A beautiful birth starts with the right birth team. You might be asking yourself, how to I build the perfect birth team? It’s not as hard as you might be thinking.

Where do you want to have your baby?

That’s right, I said where, because you have options. I am still a little in shock each time I speak with an expecting family that doesn’t know there are several places to birth other then a hospital. Do you see yourself laboring in a quiet place filled with familiar smells and sounds? Do you love the thought of not having to pack your bag for the hospital, fight with traffic during contractions, or have your provider come to you? If so, a home birth might be ideal. Do you see yourself in a clean room that makes you feel like you are at a resort or fancy hotel? Do you like the option of having a large birthing tub that you can move in and to help relieve pressure? If so, then a birthing center might be the perfect place for you. Does the thought of a home birth, or birth center make you uneasy? Do you want the option of narcotics or an epidural readily available should you decide you need them? If so, a hospital birth might be the right place for you. No matter what, before you can build the right birth team, you have to decide where you see yourself laboring and bringing your baby into the world.

Hiring a Doula, do I really need one?!

Yes, yes you do. I’m not just saying that because of my profession, even I hired a doula for all five of my births. According to the national library of medicine, “Studies examining the impact of continuous support by doulas report significant reductions in cesarean births, instrumental vaginal births, need for oxytocin augmentation, and shortened durations of labor…..Continuous support also has been associated with higher newborn Apgar scores (greater than 7) and overall higher satisfaction by mothers with the birthing process.” Movement is also key in getting baby down and out. We doulas are the Marry Poppins of birth with all kinds of tricks and tools in our bags to help labor progress and keep you confident in your ability to birth.

Finding the right doula can seem overwhelming depending where you live, because the market is saturated. I generally suggest interviewing a minimum of 5 before you make any decisions. I met with a client recently who had hired a doula and she said it never occurred to her that personality would be a big deal. Although doulas are suppose to offer non-biased and non-judgmental support, it does help to have personalities that mesh well. After all if you want a dance party during contractions, you want a doula that will join in with you. ;)

Finding the right provider for your birth….

Did you know that there is more then one birth provider? There is! Most people are familiar with OBGYNs or doctors of gynecology, but there are also midwives. In fact…midwives were on the scene before OBs. ;) Did you know there are different types of midwives? There are! There are certified nurse midwives (CNM) and licensed practicing midwives (LPM). Lets break down where these providers practice medicine and then you can better choose how to find the right one for you. OBGYNs practice in hospitals and are able to write prescriptions, perform vaginal, or belly births (aka cesarean sections). CNMs can provide care in a hospital, birthing center, or even a home birth setting. They can write prescriptions and help assist the on call OB should you need or opt for a belly birth. Licensed practicing midwives provide care in birthing centers and home births.

Now that you know where each provider can practice medicine, you can start researching the ones in your area that match where and how you want to birth and schedule a time to meet with them. If you have already hired a doula, they should have a reference list of providers that fit your birth plan and vision.

Take a childbirth education class/course.

This is a HUGE one that a lot of people skip out on because they figure they watched a few videos or heard their friends birth story. I cannot stress this enough, hire a childbirth educator and take their class. Labor is nothing like what the movies portray it as. Most women don’t experience a waterfall gushing out between their legs in isle 9 of Target, then boom contracts are a minute apart and baby’s head is crowning. In the words of Megan Trainer “we know that -- - - ain’t real, come on make it stop.” The truth is most first time moms experience labor for 24+ hours. Most birthing women also have their water break during transition and not during early/active labor unless its PROM. If you just read that sentence and are thinking, “whats transition and PROM” this is why you need to take a CBE class. Getting familiar with the holistic stages of labor, what is happening to your body and baby during those stages, medical terminology, different pain management techniques, etc is important. An educated client is able to make confident and informed decisions about their birth. A bonus is if you find a doula who is also a childbirth educator and you can spend the next couple of weeks getting to know each other before your baby comes.

Now that you know the steps to find the perfect birthing team for you, what are you waiting for….

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/