We want you to thrive on this journey to motherhoos, and we have developed a special approach to care around your unique needs as a first-time mother.

Mother and baby experts from our hospital have shared their knowledge and expertise with others in the Sutter Health network to provide you with the best possible care. Together, we have established quality guidelines based on the experiences of more than 20,000 first-time mothers across our network and drawing upon scientific evidence of best practices for healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. As part of this effort, we have compiled the following information about childbirth and created these “First-Time Mothers Delivery Tips,” to recognize and support this magnificent time in your life:

For Early Labor

Because you have never experienced labor before, you may find it difficult to know if you are in labor. Before heading to the hospital, call your physician or midwife to discuss your labor symptoms.

It is common for first-time mothers to make more than one trip to the hospital. If you are in early labor (cervix is less than 3 centimeters) and sent home, the following activities may be helpful: walking, showering, resting, drinking fluids, renting a video, listening to music, etc.

Once you are in active labor, literature shows and we have found that admitting a first time mother to the hospital at this time is best for helping labor progress with minimal interventions and having a vaginal delivery. In active labor, the contractions are less than 5 minutes apart, lasting 45 to 60 seconds and the cervix is dilated 3 centimeters or more.

Although inducing labor may be needed for certain medical problems or prolonged pregnancies, induction for a first-time mother carries additional risk. Induction of labor for a first-time mother, (especially with a cervix that is nearly closed), doubles or triples the length of labor and possibility of a Cesarean birth. However, in subsequent pregnancies, the chances for a Cesarean delivery after induction are lower.

Comfort and Pain Management

Pain is a natural part of labor and every woman is unique in the level of pain she can tolerate. Women also have varying success with the kind of activities or interventions that can help decrease their labor pain and increase their comfort. Described below are three types of activities and interventions: comfort measures, medication and regional anesthesia.

Comfort Measures
There are several effective approaches to pain relief that every woman should try throughout labor. Any of the following approaches with which you feel comfortable can be used during your labor:

• Keeping a restful environment in your labor room (quiet, low lighting, soothing music). Carefully select support people for a calm environment
• Walking
• Water therapy (e.g., shower or tub)
• Sitting or leaning on a birthing ball or rocking chair
• Using various positions (e.g., all fours, sitting on the toilet, kneeling, squatting, pelvic rock) and supporting with pillows if necessary
• Massage/back rubs by support person
• Effleurage (light massage of abdomen)
• Having your partner or a support person rub a tennis ball over your lower back
• Applying warm or cold compresses
• Using relaxation/breathing techniques
• Prayers or religious ceremonies
• Guided meditation using calming imagery

Using several comfort techniques is an excellent way to involve first-time partners in supporting and working with you in the childbirth process.

Medication
For some women, as labor progresses and contractions become stronger, or they get too tired to cope, comfort measures no longer provide enough relief. Pain medications are commonly used at that point, and your physician or midwife will explain the benefits of each type and will help you select the appropriate medication that is safe for you and your baby. You may want to discuss medications in advance of labor with your doctor or midwife.

Medication may not totally eliminate labor pain, but can help ease it so you can better rest and cope with the discomfort. Continue to use comfort measures that help you relax as much as possible between contractions. Except in early labor, the most commonly used medications are short acting, minimizing the effect on the baby. For some women, no other medications are necessary to help cope with labor pains.

Regional Anesthesia (Epidural, Spinal or Intrathecal Medications)
If you reach a point in active labor that comfort measures and/or medication are no longer giving you adequate pain relief, your physician or midwife may order regional anesthesia to provide stronger pain relief. The anesthesiologist inserts a needle in your lower back to administer regional anesthesia. The goal of regional anesthesia, especially after your cervis is completely dilated, is to reach a balance between easing your feeling of pain and still feeling the urge to bear down to actively participate in delivering your baby. The various methods of regional anesthesia are discussed in the section on medications. Talk to your physician or midwife in advance of labor about regional anesthesia, and tour the hospital in order to find out what types of regional anesthesia are available.

