Caption

Newborn baby. A midwife examines a newborn baby after a natural home delivery. The mother is seen lying on her bed alongside another child, both recovering from the birth experience. The midwife is putting her finger into the baby's mouth to check the suckling response. Natural childbirth involves the avoidance of unnecessary medical intervention during the delivery of a baby. The major difference of natural childbirth is the use of relaxation techniques to cope with pain and thereby minimise the use of drugs during labour. Couples attend classes some months before the birth to learn these techniques. Photographed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.