What every mom (and family) should know before the birth...this is a work in progress and hitting on the main topics.
What is my ideal birth situation?
It is difficult to make the rest of these important decisions until you and your partner sit down and discuss your desires for the birth of this baby. One suggestion is to sit quietly with no distractions and write down (or draw if your artistically inclined) what you imagine as your ideal birth scenario. Then take a look at our typical and generic birth preferences template…if you are not familiar with some of the topics or items – do a search and educate yourself on: methods of induction, comfort measures, fear and pain, drugs their effects on the baby and alternatives, electronic fetal monitoring and efficacy, skin to skin, breastfeeding, vaccinations and rooming in vs the nursery. You can also visit our resources page for recommended readings.
How to maintain flexibility in the birth “plan”
Creating a birth preference sheet a birth “plan” can be tricky! The ultimate plan should be to be flexible and have no major expectations. When putting together your birth "preferences", using language that is respectful and positive goes a long way when laying out your desires for your birth. Let the staff know that you respect their expertise and will utilize if it you need it…in other words “I am counting on my body to know exactly how to birth my baby – should I need help – I will ask” because if you DO need support you want them ready to act on your and your baby’s behalf. Be prepared to change your mind. You don’t know what you don’t know and things may change in those moments. You may consider having them release your waters after 20 hours of labor. Instead of “NO labor augmentation” you might consider “if my labor requires augmenting, I would like to be an active participant in the decision making process. Check out our generic birth preferences template.
Does my care provider (OB or Midwife) support my decisions?
We tend to spend more time planning our weddings than we do choosing the provider that will attend our births. A recent study shows that 70% of people do not seek a 2nd opinion. That seems to imply that we find a doctor (usually through our insurance manual or a friend’s referral) and then trust that person implicitly. It is more likely that you will get the birth you desire if you interview your care provider (the earlier the better) after deciding what your birth preferences are. It is never too late to switch to a provider who supports you! The birth of your baby is a life changing experience that you will remember forever.
See 10 Questions to ask your provider. Pose your questions to the “practice” not the individual doctor or midwife since there is a large possibility they won’t be the one who will be receiving your baby (“What is the position of the practice on epidurals…?” etc) and add to that: Will you receive my baby in whatever position I decide, even if that is hands and knees or squatting from the floor? That sometimes gets their attention…this can be a deal breaker for some providers.
Does my birth location (hospital or birth center) support my birth preferences?
This is just as important as choosing the care provider…I credit a friend and colleague for saying; “You don’t go into an Italian restaurant and ask for sushi”. There are many hospitals where ‘sushi’, i.e. natural birth options, isn’t on the menu! Sometimes hospital policy trumps what the OB or care provider can sign off on. Many of these road blocks are regarding care of baby after the birth. Such as: rooming in, vaccines and immediate skin to skin. Again, you have to decide what is a deal breaker for you. Once you have developed the birth preferences, it’s a good idea to take it up to your birth location and speak with their labor and delivery charge nurse and even their pediatrics department.
How can having a doula improve the outcomes of my birth?
A doula supports mom and dad during pregnancy, labor and breastfeeding. A doula provides physical, emotional and educational support for the mom and birth companion and is considered “the constant” during your pregnancy and birth. Being a part of an OB or Midwifery practice probably means that it is unknown who will be attending your birth…this is also true of hospitals with the nursing staff and shift changes. But you know who your doula will be! Visit our “What is a Doula” page to see what studies show as well as the DONA International short documentary The Essential Ingredient: Doula.
Does my doula support me unconditionally?
We usually become doulas because of our own experience and how ‘we’ think birth should look. But it is the family’s decision to have whatever birth experience makes them feel safe and empowered…that may not always be what the doula thinks is best. It is good to ask the doula many questions to get a feel for why she became a doula and what her core beliefs are surrounding birth…see our “interviewing doulas” page for more information. Will she not only “accept” your decisions but also “support” those decisions even if that means you decide to opt for a c-section? Unconditional support can be understandably difficult for some that truly believes that natural childbirth or homebirths are for everyone.
Informed Consent
Informed consent = making an educated choice based on full disclosure of the facts, risks and benefits, without coercion. You have the right to give informed consent for all procedures and interventions, no matter how minor.
The American Medical Association says: "Informed consent is more than simply getting a patient to sign a written consent form. It is a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patient's authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention..."
You have choices surrounding your birth! You have the right to change care providers or hospitals at any time during your pregnancy. You have the right to ask for a supportive nurse during labor. You can sign waivers to opt out of: constant or internal fetal monitoring, eye ointment for baby, baby’s 2-6 hour stay in the nursery, etc. You have the right to be a part of the decision making process regarding your treatment (even, and especially, in the event of an induction). 4 magical words “I do not consent”. Use them wisely and non-dogmatically for issues that are the MOST IMPORTANT for your family. Decide what is a deal breaker for you. See this link for more about informed consent. You have the right to ask questions.
Informed Consent Questions for Childbirth
What is my ideal birth situation?
It is difficult to make the rest of these important decisions until you and your partner sit down and discuss your desires for the birth of this baby. One suggestion is to sit quietly with no distractions and write down (or draw if your artistically inclined) what you imagine as your ideal birth scenario. Then take a look at our typical and generic birth preferences template…if you are not familiar with some of the topics or items – do a search and educate yourself on: methods of induction, comfort measures, fear and pain, drugs their effects on the baby and alternatives, electronic fetal monitoring and efficacy, skin to skin, breastfeeding, vaccinations and rooming in vs the nursery. You can also visit our resources page for recommended readings.
