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There’s no one true and concise definition of the term, natural childbirth, but there is the agreement that the minimal use of traditional medical intervention is the basis of the term.

There are varying degrees of natural childbirth, some of which are initiated by choice alone while others incorporate guided assistance to one degree or another. The assistance may be the result of the mother’s wish or it could be the result of concerns for safety that arose during prenatal screenings of both mother and baby.

Throughout most of human history, natural childbirth has been the norm. Women gave birth at home, sometimes alone but sometimes with the help of a family member, midwife, and sometimes even with the help of a local physician. The options for controlling pain and circumventing any emergency medical issues were severely limited, however, leaving almost all babies born by natural childbirth methods.

Natural childbirth became a bit antiquated during the early 1900s, when hospital care became more available to the general American population. With the hospitals came drugs to reduce the pain and the suggestion of a higher degree of safety. There were extremes, however, including the complete sedation of a mother, leaving her unconscious during delivery and unable to assist. Babies born to unconscious mothers had to be forcibly delivered with forceps, which sometimes harmed the baby and left the mother badly, and painfully, bruised.

When choosing natural childbirth today, women have the choice of going entirely au naturel, without any pharmaceutical or medical intervention whatsoever. This completely natural way of childbirth can take place in a hospital, birthing center, or at home.

Many women begin the natural childbirth process with instructions to their attendant that, if medical necessity should dictate it, they’d like to receive appropriate pain medications and other interventions while remaining as true to the philosophy of natural as possible.

It usually happens that a woman opting for natural childbirth has been closely monitored during pregnancy and will choose this method of delivery only when there is no risk of complication to herself or to her baby.

One reason natural childbirth is becoming an increasingly popular method of delivery is the stronger bond between mother and child that many mothers report. They feel that by experiencing this very natural physiological process in as natural a state as possible, the connection begins and remains stronger.

There was a time when the miracle of childbirth was shrouded in mystery. As the delivery date approached, a woman was likely to be whisked away from family and friends and confined to a special part of the home, or another location entirely, in order to experience the delicacies of childbirth without generating any untoward disturbance to routine household functions.

Nowadays, however, the miracle of childbirth is much better understood by the general population and is no longer a secret process discussed in whispered tones and euphemistic words. In fact, today it’s possible to watch a childbirth video or two to become intimately acquainted with the entire process.

Some people choose to produce a childbirth video of their own deliveries. These make great keepsakes and document a very important time in family history.

Other people don’t want to wait that long. They prefer to watch a childbirth video or two during the pregnancy, as a way to prepare for their own baby’s birth. Such videos are great teaching tools for first-time mothers and fathers and can help a soon-to-be-born baby’s siblings understand a little more about the big event themselves.

As a teaching tool, a childbirth video can demonstrate the process to medical students and people training to become midwives much better than merely reading about the process can do. Something about the process makes many people squeamish and viewing a video of childbirth before actually witnessing one in person can calm the nerves and make the medical practitioner more helpful when needed.

Parents, too, can learn a lot from a childbirth video. The first time a parent, be it the father or the mother, experiences pregnancy and the impending birth of a child, questions will undoubtedly arise. Curiosity will become acute, even if the parent never achieves the comfort level of asking questions.

By viewing a childbirth video, many questions can be answered and the video can be viewed in the privacy of one’s own home, alone or in the presence of the child’s other parent. Watching a video of childbirth often opens the door for dialog in a way that reading or hearing about the process of childbirth cannot do.

Many women who choose unassisted childbirth find watching a childbirth video to be a very valuable factor in their decision. Watching the process unfold generates a more informed decision on the choice of the mother.

Unassisted childbirth is the deliberate delivery of a baby without the presence and intervention of someone trained in medicine or midwifery. The term does not apply to those births where a woman was unable to get to a medical facility on time or when an emergency unexpectedly disrupts a pregnancy.

When women choose unassisted childbirth as their first choice of delivery methods, they are often choosing this option under the belief that childbirth is one of the most intimate physiological events in a person’s life and is no reason for medical intervention. For these mothers, childbirth is a natural process, not a medical situation.

