Waiting for Baby

Waiting for Baby

When you find out you're pregnant one of the first things you'll want to know is when is my baby due? It's natural to want to know and part of the fun of pregnancy is imaging your baby growing. This is an important time.

Your Dr. will tell you an "Expected Date of Confinement" or EDC... you are given a specific date and you want to mark it in your date book. You tell your relatives and everyone starts planning. But what does this "date" really mean? Your baby will come sometime between the 38-42 week of your pregnancy. It's a guess with 2 weeks on either side of the date Dr. gives you. Does it matter. Nature offers your baby time to mature and each day gives your baby more strength and maturity. Each day the brain grows and matures. The entire body gets stronger. Your body also is getting ready for birth. You will notice that the baby gets heavy and your pelvic bones may feel achy, like everything is getting ready for birth, which it is! Plan for your baby but let the baby tell you when he/she is ready. Many scientists believe the baby has a major part in labor starting. It seems to be a combination of many factors. In nature a baby is born when it is ready. Interfering with the time of birth can cause problems. The baby may be sleepy, unable to nurse effectively, he may have trouble breathing. The baby born even a few week early may be less mature and less ready for life outside the womb.

There is no way to predict exactly when someone will go into labor. It's one of life little mysteries. Your body will give you some hints though. In the last weeks of pregnancy you'll find braxton hicks contractions may come more often, your hips hurt more, you're just more tired. The early signs of labor are usually subtle and mostly you won't notice much, but you're body is preparing for the wonderful work of birth.

When labor begins to get more noticeable; your contractions start getting closer together, they last longer then and hurt more. You start thinking this might be the real thing. Stay where you are most comfortable. Your own home is the perfect place to be in early labor. At home you can make yourself comfortable in your own surroundings. If you want to go for a walk, sleep, or have a snack you can.

During pregnancy the hormone oxytocin is produced. It rises naturally during your pregnancy and is responsible for the uterine contractions of labor. It is also called the love hormone. This hormone is responsible for many body responses including the strong contractions of labor but also the feelings and contractions you feel when you make love, or the warm loving connection you feel around family or dear friends. It is a complex system but simple in its responses.

When your labor is started artificially you are in the hospital. The nurse will start an IV . The medication used is often pitocin , an artificial oxytocin. It works on the uterine muscle and stimulates uterine contractions. You'll have to be on the fetal monitor continuously. You'll be in a strange environment. Both you and your partner will be spending a lot of your time just waiting. The contractions during an induction are noticeably more uncomfortable then normal labor. The nurses will be turning up the induction medication regularly in order to get strong contractions. Your more likely to need pain medication earlier which will mean being confined to bed and more monitoring.

Lamaze has written about letting labor begins on it's own.

There are times when an induction is needed. If a woman's blood pressure is dangerously high, or an infection or if you are too far past your due date. Talk to your Dr. during your pregnancy visits about his/her feelings about inductions. Educate yourself about the problems with inductions. Try not to focus on a specific date. Read some tips for avoiding an induction at the Lamaze website. Plan something special to do for the week of your due date. Being a parent is learning how to be patient. Relax and remain confident that your baby will be born when both he/she and your body are ready.


Great Resources while you wait:
Birth Stories to read

A video clip:

Avoid routine interventions; The Hospital Experience

Laboring with a support team: family and nurse

Birth is a natural bodily function that allows the delivery of the fetus. A medical intervention is a activity that intervenes with this normal process in an effort to help the mother deliver her baby. When you hire a Dr. and hospital to help you give birth it is important to remember it is a partnership. Your birth experience will depend on how the hospital and care giver (Dr.) approaches this partnership. By understanding the hospital experience you can become an educated partner as well.

Birth is a natural event that the body manages well. When you go into labor at home you can move and find comfort any way you want. The contractions will come and go. You'll find time is suspended, you get tired, you can nap, you get thirsty you get a drink, if you need to go for a walk you do. You and your helpers will move through labor in your own individual way. When you come to the hospital things will change. The hospital is an institution with routines for your comfort and safety as you labor and birth.

The medical system is complex and has at it's primary goal "safe" care for disease/illness. Our hospital culture in the US is driven by "risk"; reducing risk, fear of "risk", risk of litigation and risk or every potential problem.

If a woman is admitted to the hospital for a normal experience such as birth, she has now gone from a normal experience to a potential for disease, risk and danger. It will be hard for the medical personnel to see this birth as anything but a potential for problems. Every little change in the fetal heart monitor will be observed and evaluated in view of "risks". The Dr. and nurses are trained to manage disease.

A woman is admitted to the hospital in labor and her Dr. either has standing orders or gives orders for her care. There are also standards, that the hospital has in place for all labor admissions: the fetal monitor is started, urine and blood samples are taken to check for infection or other risks, an IV may be ordered to give fluids, just in case or to give pain medication. Standards for care may include; nothing solid by mouth, only clear liquids, she will be hooked up to the fetal monitor and discouraged from moving around; in order to get a good reading on the monitor, she will be told to change into a hospital gown. This strange environment can alter labor and make it more difficult to manage. In most hospitals, the mother is asked if she needs an epidural for pain and one thing leads to another, creating a cascade of interventions. She is given few options.

Keep in mind that the nursing staff is also there for you. Labor and delivery nurses should be trained in labor support. Ask the hospital staff if they are trained in hands on labor support.
At our local hospital our entire staff has been trained in labor support through Lamaze. We have established an atmosphere of support for normal labor. Our staff and physicians support the normal birth care practices and will offer both you and your support team personal hands on support.

