Tips for an Empowered and Positive Birth Experience
As we continue to support and document out of hospital births here in Minneapolis and St. Paul, we are also virtually supporting numerous folks birthing at hospitals around the nation. And since making this shift in our service offerings, we’ve learned a whole lot about what is working and [quite frankly] what is not. We are noticing that regardless of where you birth your baby during this time, the support and guidance of a doula is needed now more than ever. An extra layer of support to navigate the change in hospital policy, the pivots in birth plans, and the isolation postpartum. Families are continuing to birth their babies amidst this time of so many unknowns, and so we are exploring new ways to facilitate this undeniably transformative process of birth and parenting. We’ve put together a list of five ways you can work to ensure that your transition to parenthood is a positive one.
Hire a doula:
I mean, of course we’d start here, right? We LOVE what we do, and we whole-heartedly believe in the benefits a doula can bring to the birth team, even if that support is coming virtually through the phone! In Minnesota, we are seeing all hospitals take a one-support-person stance. We hands down agree with and respect this policy, as it helps keep the medical staff who will be caring for you safe so they can care for others next week. In other parts of the nation, we’ve eve seen a birthing-person-only policy. Regardless of who can be there for you physically, we are available to you around the clock for whatever comes your way.
Birthing at home? We’re still there for you in the same capacity, just a few extra precautions and a reassuring smile behind our masks. Not only that, but doulas provide so much more than hands-on physical support and emotional support during labor. While we aren’t necessarily going to give you the answers, we can help you to identify the questions that you should be asking, and help you find evidence-based information so that you can make your own informed choices. During birth, we take on so many roles - along with massage, counter-pressure, and aromatherapy, we also clean, cook food, run errands, support partners, entertain your kiddo(s), and so much more! Another bonus of hiring a doula: we’re basically immune to being snapped at, cried to, and puked on, and because of this, we can offer support in ways that family sometimes can’t.
Know your options:
Think about how much time and energy you spent considering which stroller will fit your lifestyle, which car seat is safest, and which baby carriers will work best for you and your partner. Maybe you read this book cover-to-cover, maybe you spent time prepping frozen meals to ensure an easier postpartum time (we can help with that, too!). Why not put that same level of energy into deciding what you want out of your birth experience? You deserve more than just “healthy baby, healthy mom”. Sign up for a great childbirth class. Figure out who you’re going to bring with you into your birth space to support you through it all. Are there birth centers and home birth midwives in your area? Policies and protocols at home, at a hospital, and at a birth center can be so different, and can also depend on who your provider is. Do you want to be able to eat while you’re in labor? Will you be required to have an IV? Can your partner catch the baby if they want to? Does your provider routinely administer pitocin in the fourth stage of labor? Is delayed cord clamping a common practice? Do they explain without bias the risks, benefits, and alternatives of any suggested procedures, and then give you time to think it through? There are so many new things that can come up during your birthing time, especially if it’s your first baby, and doing the research beforehand can make things a whole lot easier on you.
Knowing your options before you enter the birth space means that you don’t have to make any big decisions in the moment. Odds are good that you won’t have the time or energy to thoroughly research some of the pathways that are presented to you while you’re in labor, and while your Gather doula can help with that by giving you the latest evidence-based information, doulas are an unbiased source who cannot possibly know all of your values and preferences. By sitting down and considering your options prior to the onset of labor, you’ll take out a ton of the guesswork. Pitocin, cervadil, erythromycin, optimal positioning, epidurals… the list goes on. There are SO many things that the average person can’t be expected to know and making a birth plan (and being willing to deviate from it) is a great way to have a positive and empowered birth. (And so can bringing a doula along for the ride with you, but you already knew that.)
Make a birth plan:
So, now that you know your options, you’re ready to make a birth plan! It really can be difficult to convey your wishes to your birth team while you’re in labor and having to do so can take you out of the zone. Creating a written birth plan that your providers can easily reference will give you and your birth team the peace of mind of knowing what your wants, needs, and values are. Our Birth Planning Sessions are included in our birth doula support package and are a great option for families who aren’t able to bring a doula with them into their birth space.
Pro Tip: We love it when our clients make a postpartum plan too. Think about who will support you in the days, weeks, and months following your birthing experience. Be willing to ask for help. Are you planning to breastfeed? If yes, how will you set yourself up for success? Who will walk the dog and take care of your older kiddo(s) in that first Golden Week after baby’s birth where the two of you are bonding in bed together as your body heals, your baby adjusts to life on your body instead of in it, and you’re getting to know one another? How will you balance the needs of the new little one in your arms with your own needs, as well of the needs of the other people in your life? We focus a lot on the transformative nature of birth, but the postpartum time is profound too! If you are interested in learning more about the postpartum time, we love this book and this book.
Choose the right provider:
It doesn’t happen often, but in our nearly 300 births, we’ve seen clients switch providers and/or birthing locations in the middle of their pregnancy. Some learned that the hospital they planned to deliver at didn’t actually have birthing tubs even though their provider mentioned that they were comfortable catching babies in the water. Others learned that, if they were to need a cesarean section, their doula (or photographer) would not be allowed to support them as they experienced a surgical birth in the OR. If you’ve decided that you want to remember the transformative experience of your labor and delivery, and you’ve chosen to hire an expert to capture it all for you, will your birth place and provider be accommodating? If you need to have any procedures explained to you before you consent to them, will the staff at your birth place allow your needs to be met? Do you know the answers to the following questions?
What is their cesarean rate? What is their transfer rate?
How often are patients induced prior to 41 weeks?
Do they require continuous fetal monitoring, or will you be allowed to move around during labor (movement is so helpful in birth!)?
What percentage of their patients receive episiotomies?
Will they put you on a time clock if your water breaks?
Knowing who your provider is and how they practice is so helpful in determining if you want them by your side as you deliver your baby.
Be intentional about who you invite into your birth space:
Having a friend or relative support you during labor is not the same thing as hiring a doula. Your mom may bring with her a nervous energy, your best friend could bring preconceived notions, your sister might sit on her phone the whole time. You should feel completely at ease with everyone that you invite into your space, and they should leave all of their concerns and doubts at the door. When you feel stressed or anxious, your body produces catecholamines — hormones produced by the adrenal gland as part of the fight-or-flight-or-freeze response. Studies show that increased levels of catecholamines can slow or even stop the progression of labor. Choosing to surround yourself with nurturing, supportive, and trusting people as you labor is a great way to ensure a positive birth experience.
We’d love to hear from you! If you’ve been through labor and delivery before, what did you do to ensure that you had a positive and empowered birth experience?