So, who should you have with you when you give birth? The most important thing is to have a labor companion. This labor companion can be your life partner, a family member, a friend, anyone who is there to support you in having the type of birth that you would like to have. It's really really important that your labor companion is somebody who can listen to you, and understand what you're trying to share when you express a need.
Your labor companion should be somebody that supports you and that choices that you make during this process. It's very important to have that supportive person by your side. It's someone who can go and get something for you to eat or drink, hold your hand, and really use the partner techniques and other comfort measures to help you have a positive birthing experience.
Another labor companion option is to have a labor support doula. A labor support doula is a professional who has been trained in understanding the physiological and emotional responses of a woman during birth. A doula can begin to support you in pregnancy, will then have prenatal visits with you in your home to discuss your hopes and expectations for the birth, and give you suggestions of how to labor at home. As doulas, we really highly recommend laboring at home as long as possible, so that you can best determine the right time to go to the hospital.
If this is not your first baby and you have other children, you might want to consider having your other children at the birth with you as well. This is something to really speak with your care provider about, and depending on your child's age really making the right decision about whether or not this would be appropriate for your children. So these are all things to keep in mind when deciding about who to have by your side at your birth.
- 254 views
