I refer to labor interventions as a sort of avalanche. Once the avalanche starts then it really is impossible to stop further interventions from being used. It is a very hard place to be as a mom because if you do not know about different options offered and find yourself in a situation where it is more convenient for your doctor to use interventions, your labor experience may be completely different than you imagined or planned.
Many situations for moms that are giving birth seem to be where the options are taken away from the mother. I do recognize that interventions have their place in birth. We are all very fortunate to have the technology nowadays where we can see a placental abruption for example and end up saving lives. My main concern comes when interventions are already scheduled for the mother based on someone else’s schedule or need.
If you are giving birth in the hospital, you will most likely be hooked up to the following:
• Baby monitor
• Contraction monitor
• IV
• Pulse Ox
• Blood Pressure cuff
These are just some basics that are the norm in a hospital setting but other things can be used if you end up getting an epidural such as a catheter.
So what can you do as a mother that is trying to avoid the intervention route? Here are some ideas to get you going.
CREATE A BIRTH PLAN
Even if you are not planning to use a birth plan, I encourage you to create one anyways. A birth plan will start the ideas flowing on what you want out of your birth. There are a lot of options for moms, even in terms of medications, so I encourage you to do some research to see what would feel comfortable for you and what will not. Based on your wants and needs, create your birth plan outline. I say outline because even if you have a birth plan in place you will have to be open to the fact that the plan might not happen. In case of an emergency, for example, all plans go out the window and the main concern is to have a healthy baby and mama.
I invite you to explore the idea of what will happen if everything does not go according to plan? Are you prepared to handle the intervention side of things emotionally? One time, while I was in my labor and delivery rounds, there was a new family that was really attached to their birth plan and waited against all doctors’ advice. It was an unfortunate site to witness because both the mother and the child ended up not surviving. Being open to the fact that your birth plan might not happen is an important one to consider. The main idea here is to explore your own wants and needs within normal birth settings, emergencies aside.
INTERVIEW YOUR DOCTOR
What mothers need to realize is that birth is not you submitting to the will of the hospital. In fact it is an important decision that you will have to make along the same lines as buying a house or buying a new car. Just think of the amount of thought that goes into buying a new car. You do all this research and make sure that you are getting what you are paying for. If you have an idea on what kind of birth you would like, then here is your chance to ask your doctor some real questions.
• What will happen if I do not want to be induced?
• Which medications are involved in the intervention process?
• What is the process that is used in getting labor going?
Those are some questions that cover the major factors that most people want to consider. This is where you will see how your doctor feels about your own ideas about the birth. With this conversation you will get a very clear understanding about where your doctor stands and how well you value each other. Take some time and honestly ask yourself if it is something that you do not mind dealing with.
MOBILITY
What if you talked with your doctor and they are totally on board with not using any interventions unless it is medically necessary but you still end up getting induced? Checking out your hospital L&D rooms and how their IV/monitor hook ups look like might help your interventions from going down further.
Some hospitals nowadays are very mama friendly and have wireless baby monitors and portable IV hook ups that you can still walk around with. If you are mobile that means that your body is working with movement and gravity so not getting induced further can be prevented in comparison to a lack of mobility that can cause further complications.
I hope that some of these are helpful to you. If you have any questions or need some support in your own birth experience, please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to hear which ones were the most useful to you!
Much love,
Krystina