In most cases of unassisted childbirth in the industrialized nations of the world, a woman will seek prenatal medical care to determine her own and her baby’s health status, ruling out the likelihood of any complications which would warrant professional medical treatment at the time of delivery. Close attention is paid to the mother’s health, exercise, and nutritional intake throughout the pregnancy to better ensure a safe delivery at home.

Many couples choose unassisted childbirth as an extension of their commitment to each other as a couple. By working together to extend their marital bond through the birth of a family, a new dimension of intimacy is brought into the marriage.

Other couples choose unassisted childbirth because of the belief that medical intervention, with its instruments and drugs, causes more harm than benefit. These couples prefer to follow the natural, private process of delivery instead of giving birth in a more public delivery room, crowded with strangers.

Delivering a child in the comfort and privacy of one’s own home is another reason many women choose unassisted childbirth over a hospital delivery. Some people just don’t like hospitals and others prefer more personal space during this very intimate experience.

In Australia, the number of women choosing unassisted childbirth is on the rise, thanks to recent governmental policies that closed small maternity units scattered throughout rural Australia. Large, centralized maternity hospitals have been established instead in many of the country’s cities. The extreme distances that must be traveled by many Australian women to get to such facilities makes it almost impossible and certainly undesirable for a growing number of women who are choosing to deliver their babies in the comfort and convenience of home instead.

Lack of medical coverage for midwife services is another reason often given for choosing unassisted childbirth. The presence of a midwife brings comfort to many women choosing to deliver at home but the added expense can be prohibitive.

After nine long and anxious months of pregnancy, the process of child birth finally begins. The process takes place in three stages, each one very distinct from the others.

Active labor is the beginning stage of child birth although it follows a period often called the latent phase in which many expectant mothers feel painless contractions, called Braxton-Hicks contractions, of the uterus, which frequently begin around week 26 of the pregnancy.

These preliminary contractions can be confusing, especially to first-time mothers, and are often referred to as false, or practice, labor. They occur infrequently, do not initiate or speed up the child birth process, and they produce little if any pain. It is a common belief that an inadequate intake of water can lead to Braxton-Hicks contractions so it is important for all expectant mothers to drink plenty of water throughout the pregnancy.

Once the active stage of labor begins, however, there is no mistaking these contractions for those produced as Braxton-Hicks contractions. The accompanying dilation of the cervix produces a visual sign to the mother’s caregiver that child birth is imminent.

Women often claim to know actual labor has begun when their water breaks, meaning membranes surrounding the baby and placenta are ruptured as the baby presses down on the mother’s pelvic area. Not all women experience this “show” but other unmistakable signs of child birth quickly become apparent.

This part of the child birth process varies in time from both mother to mother and from child to child born to the same mother. The average length of labor for a first-time delivery is eight hours. It’s usually shorter, sometimes by half or more, for second and subsequent deliveries.

During the second stage of child birth, the actual delivery, the baby begins to emerge. The cervix continues to dilate to about 10 centimeters, or big enough to accommodate an emerging baby’s head. The head and shoulders are the largest part of a newborn baby and, in most births, this is the part of the baby seen first.

The final stage of childbirth, expulsion of the placenta, often occurs within the first 15 minutes after the delivery of the baby is complete. Breastfeeding a child as soon after delivery as possible helps to produce the uterine contractions that will expel the placenta from the womb.

After nine long and anxious months of pregnancy and spending the better part of the day with the process of child birth, the real fun begins. Now there’s a living, breathing human child to raise, to feed and clothe. To teach the ABCs, to send off to school. To teach to drive. To watch and worry about. For the rest of your lives.

Testicular cancer is a cancer that obviously forms on a man’s testicles, testicles are the egg shaped glands that are used to produce the male’s sperm as well as the hormone testosterone. Testicular cancer is more common among males between the ages of 15 and 39, being most common in the mid twenties. It is also common in males who have abnormal testicle development, men who have an undescended testicle. If you have a family history of cancer you are also more prone to testicular cancer. Eight to nine thousand cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed yearly; the risk of getting testicular cancer is about one in two hundred and fifty. Testicular cancer can easily be treated if caught early in its development, the longer it goes undetected and untreated the more damage can occur. It is advised to check yourself often for any possible signs of testicular cancer, and regular yearly check ups are also recommended.

