"Cynthya was our doula for the birth of our third child in April 2016. As this was my third birth, and I had been attended to by a doula at the first two, I knew that finding the right doula was crucial to a successful and satisfying birth." - Winter Wheeler-Young
5 Things Most Parents Don’t Realize Affect Labor Outcomes
Your Nervous System Sets the Tone
Stress, anxiety, or tension can slow labor and make contractions feel more intense. Conversely, a calm, supported nervous system helps labor progress smoothly. Practices like breathing, visualization, and partner-guided grounding can make a measurable difference.Partner Confidence Directly Impacts Your Experience
Partners who are unsure or anxious can unintentionally increase stress. When your support person feels prepared and grounded, you can relax and trust your body—helping labor unfold more efficiently.Hospital Policies and Culture Vary Widely
Even within the same city or hospital, policies on monitoring, interventions, and mobility differ. Understanding how your provider supports physiologic birth before interventions is key to making informed choices.Movement and Positioning Matter More Than Pushing Harder
Changing positions, walking, rocking, or using birth balls helps baby descend and improves comfort. Staying in one position too long can slow labor, increase pain, or make interventions more likely.Preparation Beats Perfection
No labor goes exactly as planned. Flexibility, mental rehearsal, and knowing your options prevent panic and empower decision-making, which directly affects outcomes, interventions, and your birth experience.
1 Question to Ask Your Provider Before Labor
“In a long or complicated labor, how do you usually support physiologic birth before recommending interventions?”
Why this matters:
Reveals provider philosophy and approach
Opens conversation about movement, coping, and non-medical interventions
Builds confidence before labor begins
Get Your Empowered Pregnancy Guide to Feeling Confident and Prepared Before Labor
Created by Cynthya Dzialo, Certified Hypno-Doula & Childbirth Educator
Quick Partner Action Tips
Learn counter-pressure and comfort techniques
Keep a list of calming words or phrases ready
Track contraction patterns without obsessing
Advocate for rest, hydration, and privacy when possible
How to Use These Suggestions
Save it to your phone or print it
Review it with your partner
Bring it to your next prenatal visit
Use it as a reminder to focus on calm, confident preparation rather than perfection
Next Step: For full month-by-month (3rd Trimester) guidance, labor preparation, partner strategies, postpartum planning, and the complete printables pack, download The Empowered Pregnancy Guide today.
The Empowered Pregnancy
A Calm, Confident, Expert-Guided Pregnancy Experience
This is not another pregnancy book. This is private, professional-level guidance — packaged so you can feel steady, informed, and supported from your positive test through your hospital discharge.
Created by Cynthya Dzialo, certified labor doula, lactation counselor, childbirth educator, and founder of The Happiest Doulas, this guide reflects what families actually need — not fear-based information or overwhelming medical jargon.
If You’re Pregnant and Want…
• To feel calm instead of anxious
• To understand what’s normal (and what’s not)
• To prepare for labor without rigid plans
• To involve your partner confidently
• To avoid feeling blindsided in the hospital
• To enter postpartum feeling supported, not shocked
You’re in the right place.
Why Most Pregnancy Resources Fall Short
Most pregnancy books and apps:
• Dump information without context
• Focus on rare emergencies instead of normal physiology
• Leave partners confused and sidelined
• End at birth — when support is still critical
The result? Smart, capable parents who still feel unsure when it matters most.
The Empowered Pregnancy Is Different
This guide is built the way private support works:
✔ Calm, clear education without overwhelm
✔ Emotional regulation woven into every stage
✔ Partner-inclusive guidance (not an afterthought)
✔ Realistic expectations for labor, newborn care, and hospital life
✔ Flexibility — not perfection — as the goal
This is the pregnancy support many families wish they’d had before labor began.
What’s Included
The Premium Pregnancy Guide (Digital PDF)
• Month-by-month pregnancy support
• Mindset and movement guidance
• Labor physiology explained clearly
• Pain management options without bias
• Birth preferences and advocacy guidance
• Postpartum recovery and newborn basics
The Companion Printables Pack
• Pregnancy planning for labor & birth expectations
• Birth preferences and flexibility planning
• Partner labor support cheat sheet
• Common newborn procedures planning
• Post-delivery hospital stay planner
• Postpartum recovery checklist
• Newborn feeding, sleep, and diaper trackers
Everything is designed to reduce mental load and help you focus on what matters.
Designed for Partners, Too
Most partners want to help — they just don’t know how.
This program gives them:
• Clear roles and responsibilities
• Simple language to use during labor
• Confidence navigating hospital systems
• Practical ways to support postpartum recovery
When partners feel grounded, birthing parents feel safer.
Who This Is For
✔ First-time parents who want clarity and confidence
✔ Busy professionals who don’t want to research endlessly
✔ Couples who value emotional safety and preparation
✔ Families planning hospital births who want informed choice
Who This Is NOT For
✘ Those looking for a rigid, one-size-fits-all birth plan
✘ Fear-based or agenda-driven education
✘ Parents who want medical decisions made for them
About the Creator
Cynthya Dzialo has supported thousands of families through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum transitions.
Her work focuses on:
• Nervous-system regulation
• Partner involvement
• Clear, compassionate education
• Supporting confidence in unpredictable moments
This guide reflects what she teaches privately — now accessible anytime.
