Easy Steps to a Safer Pregnancy - View e-book or Download PDF - FREE!
An interactive resource for moms on easy steps they can take to reduce exposure to chemical toxins during pregnancy.
These are easy to read and understand and are beautifully presented.
Most women wonder what labor will be like and who will be there to provide
physical and emotional support for her. In this pamphlet I will explore
the various options available for the birthing women.
Nurses
Nurses who work on a maternity ward are a special breed. They are specifically
trained to take care of you in the best medical way possible. They receive
their orders from your Dr. And have the knowledge it takes to assess you
physically as you progress through labor. Their duties include assessing
you when you come to the hospital doing such things as:
settling you into your room
taking your vital signs
doing a vaginal exam to see what stage of labor you are in and calling
the Dr. To report it.
hooking up a fetal monitor
inserting an IV and administering any medication
attending to her other patients
During labor they may or may not provide emotional and physical support,
it depends on the nurse that is assigned to you and or the duties that
they must perform. A study was done that showed that even with one nurse
to each patient, nurses were only able to spend 6% of their time providing
support to the laboring mother. While you are in labor the nurse may have
to:
adjust your IV and fetal monitor
read and record your fetal monitor
record other factors such as your urine output etc.
go on her meal break or go home
help another nurse in another room
attend to her other patients
The time just before your baby is born is a very busy time for your nurse...she
may have to:
call your Dr. or midwife
gather together all the equipment that the DR or midwife will need to use
during and after the birth and the items needed for your baby.
if your hospital does not have labor/birthing rooms she will have to help
bring you to the delivery room.
when the DR or midwife arrives she may have to be reading the fetal monitor,
handing the Dr or midwife the instruments etc.
Immediately after the birth is another time when your nurse will have many
things to do:
assess, clean, weigh, warm your baby
clean the room and put everything away
chart everything that just went on
massage your uterus
possibly have time to teach a little about breastfeeding.
attend to her other patients
Midwives
Midwives are wonderful people. Most do not use the medical model of care
( that birth is a medical process vs. Normal and natural)for birthing women.
You should probably question your midwife as to how she works as some do
go by the medical model of birth. They spend more time with you than a
Dr does and just might be available to provide some labor support. But
the midwife also has other duties that include but are not limited to:
doing vaginal exams to check your progress
checking with the nurse about the monitors etc.
checking on her other patients
setting up equipment to assist in the birth
doing all other things related to the birth
after the birth she may assist you with breastfeeding
Dads
Many partners want to be with the women they love during labor and be present
during the birth of their baby. Since all men are different your baby's
dad may:
take classes to help you through every stage of labor and the birth
not take classes but still want to help the mom
not want to do any physical comforting only emotional
not want to be there for labor but for the birth or visa versa
Not want to be there at all..the squeamish type
not able to be there
just wants to stay and hold your hand
The presence of your baby's dad is encouraged as it will help immensely
with the bonding of you all as a family. Dads need encouragement, advice,
snack breaks, sleep etc. If dad can't or isn't willing to provide labor
support and the nurse and midwife is too busy who will ...
........Enter the Doula
A doula is a woman trained in labor support, who knows that birth is an
awesome, empowering experience for a birthing women and her partner, and
wants very much for you to have the birth experience that YOU want. The
doula can:
meet with you before the birth and assist you with making a birth plan,
and answer any birth related questions
stay with you for the whole time that you are in labor and for awhile after
the birth
provide continuous physical, emotional and information support.
assist and support you after the birth with breastfeeding issues, baby
care etc.
In other words, a doula
Mothers the Mother
This Web page is referenced from another page containing related information
about Doula's Notes