Symptoms of testicular cancer include swollen, up to three times its normal size, in some cases a shrinking of the testicle can occur. An aching pain, tenderness or even a numbness of the testicle. If the testicle feels hard and rough, or bumpy it could also be a sign of testicular cancer. An ache in your lower abdomen or groin area that becomes frequent or long lasting can be a sign. Build up of fluid in the groin, testicle area, or notice blood in your semen, as well as a loss of sexual activity or withdrawal is another symptom. If you notice any of these symptoms as well as general feel worn and tired it would be a good idea to seek medical advice.

Treatment options for testicular cancer include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. All of which can help rid you of the testicular cancer especially if caught early on during its early stages of development. The main treatment for most cases of testicular cancer is removal of the testicle; this removes the cancer from your body to prevent spreading. Radiation therapy is also used if your testicular cancer is of the seminoma type; the way this treatment works is by use of a laser to destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy, which uses drugs to fight the cancer, may be another option, this also helps to fight off and spreading cancer and is sometimes used in conjunction with the other forms of treatment as a preventative measure. There is a chance of fertility in the methods of treatment so if you plan on having kids in the future it is recommended that you have sperm stored in a sperm bank for future use if the treatment does result in infertility.

There are many factors which can affect penis health. Maintaining good penis health is extremely important for the overall well being of the male. Most penis diseases and disorders are not caused by sexual activity. There are other reasons that can affect penis health.  Let us look at some of the major problems which affect penis health.

Priapism

This is a very painful condition effecting penis health in which the penis becomes erect due to blood filling in the tissues, but the blood does not drain off properly leaving the penis erect. Even orgasm does not offer relief from this situation and it can last from a few hours to a few days. It can be caused due to alcoholism, drug abuse, injury and blood diseases. Treatment mostly involves procedures to drain the blood in the penis. This can be achieved with medicines, externally using an injection and surgery in extreme cases.

Peyronie’s disease

One of the major causes effecting penis health, Peyronie’s disease can also be extremely painful. The disease results in the formation of a hard scar which causes inflammation and painful erection. As the disease progresses further, the penis begins to bend during erections as the flexibility of the skin in the area of the scar is nil. Treatment usually lasts for a few months. But in some cases, the treatment can extend for years. This affects the mental as well as physical make-up of the male. The physical distress caused by this disease also affects the man’s ability to perform during sex.

Phimosis

This is one of the most common diseases affecting penis health in males all over the world. This is a condition in which the foreskin is too tight and it cannot be pulled back over the glans to reveal the glans. It also has a related condition called paraphimosis in which the foreskin cannot return to its original position once pulled back.

Skin cancer is the second most common cancer in Britain today. Latest statistics state that an estimated 100,000 new cases of skin cancer are reported each year. Fortunately, most are completely curable forms of skin cancer and few turn out to be a serious disease. Our fact sheet below details what steps you can take to minimize the risk of skin cancer and examines the warning signs to look out for.