Episiotomy

• Over the last ten years, the national trend has been to avoid routine episiotomies, only performing the procedure when necessary. What used to be a national episiotomy rate of 60 to 80 percent for first-time mothers has decreased to less than 20 percent.

• The main concern is that the episiotomy will extend into the rectum during delivery. This may lead to greater problems with bowel control (loss of gas or stool) both short and long term. Twenty years ago, the teaching was that episiotomy might prevent these problems. We now know that is not the case and episiotomy appears to actually increase the rate of these problems.
• For your first delivery, you are encouraged to discuss with your physician or midwife (and their partners if in a group practice) at one of your last prenatal appointments, or when you are in early labor, their use of episiotomies.
• Close to 70 percent of women will have a natural tear with the birth of their first baby, usually involving less tissue and trauma than an episiotomy.

Pushing

• Also known as the second stage of labor, pushing starts sometime after the cervix is completely dilated (10 centimeters).
• It is important to wait for the natural urge to bear down before starting active pushing. For years, women have been encouraged to push by “holding your breath and push as long and hard as you can.” Research has suggested that a woman’s spontaneous urge to push occurs 3 to 5 times during a contraction while the woman is exhaling and bearing down. If you use an epidural, you may be encouraged to rest until you have the sensation to push. Women who receive epidural anesthesia for labor may have difficulty pushing, especially if the strength of the anesthetic numbs the sensation to bear down. The practice of “delayed pushing” while waiting for the baby to passively come through the birth canal is currently being studied in women using epidurals as an alternative to routine pushing at 10 centimeter
• There may be circumstances, such as having a strong regional anesthetic, or an arrest of labor, where you may not feel the urge to push. In the event of such a circumstance, you will be assisted with pushing.
• Upright positioning of sitting, squatting or standing allows gravity to help you push.
• Allowing the baby’s head to gradually stretch the tissue at the outlet of the vagina (perineum) will reduce the risk of a significant tear. Delivering on your side is associated with fewer significant tears.
• During second stage labor, your uterus pushes the baby down the birth canal (passive descent).
• Perineal massage (gradual stretching of the vaginal and perineal tissues) from 36 weeks on has been associated with fewer perineal tears. Ask your physician or midwife for information on perineal massage.
• If your obstetrician or midwife is concerned about you or your baby’s health, he or she may opt to shorten the second stage of labor by using a vacuum extractor or forceps on the baby’s head (performed by the physician). These procedures rarely cary a health risk to you or your baby.
• The breathing techniques used for pushing vary and depend upon what works best for you

Breastfeeding

• It is important to put the baby to breast 30 to 60 minutes after birth.
• Within the first hour of life, your baby is most alert and interested in nursing. Your baby is eager to meet you and needs the colostrum (initial fluid from your breast) for energy and protection against infection.
• After the first 1 to 2 hours, your baby will become sleepy and more difficult to nurse.

[tags]baby delivery, baby delivered, childbirth, first time mother tips, how deliver a baby, baby delivery process[/tags]

Why bother going through the process of giving birth vaginally when you can have a planned caesarean section? Increasing numbers of women today appear to be subscribing to this view. Maternal request for delivery by caesarean section is reportedly on the increase and has been blamed, in part, for the continuing rise in the caesarean section rate.

photo credit: maria mono

The level of maternal request is a controversial issue. The National Sentinel Caesarean Section Audit report notes that studies report rates of maternal request ranging from 1.5 per cent to 48 per cent. Much of the variation is due to unclear definitions of ‘maternal request’ and whether there was also a supporting clinical indication.

But the use of ‘maternal request’ as a reason for carrying out surgery is a nonsense, since it simply indicates who instigated the decision. Clinical indications are not, after all, lumped together under ‘obstetric preference’. Until audits standardise the terminology and sub-divide ‘maternal request’ into the underlying reasons why women prefer to undergo surgery, serious debate of the issue will be hampered.

