ Then the placenta is born — often with just the help of a small “cough.”

That’s what an undisturbed physiological birth looks like, in broad strokes.

Too simple? That’s exactly how it should be. That’s what you should be hearing in everyone’s birth stories.

I recommend the digital book “Positive Associations and Practical Exercises for a Pain-Free Birth,” coming soon, where I explain in detail what happens in each stage of birth, how to navigate them, the preparation exercises, and when to use them.

Natural birth vs. vaginal birth

Let’s clarify the difference between a natural birth and a vaginal birth, because it’s important — and often overlooked in everyday conversations. The terms get mixed up, misused, and thrown around carelessly, and people end up arguing simply because they don’t share the same definition of the words.

Natural birth

Refers to an undisturbed physiological birth, where labor and delivery unfold:

- without unnecessary medical interventions (induction, oxytocin drips, episiotomy, invasive monitoring, etc.)

- at the woman’s own pace

- with full respect for the natural hormonal process (oxytocin, endorphins)

- in an environment that supports privacy, safety, and psychological comfort

It’s the closest to what the body was naturally designed to do.

Vaginal birth

Simply means that the baby is born through the vaginal canal — but that doesn’t automatically make it natural. It may include multiple interventions such as:

- labor induction

- artificial rupture of membranes

- oxytocin drips

- epidural anesthesia

- episiotomy

- continuous monitoring

- imposed pushing positions

In most cases, this is a medicalized birth.

✅ So: All natural births are vaginal, but not all vaginal births are natural.

The Complete list of medical interventions

Here is the full list of medical interventions that can negatively impact your birth story — along with how to understand them, how to avoid them, and how to stay in control of your body and your birth.

What should every woman know?

— You can refuse any medical procedure. Legally, no intervention — whether done to your body or your baby — can be performed without your informed consent, meaning you must first understand what it is, and then choose to say yes.

— There’s no such thing as a mandatory “this is how we do things” unless there’s a real emergency. Every intervention can be discussed, delayed, or declined. You can ask for clear explanations (“what does that mean?”), say “not now,” “in a bit,” “I need time to think,” or “I do not consent.”

— Your body knows how to give birth. In the absence of complications, labor, birth, and placental delivery can all unfold naturally — in your own rhythm.

— Your baby has the right to stay with you from the very first second — without being automatically separated for procedures that can wait.

— Cord cutting, vaccines, formula feeding, medical tests, or the first bath are not emergencies — they can be postponed, discussed, or refused.

— Most procedures are standardized, not personalized. That’s why your awareness and your clearly expressed wishes are the key to experiencing a conscious, safe birth — without regrets.

How can you avoid them?

If your pregnancy is perfectly healthy and you want a completely natural birth, with no interventions at all, the safest way is to:

— Make sure your doctor is pro natural birth, not just pro vaginal birth

— Discuss your birth plan clearly with your doctor, explicitly stating which procedures you accept and which you don’t

— Choose a private hospital that supports natural births

— Refuse any form of induction and state clearly that you choose to wait for labor to start naturally

— Spend as much of labor as possible at home and go to the hospital as late as you safely can

— Stay firm during labor and calmly refuse any unnecessary suggestions or pressure

And don’t worry — if there’s ever a real emergency, they will act, no matter what you previously said.

Chronological list of medical interventions

Here’s a chronological list of the most common procedures applied in hospitals — before labor starts, during labor, and after birth:

Before Labor (Pre-induction)

1. Membrane sweeping – inserting a finger into the cervix and gently rotating it to separate the membranes, promoting the release of prostaglandins; can trigger labor within 48 hours

2. Balloon catheter (Foley) – a catheter inserted into the cervix and inflated to mechanically open it

3. Prostaglandins (misoprostol, dinoprostone) – vaginal/oral medication used to soften and ripen the cervix

4. Artificial rupture of membranes (amniotomy) – “breaking the waters” using a small hook to accelerate contractions

5. Intravenous oxytocin (Pitocin) – used for induction or to intensify contractions

6. Other complementary methods – acupuncture, sound stimulation, castor oil, exercises – with varying effectiveness

During Labor

7. Enema (“rectal cleansing”) – often offered or imposed right after hospital admission under the pretense of “hygiene”; not mandatory, has no proven benefit, and can disrupt labor through discomfort or stress

8. Repeated vaginal exams – frequent checking of cervical dilation, often every few hours

9. Fetal monitoring (CTG) – external or internal monitoring of the baby’s heart rate

10. Monitoring contractions and vitals – according to protocol (e.g., every 30 min during active labor)

11. Imposed positions – especially during pushing

12. Restrictions on water, food, and bathroom use

13. Artificial rupture of membranes (amniotomy) – done during a vaginal exam with a small hook; meant to “speed up” labor but may intensify contractions and increase infection risk; not always necessary and can be refused

14. Episiotomy – a cut in the perineum to facilitate birth

15. Assisted delivery: vacuum or forceps – used if labor is prolonged or complications arise

16. Augmentation with oxytocin – used to intensify contractions if progress is slow

17. Fundal pressure (elbow in the belly) – strong pressure applied to the mother’s abdomen, sometimes with the elbow, to force the baby or placenta out; highly invasive and often done without consent, can be traumatic

18. Placenta management – immediate artificial oxytocin, cord pulling, uterine massage (pressing or aggressively massaging the uterus), or waiting for natural contractions to expel the placenta

After Birth (Immediately and Later)

19. Clamping and cutting the umbilical cord – immediately or after 1–3 minutes, depending on protocol

20. Measuring and weighing the baby, first procedures – vitamin K shot, vaccines, neonatology checks

21. Bathing and intense cleaning – sometimes too early; delayed bathing is recommended

22. Temporary separation (neonatal room) – baby is later brought for breastfeeding

22. Mother’s care – stitching episiotomy/tears, pain relief, bleeding and blood pressure monitoring

23. Formula feeding without consent – in some neonatal wards, formula is given automatically without informing the mother, even if she plans to breastfeed; this can interfere with breastfeeding and bonding

These procedures don’t all happen at once, but in many hospitals, they follow a seemingly “normalized” sequence — starting from the moment you enter the maternity ward and continuing after birth.

What women must know is that one intervention often leads to the next — like a domino effect. Once you say yes to the first, the others tend to follow automatically, often without anyone asking again if you agree.

Where do the procedures take place?

Here’s where each stage of hospital birth typically unfolds and what procedures are commonly done in each space:

Emergency Room / Triage

– this is where you arrive first:

- Vaginal exam to check cervical dilation

- Fetal monitoring (CTG straps on the belly)

- Sometimes artificial rupture of membranes

- Weighing, questions about your pregnancy, sometimes a COVID test

- They decide whether to “keep” you or send you home

Labor or Pre-labor Room

– if you’re not in active labor yet:

- Repeated vaginal exams every few hours

- Periodic fetal monitoring

Sometimes prostaglandins or balloon catheter are applied

Delivery Room

– when you’re fully dilated or labor has been “sped up”:

- Imposed positions

- Movement, food, and fluid restrictions

- Intravenous oxytocin (augmentation)

- Episiotomy, vacuum, or forceps

- Fundal pressure (pushing on the abdomen) for expulsion

After Baby Is Born

– still on the delivery bed:

- Placenta management (oxytocin, cord pulling, uterine massage)

- Cutting the umbilical cord

- Sometimes the baby is taken away immediately

Each of these rooms has a different role in the process — but many interventions happen as you move from one space to the next. Being aware of where things happen helps you stay more informed and better prepared.