Communicate Goals
While we know what our goals are for pregnancy and birth, it is important to ensure you have a provider that is supportive of your goals. You may have seen your provider for yearly checkups, but do they know your goals and lifestyle? It is important to question your provider to make sure your goals for pregnancy and birth align with the way they practice. It is also never too late to change providers. Even if you are 39 weeks pregnant you can seek the care of another provider.
Ask Questions
It is okay to ask questions regardless of where you are during pregnancy. Every stage of pregnancy will bring new things out and things to consider for your journey. Some of your first questions may involve the frequency of appointments, lifestyle changes, upcoming testing, etc. Remember though, it is never too early to ask questions about the future for you and your baby. You may want to ask about induction rates, cesarean section rates, who will deliver your baby, etc.
The list is truly endless with questions to ask. What you discuss with your provider will vary based on your situation.
Consider Birth Location
Every mother will have different perspectives and beliefs, and it is important for your views to align with your provider and the place of delivery.
You may wish to give birth naturally, but it can be much harder to achieve if the hospital you plan to deliver at has a 50% cesarean rate. So preparing yourself for that ahead of time will be extremely important to ensure your goals are respected. You may also want to come up with some questions to ask when you are in labor, particularly when an intervention is suggested. Ensuring your birth partner is aware of these questions is important in case you are not able to speak. These questions may include questions such as benefits, risks, further interventions needed, etc.
Make a list of questions
Birth is unpredictable and rarely goes as planned so preparing for change and navigating different situations is very important. If you find your provider’s views do not align with yours at any point, it is always okay to find a new provider. Having questions written down throughout pregnancy and prepared for labor is a great start. A recommended way to make sure you do not forget anything would be to start a note on your phone of questions and information you’re looking for at each appointment. Remember your provider is there to help you through this journey and being informed and educated can truly help eliminate any confusion or extra stress along the way.
Story by Tayler Morrison for BlueWaterParent.com.
All content of BlueWaterParent.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