Regardless as to the actual level of maternal request and the methods used to quantify it, there is no denying it is very much an issue of our time. The amount of media coverage and the frequency with which ‘maternal request’ is cited as a barrier to the reduction of caesarean rates, demonstrate that this issue is of concern to a great many, both in the childbirth world and our society as a whole.

Why has caesarean delivery apparently become more popular?

Some women consider caesarean delivery more advantageous and more in keeping with the 21st century because:

• A caesarean is a modern way to have a baby, involving the use of technology. Modern technology features highly in our daily lives. We are at ease with it and find it reassuring. The latest and most up-to-date technological equipment is much prized and sought after in all areas of our lives.
• A caesarean is a medical operation. Birth is currently seen as a medical event as it usually takes place in hospital. Is a caesarean operation not therefore a logical conclusion to pregnancy for women of this millennium?
• A caesarean can be scheduled. Few of us can get through a day in our modern world without a watch and a diary. Our daily lives are ruled by time and by carefully planned appointments. Choosing the date of the baby’s birthday has considerable appeal in this context for some women. We have become accustomed to leading our daily lives in a way that pays little heed to the natural flow of events. For example, modern technology allows us, in many respects, to disregard the divisions of night and day or the seasons of the year.
• A caesarean is quick in comparison to most labours. We live in an age when the quicker something can be achieved the more advantageous it is perceived to be - whether this is making a cup of instant coffee, washing the laundry, travelling from a to b, or sending a communication. In our society time is money.
• A caesarean is perceived as pain-free. The operation is carried out under anaesthetic and therefore there are no pains of labour to be endured. The “wake me up when it’s all over” scenario appeals to many women.
• A caesarean avoids the need for a baby to make the journey through the birth canal. Many women worry about how something as large as a baby could possibly fit through such a small opening. Some women fear the baby may be ’squashed’ and damaged in the process.
• A caesarean is clean. The antiseptic nature of the operating theatre is very different from the physical exertion of labour. No sweat and tears. The mess of amniotic fluid and blood is dealt with out of sight. Urine is catheterised. There are no lumps of poo emerging from the rectum, pushed out by the baby’s head as it journeys down the vagina. Is this not more in keeping with our aseptic society?
• A caesarean is clinical - and therein perhaps lies its biggest attraction. Planned caesarean birth avoids the necessity for the many probings of the vagina, which have become routine during what is termed ‘normal’ birth today. A woman can more easily maintain a degree of professionalism and detachment in her relationship with her carers since the private areas of her body are left unmolested and unsullied.

With these advantages in mind, does caesarean delivery not fit rather well with the ethos of our society in this new millennium? The problem is, however quick, clean and convenient caesarean delivery may be considered, it also has its disadvantages:

