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
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