Having a baby is a special time in one’s life. As wonderful as this experience is, it often involves a variety of options, challenges, and decisions. Knowing what to expect can empower you for the next steps.
Nowadays, more information is readily available for expecting parents. However, this abundance of education can be overwhelming, making one’s vision of birth fuzzy from the intended focus.
There are different types of births, and while each experience hosts a unique story, each one likely originated from a plan. The well-known birth plan is a great way to organize information on choices, prepare for the style of labor (natural or medicated), and become familiar with options if variations arise.
Becoming familiar with natural birth, epidurals, inductions, and the cascade of interventions can help when making decisions along the way. Understand your rights and expected management so you can advocate for choices that are right for you.
Birth can range from a natural, undisturbed process to one of high interventions and everything in between. In the case of natural birth, the description says it all. Mom works with the spontaneous contractions her uterus produces to work with what her body tries to do. There are no IVs, pitocin, or pain medications, and there are few interactions with the overseeing practitioners. Still, there are some periodic vitals on the mom and fetal heart rate checks for the baby to ensure that things are progressing safely.
There are also many variations in between. Ideally, labor begins spontaneously with the breaking of the water or the onset of contractions. Sometimes, labor is encouraged through a “membrane sweep.” In some cases, assistance is recommended to help things along, such as using pitocin to strengthen contractions, breaking the water (if membranes are still intact), or positioning the baby to encourage it to find space and move down.
Often, an epidural is requested to manage the intensity of pain and the length of time for which things are being endured. An epidural is a great way to break the fear, pain, and tension cycle, but it can slow down the labor process, leaving mom and baby open to vulnerabilities.
Induction is a high-intervention process in which labor is brought on through a series of actions or tools. The phrase “cascade of interventions” aptly describes where one choice leads to another. It can be recommended for various health reasons for mom or baby, scheduling, or length of pregnancy. In some cases a cervical ripener will first be given, in others a balloon catheter is inserted to help dilate the cervix, and many times pitocin is administered.
All three of these interventions and others are often utilized to encourage labor and inspire the body to continue this process to the baby’s birth. Providers may have some differences in their routines, but there are similarities, and almost always, many decisions need to be made along the way. Every mom responds differently to these approaches, and usually, an induction can take longer and redirect the intended birth plan.
A cesarean, or “belly birth,” is a surgical birth that may be recommended before a trial of labor for a baby’s position, mom’s request (trauma), or other health reasons (fibroids, pelvic injury, multiples, etc). Sometimes, a baby has difficulty due to malposition, heart rate fluctuations, or size disproportion to the mom’s pelvis. Even after a trial of labor, the baby needs some help getting out.
Recovery is different from a vaginal delivery, requiring more rest and pain management in the immediate postpartum period, and driving and lifting anything heavier than the baby may be restricted for the first weeks as well. It is important to note that even through this method of entering the world, mom is still giving birth!
In almost any labor scenario, positioning is a huge factor that can help the baby from engagement to expulsion. Good positioning and movement begin with great labor prep and getting ready for Birth Day before labor begins. Understanding your anatomy and believing in your body’s physiology can help facilitate positive labor and birth. Birth is a physiologic event, not a medical procedure.
There is no right or wrong way for you to birth your baby. Use your BRAIN: Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, and what if we do Nothing. You don’t know what you don’t know; keeping it simple can be the key. The most important thing is to own your birth!
Sooo-z comes from a creative background in art, design, and music. Her career in the arts paused once she had her three children and decided to stay home with them. Although most of her career has been devoted to art-related experiences ranging from developing art programs and teaching to showing work in national galleries to playing in an international orchestra, she has discovered the parallel between art and birth in the ability to problem solve, improvise, and integrate a wide range of knowledge from a variety of disciplines. Her doula practice has grown in the past four years as she has earned certifications in Birth and Labor Support, Postpartum Support, Childbirth Education, Lactation Counseling, Body Ready Method Labor Prep, and Spinning Babies Training. She has helped many families see their plans for natural, unmedicated birth, VBACs, home birth, and a variety of other visions.