Choose Your Experience
The Empowered Pregnancy Guide
• Complete digital guide
• Companion printables pack
Investment: $99
Add-on Audio for $69
• Audio calming and labor preparation tracks
VIP Empowered Pregnancy Experience
• The digital guide, printable pack, and audio tracks
• 60-minute Partner Power session
Investment: $399
A Final Note
You do not need to prepare perfectly. You need support that helps you respond with confidence.
The Empowered Pregnancy was created to give you exactly that.
Ready to Feel Supported?
Download The Empowered Pregnancy today and begin your calm, confident preparation.
What Partners Are Really Afraid of During Birth (And What To Do About It)
Partners rarely say it out loud, but most are thinking:
“What if I do the wrong thing?”
“What if I freeze?”
“What if I can’t handle seeing them in pain?”
These fears don’t mean they’re weak.
They mean they’re unprepared—and no one taught them what to do.
The silent pressure partners carry
Partners are expected to:
Advocate
Stay calm
Support emotionally and physically
Make decisions under stress
All while managing their own fear.
Without guidance, many:
Step back instead of stepping in
Defer entirely to the staff
Feel helpless—and regret it later
Coaching changes everything
Partner Power Coaching gives partners:
Clear roles (so they don’t guess)
Simple tools for pain and emotional support
Language to communicate with providers
Confidence to stay present—even when it’s intense
This doesn’t just help labor.
It strengthens trust and connection after birth.
Why this matters for you
When your partner feels capable:
You feel safer
You’re less likely to feel alone
The experience becomes shared—not survived
👉 Discover how Partner Power Coaching works and why so many families say it was the most valuable part of their birth preparation.
How to Choose the Right Birth Support (Without Overthinking It)
When choosing birth support, ask yourself:
Do I want more information—or more confidence?
Do I want my partner involved—or overwhelmed?
Do I want to feel supported only during labor—or fully prepared beforehand?
Not all support is the same
Classes teach concepts
Doulas provide presence
Coaching builds leadership and confidence
The strongest support systems combine all three—intentionally.
The right support feels:
Calm, not chaotic
Clear, not overwhelming
Personalized, not generic
If you feel more relaxed after talking to your support person—that’s a good sign.
Trust your nervous system
If something feels grounding and steady, your body is already responding.
This matters more than credentials alone.
👉 Schedule a consultation to see if our approach feels right for you.
Why Birth Prep Should Reduce Anxiety—Not Add to It
Most expecting parents don’t lack information.
They’re drowning in it.
Books. Podcasts. Instagram advice. Conflicting opinions.
Instead of confidence, they feel overloaded and second-guessing everything.
Information ≠ preparation
True preparation answers:
What actually matters for me?
What do we ignore?
How do we make decisions under pressure?
Preparation should simplify, not overwhelm.
The problem with traditional birth classes
Many classes:
Cover everything “just in case”
Focus on theory, not application
Leave partners unsure of their role
Parents leave with more knowledge—but less certainty.
Our approach: clarity over coverage
We focus on:
The few decisions that make the biggest difference
Real-world scenarios (not idealized birth stories)
Practical tools you’ll actually use in labor
And most importantly:
👉 We prepare your partner to lead support, not panic.
Confidence changes outcomes
When parents feel calm and supported:
Labor often progresses more smoothly
Interventions are easier to navigate (when needed)
Birth is remembered as empowering—even if plans change
That’s the difference between knowing about birth and feeling ready for it.
👉 Learn how our preparation and coaching services help parents feel calm, clear, and confident—without overwhelm.
Childbirth Education for Busy Parents: What Actually Matters
Many childbirth classes provide large amounts of information—but little clarity. Busy parents don’t need more content; they need focused preparation.
Many childbirth classes provide large amounts of information—but little clarity. Busy parents don’t need more content; they need focused preparation.
The Problem With Traditional Classes
Group classes often:
Cover too much theory
Lack personalization
Leave partners unsure of their role
This can increase anxiety rather than reduce it.
What Busy Parents Need Instead
Effective childbirth education should:
Be tailored to your preferences
Focus on practical labor preparation
Teach decision-making, not just terminology
How Private Childbirth Education Helps
Private sessions allow us to:
Streamline preparation
Eliminate unnecessary information
Focus on comfort, coping, and partner support
Parents leave knowing what to expect—and what to do.
Efficient Preparation Leads to Calm Births
When preparation is focused and expert-led, parents feel calmer entering labor and more confident navigating decisions as they arise. Book a Private Childbirth Education Session
How Partner Support Can Shape the Birth Experience
Many partners want to help during labor—but don’t know how. Without preparation, partners often feel anxious, unsure, or sidelined during birth. Most partners want to help. Very few are taught how.
Without guidance, partners often:
Freeze under pressure
Second-guess themselves
Feel afraid of “doing the wrong thing”
Why Partner Preparation Matters
Labor is intense, emotional, and unpredictable. When partners are prepared, they become a stabilizing force rather than an additional source of stress.
Prepared partners help:
Reduce anxiety for the birthing parent
Improve communication with the care team
Maintain calm during long or challenging labor
What Effective Partner Support Looks Like
Partner support is not passive. It includes:
Physical comfort techniques
Emotional regulation and reassurance
Advocating calmly when needed
Helping maintain focus and confidence
Staying calm when labor intensifies
Helping with communication and decision-making
When partners are coached, they become a stabilizing force—not another person in distress.
