Tying together all of our Facebook Live Guests over the past few months, I wanted to spend some time putting all of their great knowledge, information, and skills in to a written form.
When you first find out you're pregnant, there are so many things to think about and consider right away. You're excited to start planning and preparing a nursery space in your home! You start thinking about things you need, maybe planning a registry, what diapers you want to start with, breastpumps, the best toys, diaper bags, and start looking at all the cute little baby clothes!
But what about your medical and birth team?
Seems like a huge list! How do you narrow it down? Let's go through the various team members.
Provider
Medical OB/GYN or Midwife?
You can first start by thinking of where you'd like to birth. Do you picture yourself in the hospital, birth center, or home birthing your baby? If at home or a birth center, you'll very likely be having a midwife as your provider. If you're planning a hospital birth, you could have a medical provider or a midwife. What is the difference?
The definition of midwife is, literally, with woman. The definition of a midwife, according to Midwives Alliance of North America, is: Midwives are experts in normal birth and adept at ensuring excellent outcomes for women and infants. The safety and benefits of midwifery care have been proven again and again in countries across the world, including the United States.
Minnesota Families for Midwifery is a great resource in our state for looking up midwives in all settings; home birth, birth center, and hospital birth. There are also links to cesarean rates on their site.
The definition of an OB/GYN medical doctor according to the American College of Surgeons is: Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYN) are physicians who possess special knowledge, skills and professional capability in the medical and surgical care of the female reproductive system and associated disorders, such that it distinguishes them from other physicians and enables them to serve as consultants to other physicians and as primary physicians for women....There are also subspecialties in obstetrics and gynecology, which require additional training: maternal-fetal medicine specialists are obstetricians/gynecologists who are prepared to care for, and to consult on, patients with high-risk pregnancies; and reproductive endocrinologists are capable of managing complex problems related to reproductive endocrinology and infertility, including aspects of assisted reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
SO - with that, we HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend setting up consultation appointments with a few providers who may resonate with you and your birthing wishes! **IF for any reason you want to switch later on, you have the power to do so! If you choose to schedule with one provider, it does *not* mean you have to stay with that provider/group for the rest of your pregnancy!**
This photo shows the difference between a VBAC supportive and tolerant provider. You could really use these points to a non-VBAC birth too. It is *your* birth. You are the consumer. You don't have to let anyone "allow" you to do anything.
Some things to consider when you're looking at facilities:
Do you want a water birth? Perhaps labor in the tub? Do they have the availability for this?
What does the bathroom look like so laboring in the bath tub or shower could be a possibility?
Cesarean rates for the provider/group and the birthing facility?
Lighting - can you dim?
Outdoor environment? Construction going on?
If you're a higher risk pregnancy or mama, are you looking at NICU being in an attached building?
BIRTHING SUPPORT
Doula
Doulas are amazing support. They're a person who can help support birthing mamas and families! They're like a navigator of the birthing process. A doula can provide comfort measures for the laboring mama, makes sure she's eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, pulling up her hair, rubbing her back, reminding her to change positions, reassuring dad/partner that what she's doing is great and reducing their anxiety, and so many more! A doula is a constant supporting person that is with you throughout the vast majority of your birth and a few hours afterwards. Nurses have shift changes. Your provider comes in and out. Your doula stays, and stays for hours.
Partner/ Husband/Support Person
We love the book by Penny Simkin called The Birth Partner. It's an easy read but so great for that person to read. Also, bring them to your childbirth education classes. Those classes are so informative and a great way to get on the same page before the time comes. You go over different scenarios and can talk through challenges before they're present.
Who is this person to you? Your significant other? Your mother? Your best friend? All of them?
Others
How about a Birth Photographer? Some doulas will take photos for you, but there wouldn't be a guarantee that they're a professional.
Do you have older children? Do you want them present or do they want to be present?
Chiropractic, bodywork, or acupuncture during labor? Do you have a pain or issue that you may want addressed during labor and want to be able to have that help and relief?
Other Considerations
Postpartum Doulas are amazing. You can hire them to help when you are ready. Want help with your baby? Nursing questions? Someone to hold your baby while you take a nap or a shower? Do your dishes? Start or fold laundry?
Do you want to let family & friends know when you're going in to labor or the hospital? Or would that be too much pressure on you and potentially getting continuous messages "Have you had the baby yet?".
Visitors in the hospital? Yes? Who? How many at one time?
Visitors at home? If they come over, do you want them to bring you food or help with a household chore while they visit?
I had a sign on my door that requested no knocking or ringing the doorbell if leaving packages, and please call before coming over.
