4 ways to prepare for L&D
Having a baby will be one of the biggest days of your life – if not the biggest. You deserve a GREAT birth. The birth of your dreams. However, most people tell you what to do after the baby is here, but do not tell you all the different ways to prepare for L&D. But, that’s what I’m here for! Let’s talk about it.
Create a birth plan
What is a birth plan? Let’s start off with that. A birth plan is well…a plan. It’s a document where you write down all of your preferences. Things like, “No pitocin” or “I definitely want an epidural” should be in there. Everything from start to finish – no detail should be left out. Your birth plan is how your birth team can know your preferences when it is game time, without you having to advocate for yourself 100% of the time…because you will be busy! This is why it is very important to have a birth care team that you trust. They will be following what you want (as much as possible), just by your notes.
But be willing to be flexible
Creating your birth plan is extremely important, but it’s also important to remember that you probably need to be flexible, as well. No birth goes 100% according to plan and when something goes astray, you need to accept that there might be a better “plan” than what you created. Afterall, a safe birth and a health baby is everyone’s first priority. That’s not to say, though, that you won’t have big emotions around a change. I am sure you will and that is totally okay. It’s good to be able to process them in the moment, and they will be easier to process if you go into your birth knowing that you might have to switch up your preferences in the moment.
Learn how to breathe
Did you know that muscle tension can make pain worse in labor? Well, if you didn’t know already, you do now. How do you release muscle tension? By breathing. That’s why you hear the phrase, “braethe the baby out.” Fear and stress can release adrenaline in your body which will cause your uterine muscle to tense up even more. This makes it difficult for anything to release and for your uterus to contract and expand. But, controlled breathing can override the fear response and help your muscles relax, which will reduce your pain. Focused and controlled breathing in labor engages the parasympathetic nervous system. We can’t control that system, but we can hack it by indirectly stimulating the vagus nerve. How do we do that? Three ways. –
-Slow, rhythmic, and diaphramatic breathing: almost every childbirth method uses this as a key to relax. Breathing deeply rather than shallowly stimulates and tones the vagus nerve.
-Humming, moaning, chanting, singing: this lesser known method works well because the vagus nerve is connected to vocal chords. This creates vibrations of the vocal cords mechanically to stimulate the vagus nerve. That’s why chanting of the word “om” is used in yoga or meditation, as well.
-Washing your face with cold water: this stimulates the vagus nerve, as well.
With the first stage of labor, you will want to focus on up breathing. Once you are through transition and you reach the second stage of labor (birth of the baby), you will focus on j breathing. I could talk about this all day, so to save you time, go read a separate article on how to accomplish these breathing methods, which will help SO much!
Know when to stand up for yourself
Unfortunately, medical malpractice is way too common of an issue. Prepare for labor by 1) having a good team, and 2) knowing when to stand up for yourself or have someone on that team advocate for you. Sometimes, however, it’s too late, and that’s where malpractice can come in. Leshine Law says, “Close to 4 million births occur in the U.S. every year and, thankfully, most children are delivered safely by medical professionals. However, not all deliveries go smoothly. OB/GYNs and other medical professionals who perform delivery must be aware of possible complications that can put the baby and mother at risk. If the baby and mother are not carefully monitored for distress or delivery is delayed, brain injuries can occur. Poor delivery techniques can also cause substantial injuries to the child.”
Not all birth is perfect, and if and when that does happen, first, take time to process, and second, call Keith D. Leshine Attorney At Law, LLC. He focxues on medical malpractice, birth injury claims, catostrophic injuries, and he is also an auto accident lawyer Duluth GA.
When it comes to birth injuries, you might be wondering what is included. He says, “One of the most damaging effects of delivery errors is loss of oxygen to the baby. Reduced oxygen during delivery can cause serious brain damage to a healthy baby. Other injuries can occur when maneuvering the child through the birth canal, and the wrong techniques can cause birth injuries that are preventable. Some common types of birth injuries that can be caused by medical errors during delivery include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Brain damage
- Fractures
- Spinal cord injury or paralysis
If a child is born with injuries that were caused by medical errors during delivery, the child and their parents deserve to be compensated. The child will likely need special medical treatments and possibly life-long care that can cause financial hardship. If your child was born with a preventable birth injury, contact us at Keith D. Leshine Attorney at Law, LLC to talk to a birth injury claims lawyer at our office in Duluth, GA.”