How Partner Coaching Works
At The Happiest Doulas, partner coaching is intentional and practical. We teach partners:
Exactly what to do during each stage of labor
How to recognize normal progress
How to respond if plans change
Expert-led Coaching Does Something Information Alone Cannot
It removes uncertainty in real time. With experienced guidance, parents:
Know what’s happening
Understand their options
Feel supported when plans change
Stay emotionally grounded
This is especially important for busy parents who do not have time to research every possibility—or recover from decision fatigue in the moment.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If you are busy, overwhelmed, and trying to prepare responsibly, the most supportive thing you can do is work with someone who has done this a thousand times. Expert guidance doesn’t take control away from you. It gives you clarity, calm, and confidence when it matters most.
Ready for Personalized Guidance?
If you want support tailored to you, your partner, and your priorities, the next step is a consultation. We’ll talk through:
Your goals
Your concerns
Whether expert-led support is the right fit
This creates a calmer, more connected birth for everyone. Learn About Partner Coaching
Labor Tips for Birth Partners
If you've skipped taking a childbirth class during pregnancy, your partner may feel unprepared and need additional tools to support you during labor. Read Cynthya's 7 points to her clients.
As your due date approaches, it's completely natural for your partner to feel some anxiety regarding how they can best support you during the labor process. To help ease their uncertainty, I’ve compiled a helpful list of suggestions to guide them through it!
For instance, in early labor, taking a long, warm bath can be incredibly soothing, as it can relieve tension and ease anxiety. This suggestion is primarily meant for the laboring patient; however, if your tub is spacious enough, it can become a wonderful, relaxing experience for both of you to share.
The latent phase of labor is typically the longest stage of the process and can often wax and wane over time. It’s a great idea to take it easy during this time. Try to rest as much as possible between contractions and allow labor to progress at its own pace. Every minute of sleep that you manage to get will help to ward off future fatigue during the more intense active and pushing stages ahead.
It might be best to save the use of a shower for when you are at the hospital, as it may provide effective pain relief and help facilitate the progress of labor. For an optimal birth experience, explore additional tips here on how birth partners can provide effective and compassionate labor support.
How to Avoid a Cesarean: Atlanta Hospital C-Section Rates
Should you use a doctor or midwife? Which hospital should you deliver at? Is that a reputable hospital? What is their c-section rate?
You’re ready for a baby and you want to do everything “right.” Where do you begin?? Should you use a doctor or midwife? Which hospital should you deliver at? Is that a reputable hospital? What is their c-section rate?
Should you hire a birth doula too? There is a lot of evidence proving that having a doula at your bedside throughout your labor decreases your risk of requiring a c-section, and increases your likelihood of having a very satisfying birth. Read more here.
Your chosen provider and chosen hospital go hand-in-hand.
You can’t pick and choose between the two categories. If you LOVE the doctor you’ve been seeing for years and years, then be prepared to deliver at the hospital where s/he has privileges, or else you’ll need to find a new provider for your pregnancy. That being said, next to hiring a doula, the provider you choose is one major factor in reducing your risk of c-section. Below is a chart listing Atlanta-area hospitals’ c-section rates for 2013. These numbers were taken from CBS46 online (read the full article here):
Atlanta Medical Center 25.5%
Dekalb Medical Center 36.0%
Piedmont Hospital - Did not provide (34.6% in 2010)
Northside Hospital Atlanta 40%
Northside Hospital Forsyth 35.5%
North Fulton Regional 19.5%
Emory Midtown 29%
Kennestone Hospital 35.39%
Consider this: these numbers include ALL c-sections.
You might be thinking, “Well, duh!” but that actually might not mean what you think. You are at an increased risk for c-section if you have underlying medical conditions (such as heart problems or obesity), uncontrolled diabetes, preeclampsia, true macrosomia (check out this article on what it means to truly have a “big baby”), induction for non-medical reasons, and the list goes on.
Northside’s statement to CBS includes their c-section rate for low-risk pregnancies alone (32.7%). The other 6.3% of women are having a repeat c-section or are in the high-risk category. Additionally, Northside delivers the most babies of all hospitals in the entire United States! Around 14,000 per year!!! Women experiencing complications (read: high risk!) are brought in from other rural hospitals for access to specialists (for the mother and/or the baby) and access to a higher-acuity NICU (babies who are very sick or very premature).
The point is you can deliver at any hospital or birthing center if you have the education and the right tools under your belt. Research your provider – ask him/her what their personal c-section rate is -they are contributing to these numbers. Ask if they support the type of birth you desire. Ask the other providers within your practice, as well, because you never know who might be on call the day you go into labor! Get educated (I cannot harp on this one enough!) – take a birthing class. And of course, hire a fabulous doula from The Happiest Doulas!
“One of the biggest benefits of having a doula with us was keeping my wife and I both calm and focused during the whole process. You’re in a setting that is completely unfamiliar, random nurses rush in, flurry of activity, then rush off, so keeping calm and staying focused on breathing and staying relaxed was crucial.”
UPDATED on February 14, 2017:
In the metro Atlanta area, the hospitals that have the LOWEST c-section rates are WellStar North Fulton Regional Hospital and Atlanta Medical Center. We recommend Providence Midwifery (North Fulton) and Intown Midwifery (Atlanta Medical).
