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There is a newer edition of this item:
The Birth Partner, 6th Revised Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Partners, Doulas, and Other Labor Companions
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This title will be released on November 19, 2024.
$22.99
This title will be released on November 19, 2024.
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From the Publisher
The Medical Side of Childbirth
The caregiver’s primary role in childbirth is to safeguard the health of mother and child. Throughout pregnancy, the caregiver relies on a wide assortment of tests, technologies, and procedures to detect and treat problems before they become serious. Similar tests, technologies, and procedures (often referred to as 'interventions') are available during childbirth.
Caregivers differ among themselves regarding what should constitute routine basic care during childbirth. Some caregivers feel birth is so unpredictable that it is safest to use many medical procedures in every labor, whether they are needed or not. Others believe that childbirth is essentially a normal physiological process, and use medical or surgical interventions only when problems are suspected or detected. Pregnant women differ among themselves over the same issues. Some are fearful and feel more secure with a highly medical approach, while others perceive birth as normal and are wary of excessive interventions. They place more trust in their bodies and their inner resources than in technology.
The Birth Ball
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Sitting on a birth ball.The mother sits on it and sways during contractions. This helps relax her trunk and pelvic floor. |
Kneeling while leaning on a birth ball.The mother kneels on the floor (with padding under her knees) or on the bed and leans forward with her head, shoulders, arms, and upper chest resting on the ball. This provides the same benefits as the handsand- knees position (for example, relief of back pain, rotation of an OP baby, and possible improvement of a baby’s heart rate) but is more restful. The mother can also sway effortlessly. |
Standing, swaying with the ball.The mother stands next to a hospital birthing bed, which may be raised or lowered to a comfortable height, or a counter. The ball is placed on the bed, and she rests her head and upper body on it, swaying rhythmically and effortlessly side to side during contractions. This gives many of the same advantages of kneeling while leaning on the ball, and also uses gravity to help the baby descend. |
Using the ball to help soothe a crying baby.Lastly, after the baby is born, the birth ball is a great help at home. You can almost always soothe a fussy baby quickly by sitting on the ball with the baby against your shoulder. Then you bounce, gently or vigorously—whatever works. This is a wonderful way to create a soothing up-and-down motion for the baby without wearing yourself out. Of course, a baby who is crying from hunger should be fed, not bounced. |
6: Tests, Technologies, Interventions, and Procedures
Normal delivery without episiotomy with the woman on her side. Left: The caregiver uses warm compresses to promote relaxation and circulation, and gently supports the perineum. Right: With the mother rolled toward her side, the caregiver provides slight counterpressure as the baby’s head emerges.
Encouraging the Baby to Change Position
It is not always easy to identify the position of the baby in the pelvis; even the most experienced nurses, midwives, and doctors have trouble doing this sometimes. (To learn more about a baby’s position in labor and the many ways to identify it, consult www.spinningbabies.com and The Labor Progress Handbook; see 'Recommended Resources'). But you do not need to know the baby’s position before trying some of the measures described in this and the preceding chapter.
Encouraging the Baby to Change Position - Side lying
Side lying: The mother lies on her side with both hips and knees flexed, and a pillow between her knees. If the nurse or midwife is quite sure the baby’s back is toward the left side of the mother’s back (left occiput posterior, or LOP), the mother lies on her left side; if she believes the baby is ROP, the mother lies on her right side. If you are not sure of the baby’s position, have the mother turn from one side to the other every 20 to 30 minutes.
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Heather Readman
Tons of useful information!
Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2018
