Lamaze Magazine 2008 - (Page 6) Anticipation Pregnancy By Ann Grauer, CD(DONA), PCD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE Shopping for Care Finding a health-care provider and birth place are two early decisions to check off your list. aybe you haven’t started buying baby gear yet, but there are two major items that you should be shopping for: a birth place and a health-care provider. Conventional wisdom says that childbirth should happen in a hospital with a doctor, but if you’re healthy and have a low risk of complications, giving birth at home or in a birth center is just as safe as (and sometimes even safer than) a hospital. M | | The insight you gain over the next few months may lead you to realize that who you chose in the beginning is not who you wish to have with you at birth. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION When you go into labor and walk through the hospital doors, the staff may think of you as a sick person. Often, medication and technology are used to treat problems that may never arise. Studies published in The Cochrane Library have shown that this may actually increase your risk for complications. What you really need is a comfortable environment and lots of support so that your body can do its job. That’s just what you’ll get in a birth center or your home (supervised by a midwife): a team trained in labor support that sees birth as a normal life event rather than an emergency waiting to happen. You have a much better chance of giving birth without medical interventions (like induction or episiotomy) if you’re surrounded by people who want to avoid them as much as you do. MIDWIFE? PHYSICIAN? OBSTETRICIAN? Your next step is finding a health-care provider who works in the birth place you’ve chosen. A doctor who gives a good gynecological exam may not be the best person to guide you through pregnancy and birth. Take time to consider the following three options: | A CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIFE (CNM) provides pregnancy and birth care. CNMs have deep respect for the natural process of pregnancy and birth. They have advanced training (most often a master’s degree) and have passed a rigorous certification exam. Studies show that midwifery care is not just safe but is very appropriate for healthy, low-risk women. A FAMILY PHYSICIAN provides comprehensive medical care for the entire family, as well as prenatal care which recognizes that most pregnancies don’t require intervention. An OB/GYN is a surgeon who specializes in the care of the female reproductive system. Their training focuses on treating pregnant women with underlying health problems or complications. Both family physicians and midwives will refer you to an OB/GYN if complications arise. Online: Read more at lamaze.org/magazine. LAMAZE MAGAZINE 2008 6 LAMAZE.ORG PHOTO: PER ERIKSSON/GETTYIMAGES TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS Ask your friends and coworkers who are already moms about their providers and interview those that sound promising. As you listen to their answers to your questions, also listen to your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, that provider isn’t for you. If at any time, even late in your pregnancy, you do not feel comfortable with your health-care provider or planned place of birth, it is perfectly okay to look around and consider making a switch. The insight you gain during the months of pregnancy may lead you to realize that who you chose in the beginning is not who you wish to have with you at birth. When the big day comes and you have a trusted provider by your side, you’ll be glad you took this decision seriously. | http://lamaze.org/magazine http://LAMAZE.ORG
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