• The most obvious being the post- operative recovery period. Contrary to popular perception, delivery by caesarean section is far from an ‘easy’ option. Caesarean mothers are never able to jump off the operating table and get straight back to normal.
• The operation itself may be completely pain free but the post-operative recovery period rarely continues to be so. There is, of course, a range of painkillers to help mothers through the first few days, but even so moving around, handling the baby and going to the toilet, all present their own difficulties and have to be tackled slowly and carefully. Those diary appointments have to wait.
• Caesarean mothers can also find they need to break wind more often. Post- operative wind may also cause discomfort and pain in the abdomen and elsewhere in the body - even in the shoulders - due to pockets of air being trapped.
• There is also the scar; usually a horizontal cut of about 5-6 inches (12- 15cms) is made just below the pubic hairline. The upper portion of pubic hair is shaved and can often be itchy as it grows back. Not an easy area to scratch, especially with the presence of a tender scar!
• In our society many of us are dependent upon our cars for transport. Insurance companies may not cover caesarean mothers for up to six weeks following the operation. Mothers may not, in any case, feel physically strong enough to control a vehicle, especially in an emergency situation.
• Many household chores may be difficult or impossible for caesarean mothers for some weeks after the birth. These can include: changing duvet covers; vacuuming; lifting heavier objects (laundry baskets, toddlers); carrying something as light as a newborn baby up and down stairs; stretching up to reach high cupboards or peg out washing.
• If this is not a first baby, a caesarean mother will find it difficult to pick up or cuddle her other children. There is also a longer hospital stay, commonly around five days, meaning a longer separation from her family, which can be problematic.
• Some unlucky caesarean mothers suffer post-operative infections (In UK hospitals around 20 per cent of mothers en dup with totally new infections - for caesarean mothers the risk is even higher). Depending on the type, severity and response to treatment, these can sometimes be quite distressing and can slow the recovery rate quite considerably.
• And then of course there are the risks. Caesarean section is major surgery and complications can occur. Mothers die very rarely these days, but the risk of maternal death is higher with caesarean section than with vaginal birth, as is the risk of needing a hysterectomy. Scar tissue or adhesions may cause long- term pain, bowel obstruction, infertility or miscarriage and may make repeat surgery more difficult. Caesarean mothers are also at increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, placenta previa and placenta accreta in subsequent pregnancies.
• A caesarean is not without risk to the baby either. Babies are occasionally cut by the surgeon’s scalpel. Babies who are born by caesarean section have a higher incidence of respiratory problems both at birth and in adult life.
• Perhaps a caesarean is not quite as practical a solution to the problem of bringing a baby into the world as it might at first seem. But even women who are well informed of the realities of caesarean birth maintain a preference for this form of delivery. Why have we reached the point where women are prepared to face the risks and inconveniences of major abdominal surgery in order to avoid giving birth to their own babies?

There are many very good reasons for having a caesarean section and with a little forethought and planning the operation can indeed be a wonderful experience. There is also no denying that a positive caesarean section is infinitely preferable to a traumatic vaginal delivery.

But what too many have lost sight of, is that even the best caesarean can never hold a candle to a good experience of giving birth to your baby yourself!

According French researchers, premature babies are more entering childhood with learning difficulties and developmental problems. More than a third of children born before the seventh month of pregnancy are disabled, and the degree of disability rises the earlier they are born.

A study of 1,800 infants born before 33 weeks of gestation found a higher prevalence of disabilities including cerebral palsy, delayed language skills, perceptual problems, behavior disorders and learning difficulties than in a group of children born at 39 to 40 weeks of gestation in the same region. Such resources were used by 42% of children born at 24-28 weeks but 31% of those born 29-32 weeks - compared with only 16% of those born at 39-40 weeks.

photo credit: MikeBlyth

The so-called Epipage study then looked at the children when they were five years old, checking their physical health and tests of their memory and understanding.

The studies then divide disabilities as minor, moderate or severe. Rates of disability were highest amongst those born before 28 weeks, with 49% - where 195 babies affected. However, the actual number of children with disabilities was higher in the group born between 29 and 33 weeks with 441 babies affected - or 36%.

Similar pattern was seen when researchers looked at use of specialist health service such as physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy or day centers for the most-severely disabled.

Here are disabilities details:

• The children were all assessed for cognitive skills according to the mental processing composite (MPC) scale, a benchmark that is roughly equivalent to IQ. As they grow older, children with cognitive deficits will have difficulties at school and will need help or special education
• They were also checked for hearing or visual problems and for walking with or without an aid.
• Among children born very pre-term, five percent had severe disability, nine percent had moderate disability and 25 percent minor disability. Cerebral palsy was diagnosed in nine percent of children in this category.
• In the reference group, severe disability was found in 0.3 percent of children, moderate disability in three percent and minor disability among eight percent.
• Between 13 and 21 percent of children born at 24-28 weeks had an MPC of 70 or below, compared to only three percent in the reference group, where the MPC averaged more than 106.
• Special healthcare resources, such as physiotherapists, speech therapists, neurologists and day-care centers, were used by 42 percent of five-year-olds born at 24-28 weeks and by 31 percent of those born between 29 and 32 weeks.

