Research the kind of birth you want, who to attend the birth
By Danell Swim
April 21, 2008
Start by soul-searching. What values and priorities do you hold and what kind of birth experience are you looking for? Time and again I have heard sad stories of people staying with care providers whom they real-ly weren’t comfortable with or feeling like they were pressured by the providers’ personal feelings on birth. So select carefully. These people are more than just “baby catchers.” They will have an impact on the whole birthing experience.
Obstetricians are physicians who specialize in the management of pregnancy, labor and pueperium (the period immediately after birth) as well as other areas of female care. If you are looking for an OB, check with your insurance to see if it will cover all OBs or if there is a preferred provider. However, if you are not comfortable with the preferred provider, you may want to consider paying more for a doctor who truly meets your requirements. Many OBs work in groups and have an on-call group. Try to ensure that you meet as many of these doctors as you can before the birth. OBs primarily deliver babies in hospitals.
The two main categories for midwives are nurse-midwives and direct-entry midwives. A midwife as defined by Citizens for Midwifery is “a knowledgeable and experienced person (usually a woman) who helps a woman have a healthy, normal pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby.
Then there is you. What? Yes, it’s true. There is a growing trend around the globe called “free birth,” or unassisted birth. This is more common in areas where there is a lack of midwives or doctors. How- ever, even in cities women are choosing to birth their own babies with only a family member present. Although this method is not endorsed by health care professionals or the medical community, it continues to gain in popularity among certain groups of women.
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Thanks so much for this article Danell. I love un-biased information. You said it right … women need to RESEARCH! I found both a wonderful doctor AND hospital, both of which respect birth plans and respect natural birthing techniques. On top of that, my doctor began as a midwife! She’s definitely a new breed of doctor, but it was research that led me to her. This is great information, well done!