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has analyzed Georgia Annual Hospital Questionnaire data to provide you with some key facts. To review the most recent data, follow this link. The data includes the most current rates for c-sections and early elective deliveries, along with the hospital’s typical fee for handling a birth.
Why it matters: C-sections have increased significantly in recent years and experts are calling for less reliance on these procedures, which generally put a mother at risk for future c-sections. Keep reading: How To Avoid a C-section Without Changing Hospitals.
An Easy Fix For Back Pain During Pregnancy
As the fetus grows, the body stretches, shortens, and compresses organs, muscles, and ligaments so it's no wonder why a pregnant body can become uncomfortable.
As the fetus grows, the body stretches, shortens, and compresses organs, muscles, and ligaments to accommodate the baby. Since pregnancy brings on a lot of changes in the body, it can get a little uncomfortable at times.
If you develop pain in your back or neck, it could be due to a number of reasons. During pregnancy your breasts grow, which in turn can pull forward the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and back. As the weight of the uterus increases, it can tilt the pelvis which can also pull on muscles of the back, hips, and glutes.
Always check with your primary care provider first to make sure there isn’t a medical reason as to why your back or neck hurt. Next, see if your doctor has any recommendations for you. If there isn’t a medical reason for the pain, you should not have to take any medications to ease it. A few easy solutions is to increase your water intake, establish a new exercise routine (preferably modified for pregnancy), take a nap or rest for a short time during the day to take the pressure off the area that hurts, and get regular massages.
“More and more care providers are suggesting prenatal massage to help soothe some of the aches and pains their patients experience during pregnancy.”
It is recommended to find a massage therapist that is certified in pregnancy. Most massage programs provide therapists with training for licensure only and may not include education on pregnancy related issues and how to deal with such. If you're located in the metro area of Atlanta, GA, please visit me or any of the certified prenatal massage therapists at the Pregnancy Massage Center and be sure to place a 4 pack of pregnancy massages on your gift registry. After all, you deserve pampering too.
Related articles:
Waterbirth: How To Have An Easy and Relaxed Labor
Childbirth Classes Have a Measurable Impact on Birth
The Most Common Complications of Childbirth
10 Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
Episiotomy, Tears, and Perineal Support
Learn how to keep your perineum intact during the pushing (second) stage of labor with these recommendations. A video is included to help you safely use warm compresses.
by Cynthya Dzialo, Doula, Educator and Owner of The Happiest Doulas
An excerpt from Cochrane.org:
Vaginal births are often associated with some form of trauma to the genital tract, and tears that affect the anal sphincter or mucosa (third- and fourth-degree tears) can cause serious problems. Perineal trauma can occur spontaneously or result from a surgical incision (episiotomy). Different perineal techniques are being used to slow down the birth of the baby's head, and allow the perineum to stretch slowly to prevent injury. Massage, warm compresses and different perineal management techniques are widely used by midwives and birth attendants.* Read the evidence here.
In an article by Evidence Based Birth about optimal birthing positions for the second stage, a recent 2017 Cochrane review and meta-analysis, Gupta et al is referenced. The analysis combined the results of 32 randomized, controlled trials that included more than 9,000 birthing people in hospital settings. In comparison with non-upright positions, people who were randomly assigned to upright positions in the second stage of labor were:
25% less likely to have a forceps or vacuum-assisted birth
25% less likely to have an episiotomy
54% less likely to have abnormal fetal heart rate patterns
More suggestions to limit tearing during the second stage of labor
Support your skin throughout pregnancy. Avoid processed foods, focus on nutrition, and eat a well-rounded diet.
Plan on a waterbirth or water immersion for a long period of time right before delivery. Explore what underwater birth can offer and seek out medical facilities and care providers that offer inflatable tubs or birth pools for labor and delivery. For further reading on waterbirth, checkout this article from Evidence Based Birth.
Get off your back for the crowning phase. Squat, kneel, stand or lay on your side while pushing.
Breathe the baby down and focus on completely relaxing your pelvic floor. Bear down gently when you feel the urge to push at the peak of a contraction. Use mind-body relaxation techniques such as guided meditation (hypnosis).
If an epidural is used, you likely will not feel an urge to push with contractions and must be directed how to push and how long to do it for. This is called purple-pushing or Valsalva pushing, and increases your risk of tearing and/or for the need of an episiotomy and perhaps later on, other issues such as urinary incontinence.
Read about natural tearing when pushing verse a midline or medio-lateral episiotomy. The degrees of lacerations are explained and photos are posted.
Since the current evidence shows there may be a benefit to applying warm compresses to the perineum during the crowning phase/second stage of labor, you may wish to discuss this option with your care providers. Many people looking to use this technique will have to apply it themselves. (Another role for your partner.)
The below video explains how to use warm compresses safely. Discuss this method with all of your care providers before labor begins. During labor, talk to your nurses (and later, the OB or midwife) about using warm compresses (wet washcloths) to support the perineum during the crowning phase. Compresses are used during contractions and many washcloths will be needed as well as an electric kettle and a large bowl. While the hospital can provide several washcloths to you, MANY will be required. I suggest you purchase a few bundles of pre-cut cloths made from a soft material, which will be disposed of after use.
*Excerpt from Cochrane.org.
