Posts Tagged ‘labor and delivery’
Do’s and Don’ts in Labor & Delivery (a.k.a. Getting What You Want, Kindly)
Birth plans. Epidurals. Natural Childbirth. Doulas. Induction. Cesareans. And more… The list of decisions about birth goes on and on… More women are becoming dissatisfied with the status quo in American maternity care, and are asking for something outside the norm for the hospital where they plan give birth. Naturally, this might make for some…
Read MoreWriting Your Own Birth “Plan”
A birth plan has more than one purpose. It begins as a value clarification exercise, then becomes a communication tool with your care provider and ultimately a guide of needs and desires during labor, delivery and postpartum. Even if your birth location does not ask for birth plans, it is a good idea to write…
Read MoreLow Intervention Birth Plan
A birth plan has a few real purposes. It can act as a values clarification exercise for you and your partner. Then it is a vehicle to open communication with your care provider about your needs, desires, wants for labor, birth and postpartum. What you want and need matters. A brief one page plan with…
Read MoreCould this be labor?
For first time mamas, previously induced mamas or those who have loads of prodromal labor, getting a handle on the nuances of when labor is going to start or if it is lasting labor can be really confusing. There is no way to know exactly when labor is going to start, but there are many…
Read MoreGrateful For My Birth(s) Carnival
I am so thankful to all of the submissions I received for this Why I am Grateful for my Birth(s) blog carnival. I have found no matter what a woman can learn something and be grateful for something in every birth experience no matter how difficult or wonderful. Enjoy these quips and please go to…
Read MoreGrateful For My Births
Focusing on Thanksgiving, I asked others to submit a “Why I am Grateful For My Birth(s)” blog post. In the spirit of that, here is my own blog posting. Stay tuned for the Carnival of posts to be up by Thanksgiving morning. I myself have had four varied labors and births, one of which could…
Read MoreWhy Childbirth Education?
I sit here and ponder Why childbirth education is important?. I am an educator because I think it can be a vital piece to the preparation puzzle prior to welcoming a baby. I use the word “can” versus “is” due to the fact that all educational offerings are not created equally. It is known that…
Read MoreWhat’s a doula to do?
There is such a deep chasm and fracture within the doula community regarding in-hospital and out-of-hospital birth. On the one hand there are those who say anything goes in supporting women and their choices. On the other, there are those who say no doula should support a woman in the hospital environment because it is…
Read MoreThe Best isn’t Better. Usual is where It is at.
There has been much ado surrounding the language of breastfeeding being normal and usual versus the best for baby and mother in great thanks to Diane Weissinger. It is so valuable to recognize that while we all desire to be the best, we often hit the normal everyday averages in life. We are comfortable reaching…
Read MoreThat Pesky Due Date
Women and babies are not made with a pop out button like some Thanksgiving turkeys indicating being done. That pesky due date becomes such great topic of debate. It can lead to unnecessary interventions (such as induction, provider change because of regulations or cesarean), emotional unease (I am broken, this baby is never coming, I…
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