It has surprised me to find that over 11,500 babies were born at under 33 weeks’ gestation in England and Wales. The study also said between 1.1 and 1.6 percent of babies in Europe today are born before 33 weeks gestation. France itself, almost 10,000 infants are born before 33 weeks, Numbers show that it’s extremely high.

We will still need more research on what interventions could help children’s learning and understanding as they develop. Preventing such disabilities and unlocking better ways to treat children with the disabilities, are essential.

Please comment if you have dealing with this problem. I hope I will find premature babies good news soon…

Tags: pregnancy, premature babies, premature babies development, babies

The concept is not new or it rather “rebirth” of birthing philosophy that exist thousands years ago. Recaptured by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician, the method teaches you that in the absence of fear and tension, severe pain does not have to accompany labor. In this calm state, endorphins — naturally occurring chemicals in the body that can relieve pain — replace the stress hormones that contribute to pain.

Hypnobirthing includes a major focus on many techniques used in hypnotherapy to relieve fear. It integrates factual information on the childbirth process along with hypnosis. Expectant mothers will understand of how the birthing muscles work in perfect harmony–as they were designed to–when your body is sufficiently relaxed. Hypnobirthing participant will also learn how to achieve this kind of relaxation, free of the resistance that fear creates, and will learn to use your natural birthing instincts for a calm, serene and comfortable birthing.

photo credit: Taz etc.

For Hypnobirthing pros, the process teaches women to transform pain sensation so that it feels like something else. They will be conversant and in good spirits–totally relaxed, but fully in control. They believed that the healthiest way to deliver a baby is to be very relaxed and allow the body to do it. Once labor begins, it has its own momentum and mom really doesn’t need to do much of anything.

Couples will learn the technique by taking between four and six classes, starting after the first trimester of pregnancy. Hypnotherapist will helps the woman get into a trance-like state, where expectant woman fully conscious of what her body is doing. By this way, hypnobirthing believe creates a strong bond between the couple as well as between the mother and her baby.

Debbie Wagner, a clinical hypnotherapist in Bellevue, Wash., has taught hypnobirthing to hundreds of expectant mothers since the early 1990s.”I have had great success with it,” she tells. “Many women have told me that they had a sense of control that wasn’t present [in previous births] after using hypnobirthing.”

Quote from WebMD, some experts warn that hypnotism may not be enough to help everyone endure the powerful pains of labor. Yvonne Thornton, MD, PhD, a senior perinatologist at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York, says that she would counsel women to think long and hard before they decide to try hypnobirthing or any other method of drug-free delivery.

“If you really want to have a drug-free birth, you have to be committed to the program or technique because if you are not really committed, it’s a farce,” she tells WebMD. “Some people have a fairy-tale idea about the true nature of labor, but it is painful. It is one of the most painful crisises that the woman has to endure.”

For more information on hypnobirthing, call the HypnoBirthing Institute

Tags: hypnobirthing techiques, Hypnobirthing

photo credit: sean dreilinger

You should consider some factor when you choose where to deliver. In common, peoples put the risk factor at the top rank before they decide. Here is an article about where to deliver based on pregnancy risk factor

In general, your choice will be linked to your care provider. The majority of physicians take care of women in a hospital setting, where most birth in the US take place. Midwives also take care of women in a hospital setting, although they also deliver babies in birthing center.

Hospital Birth
Three potential advantages to choosing deliver in a hospital.