10 Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy
Has anyone ever told you to exercise during pregnancy, but never told you why? We have compiled a list of the top 10 benefits that break down the specifics of why prenatal training is going to help you tremendously in your pregnancy, labor and postpartum time.
Has anyone ever told you to exercise during pregnancy, but never told you why? Here are the top 10 benefits that break down the specifics of why prenatal training is going to help you tremendously in your pregnancy, labor and postpartum time.
1. It builds confidence.
A lot of time women feel gross during pregnancy. Extra weight gain and a changing body often times make self-esteem and self-image plummet. This is our number one reason for exercising during pregnancy because it makes women feel good overall about themselves. Not only does it help a woman with her health but also her baby and her body. It gives a pregnant woman the confidence to stand tall and know she is exercising and using her body the best way she can for herself and her baby. Exercising during pregnancy is empowering for a woman and can lead to and help continue the discipline of exercising after the birth. A woman feels strong, because she is strong. She looks great, because her body is great (it’s birthing a person, how incredible!). That confidence is catching and beautiful.
2. You’ll have more energy.
Even when you aren’t pregnant one can notice the effects of increased level of energy with exercising. The more your heart gets pumping and circulating the more energy it gives to your body, the same is true in pregnancy.
3. Labor and delivery time may be easier and quicker.
Exercising during pregnancy teaches women how to locate, feel and strengthen the muscles in their pelvic floor, core and surrounding areas. Not only does it help strengthen it, when a woman is properly trained in fitness during pregnancy, she will be taught how to relax those muscles. Learning to relax the birthing muscles is key and gives women an advantage in how to let go during the birth, relax the pelvis, and allow the baby to move easily through the birth canal without fighting for control.
4. You will most likely gain less weight.
Women who exercise during pregnancy tend to be more conscience of their eating habits and are more active. The more you are moving, the more you are keeping your heart rate up, and burning calories and energy.
5. You are more likely to avoid a C-section.
Research has found that women who exercise during pregnancy are 4 times less likely to have a c-section. As a bonus - moms who exercise are also 55% less likely to get an episiotomy and 75% less likely to have a forceps delivery.
6. You will bounce back faster after birth.
Not only physically, but also emotionally. Being active during pregnancy means socializing, getting out of the house, going for a walk, and knowing how to get moving which are all habits that will transfer over after birth. Being able to have people to call, talk to and get together with after birth all help with emotional fitness as well as physical fitness. Having a support system built by pregnancy fitness classes and mommy and me classes can continue after birth and help moms feel supported after birth when things can be emotionally taxing.
7. Helps you sleep better at night.
Working out up until right before birth helps to get energy out of your body. The more active you are the more tired you will be at night.
8. Can reduce and prevent discomforts and complications.
Many discomforts and pregnancy complications can be prevented or held at bay through proper exercising techniques. a) Gestational diabetes can be lowered as much as 27%, b) Constipation can be lessened because your body is pumping and activating your digestive system, c) Less leg swelling because blood flow is improved through exercise.
9. Teaches you to breath properly, which can be transferred into birth.
When a woman has a great trainer, she will learn how to breath deeply through her core and diaphragm, which are breathing techniques that will be transferred over into her labor and birth.
10. Less stress and worries.
Exercising during pregnancy has been shown to improve a person's mood. Anyone who exercises on a regular basis feels the negative effects of stress and worry when they go a long time without working out. On the other hand, when a person is exercising regularly she feels more at ease and usually stresses less. The same is especially true in pregnancy when there are many more hormonal ups and downs.
When starting an exercise regime during pregnancy, be sure to check with your doctor or midwife to be cleared for exercise first. If you are new to fitness or even a seasoned athlete, you may want to consider hiring a trainer to work with you throughout your pregnancy who focuses on prenatal/postpartum clients. This way they know what exercises to prescribe and you have the benefit of one on one attention as your body changes and grows a new life.
Resources for this article:
http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/effects-of-exercise-on-pregnancy/
https://www.fitpregnancy.com/exercise/prenatal-workouts/33-reasons-exercise-now
Related articles:
What Every Female Runner Should Know Postpartum
Skin Elasticity During Pregnancy And Beyond
Episiotomy, Tears, and Perineal Support
How To Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Interventions should be thought of as tools to help guide you through labor if certain situations arise. One way to avoid many of the routine interventions is to labor at home as long as possible. Early labor can last up to 24 hours. Be sure to communicate with your care provider on when to head to the hospital.
Medical interventions are frequently used in the birthing process, however, they usually have unintended effects that lead to more and more interventions. They tend to be done based on convenience rather than a medical reason and are quite often overused. However, there are instances in which they may be beneficial. Interventions should be thought of as tools to help guide you through labor if certain situations arise.
Before deciding to disrupt your body’s natural response to labor talk to your care provider about benefits, risks, and alternatives to the proposed intervention. It is important you know that ultimately it is your labor and your choice of how you want to birth your baby.
Healthy Birth Practice #4: Avoid Routine Procedures, Interventions
Intervention 1: Intravenous Fluids
Intravenous fluids are one of the most common routine interventions used throughout labor and delivery. IV fluids may be used concurrently with medications such as antibiotics or pain medication. IV fluids may seem harmless but they carry risks just like any other intervention. For example, having continuous fluids may cause:
Restricted movement -> increased pain -> epidural
Areolar swelling -> hard to latch baby to successfully breastfeed -> supplement with formula
An increase in baby’s weight -> baby loses 10% or more of birth weight -> supplement with formula
Alternative: Talk with your care provider about drinking clear fluids.