How to maintain flexibility in the birth “plan”
Creating a birth preference sheet a birth “plan” can be tricky! The ultimate plan should be to be flexible and have no major expectations. When putting together your birth "preferences", using language that is respectful and positive goes a long way when laying out your desires for your birth. Let the staff know that you respect their expertise and will utilize if it you need it…in other words “I am counting on my body to know exactly how to birth my baby – should I need help – I will ask” because if you DO need support you want them ready to act on your and your baby’s behalf. Be prepared to change your mind. You don’t know what you don’t know and things may change in those moments. You may consider having them release your waters after 20 hours of labor. Instead of “NO labor augmentation” you might consider “if my labor requires augmenting, I would like to be an active participant in the decision making process. Check out our generic birth preferences template.
Does my care provider (OB or Midwife) support my decisions?
We tend to spend more time planning our weddings than we do choosing the provider that will attend our births. A recent study shows that 70% of people do not seek a 2nd opinion. That seems to imply that we find a doctor (usually through our insurance manual or a friend’s referral) and then trust that person implicitly. It is more likely that you will get the birth you desire if you interview your care provider (the earlier the better) after deciding what your birth preferences are. It is never too late to switch to a provider who supports you! The birth of your baby is a life changing experience that you will remember forever.
See 10 Questions to ask your provider. Pose your questions to the “practice” not the individual doctor or midwife since there is a large possibility they won’t be the one who will be receiving your baby (“What is the position of the practice on epidurals…?” etc) and add to that: Will you receive my baby in whatever position I decide, even if that is hands and knees or squatting from the floor? That sometimes gets their attention…this can be a deal breaker for some providers.
Does my birth location (hospital or birth center) support my birth preferences?
This is just as important as choosing the care provider…I credit a friend and colleague for saying; “You don’t go into an Italian restaurant and ask for sushi”. There are many hospitals where ‘sushi’, i.e. natural birth options, isn’t on the menu! Sometimes hospital policy trumps what the OB or care provider can sign off on. Many of these road blocks are regarding care of baby after the birth. Such as: rooming in, vaccines and immediate skin to skin. Again, you have to decide what is a deal breaker for you. Once you have developed the birth preferences, it’s a good idea to take it up to your birth location and speak with their labor and delivery charge nurse and even their pediatrics department.
How can having a doula improve the outcomes of my birth?
A doula supports mom and dad during pregnancy, labor and breastfeeding. A doula provides physical, emotional and educational support for the mom and birth companion and is considered “the constant” during your pregnancy and birth. Being a part of an OB or Midwifery practice probably means that it is unknown who will be attending your birth…this is also true of hospitals with the nursing staff and shift changes. But you know who your doula will be! Visit our “What is a Doula” page to see what studies show as well as the DONA International short documentary The Essential Ingredient: Doula.
Does my doula support me unconditionally?
We usually become doulas because of our own experience and how ‘we’ think birth should look. But it is the family’s decision to have whatever birth experience makes them feel safe and empowered…that may not always be what the doula thinks is best. It is good to ask the doula many questions to get a feel for why she became a doula and what her core beliefs are surrounding birth…see our “interviewing doulas” page for more information. Will she not only “accept” your decisions but also “support” those decisions even if that means you decide to opt for a c-section? Unconditional support can be understandably difficult for some that truly believes that natural childbirth or homebirths are for everyone.
Informed Consent
Informed consent = making an educated choice based on full disclosure of the facts, risks and benefits, without coercion. You have the right to give informed consent for all procedures and interventions, no matter how minor.
The American Medical Association says: "Informed consent is more than simply getting a patient to sign a written consent form. It is a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patient's authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention..."
You have choices surrounding your birth! You have the right to change care providers or hospitals at any time during your pregnancy. You have the right to ask for a supportive nurse during labor. You can sign waivers to opt out of: constant or internal fetal monitoring, eye ointment for baby, baby’s 2-6 hour stay in the nursery, etc. You have the right to be a part of the decision making process regarding your treatment (even, and especially, in the event of an induction). 4 magical words “I do not consent”. Use them wisely and non-dogmatically for issues that are the MOST IMPORTANT for your family. Decide what is a deal breaker for you. See this link for more about informed consent. You have the right to ask questions.
Informed Consent Questions for Childbirth
- Is this an emergency, or do we have time to talk?
- We would like some time alone to discuss
- What are you seeing that tells you we need to go in this direction?
- What would be the benefits of doing this? The risks?
- Is the mother okay? Is the baby okay?
- If we do this, what other procedures or treatments might we end up needing as a result?
- What else could we try first or instead?
- Is there a more natural way to do this?
- What would happen if we waited an hour or two (a day or two, a week or two, etc.) before doing it?
- What would happen if we didn't do it at all?
- What are my legal rights/options?
- Can I have a second opinion?
Doulananda offers birth doula (professional labor support), post-partum doula services, HypnoBirthing Classes, Breastfeeding Classes and Childbirth Preparation classes in the following areas of Jacksonville, FL:
|
|
