Trying to prepare for having a baby can feel a little overwhelming with all the information (or lack thereof) out there. Here are 5 things your doctor might not tell you about giving birth that will get you thinking about your options and what kind of birth you want.
Doulas are a great support.
And undervalued in our area.
A doula is a professional trained to provide emotional and physical support to a woman and her partner during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. They can help you with relaxation techniques, provide emotional support, and —perhaps most importantly— help you advocate for yourself during birth.
Learn more: Here’s a great article from Evidence Based Birth that goes in depth on doulas.
You don’t have to give birth in a hospital.
Despite the fact that women have birthed at home for thousands of years and it was still more common than hospital birth up until the 1930s, current culture portrays hospital birth as the “traditional” way. But giving birth at home can provide a more relaxed and intimate setting. It allows you to have more control over the process, and home birth midwives often provide more personalized care than the typical busy OBGYN. This option is safe for low-risk pregnancies and has similar or better outcomes compared to hospital births. Birth centers can also be a great alternative.
The best person to talk to if you’re curious about homebirth is a midwife. Many offer free consultations and can answer all your questions.
Sidenote: Don’t assume you would be too high risk for a home birth based on your doctor’s criteria. With my surprise 5th pregnancy, I knew I would be “high risk” at my old doctor due to my age alone. (37 isn’t geriatric, don’t get me started.) Preferring not to spend my entire pregnancy butting heads, I reached out to a midwife. I did have some other concerns and after discussing them thoroughly, she reassured me that I wasn’t too high risk. She told me if I listened to her, she believed I could safely give birth at home. I did everything she said and it was my healthiest pregnancy and birth.
You don’t have to get an IV.
Standard procedure for most hospitals is to place an IV shortly after a Mom arrives. But during a normal, uncomplicated birth, an IV may not be necessary. You can consent to a hep-lock, which gives staff easy access to a vein should an emergency arise, or you can simply refuse. (Note: If you are planning for an epidural, your hospital may require you to receive a certain amount of fluids via IV first.)
You can (and should) move around during labor AND you don’t have to give birth lying on your back.
Walking, rocking on a birth ball, relaxing in a birthing pool, letting warm/hot water run on you in the shower, hanging onto your partner while they support most of your weight, sitting on the cold toilet (always one of my favorites). Moving your body and trying different positions can help labor progress, as well as manage pain.
Standing up, sitting down, squatting, hands and knees, lying on your side. You can give birth in whatever way feels best to you. It doesn’t have to be lying down with your feet in stirrups. (My own preference in the hospital was sitting straight up with the back of the bed at 90° and my legs in the stir-ups and/or being held by my people.)
Ideally, you’ll be able to move around freely in labor. There are so many positions that can help make labor and delivery easier. Experiment to find what feels most comfortable for you.
So, there you have it. This list of things your doctor might not tell you about giving birth is by no means comprehensive. I hope reading it has given you some things to consider for your own birth experience!
Are there other things you’ve found doctors often don’t mention but Mamas-to-be should know? Comment and let me know!
Curious about the photography in this post? Head over to my birth photography page to learn more.
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