I am also the mother of four children, all of whom were born at home without the help
of doctors or midwives.
For use during birth, the book offers proven techniques for coping with labor pain without drugs, a discussion
of the doctor or midwife's role, and a look at the father's responsibilities.
Some women are going on the recommendation
of their doctor or midwife.
Giving birth is one of the hardest things you'll ever do, and you don't want to be fighting for your choices or second - guessing the motives
of your doctor or midwife while you're in active labor.
Using the WONDER database for the year 2000 (the same year Johnson and Daviss collected their data), I plugged in the following variables: all babies who died within 27 days of birth, born in the hospital, who were at least 37 weeks gestation, with a known attendant type (type
of doctor or midwife).
It can be intimidating for many women to go into their antenatal appointments and to ask a number of questions
of their doctor or midwife.
We expect a certain level of medical care during childbirth and when the standards
of the doctor or midwife slip, the effect of a birth injury can be devastating for mother and child.
Not exact matches
It should not be used as a substitute for the advice
of a medical professional (
doctor or midwife).
There's more information on how to prepare siblings for the birth
of a new baby over on babyReady where they suggest: make a game out
of the kinds
of strange noises that you may make when you are in labour, try not to make too many changes to your child's routine close to the delivery, let your older child open the baby's gifts, and take your older child to your
doctor (
or midwife) visits, and more.
Before you begin any kind
of exercise during pregnancy, it is always important to check with your
doctor or midwife.
It's good that medical care and trained professionals now exist and give mums the option and ability to take advantage
of the medical care, but to do a complete U-turn so that ALL women should be forced to have medicalised births attended by
midwives or doctors, is damaging and unfair.
It is interesting to learn that women are willing to go to the extreme
of an unassisted birth for something like a VBAC when a licensed
doctor or midwife could attend to her.
Your
doctor or midwife will offer you a range
of tests during your pregnancy that can help determine whether your baby has Down syndrome and other conditions.
Practice Guidelines for California Licensed
Midwives Best Practice Guidelines: Transfer from Planned Home Birth to Hospital Citizens for Midwifery Home Birth Facts Canadian Medical Association Journal: Outcomes
of Planned Home Birth Solace for Mothers: Informed Consent Questions to Consider when Interviewing a
Doctor or Midwife
Your
doctor or midwife has a variety
of tools that they can use at various points in pregnancy.
Of course, there are the required people in the delivery room: mom - to - be (obviously), a nurse
or two, the
midwife or doctor, and...
While this is certainly important, there are some things that you can do to get more out
of your prenatal care and to help build a strong relationship with your
doctor or midwife.
If going slowly and a bit
of time doesn't seem to help never hesitate to ask your
doctor or midwife about potential causes.
At 40
or 41 weeks
of pregnancy, you may begin to see your
midwife or doctor every few days.
Using a gloved finger, the
midwife or doctor separates the membrane that connects the amniotic sac to the wall
of the uterus.
If you experience your water breaking before the start
of labor, call your
midwife or doctor to discuss your symptoms.
I'm sure there is stress, at times, between
midwives and
doctors, but I haven't personally seen any instances
of conflict
or lack
of professionalism.
Also, when she was talking about birthing mothers being elemental forces, which is probably from Spiritual Midwifery, she was not speaking as a
doctor or really even a
midwife, she was speaking as a student
of nature; she's a hippie (duh!)
Some
doctors and
midwives only allow a trial
of labor after cesarean if labor starts naturally by 38 (
or 39, 40
or 41 weeks.)
You will also have private time to talk to the
midwife or doctor and conduct other portions
of your care.
In the event
of complications arising, a natural birth may not be possible and the
doctor or midwife may recommend alternative methods including a caesarean section.
Dozens
of stories
or women,
doctors and
midwifes allowing babies to starve, sometimes to death, due to ignorance and pride.
In some cases, a
midwife or doctor may recommend you have a caesarean section; this is usually the result
of an existing medical condition
or a problem which may cause a natural birth to be particularly painful
or difficult.
You will be able to discuss the advantages
of VBAC with your
midwife or doctor if your last baby was delivered by caesarean.
After around six weeks, your body should have recovered and you can start to think about exercising and losing weight if you want to; you should ask your
doctor,
midwife or health visitor for advice as your individual situation may affect the intensity and type
of exercise you should do.
If you are concerned about lack
of movement, don't hesitate to call your
doctor or midwife for reassurance.
By placing hands at certain areas
of your abdomen, your
doctor or midwife may be able to tell what position your baby is in.
If you are one
of those unlucky women who continue to suffer with nausea and vomiting well into their second trimester, you should ask your
doctor or midwife what will help bring some relief.
At your next prenatal appointment, your
doctor or midwife may want to perform an internal vaginal exam, to check your cervix for signs
of dilation and effacement.
Better yet, talk to your
doctor or midwife and discuss the pros and cons
of each method at your next prenatal check - up.
You should check with your
doctor or midwife, however, if you are at risk
of premature labour
or have any pain
or bleeding during pregnancy.
Sometimes those areas need to be avoided completely because
of complications, when recommended by your
doctor or midwife.
By feeling your baby from the outside
of your belly, your
doctor or midwife may be able to feel your baby's head, back and even bottom.
One plus
of unassisted birth, she adds, is that «you can still have traditional prenatal care with a
doctor or midwife, even if you choose to birth on your own.»
The
midwife or doctor might be able to scrape it off the surface
of the water, and often times any meconium that is on the baby will come off in the water.
Advocates
of home birth believe that labor and delivery can and should happen at home, but they also stress that a certified nurse -
midwife or doctor should attend the birth.
In addition to your part
of the labor, the
midwife or doctor will also monitor your baby's heartbeat and check for signs
of fetal distress.
Many hospitals,
midwives, and
doctors may also ask you to wait to enter the water until you are 5 cm
or more dilated in the period
of active labor.
If none
of those things are an your wish list, your options are to either chose a
midwife or a
doctor and birth at one
of the area hospitals.
- Slow labor: if your labor is progressing too slowly,
or has stopped, your
midwife or doctor might encourage you to get out
of the tub and move around the room.
More often than not, the
midwife or doctor will not climb into the tub with you, but instead will monitor you closely from the edge
of the tub.
Testing at home is in addition to a proper test by a
doctor or midwife, not instead
of it.
When your baby is finally born, the
midwife or doctor will ensure that the baby is lifted out
of the water gently and in the right position so as to keep the baby from breathing in any water.
These places offer to the expectant mothers a family environment, where they motivate them to have a 100 % natural birth without the help
of pain relief, and mothers can be assured that they will be under the care
of certified professionals, such as
midwives or nurses, as well as having a
doctor on call in case
of eventualities
or complications.
At each
of your now - weekly visits, your
doctor or midwife will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position.