Whatever your plan is for your labor and birth, I hope that you will walk into your experience equipped with knowledge, tools, and techniques to give you confidence.
Hold on and enjoy the ride! Welcome to being a mom and dad!
As always, please feel free to e-mail me with any questions, concerns, comments or suggestions! Also, I would love to hear your unique birth story once your bundle arrives! mylaborandbirth@hotmail.com
I have included 18 review scenarios for you to test your knowledge...
1. You are 39 weeks pregnant. You are at home doing the dishes and you feel a gush down your leg. Your water broke! What should you note?
2. You are 38 weeks pregnant. Your contractions started this morning. They have become progressively stronger and closer together. They are 8 minutes apart. The movie you and your hubby are watching is no longer helping you/distracting you. What else can you try?
3. You are 40 weeks pregnant. You are laboring at home. Your contractions have been lasting about a minute and having been coming every 4-5 minutes for an hour now. When should you go to the hospital? What do expect will happen when you arrive?
4. Your cervix is 5 cm. Your baby is not minding labor one bit and is doing great. You are pretty uncomfortable with your contractions. What are some of your options?
5. Your back is really hurting. Your cervix is 6 cm. What are some positions/tips that you can try? What can your partner do?
6. You are 38 weeks pregnant. You started having irregular contractions last night. They don’t seem to be getting worse, but they are annoying and painful. Do you think that this is true labor? What can you do to find out?
7. You are 8 cm dilated. You are experiencing hot flashes, you are nauseated and shaking. Is something wrong? What phase of labor are you in? Partners, what can you do for your wife?
8. You have labored beautifully. You are 8+cm. Your partner notices that your breathing and noises are becoming high pitched and your eyes are tightly shut. Partners, what can you do to help her regain focus?
19. At last check your cervix was 9 cm. A few contractions have passes and you now feel the urge to push? Should you go with that urge and push? What should you do first? What technique can you use to try to avoid pushing?
10. You have been pushing for about a half an hour. You hear the nurse say that she thinks your baby is OP or “posterior”. What are some positions you can try to help turn your baby?
What if you have an epidural?
11. You have been pushing for an hour. You are getting tired. Your baby’s head is starting to crown while you push, but it recedes between contractions while you rest. You are so close, you could use some encouragement. What can you try? Partners what can you do to help?
12. You are 4 cm and have been for 3 hours. What can you do to have labor progress? What might the provider suggest?
13. You are 41 weeks pregnant; your cervix is 2cm 60% effaced. You aren’t contracting regularly and at your OB appt, your provider asks if you’d like him to “strip your membranes”. What is that? Does it hurt? Why is that offered?
14. You started labor. Your baby is not head down when your nurse checks you. What do you expect will need to happen? What are some other reasons for c-section?
15. You have been 5 cm for several hours. You have developed a fever, your water is broke, and you have been on pitocin and have internal monitors in place to monitor your baby and your contractions. Your baby doesn’t seem to want to descend. What could be the problem? What may need to happen next?
16. You baby girl was born 20 minutes ago. She is now skin to skin with you. She starts nuzzling you and smacking her lips…is now a good time to try to breastfeed? Partner, how can you help?
17. You are 40 weeks and your BP is elevated and your provider has been watching the protein in your urine. He feels that an induction would be best for you and your baby. Your cervix is not favorable, so what will need to happen?
18. What are the aspects to a good latch? What happens when the latch is not very good?