The World Health Organization urges against the use of routine IV fluids during normal labor and birth (WHO, 1997). They caution that restricting oral intake can lead to dehydration and exhaustion, and propose instead that people at low risk of requiring general anesthesia be offered drinks and light meals during labor.
Intervention 2: Episiotomy
An episiotomy is sometimes used when a baby is very large or is in a suboptimal position while pushing. For many years, episiotomies were performed regularly on practically all birthing women. It was once thought that repairing a surgical cut was easier than repairing a jagged tear. Unfortunately, once an episiotomy is done, women have a tendency to continue tearing. Research has since proven that routine episiotomies are not any more effective nor healthier than naturally tearing.
Alternative: Have your care provider use a warm compress on your perineum during pushing.
Intervention 3: Pitocin
Pitocin is a drug used to mimic the body’s natural hormone responsible for labor - oxytocin. Pitocin can be used during labor to speed up and strengthen contractions. It can also be used after delivery to stop bleeding and shrink the uterus. While they do work alike, oxytocin provides more benefit to mother and baby.
Below is a comparison of how the two differ; Oxytocin (O) vs. Pitocin (P):
O: released in pulsing action intermittently
P: given continuously through IV = longer and stronger contractions
O: body responds with endorphins = natural pain relief
P: body does not know to release endorphins
O: spikes at birth to promote healing/bonding with your baby
P: does not spike - interferes with natural release of oxytocin
Alternative: Use nipple stimulation to promote natural oxytocin release.
Intervention 4: Continuous Electronic Fetal Monitoring
Upon arrival at the hospital it is common to be placed on electronic fetal monitors to read your baby’s heart rate. This is done to confirm that your baby is tolerating labor well. However, oftentimes the mother is continually hooked up to these monitors without reason. There has been no proven benefit of continuous monitoring for babies. In fact, the World Health Organization states continuous monitoring is often used inappropriately. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests intermittent monitoring every 30 minutes during labor and every 15 minutes while pushing.
Alternative: Ask your care provider for intermittent monitoring.
These are just a few examples of how medical interventions are used routinely during labor and delivery. One way to avoid many of the routine interventions is to labor at home as long as possible. Early labor can last up to 24 hours. Be sure to communicate with your care provider on when to head to the hospital.
It is also important to have a general understanding of birth. Taking a childbirth class and writing out a birth plan that includes your wishes for how you want your labor to look is a great idea as well. Most importantly, carefully choose your care provider - choose one that is understanding of your birth preferences. Also consider hiring a doula to help support you physically and emotionally throughout your labor and postpartum period!
Credit: Lamaze International
The Institute of Medicine says it takes on average 17 YEARS after new research is published for medical professionals to change the way they practice. Don't get stuck with outdated practices for your baby's birthday! With our private prenatal lesson you'll learn how to get evidence-based care to optimize your birth outcome. In both Atlanta and Tampa, we teach an "intensive" preparation for childbirth with our private in-home Labor Lesson. You can reserve your spot here.
Registration includes access to our online Learning Center where you may watch videos, read further research, and download sample birth plans. Both these class options are an excellent opportunity for you and your birth partner to gain current evidence-based birth practices that can help you have the safest birth for you and your baby.
This post is part 5 of a 7 part series written by our team of Lamaze Childbirth Educators. Stay tuned for upcoming posts in our series, How To Alleviate Fears and Manage Labor Pain.
Read part 2, Hormones and the Waiting Game
Read part 3, Make Labor Productive
Read part 4, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals
Read part 5, Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Read part 6, Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing
Read part 7, Keep Parent and Baby Together
6 Points For Birth Partners to Consider When Hiring a Labor Doula
Sometimes, one partner REALLY wants to hire a doula and the other can't justify the expense or won't face the realities of the upcoming birthday. Here are my suggestions of talking points for reserving doula service and private instruction for an optimal birth experience.
"HELP! My partner doesn't think we need to hire a doula."
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this, I could fund a lot of postpartum meals.
It’s common for one partner to feel strongly about hiring a doula while the other struggles to justify the cost—or hasn’t fully grasped what labor and birth actually demand. Yet decades of research are clear: continuous labor support significantly improves birth outcomes. Doula-supported births are associated with lower cesarean rates, reduced use of Pitocin and pain medication, fewer NICU admissions, and higher overall satisfaction with the birth experience.
If you’re navigating this conversation at home, here are six important points every birth partner should consider.
1. How do you plan to support labor—hour after hour?
Labor isn’t a short event. It can last many hours—or even days. Are you prepared to provide hands-on comfort (counterpressure, hip squeezes, position changes) for 24+ hours straight? Have you learned how to recognize when labor is progressing—or when it’s stalling in a way that increases the likelihood of medical intervention?
A doula brings practiced, physical support that protects the birthing person and conserves the partner’s energy.
2. Are you ready to be the sole source of emotional, physical, and informational support?
During labor, your partner needs reassurance, grounding, encouragement, and calm—especially when things feel intense or unpredictable. They may also need help understanding medical options and advocating for alternatives when interventions are proposed.