Skin Cancer Fact Sheet

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• There are three types of skin cancer: the two most common are Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinomas. They are easily treated and rarely fatal. The third and most dangerous is the malignant melanoma.
• Skin cancer is the second most common cancer in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 100,000 new cases each year, of which approximately 7,200 are malignant melanomas. About 1,700 people die from melanomas in Britain every year.
• Melanomas can spread two ways: horizontally, which gives rise to the superficial spreading melanoma, or they can grow downwards and the cells will invade the lymph glands, which is much more dangerous.
• There’s strong evidence that melanomas occur on sun-damaged skin and that people are particularly at risk when they have sudden, short bursts of sunlight on holidays in places where the sun is very strong.
• People most at risk from melanoma include those (1) with a high number of moles, (2) with red or fair hair, blue eyes, fair skin and freckles, (3) who tan with difficulty and burn in the sun, and (4) with a history of the disease in two or more family members.
• This form of cancer occurs mainly in the 40-60 year age group, but it can strike at any age. However, children are rarely affected.
• A tan is not a sign of health, it is a sign that the skin has been damaged by ultraviolet radiation. When cells are damaged by the sun, melanin rushes to the surface to provide protection against the next onslaught. As you slowly build up a ‘protective’ tan, your skin is darkening in response to damage on top of damage.
• Although melanomas can affect most parts of the body, the most common place for women to get them is on the legs, whilst in men, it is on the trunk, particularly on the back.
• Over the past 60 years, damage to the planet’s ozone layer has increased the amount of harmful radiation that reaches your skin.
• UV radiation is made up of UVA and UVB rays. UVA ages the skin and UVB burns the skin. Both can cause skin cancer.
• UV radiation is not felt as heat on the skin, so even on a cool and cloudy day, it may be just as high and just as damaging as on a clear and sunny day.
• If detected early, skin cancer has a 99% cure rate.

What types of skin cancer are there?
There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and malignant melanoma. The first two are slow-growing and easy to treat, but malignant melanoma is a dangerous, fast-growing cancer that spreads very quickly.

How common is skin cancer?
The official UK figures are 7,200 cases of melanoma a year and an estimated 100,000 cases of other skin cancers. The incidence of melanoma is increasing, probably because of increased exposure to sunlight but also due to better diagnosis. The figure of 100,000 other skin cancers is an underestimate because these cancers are slow-growing and often remain undiagnosed in elderly people. Roughly three out of every four non-melanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas and the other quarter are squamous cell carcinomas.

What are the risk factors for skin cancer?
For all types of skin cancer, over-exposure to ultraviolet light, from sunlight or sunbeds, is the main risk. Research into malignant melanoma suggests that over-exposure in childhood puts people at risk of getting melanomas later in life. There are several other things that increase the risk of skin cancer: having very fair skin that burns easily, having lots of moles (over 50) on your body, having had skin cancer before, your close relatives having skin cancer and being treated with anti-rejection drugs (ie after an organ transplant). Exposure to radiation or long-term exposure to chemicals such as coal tar, soot, pitch, asphalt, creosote, paraffin wax or arsenic, can increase your risk of non-melanoma skin cancer.

What are the symptoms of melanomas – what do they look like?
The majority of melanomas occur on the head, neck, arms and back � ie the skin exposed most to sunlight. Most of them are very dark or black, but they can sometimes be lighter brown or even speckled. The surface is usually raised and sometimes rough. They are not normally circular in shape, but some can be quite close to a circle. In their early stages, they often look like a mole, but with a ragged outline or different shades of colour in it. Sometimes, they appear to be a mole that is bleeding, oozing or crusty. However, the most important thing is that melanomas usually change shape or colour as they grow. Any spot that changes colour or shape should be reported to your doctor.

What do basal cell carcinomas look like?
The vast majority of basal cell carcinomas occur on the face. They start as a small, pink, pearly or waxy spot, often circular or oval in shape. As they grow, they become a raised, flat spot with a �rolled� edge and they may develop a crust. Next, they begin to bleed from the centre and an ulcer develops. This is called a rodent ulcer and, if left long enough, it can become quite large and eat away the skin and tissue below.

What do squamous cell carcinomas look like?
Squamous cell carcinomas are most common on the limbs, head and neck. They are pink and irregular in shape, usually with a hard, scaly or horny surface, although they can sometimes become an ulcer. The edges are sometimes raised. They can be tender to the touch.

How dangerous are skin cancers?
Malignant melanoma can be one of the most dangerous types of cancer. They all spread into nearby tissues, but some grow faster and spread further than others. If diagnosed late, treatment is not usually able to cure the cancer.

Squamous cell carcinomas also spread, but most of them spread so slowly that they are not very dangerous. Even the ones that spread more rapidly can be effectively treated as long as they are diagnosed reasonably early.

