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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Having a Baby? 10 Questions to ASK...



Have you decided how to have your baby?
The choice is yours!
First, you should learn as much as you can about all your choices.
There are many different ways of caring for a mother and her baby during labor and birth.
Birthing care that is better and healthier for mothers and babies is called "mother-friendly." Some birth places or settings are more mother-friendly than others.
A group of experts in birthing care came up with this list of 10 things to look for and ask about. Medical research supports all of these things. These are also the best ways to be mother-friendly.
When you are deciding where to have your baby,


you'll probably be choosing from different places such as:
• birth center,
• hospital, or
• home birth service.
Here's what you should expect, and ask for, in your birth experience. Be sure to find out how the people you talk with handle these ten issues about caring for you and your baby. You may want to ask the questions below to help you learn more.


  • "Who can be with me during labor and birth?"
  • "What happens during a normal labor and birth in your setting?"
  • "How do you allow for differences in culture and beliefs?"
  • "Can I walk and move around during labor? What position do you suggest for birth?"
  • "How do you make sure everything goes smoothly when my nurse, doctor, midwife, or agency need to work with each other?"
  • "What things do you normally do to a woman in labor?"
  • "How do you help mothers stay as comfortable as they can be? Besides drugs, how do you help mothers relieve the pain of labor?"
  • "What if my baby is born early or has special problems?"
  • "Do you circumcise baby boys?"
  • "How do you help mothers who want to breastfeed?"

The link to the full article is below.