First, if you are among the 30-40 percent of women over 35 who require a cesarean delivery, there will be no need for you to be moved from home or the birthing center. Although most cesarean deliveries are not urgent, in which case the delay will not cause you or your baby any harm, in an obstetric emergencies, time can be of the essence.

photo credit: Mwesigwa

The second advantage is that you will have more pain control options. Although many first time mothers wish to avoid epidural analgesia, you may not know what type of pain relief you want until you are actually in labor. If you are highly motivate to avoid an epidural analgesia, freestanding birthing centers and home birth are geared toward supporting you with out pain medicine.

A third advantage is that a hospital birth may be safer if you have significant medical problems such as diabetes or blood pressure problems, which may affect you or your baby. It is also safest to deliver in a hospital if you’ve’ had a cesarean section previously, because of the small risk of the uterus rupturing.

Birthing center or home birth
If you are having a normal, healthy pregnancy, the risk to you and your baby of delivering in an alternative setting is low. For women who have strong preferences about the use of oxytocin or continuous fetal monitoring delivery at a birthing center may increase their chances of avoiding these interventions, In addition, because epidural analgesia is not usually available you are likely to receive more intensive labor support for your pain. While some believe that delivering in a frec standing birthing center will reduce your likelihood of a cesarean delivery or episiotomy, your care giver’s practice style is probably a more important determinant than where you deliver.

Getting the Most from Your Prenatal Care
The most important principle in choosing a care provider is to find someone you feel comfortable with. Ask questions early on about things that are important to you for example, the rates of episiotomy, cesarean delivery, and forceps or vacuum delivery. When thinking about your caregiver’s cesarean delivery rate, be aware that interpreting cesarean delivery rates is very complicated, even for statistical experts. Physicians who care for higher risk patients are likely to have very high cesarean delivery rates, which are explained by the high• risk nature of their patient population. However, in low-risk patients, recent studies suggest that either too high or too low cesarean delivery rates may indicate a problem.

Your care provider’s philosophy about pain control in labor is also important. Unless you share his or her view, avoid a care provider who has strong feelings about what type of pain control you should select in labor.

Tags: baby delivery, where to deliver a baby, baby delivery costs

How often do women experience the “baby blues”?
Approximately 50% to 75% of all new mothers experience some negative feelings or mood swings after the birth of their child.

When do the “baby blues” occur?
Often the symptoms of “baby blues” will occur suddenly within four to five days after the birth of the baby.

What are the symptoms of “baby blues”?

• Crying for no apparent reason
• Impatience
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Anxiety

• Fatigue
• Insomnia (even when the baby is sleeping)
• Sadness
• Mood changes
• Poor concentration

What causes the “baby blues”?
The exact cause of the “baby blues” is unknown at this time. It may have to do with the hormone changes that occur during pregnancy and again after a baby is born. These hormonal changes may produce chemical changes in the brain that result in depression.

How long do the “baby blues” last?
The symptoms normally last for a few minutes or a few hours each day for only a few days. The “baby blues” should disappear within ten days after delivery.

How can you take care of yourself?
There are several different ways that you can care for yourself if you are having the “baby blues.”

• Talk with someone that you trust about how you are feeling.
• Maintain a well balanced diet. Having a new baby may cause you not to eat correctly, and too many simple carbohydrates can make mood swings more pronounced.
• Keep a journal of all your thoughts and feelings.
• Take time to exercise. Maintaining an active lifestyle with moderate exercise can help manage symptoms of depression.

It is important to remember that you are not alone in your feelings. If your symptoms last longer than ten days it could be an indication of a more serious condition, such as postpartum depression, and would require that you consult a healthcare provider.

From : American Pregnancy Association

Tags: Baby Blues Symptom, Birth, Woman Depression, Baby Blues, Postpartum Depression, Baby

A birth plan is a simple, clear, one-page statement of your preferences for the birth of your baby. Having a copy for every person involved in the birth will help each person understand each other and work out communication issues before the big day. Because there are so many aspects of birth to consider, it is best not to wait until the last minute to create your plan. You will want to discuss it with those who will support and care for you.