We will encourage a birth plan as a way to encourage communication and partnership with you. In A birth plan you are communicating with your Dr. and the hospital about the way you want to give birth. We encourage families to bring their birth plan with them. At our hospital we have a pre-admission interview with the nursing staff. In the interview the nurse will discuss your plan with you. You can ask questions about hospital routines and how the nursing staff will help you accomplish your birth plan based on your physical needs and history.

Labor progresses best when a mother senses safety, comforting support and respect. The hormones are sensitive to atmosphere and fear interrupts the flow of oxytocin, the birth hormone. Endorphins, the bodies natural pain system, works best when a woman is free to explore her individual coping techniques for labor. In classes we will explore ways to find comfort and relieve pain. You will learn about the common interventions that occur during labor and birth. We will talk about how to write a birth plan. Information helps you and your family become an informed partner in your birth experience. Take time to ask questions about labor support in the hospital you choose.

Turn the hospital experience into the birth you want. Personalize the experience. Make your own interventions; bring your own music, blankets, games, birth doula or pizza! Get to know your nurse, talk to her about birth, take charge. This is your birth. You have a key role in the birth experience.

Read about avoiding routine interventions at the Lamaze website

Find good help for your labor

A Family Begins

As you start getting ready for the birth of your baby you'll wonder what labor will be like. In class we'll talk about the physical and emotional process. You'll also begin looking around to find people to help you. This is a very important decision. Who you have with you at birth will make a huge impact on how you experience labor and birth. You'll first look to your husband or partner. In our culture a woman's husband or the father of the baby is considered a logical helper in labor. But, keep in mind that most men have never been at a birth. Most male partners are as unsure of how to help as you are. The prospect of being a helper at the birth of a child is totally foreign most men. They do offer the most important element, he loves you and this is his baby too. As long as he is willing to offer encouragement, love you, offer help as you ask for it, he can easily be good support for you. I find most fathers are eager to learn how to help at the birth of their child and are surprised that they can offer the mother lots of support. In class we concentrate on the dads role at birth. Partners can check out this article on labor support on the Lamaze website. Tips for Labor Partners.

Most fathers-to-be are excited and willing to help in labor. Some partners are uncomfortable in a hospital or just not interested in helping. You might feel that this means they don't love you enough. Try and understand that this might be a very uncomfortable thing for him and realize that it doesn't mean he won't be a good father or partner in your life. If you feel like your partner may not offer you as much help in labor as you need you could ask a friend or female relative. Your team of helpers needs to be completely available to you during your labor. Be sure and ask your helpers to join you at childbirth class. They will learn a lot about labor support. You can also get a book on birth and labor support for either your partner or whoever you choose to help in labor. Some good choices are:

The Birth Partner, Third Edition: A Complet...
by Penny Simkin
The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth wit...
by Judith Lothian
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The...
by Penny Simkin
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
by Henci Goer
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin

A doula is another helpful person for labor. A doula is a woman trained to offer professional labor support. Studies have shown that hiring a doula, can reduce the risk of interventions, cesareans and need for pain medication, and women report more satisfaction with their birth experience. To find out more about doulas go to the Lamaze website and magazine. In our community you can contact the Palouse Area Doulas. They offer a "meet the doula nights" every second Monday of the month at 7pm. You'll need to contact the organization to find out the location.

You will always remember the birth of your baby. Take time to search for the best support team you can find.

Beginnings

Ready or not here I come!

The birth of your first child is a miracle that is unfolding each day as your pregnancy advances. As a family awaits the coming of a baby they search for information from many places. Traditional classes are still an important step for many, but the numbers of people have decreased in recent years. As a childbirth educator I need to search out new ways to teach. I hope this blog will offer some new ways to reach families.

Many people do their own investigating and learning. I always encourage parents to check out:

1. The Lamaze website. You can get a daily pregnancy e newsletter, watch normal births, find out what happens at a Lamaze class and learn about pregnancy and birth from a reputable source.
2. We use this text in class: Prepared Childbirth; The Family Way by Debby Amis/Jeanne Green.
3. Check out this collection of videos and handouts for learning: www.mothersadvocate.org
Both of these sites offer information for expecting familys about preparing for birth.

In the first Class my goal is to: Have fun, introduce teacher and birth information and resources.

Birth is normal. This is the first topic I cover in classes. It's a simple statement but it implies much. What does it mean to you? You will have many thoughts, all are helpful to you. Each woman/family comes to birth with their own life story. It will be important for your new baby that you take time to appreciate all the elements you bring to his/her birth. You will be telling the story of this birth for a lifetime.

To me Normal means: a process that is expected to happen and the body manages without our thinking about it. The process is the same but different for each person. As normal as a sunrise. The miracle happens right in front of us. Relax and appreciate the moment.

A January sunrise

What do I want couples to learn in Lamaze class?

• They already know how to birth. Every woman will find her own coping techniques. You can learn new ways to manage. Each birth teaches a woman more.
  
• Listen to other women. Seek out positive birth stories. These stories can give you confidence and strength.
  
• Pick carefully the people you want to be with you in birth. Take time to find a Dr. you trust and can talk to. Talk to your partner about being your helper during labor. Most husbands will be unsure about what they are expected to do. In our classes we teach labor support. Some companians will be too uncomfortable to help, but are willing to team up wih someone else. Sometimes you can find friends or family members who have helped at births or would be willing to come to classes with you as an extra support person.
  
• Check out a Doula. This is a professional labor support person. A doula can support you during your labor and birth for a fee.
• Find people who give you comfort, confidence and love you.
  
• Make your own environment for birth.

I hope this introduction will give parents to be a start on their exploration on this amazing miracle of birth.