Pregnancy and Birthing Q&A
By Jess Stone
Pregnancy and birth are perhaps the most profound and
important events in a woman's life. The process is not just
about making babies, it is about making mothers as well. The
paths you tread during this time shape your future as much as
your child's. Every choice you make is a brick laid in the
foundation of your parenting style. You are in the process of
becoming the mother you want to be.
For this reason, it is of vital importance to both you
and your child that you do what you can to have a positive,
balance and healthy pregnancy and birth experience. This can
seem like an overwhelming task at times, especially for the
single expectant mother, who can easily feel that she shoulders
more burdens than the married or partnered mother. The truth is
that the proactive and well informed single mother is much more
likely to experience a positive and healthy birth experience
than any woman who is ill prepared and uninformed, even if she's
in the happiest marriage in the world.
My job, as a doula, is to help you prepare and inform
yourself before birth, and to help you achieve the positive,
empowering birth experience that will transform you into a
confident, strong mother.
Here are some frequently asked questions about preparing
for birth.
What important
decisions should I make regarding my birth?
What kind of care provider you want/need
to care for you during pregnancy and
birth
Where you want to give birth
Who you want to be there
What child birth education classes to take
How you want to manage pain.
Learn about
interventions.
How you want to feed
your baby.
How you want your baby
cared for after birth?
What's the difference between a doctor, a midwife and
a doula?
What are my choices for birth location?
Who can I pick as my birth partner?
Why would I want a doula at my birth?
What kind of childbirth education class should I take?
What are my options for pain relief during labor?
Im having a healthy
pregnancy, why do I need to learn about
interventions?
Is breast
feeding really better than bottle feeding?
What after
birth care choices do I have?
Ultimately, all these choices are up to you, but the only real
choice is an informed choice. If you make a choice based not on
what you know to be the pros and cons, but instead based on what
other people are telling you to do, you are actually being
coerced. Do your research on all of these issues, and pick the
option that will work best for you and your child. This is YOUR
pregnancy, YOUR birth, and YOUR child. Don't let someone else
step in and take over for you.