Try to remember to be flexible, because deviations may be necessary. You will also want to remember the goal: a safe birth of your little bundle of joy. Keeping the goal in mind, the following step-by-step guide will help you create your birth plan.

Compile Considerations:
Find out ALL the routine policies and procedures for “mommy care” in your birth setting. If you do not agree with something that is a routine part of birth at your particular setting, you may want to talk further with your health care provider. As you learn about the typical care provided, you will realize areas you want to mention in your plan.

You may want to consider one page for an uncomplicated birth/postpartum and a second page about how to handle complications should they occur. The following list of questions may seem overwhelming, but now is the time to think them through. If a question does not pertain to you, cross it off the list, then prioritize the ones that mean the most to you.

• Who do you want to be there?
• Do you want a Doula?
• Will there be children/siblings present?
• Do you want mobility or do you wish to be confined to a bed?
• What activities or positions do you plan to use? (walking, standing, squatting, hands and knees)

• Would you prefer a certain position to give birth?
• What will you do for pain relief? (Massage, hot and cold packs, positions, labor imagery, relaxation, breathing exercises, tub or Jacuzzi, medication)
• How do you feel about fetal monitoring?
• How do you plan to keep hydrated? (sips of drinks, ice chips, IV)
• Do you want pain medications or do you want to avoid them? Do you have preferences for which pain medications you want?

• Would you like an episiotomy? Or, are there certain measures you want to use to avoid one?
• What are your preferences for your baby’s care? (when to feed, where to sleep)
• Do you want a routine IV, a heparin/saline block, or nothing at all?
• Do you want to wear your own clothing?

• Do you want to listen to music, and have focal points?
• Do you want to use the tub or shower?
• For home and birth center births, what are your plans in case of hospital transport?
• If you need a cesarean, do you have any special requests?

Consult Health Care Provider:
Most of the time, health care providers have a set routine of how things are done. They have been trained and they want what is best for the birth as well. However, they may or may not be welcoming of your birth plan. They might feel it is a list of demands, or that you may be setting yourself up for failure and disappointment if everything doesn’t go precisely as planned.

Keeping in mind that every birth is different and that a “normal” birth may have a wide range of definitions; use wording like “birth preferences,” “our wishes for childbirth,” “as long as birth progresses normally,” or “unless there is an emergency.” Make an appointment with the labor and birth area of your hospital or birthing center to have staff look over your plan and provide feedback and suggestions. Kindly request to spend time in an empty birthing or labor room to get a feel for where you will be and what you might want to add to your packing list, like extra pillows, pictures, music.

After this step you will feel more confident about your birth plan and have greater confidence in your choice of birth location.

Confidence & Control:
During childbirth, many women feel like they are loosing control. A birth plan helps you to feel confident, in control as much as possible and helps you feel part of the decision making, even if unexpected events occur.

Try to plan for the unexpected by using phrases like, “If a cesarean becomes necessary…” During birth, if you feel pressured to comply with something you are unsure of, ask if this is an emergency situation; ask if you can have more information on any alternatives and time to think about it. See if they can check back with you in a little while.

The Power of Positive Thinking:
Try to have your birth plan focus on the positive, instead of a list of what you don’t want. Use words like, “We hope to” or “We plan to” or “We anticipate.” Try not to use phrases like, “We don’t want” or “We want to avoid.”

Here are some examples:

“Regarding pain management, I have studied and understand the types of pain medications available. I will ask for them if I need them.”

“Regarding an episiotomy, I am hoping to protect the perineum. I am practicing ahead of time by squatting, doing Kegel exercises, and perineal massage. I would appreciate guidance in when to push and when to stop pushing so the perineum can stretch.”

“Immediately following the birth, I plan to keep the baby near me. I would appreciate the evaluation of the baby be done with the baby on my abdomen, with both of us covered by a warm blanket, unless there is an unusual situation.”

From : American Pregnancy Association

Tags: Birth Plan, Preganancy, Birth, Baby