Many mothers and most proponents of home birth would argue that the current medical model of maternity care in the United States makes it difficult to have a natural birth in the hospital. Interventions are so routinely used in some hospitals that it is almost impossible to make it through the birth without any. However, with some planning it is possible to have the birth you want.
The two most important factors in having a natural birth in a hospital setting are the health care provider and hospital in which you will deliver. In the first part of this blog, I will address the choice of a hospital. Some hospitals are more mother and baby friendly than others. Ask moms in your area about their birth experiences at various hospitals.
You can also call the hospital and ask for information and possibly a tour of the facility. Ask specific questions about issues that are important to you, such as policies about fetal monitoring, IVs and restriction of movement in labor. All of these may hinder your efforts to have a birth free of interventions.
Ask what non medicinal comfort measures they use. A nurse in a hospital where most women have an epidural may look at you like you’re out of your mind, but this can be very telling. There are many comfort measures a mother and baby friendly hospital will suggest, such as music, dimmed lights and water. The answers will give you a clue to the compatibility of their philosophy and yours.
If you will be breastfeeding and are planning to have your baby in your room, ask questions about hospital policies regarding these issues. How do they handle rooming in? Is it encouraged and common, or are mothers expected to send the babies to the nursery and night? Is the hospital breastfeeding friendly? Are the nurses knowledgeable and do they have a lactation consultant on the staff?
There are other questions to ask, if you are planning to breastfeed. Does the hospital offer a class? How soon after the birth will you be able to feed your baby? Breastfeeding for the first time within an hour of the birth is the ideal. Having access to the baby at all times, as with rooming in will help you establish a good breastfeeding relationship while in the hospital with support.
Ask about the use of formula and pacifiers in the nursery and make it clear that you don’t want either, if you are breastfeeding. Believe it or not, some hospitals have been known to give both to breastfeeding babies without checking with mom, so don’t assume they’ll ask. The bottom line is to determine if the hospital is supportive and knowledgeable about breastfeeding.
Related Articles:
Does Natural Birth Really Matter?
Is Natural Birth Better for Bonding?
Pusing Positions for Natural Birth