Active birth has become a philosophic approach to birth. An active birth is instinctive. It involves giving birth quite naturally and spontaneously through your own will and determination, having the complete freedom to use your body as you choose and to follow its urges.
Active birth is an attitude of mind.
It involves acceptance and trust in the natural function and involuntary nature of the birth process, as well as an attitude or appropriate positioning of your body. An active birth could also be described as one in which the woman is empowered to give birth using her own resources and abilities. In simple terms, a person is empowered when they take control over what happens to them. When upright, the mother's body is in harmony with the downward pull of gravity. Less effort is demanded of the uterus.