And don't forget about our Local Resources blog post with providers, doulas, and more.
When you first find out you're pregnant, there are so many things to think about and consider right away. You're excited to start planning and preparing a nursery space in your home! You start thinking about things you need, maybe planning a registry, what diapers you want to start with, breastpumps, the best toys, diaper bags, and start looking at all the cute little baby clothes!
But what about your medical and birth team?
Seems like a huge list! How do you narrow it down? Let's go through the various team members.
Provider
Medical OB/GYN or Midwife?
You can first start by thinking of where you'd like to birth. Do you picture yourself in the hospital, birth center, or home birthing your baby? If at home or a birth center, you'll very likely be having a midwife as your provider. If you're planning a hospital birth, you could have a medical provider or a midwife. What is the difference?
The definition of midwife is, literally, with woman. The definition of a midwife, according to Midwives Alliance of North America, is: Midwives are experts in normal birth and adept at ensuring excellent outcomes for women and infants. The safety and benefits of midwifery care have been proven again and again in countries across the world, including the United States.
Minnesota Families for Midwifery is a great resource in our state for looking up midwives in all settings; home birth, birth center, and hospital birth. There are also links to cesarean rates on their site.
The definition of an OB/GYN medical doctor according to the American College of Surgeons is: Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYN) are physicians who possess special knowledge, skills and professional capability in the medical and surgical care of the female reproductive system and associated disorders, such that it distinguishes them from other physicians and enables them to serve as consultants to other physicians and as primary physicians for women....There are also subspecialties in obstetrics and gynecology, which require additional training: maternal-fetal medicine specialists are obstetricians/gynecologists who are prepared to care for, and to consult on, patients with high-risk pregnancies; and reproductive endocrinologists are capable of managing complex problems related to reproductive endocrinology and infertility, including aspects of assisted reproduction, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
SO - with that, we HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend setting up consultation appointments with a few providers who may resonate with you and your birthing wishes! **IF for any reason you want to switch later on, you have the power to do so! If you choose to schedule with one provider, it does *not* mean you have to stay with that provider/group for the rest of your pregnancy!**
This photo shows the difference between a VBAC supportive and tolerant provider. You could really use these points to a non-VBAC birth too. It is *your* birth. You are the consumer. You don't have to let anyone "allow" you to do anything.
Some things to consider when you're looking at facilities:
Do you want a water birth? Perhaps labor in the tub? Do they have the availability for this?
What does the bathroom look like so laboring in the bath tub or shower could be a possibility?
Cesarean rates for the provider/group and the birthing facility?
Lighting - can you dim?
Outdoor environment? Construction going on?
If you're a higher risk pregnancy or mama, are you looking at NICU being in an attached building?
BIRTHING SUPPORT
Doula
Doulas are amazing support. They're a person who can help support birthing mamas and families! They're like a navigator of the birthing process. A doula can provide comfort measures for the laboring mama, makes sure she's eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, pulling up her hair, rubbing her back, reminding her to change positions, reassuring dad/partner that what she's doing is great and reducing their anxiety, and so many more! A doula is a constant supporting person that is with you throughout the vast majority of your birth and a few hours afterwards. Nurses have shift changes. Your provider comes in and out. Your doula stays, and stays for hours.
Partner/ Husband/Support Person
We love the book by Penny Simkin called The Birth Partner. It's an easy read but so great for that person to read. Also, bring them to your childbirth education classes. Those classes are so informative and a great way to get on the same page before the time comes. You go over different scenarios and can talk through challenges before they're present.
Who is this person to you? Your significant other? Your mother? Your best friend? All of them?
Others
How about a Birth Photographer? Some doulas will take photos for you, but there wouldn't be a guarantee that they're a professional.
Do you have older children? Do you want them present or do they want to be present?
Chiropractic, bodywork, or acupuncture during labor? Do you have a pain or issue that you may want addressed during labor and want to be able to have that help and relief?
Other Considerations
Postpartum Doulas are amazing. You can hire them to help when you are ready. Want help with your baby? Nursing questions? Someone to hold your baby while you take a nap or a shower? Do your dishes? Start or fold laundry?
Do you want to let family & friends know when you're going in to labor or the hospital? Or would that be too much pressure on you and potentially getting continuous messages "Have you had the baby yet?".
Visitors in the hospital? Yes? Who? How many at one time?
Visitors at home? If they come over, do you want them to bring you food or help with a household chore while they visit?
I had a sign on my door that requested no knocking or ringing the doorbell if leaving packages, and please call before coming over.
And don't forget about our Local Resources blog post with providers, doulas, and more.
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