Getting To Know You

As a doula, I’ve heard this lament time and time again: “I received the name of my doctor from a friend, and if I had known what to ask, I probably would have switched doctors a long time ago. Now I feel it is too late to change!”
Ideally, it’s best to have a very important conversation with your doctor at the beginning of your pregnancy to make sure that the way he or she practices medicine matches up with the way you want to birth. But even if you’re well into your pregnancy and have a doctor already picked out, be sure to ask these key questions at your next appointment!
While you’re in labor isn’t a good time to start negotiating your wishes. It’s essential that you feel heard, supported and respected long before the big day

What is your birth philosophy?
There are two basic philosophies to approaching birth. The first is the medical model, which emphasizes the pathologic potential of pregnancy and birth and tends to lead to more managed care.
The second approach is the midwifery model, which subscribes to the idea that pregnancy and birth is a natural, physiological process that should be inherently trusted–this approach tends to have fewer routine interventions. (This does necessarily require you work with a midwife; some OB-GYNs subscribe to this philosophy.)
Neither of these schools of thought are wrong. It’s just important to find out ahead of time which direction your care provider tends to lean. You can’t change the way your provider practices medicine, but you can change your provider.

How aggressively do you manage patient care?
If a patient has a low-risk, healthy pregnancy, how open is the practice to various birth options? For example: Is the practice going to let the laboring woman have intermittent monitoring, or are they insistent upon full-time EFM (external fetal monitoring), during which the mother is hooked up to a monitor at all times? When do they advise the mother to come to the hospital? Is she allowed to eat or drink freely throughout labor? Is the care provider open to non-traditional ways of pushing (i.e. side-lining, squatting, the all-fours position), or do they prefer her on her back? Will the mother require mandatory IV fluids? Is the practice open to natural ways to augment labor–like castor oil, nipple stimulation, acupuncture or evening primrose oil?

Many of the routine managed interventions have been studied and determined not beneficial for the mother and baby. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently changed their guidelines in regards to only offering ice chips to laboring women. They are now supporting clear liquids, such as water, fruit juice without pulp, carbonated beverages, clear tea, black coffee, sports drinks and clear broth. However, many care providers still have not changed their practice to adjust to this new information.

This just one of the many routine interventions still enforced without strong evidence of its benefit. Have a clear understanding what you as a laboring mother would like or not like, and go over it point by point with your care provider.

What kind of schedule will I be on?
Some of these decisions may be hospital protocol; others may be up to the care provider. Discuss the following areas of schedule ahead of time:

* How long can I labor before artificially augmenting labor (using pitocin), assuming the amniotic sac has not broken?

* How long can I labor if my water has broken?

* How long can I labor with labor augmentation before being considered “failure to progress” and requiring a C-section?

* How far past my estimated due date can I go without being induced, assuming my baby and I are fine?

* How long am I allowed to be in the second stage of labor–the pushing stage?

* How long can I labor at home before going to the birth center or hospital?

If you’re feeling resistance during your pre-birth conversation with your doctor, ask a few questions that might help clarify the reason for the resistance: What would happen if we waited? If I am okay and my baby is okay, could we have more time?

What are the statistics or rates of the practice?
Taking a close look at the rates and statistics of the practice will help answer a lot of questions regarding the care provider’s approach to birth. Inquire about the following:
* What is your C-section rate?
* What is your induction rate?
* What is your episiotomy rate?
* What is your instrumental delivery (forceps and vacuum extraction) rate?

* Does your practice work with more high-risk women than low-risk women?

These answers will color the statistics of the practice. If the practice primarily works with high-risk women, they may be more inclined to suggest an induction or cesarean birth, because they may be used to approaching birth in that manner.

(To gather statistics and info to use as a comparison, visit Choices In Childbirth.)

When does your care provider arrive at the hospital or birth center? How involved is he or she in the labor process?
On several occasions, I have seen women who were ready to push, but who were told not to since their care provider was not at the hospital yet. These births were not particularly speedy and the care provider should have had enough time to arrive and be prepared. A mother should never have to fight her natural impulse to push her baby out, simply because her care provider is not present.
Some care providers are very involved with the labor process and check in often, or even stay in the room for a bit. Usually midwives are most involved in the labor process, but some doctors are wonderfully supportive as well. A doctor once told me, “My teacher in medical school told me, ‘The most important thing an OB needs is a comfortable chair. Sit back and let nature unfold.’” This is the kind of support laboring mothers need and deserve!