Basal cell carcinomas almost never spread, apart from the slow growth of the rodent ulcer itself. Even in advanced cases, treatment is almost always successful.

Does skin cancer run in families?
There are some rare, inherited skin diseases that make people highly sensitive to sunlight and much more likely to get any type of skin cancer. People inherit their normal skin type and skin cancer is more common in paler, freckly skin. In addition, there is good evidence that, if you have a close relative (brother, sister parent or child) with skin cancer, you have about twice the normal risk of getting that type of skin cancer.

What causes skin cancer?
Ultraviolet light � from sunlight or sunbeds � is the main cause of skin cancer. It can damage the DNA that makes up the genes in skin cells. The wrong type of damage to the wrong genes will make a cell become cancerous. There are three types of UV light, called A, B and C. UVC is filtered out by the atmosphere and does not get to our skin. UVB was originally found to cause sunburn and skin cancer, but more recently, it has been discovered that UVA can also cause skin cancer.

Can sun beds cause skin cancer?
UVB is known to cause sunburn and skin cancer, so most sunbeds were originally designed to produce UVA only. However, more recent research has found that UVA can also cause skin cancers. As a result, many modern sunbeds produce far less UVA, although others still produce very high levels.

Does sun cream protect against skin cancer?
UVB is known to cause sunburn and skin cancer, so sun creams were originally designed to block out only the UVB. We now know that UVA can also cause skin cancer and, these days, some sun creams block out a lot of UVA as well as UVB. However, the main concern is that, because sun creams prevent burning, they make people think they can spend much longer in the sun, which will definitely increase their risk of getting skin cancer.

How is skin cancer treated?
For almost all non-melanoma skin cancers and for early melanomas, surgery to remove the cancer and a small amount of surrounding tissue is all that is necessary. If a melanoma has spread, chemotherapy can be used, but it is not usually effective. After a melanoma has spread, surgery and radiotherapy can be used on the secondary tumours. This will prolong life but it is not a cure.

How effective are skin cancer treatments?
Surgical treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer is usually completely effective. For melanomas, if the tumour can be removed surgically before it has spread, the treatment is usually very effective. By removing more tissue around the tumour (the margin), the surgeon is more likely to remove the beginning of any spread and increase the chance of a cure. Once a melanoma has spread around the body, treatment is usually aimed at prolonging life as the chance of a cure is very small.

Is early diagnosis important?
Early diagnosis is absolutely crucial for malignant melanoma (see above) as treatments for advanced melanoma are rarely effective. However, for other types of skin cancer, early diagnosis is sensible, but not a matter of life or death.

• Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men, mostly between the ages of 20 and 35, although it can develop in boys as young as 15.
• Between the ages of 15 and 50, about 1 man in every 500 will develop this problem.
• The incidence of testicular cancer has risen by 70% in the last twenty years. Doctors are baffled as to why this is.
• It is still quite rare with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. If current trends continue, however, this figure will rise.
• In Europe the highest incidences are observed in Denmark, Ireland and Norway, and the lowest in Finland and Spain. Worldwide, Japan, India, South America also have low incidences. The cause of testicular cancer and the reasons for its different rates of occurrence in different countries is unknown.
• The most significant risk factor is un-descended testis with 10% of patients having a history of this condition.
• Testicular cancer can have a strong genetic component. First degree relatives (brothers, fathers or sons) of testicular cancer patients have up to a 10-fold increased risk of developing this disease.
• The first cancer gene implicated in testicular cancer was located by an international collaboration of scientists, including The Institute of Cancer Research, the Cancer Research Campaign and Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
• Scientists do not know what percentage of cases are caused by an inherited genetic susceptibility, but some estimates put the figure at as high as 30% of all cases.
• We know very little about the detailed or molecular mechanism of development of testicular cancer. More work is required to isolate the key cancer genes involved in this process.
• Most (more than 90%) of testicular cancers can be cured if caught at an early stage. Even when these tumours spread they can still be cured in over 80% of cases and large volume tumours can be cured in 50% of cases. Recent work from The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital on an intensive schedule has shown that with this new treatment, even in this worst group 80% of patients can now be cured.
• Testicular cancer normally presents itself as a lump in the testicle. Regular examination of the testicle can, in most instances, detect testicular cancer at an early stage but neglect can lead to presentation with advanced cancer. Detection and treatment of testicular cancer is helped by the detection of chemicals in the blood (markers) which are found in a large proportion of patients with testicular cancer.
• The Institute was responsible for the development of carboplatin, a new drug which has been successful in treating early testicular cancer. Treatment for testicular cancer may be very intensive, but most patients cured of Testicular cancer have no long-term side effects from treatment. A small proportion of patients will become infertile after chemotherapy treatment. Other side effects of treatment are uncommon but may include damage to the nerve endings, hearing, spasms in the blood vessels and possibly an increased risk of heart disease in the future. There may be a small increased risk of developing other cancers. The risks of these problems are fewer if the cancer is treated earlier.