That’s a tall order for someone also experiencing their own stress, fear, and fatigue. A doula fills the gaps so no one is carrying the full weight alone.
3. Who is supporting you during the birth?
Most partners are surprised to learn that nurses are typically in the room for only brief intervals—often just minutes per hour before active pushing.
Doulas don’t replace partners; they support them. Many partners tell us they felt calmer, more confident, and more present because someone was also looking out for them.
4. Preparation helps—but recall during labor is another story
Prenatal classes are valuable, but labor isn’t a test you take well-rested with notes in hand. It’s happening on little sleep, under pressure, while watching someone you love do something profoundly physical.
A doula removes the mental load: remembering positions, timing suggestions, troubleshooting stalls, and helping you adapt moment by moment—so you can focus on being emotionally present.
5. Is cost the concern? Consider the bigger financial picture
Cesarean births and extended hospital stays are expensive—often far exceeding the cost of doula support. Since continuous labor support is proven to reduce the risk of primary cesarean, hiring an experienced doula can be a cost-saving decision.
Many families use HSA/FSA funds for childbirth education and doula services. Our agency provides the necessary NPI and taxonomy information so you may pursue reimbursement through insurance or health savings accounts.
6. This isn’t opinion—it’s evidence-based care
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) identifies continuous labor support as a key strategy in reducing unnecessary primary cesareans.
Research—including a large Cochrane review of over 15,000 births—shows that one-to-one labor support is associated with:
Lower cesarean rates
Higher satisfaction with the birth experience
No identified harms
Evidence Based Birth notes that while partners and providers can offer support, doulas consistently show stronger effects on key outcomes.
The bottom line
The most important thing a birthing person needs during labor is continuous support.
If you plan to birth without a doula, thorough preparation is essential. Our partner-focused coaching sessions are designed to build real, usable skills for labor day.
Birth is one of the biggest days of your life. You deserve to feel supported, prepared, and confident—together.
Related posts:
5 Reasons to Hire a Doula
Epidural, Please!
Probiotics + Pregnancy = Relieve Nausea, Reflux and Constipation
Scientists are starting to believe that by the age of 3 a child’s gut microbiome is similar to that of adults. Therefore, everything we do for our child from birth on can have a huge impact on their gut microbiome.
Improve vaginal flora for birth while strengthening your baby's immune system
Gut health has become quite a popular topic in functional and integrative medicine. You may have heard statements such as:
“The GUT is the GATEWAY to your health” or “Gut health is the KEY to overall HEALTH” – Kris Carr
“Heal your GUT, Heal your BODY” or “All disease begins in the GUT” – Hippocrates
“Anything that affects the GUT always affects the BRAIN” – Dr. Majors
These statements are all true. A healthy gut improves nutritional absorption, immune system function, hormone balance, mood, metabolism, and aids in detoxification. There are several variables that impact gut health, but one of the major drivers of a healthy gut is a diverse microbiome.
“Gut health is the KEY to overall HEALTH”
What is the microbiome?
The microbiome is simply a collection of live microorganisms that inhabit a specific area. According to The Gut Microbiota for Health, “our gut microbiota contains tens of trillions of microorganisms, including at least 1000 different species of known bacteria with more than 3 million genes (150 times more than human genes)”. Is that not amazing or what?
As a culture, our gut microbiomes are not as diverse and healthy as we would like because of antibiotic use, antimicrobial soaps, pesticides, and general cleanliness. Because of this, I encourage my clients to supplement with probiotics.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live organisms (both bacteria and fungi) that are good for our health, especially within the intestines. Probiotics can be found naturally in certain foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables. Lactobaccilus and bifidobacterium are some of the most common beneficial bacteria found in probiotics and saccharomyces boulardii is one of the most common beneficial yeast found in probiotics. Probiotics help strengthen the immune system and help fight off pathogenic (disease causing) organisms from colonizing in our gut.
So why are probiotics important to supplement during pregnancy?
As you can see, probiotics are important during all phases of life; however, they are essential during pregnancy and postpartum. Scientists are starting to believe that by the age of 3 a child’s gut microbiome is similar to that of adults. Therefore, everything we do for our child from birth on can have a huge impact on their gut microbiome.
Your newborn’s intestines are quickly colonized with bacteria and yeast during and after delivery. As a baby passes through the vaginal canal, live microbes are transmitted to the baby through the nose, eyes, mouth, and skin. I have several of my patients and clients start using vaginal probiotics to make sure the vaginal flora is healthy for delivery. After delivery, breastfeeding is an excellent way to strengthen your infant's gut flora. We used to think that breast milk was sterile; however we are now finding breastfeeding is a great way to transmit probiotics to your little one. They are finding that infants who are breastfed have more bifidobacteria compared to formula fed infants.
It is never too early to start taking probiotics. I recommend taking probiotics throughout pregnancy because they may help with some of the common digestive complaints including nausea, reflux/heartburn, and constipation. Some of my favorite probiotics include: VSL 3, Prescript Assist, Dr. Formulated Probiotics for Women, and Orthobiotic.
More of my recommendations to prevent nausea and other pregnancy issues are reviewed in this free webinar, What Your OB Won’t Tell You. Be sure to check out STAT Wellness and follow me on Instagram to gain easy and healthy lifestyle tips.
