Questions to Ask your Provider

posted in: Pregnancy | 1

10 essential questions to prepare for a safe gentle and pleasurable birth

 

1. Respect

Do you feel respected by your caregiver and that all of your questions are answered with care and compassion? Respectful care and informed decision-making are your RIGHTS. Don’t let anyone put you down physically or emotionally in childbirth. Make sure you choose a birth team that honors and respects you!

2. Interventions

What is your caregivers rate of gentle natural birth, use of doulas vs. their cesarean rate, epidural and iduction rates. These rate will translate to your birth too – a doctor that has high interventions will affect the birth you desire.

3. Ambiance

Will your labor and birth environment have home like features or will it be a typical room for sick people?

Science shows your birth environment impacts your likelihood to have a gentle birth versus a medical birth What your mind sees and thinks, your body feels!!

4. Continuous Support

Does your provider encourage doulas and all the continuous support you desire?  Doula support increases the likelihood that you will have a gentle natural birth!

5. Nourishment

Can I eat and drink in childbirth or do you prefer I have an IV?

Would you run a marathon with an IV instead of drinking water? You don’t need one for childbirth either unless there is an exceptional situation and an  IV is not a simple intervention it’s the beginning of a cascade of deleting your hormones and making you feel like a patient rather than a powerful birth goddess.

6. Movement

Can I move and find positions that I’m comfortable in during labor and in birth to help my body open and use gravity?

7. Comfort Tools

What tools are available for comfort in my birth room?  If you can’t list 5 to 10 things that are available for comfort in your birth environment then you don’t have any and your environment will create more pain and lead you to medications rather than proven natural comfort and pleasure.

8. Privacy

Do you feel private and safe in your  birth environment? These are two essential elements to allow your hormones of birth and pleasure to flow and love through labor.

9. Gentle Cesarean

If a Belly Birth (cesarean) is needed, do you provide a gentle cesarean where my wishes and desires can still be honored to welcome my baby with love?

10. Your Question

Add your question via Instagram and Twitter – what do you feel is an essential question have the birth you desire with pleasure and love?

  1. rachelyellin

    This is an awesome resource! Thank you Debra.
    I want to reiterate that finding a provider who is aligned with your birth preferences is essential.
    Rachel

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