"..A magic dwells in each beginning..."
("Steps", Poem, Herman Hesse, 1941) [1]

Childbirth, also known as labor, delivery, partus, or parturition, is the end of pregnancy with the expulsion of the fetus from a woman's uterus. The process of normal childbirth is categorized by the expulsion of the infant through the birth canal (cervix and vagina). In a Caesarean section, the removal of the neonate happens through a surgical incision in the woman's abdomen, rather than through vaginal birth. [2]

Normal pregnancy lasts 260 to 290 days. Before (spontaneous) birth, dilating pains set in and shortly afterwards the water breaks. [2] A normal birth takes between three to 18 hours and can be categorized in three stages of labor: the latent phase, the fetal expulsion and the placenta delivery. During these phases, the mother can lose up to 500ml of blood. [3] [VAGINAL BIRTH]

The miracle of birth often goes unnoticed in the hectic daily routin of a hospital. The mother-to-be and the unborn child are monitored all around the clock and every birth progress is recorded. Many obstetricians question whether a "normal" or "natural" birth is possible under these circumstances. The birth pang, which is considered a part of birth by modern medicine, is seen as symptoms of stress and fear by leading experts. They demand that the well-being of mother and unborn child has priority and that birth can be experienced as a natural process which is as old as humankind itself. [4]

Further Links:
Childbirth: All or Nothing, BBC documentary, 2014 (Trailer)
Gerechte-Geburt - Initiative für eine gerechte Geburtshilfe in Deutschland, Film Clips - Reports - Documentations (Website)