Women today seem to fall into two categories where childbirth is concerned: medically managed or natural. The first group wouldn't think of delivering their babies any place but the hospital. The second sweetly chants, "There's no place like home."

At first glance, neither group seems to have much in common. But upon deeper consideration, one correlation can be made: Both groups deliver their babies into the hands of a birth professional: a doctor or a midwife.

Many people are surprised to hear about a small number of women in the natural childbirth group that hold such faith in the innate power of females to bring forth their young, they choose to birth alone – without a doctor or midwife.

"In an unassisted childbirth no one acts as a midwife," says Laura Shanley, author of Unassisted Childbirth (Bergin & Garvey, 1993) and the mother to four children born unassisted. "Instead, the birthing woman herself determines the course of her labor. Partners or friends may participate to varying degrees, but no one instructs the woman as to how to give birth, when to push, what position to be in, etc. Occasionally, suggestions may be offered but it is assumed that the woman giving birth is the true expert on her own body."

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