It’s important to do your part to prepare for the birth of your baby. You should schedule regular appointments with your doctor, eat a healthy diet, and get plenty of exercise. You might take a childbirth class and practice your breathing.
But it’s just as, if not more, important to know what to do in the delivery room. When you know what to do while you’re actually in labor in the hospital, you can decrease the chances of having a bad experience, becoming injured, or having a baby who experiences a birth injury during delivery.
Here are seven tips for a smoother birth when you actually get to the delivery room.
Share Your Birth Plan With Your Doctor
Most moms-to-be understand the importance of creating a birth plan so they can think through the kind of experience they want to have, but it’s just as important to share your birth plan with your doctor ahead of your delivery. It gives you the chance to make sure you’re both on the same page before you even go into labor.
It also gives you the chance to double check that what you’ve put in your birth plan can actually be followed. For example, you may want to bring snacks, but the hospital may not allow you to eat. By ironing out the details with your doctor, you can prevent disappointment when you arrive at the hospital.
Review Your Birth Plan With the Nurse at the Hospital
Not only should you review your birth plan with your regular doctor ahead of your delivery, but you should also make sure the delivery nurse gets a chance to look at it too. It’s your nurse who will spend the majority of the time with you in labor and delivery, so it’s important that she’s clued into your wishes.
It’s also a good idea to review your birth plan with the hospital staff if your regular doctor isn’t the one who will be delivering your baby, or if there will be more than one nurse helping you through your labor. Everyone will know exactly how best to support you, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that everyone knows your wishes.
Ask Questions
Things will crop up that you may not have anticipated when you were making your birth plan. Don’t be afraid to ask questions both before and during labor.
For example, you might want to learn more about the possible side effects of getting an epidural if you decide you want one after all, or you might ask if there are any alternatives to the pain medications they are recommending.
When you’re fully informed, you can make the best decisions for you and your baby. You’re more likely to have a more pleasant birthing experience too.
Consider Hiring a Doula
Giving birth, especially if you’re doing it for the first time, can feel scary. It’s also especially true if you’re giving birth in a large hospital where you are unable to meet the nurse and doctor before you actually go into labor. It can be very helpful to have someone there with you who knows what you want and can advocate on your behalf.
Having a partner is nice, but having a doula is even better because they have experienced many births before.
In addition to reducing general stress and anxiety during labor, they can:
- Decrease your chances of having a cesarean
- Reduce your labor by 25%
- Reduce the amount of pain medications that are taken
- Reduce your likelihood of getting an epidural
Ask How much Time You Have When Making Decisions
Even with a birth plan, chances are, there will still be decisions you have to make. Whether it’s about breaking your water, taking pain medications, or moving things along with Pitocin, you’ll have to make some choices while you’re in the middle of labor.
Many of those choices aren’t emergencies, which means you can take some time to consider your options. The more time you spend thinking about your options, the more likely you are to make a decision you’re happy with.
If you aren’t sure, ask the nurse or doctor how much time you have to make a decision. Even having just a few minutes to weigh your options and talk about them with your partner, nurse, doctor, or doula can make you feel less stressed and anxious.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for What You Need
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need while you’re in the middle of labor. You’ll find that everyone around you is willing to help!
A few examples of things you can ask for to reduce pain include:
- Massage and counterpressure
- Apply hot or cold washrags to painful areas
- Use a birthing or exercise ball
- Have someone run a hot bath for you
- Help changing positions
- Turn on the music
- Apply aromatherapy to pressure points
Keep an Open Mind
You have probably envisioned exactly how you want your birth to go. It’s always good to have a vision in mind, but don’t get so locked into your vision that you’re disappointed when it doesn’t work out exactly the way you planned.
Babies rarely arrive the way we expect. There is almost always something that doesn’t go the way we want, but that’s the nature of childbirth. It’s very helpful to have an open mind and expect that things may not go according to plan. When you arrive in the labor and delivery room knowing that you may not follow your birth plan or you may have to make decisions you didn’t anticipate, you’re more likely to have a positive birth experience.
Preparing to give birth happens long before you get to the hospital, but all your preparations don’t stop as soon as you arrive. There are things you can do in the labor and delivery room that will ensure both you and your baby have as smooth and comfortable of a delivery experience as possible.