How common is testicular cancer?
Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men, mostly between the ages of 20 and 35, although it can develop in boys as young as 15. Incidence has risen by 70% in the last twenty years, with about 1,600 cases a year in the UK.

What causes testicular cancer? Is there anything I can do to reduce the risk of developing it?
We are still investigating the causes of testicular cancer and do not know of any treatments that could prevent it. The most important thing is to check your testicles regularly to detect any changes in their shape or size. The most significant risk factor is un-descended testis at birth with 10% of patients having a history of this condition. Testicular cancer can have a strong genetic component, with brothers, fathers or sons of testicular cancer patients having up to a 10-fold increased risk of developing the disease.

How is testicular cancer diagnosed?
Testicular cancer can be diagnosed through regular self-checking of the normal size and shape of your testicles. When these have altered in some way, it is important to consult with your doctor. Please note that most lumps are benign (non-cancerous) and no operation is necessary.

How is testicular cancer treated?
Testicular cancer can be treated by surgery, by radiotherapy or by chemotherapy. In some cases these treatments are combined. The most straightforward and safest way of dealing with a cancerous lump is to remove the testicle.

Can a man diagnosed with testicular cancer make a full recovery?
More than 96% of testicular cancers can be cured if caught at an early stage. Even when the tumour spreads, the cure rate is over 80% (people with large volume tumours have a 50% cure rate). Treatment may be very intensive, but most patients cured will have no long-term side effects from treatment. A small proportion of patients will become infertile after chemotherapy treatment. Other side effects of treatment are uncommon but may include damage to the nerve endings, hearing and poor circulation. There may be a slightly increased risk of developing other cancers. The risks of these problems are lessened if the cancer is treated early.

Will the operation affect my sex drive and will I still be able to father children?
Once you have recovered from the immediate effects of the operation (it can be sore for a few days afterwards) you should be able to have sex as normal. In most circumstances, one testicle is sufficient to produce sperm to father children. If additional treatment is required following surgery, your fertility can be affected and you will always be offered sperm banking before this treatment commences. Being diagnosed with cancer can be stressful and this can affect the level of performance for some men. If this is the case, please consult with your doctor.

How will it look, after the operation?
Following the surgery you may not look very different to how you were before the operation especially if you have a prosthetic testicle inserted. You will have a small scar in your groin, although the scrotal area itself will be little changed.

Will I lose my masculinity?
This is a common worry for men with testicular cancer. Masculinity is due to the testosterone hormone that is produced by the testicles. In the majority of men one testicle can produce enough testosterone to support your masculinity. Occasionally if the remaining testicle has been damaged, your doctor can recommend replacement testosterone therapy to maintain this aspect of your life.

How do I carry out a self-examination?
We recommend this is done after a warm shower or bath when the scrotal skin relaxes. Support the scrotum in the palm of your hand and become familiar with the size and weight of each testicle. Examine each testicle by rolling it between your fingers and thumb. Gently feel for lumps, swellings, or changes in firmness. Remember each testicle has an epididymis at the top which carries sperm to the penis. Don’t panic if you feel this – it’s normal.