birth take charge
10 Empowering tips from an ob/gyn who has experienced delivery from both sides
labor of love
I’ve been an obstetrician for much longer than baby I thought I knew everything I needed to know about the labor process, but there were still some things that surprised me. Here are tips from an initiate to the doctor-mom club. 1. Educate yourself. Take a class, read a book, talk to your obstetrician or midwife. Knowing the basics will make it much easier to communicate with your team during labor. 2. Stay at home as long as you can. Don’t come to labor and delivery the second take a shower, do stretches on an exercise ball or try to distract yourself by watching television. As long as your doctor has told you that it’s safe, enjoy early labor in the comfort of your own home. The walls of your hospital labor room will get really old if you’re there forever, and you may be sent home until you are really in active labor. Save yourself the trip! 3. Bring things that make you
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comfortable. Your own pillow; music that relaxes you or pumps you up; a birthing ball to sit on; a tablet for reading, watching movies or emailing friends during a long induction of labor. This goes for people, too: If you just want your partner in the room during delivery, don’t feel pressured to have your mother-in-law in attendance. 4. Don’t be afraid. Fear can be a huge barrier to enjoying your labor and delivery experience. Trust your body and your care team. If there is something to be worried about, let your team do the worrying for you. 5. Expect weird feelings. Contractions, an epidural, rectal pressure from the baby’s head, the bizarre feeling of being awake while undergoing surgery if you have a cesarean delivery — in most cases, these sensations will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced. 6. Accept that it’s ok to change your mind. Maybe you took classes on hypnobirthing and never thought you would
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