Childbirth Choices

Section6.3

What is Prepared Childbirth?

• It is a method of giving birth in which pain is reduced through the elimination of fear and the use of special conditioning exercises.

• Most women instinctively know how to give birth. The childbirth classes help prepare them.

• Class members learn what happens during labor and delivery, tour the maternity area, learns to cope with the discomforts of labor.

• Usually the father or someone else who is going to serve as a partner or coach will join the mother in these classes.

Childbirth Classes

• Bradley method- without the side effects of drugs given during labor and birth. It teaches families how to have natural births.

• Lamaze method- it focuses on using controlled breathing techniques to cope with labor.

Who Will Deliver the Baby?

• Woman can choose from many different professionals to deliver the baby:

• Obstetricians – specialize in prenatal and postnatal care of the mother and baby.• Family doctors- general-practice doctors who also

deliver babies and provide prenatal and postnatal care. • Licensed midwives- two types:

– certified nurse-midwife is a registered nurse with advanced training in normal pregnancy and birth;

– Lay midwife- special training in the care of pregnant woman and normal deliveries, but doesn’t have a nursing degree.

Where Will the Baby Be Born?

• Until this century most babies were born at home.

• Today most babies are born in hospitals.• Hospitals now offer a variety of services.

These services, often referred to as family-centered maternity care include:

– Classes help prepare parents.– Special programs help young children get ready for having a

baby sibling.

– Programs encourage fathers and other family members to help the mother through labor and delivery.

– Birthing rooms provide comfortable atmosphere for labor and birth.

– Options allow women to choose the position they prefer for labor and delivery. For example, a woman may walk, rock in a chair, soak in a tub.

– Special steps may be taken to make the birth pleasant. For example, lights dimmed, music playing.

– Plans allow the mother and her baby to stay together for all or most of the hospital stay.

• Some hospitals offer what is called the LDRP concept.

– It is a special unit where the woman labors, delivers, recovers, and spends her postpartum stay all the same room. The baby stays with the mother; and the father can stay too.

• Alternative birth center- separate from the hospital, has homelike rooms for giving birth.

– These centers emphasize prepared childbirth and usually offer the kinds of services that are part of family-centered maternity care.

– Licensed midwives handle births at these centers.– Usually only accept mothers who have a low risk for

complicated deliveries.