Birth Decisions for you to be aware of:
(courtesy of Indie Birth (Doula Training Materials) and edited by Natalie Meade to suit Australian Birth Choices)
___ Home or hospital (no for real!…have you researched this? Interviewed a midwife?)
___ Hiring a doula (or getting a student midwife)
___ When you would be comfortable with induction or NOT (HUGE TOPIC)
___ When to go in (if hospital)
___ Monitoring baby for 20-30 min on arrival to hospital (not evidence based)
– The Image belows shows myself and my dad in my VERY early labour of my first baby. Even though it was early labour, very soon after this photo the straps became very annoying as they limited my natural movements and kept flipping off and missing readings. The “20 minutes” reading became about 90 mins 🙁
___ Eating and drinking throughout labour – what you’d like
___ Wearing a hospital gown, what to wear, when naked feels good?
___ Blood tests in labour
___ Vaginal exam on arrival
___ Staying or leaving if you are in early labour, not active labour
___ IV antibiotics for GBS in labour
___ Continuous monitoring of baby in labour vs intermittent monitoring (or less)
___ Monitor clipped onto babies scalp whilst inside mother
___ Frequent routine blood pressure checks
___ Routine/offered/assumed vaginal exams throughout labour (typically every few hours, or more)
___ Syntocinon if cervix is not changing at the pace expected
___ Epidural plan (yes, no, at what point, how to decide?)
___ Nitrous oxide (laughing gas, is the word ‘laughing’ accurate? )
___ Hydrotherapy, pool in labour, stay in for birth? Are staff comfortable with that
___ Caesarean section (under what circumstances, how to decide?)
___ Pushing Position (does your provider support upright birth)
___ Starting to push (how to know, who can guide? What you wish for?)
___ Coached pushing versus physiological pushing
___ Perineal support, hands on vulva, warm pad to perineum
___ Episiotomy (what is this? Do you want it? How to do informed refusal)
___ Delivering the baby’s shoulders versus spontaneous birth (hands off approach?)
___ Who catches the baby? Who guides to mother, how fast?
___ Drying baby off (or leaving vernix on)
___ Skin to skin
___ blanket on baby vs. naked (Hat culture? Babies bare head is important for temp regulation))
___ Active management versus physiological placenta birth (routine at some hospitals to intervene)
___ Shot of syntocinon at birth
___ Immediate cord traction, pulling the placenta out
___ Uterine massage
___ Cord clamping [immediate, delayed (60 sec) or physiological, after the placenta]
___ Cord blood collection
___ Vitals on mom and baby immediately after birth
___ Baby latching (waiting for them to do it versus pushing baby to latch asap)
___ Newborn exam (away from you or next to you)
___ Hep B vaccine (day one of life, or delay to 6 weeks, or not at all)
___ Vitamin K shot/oral/not at all
___ Weighing and measuring baby
___ Newborn metabolic screen (heel prick, easier to get blood at about day 3-5 of life)
___ Baby’s first bath
___ Circumcision/intact
___ Checking mom’s perineum for tears, including a rectal exam (your choice)
___ Sutures for any tearing (different degrees of tearing have different recommendations)
___ Sleeping with baby
___ Placenta consumption
___ How long to stay post-birth
___ Rethinking your risk status – this is a huge topic, and one I would urge you to get a midwifery perspective on if you’ve been told you are high risk!!!
Gentle Caesarean Choices
___ Epidural vs General anaesthesia
___ No additional meds to “relax more”
___ Music of choice, no extraneous conversation
___ Clear drape or lowering the drape as baby is born
___ Skin to skin immediately
___ Delayed cord clamping
___ Saving placenta
Induction Reasons/Topics to Learn About
___ Learn about the risks of induction
___ Big baby
___ Water broke
___ 40, 41, 42 weeks
___ Social reasons
___ Gestational diabetes
___ High blood pressure
___ Membrane sweeps at the end of pregnancy (ALSO, vaginal exams at the end of
pregnancy in general, since they are not helpful and are possibly harmful)
___ Breaking water to START labour
___ Cervadil
___ Foley bulb
Give me a free 15 minute consult call ANYTIME! There is a LOT to learn for birth and I have 13 years of research and experience I am happy to share with you! If I don’t answer, just leave me a message, I will call back. 0406 934 645 Natalie Meade.