In good health,
Kristin Oja, DNP, FNP-C, PT-C
Kristin Oja has her doctorate of nursing practice (DNP), is a board-certified family nurse practitioner, registered nurse, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. Kristin is the Founder of STAT Wellness, which stands for Strength to Achieve Total Wellness. Through STAT Wellness, Kristin offers personal training, small group training, corporate wellness and wellbeing, and one on one consultations.
When she is not treating patients or working with STAT, Kristin is passionately serving the people of Honduras with the nonprofit HOI, where she serves on the medical board. Kristin was recently married and lives in Atlanta with her husband, Cameron. You may catch Kristin out for a run on the Beltline or enjoying the city’s food scene.
Related posts:
10 Benefits of Exercising During Pre
Prepare for a Mindful Birth with our NEW online childbirth classes
Our new collection of 4 childbirth mini-courses is available as 1 FULL class: Mindful Preparation at a special intro price during the holiday season. Use code TDAY50 to save $50 on our FULL course. This sale ends on Cyber Monday!
Unlock your potential with our quick and impactful collection of mini-courses, Mindful Preparation, designed for busy pregnant people. Take it at your own pace whenever you’d like! In just a couple of hours, each mini-course (chapters) gives you the essential knowledge and skills to enhance your childbirth experience.
Course Highlights:
Evidence-Based Practices: Learn the latest research and techniques to support your birth plan.
Labor Support Strategies: Discover effective methods to manage pain and navigate the labor process.
Postpartum Preparation: Equip yourself with tools for recovery and newborn care to ensure a smooth transition into the “4th trimester”.
Why Choose Our Childbirth Courses?
Expert Guidance: Created by seasoned doulas who understand the journey of childbirth.
Inclusive Language: It’s our only way to speak. Not all pregnant people consider themselves expectant mothers. We’re a (queer) inclusive practice and welcome everybody including husbands and wives but you won’t read or hear those labels in our courses.
Quick and Convenient: Designed to fit into your busy schedule. Works on mobile and desktop.
Our new collection of 4 childbirth mini-courses is available as 1 FULL class: Mindful Preparation at a special intro price.
Related articles:
How to Get Support f
Postpartum Expectations
5 Reasons to Hire a Birth Doula
The Most Common Complications of Childbirth
1 out of 7 new moms experience a postpartum mood or anxiety disorder. In fact, perinatal depression and anxiety are the most common complications of childbirth. However, it's not being talked about with (or between) new moms, leaving these women to suffer in silence. It's time we learned about these conditions and the factors that can put a mom at a higher risk.
by Jaime Filler, LMFT
1 out of 7 new moms experience a postpartum mood or anxiety disorder. In fact, perinatal depression and anxiety are the most common complications of childbirth. However, it's not being talked about with (or between) new moms, leaving these women to suffer in silence. It's time we learned about these conditions and the factors that can put a mom at a higher risk.
Prevalence
85% of childbearing women experience significant distress following pregnancy, yet as a society we often do not talk about perinatal distress.
Baby Blues
80% experience the “Baby Blues”
Baby blues typically occurs a week after delivery and will self-resolve within 2-3 weeks.
Common symptoms of the Blues are: tearfulness, irritability, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed.
Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
15-20% of moms experience Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Depression, Anxiety, OCD and PTSD are the most common
Onset can be anytime within the first year
Most common onset is 2-3 months after delivery
Perinatal depression and anxiety are the most common complications of childbirth.
10% of DADS/Partners will experience anxiety or depression following the birth of a child. In fact, if a mom is experiencing depression or anxiety, the rate for dads/partners goes up to 50%.
Risk
Perinatal depression and anxiety can affect anyone, regardless of social class, race, and even gender.
Common Triggers: rapid weaning, hormonal birth control, increased family stress (going back to work, illness/hospitalization, loss/grief)
Risk Factor Check List:
It’s hard for me to ask for help.
I’ve had trouble with hormones and moods, especially before my period.
I was depressed or anxious after my last baby or during my pregnancy.
I’ve been depressed or anxious in the past.
My mother, sister, or aunt was depressed after her baby was born.
Sometimes it’s hard to slow down: I don’t need to sleep, have lots of new ideas, and feel very restless.
My family is far away and I don’t have many friends nearby.
I don’t have the money, food or housing I need.
If you have three or more risk factors, you are more likely to have depression or anxiety during pregnancy or postpartum. An additional risk factor is if you have experienced past sexual abuse or trauma. Often, those feelings will resurface during pregnancy or after child birth.
Symptoms
Depression: Sad, crying, loss of appetite, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, loss of interest in enjoyable activities, anger or irritability
Anxiety: Panic attacks, insomnia, fears, excessive worry, loss of appetite
OCD: Intrusive thoughts or images (very disturbing to mother), hypervigilance, checking, avoiding harm or triggers (ex. hiding knives)
PTSD: Often following a traumatic birth, or baby in the NICU. Re-experiencing traumatic event, increased anxiety, panic
Psychosis: Occurs 1-2 in 1000 and usually starts 2-3 weeks after baby is born. Confusion, erratic behavior, rapid shifts in mood, delusions or hallucinations.
Prognosis
The quicker the symptoms are addressed, the quicker you will feel better.
With help, these conditions are treatable. Talk to your doctor or midwife, see a therapist who has specialized training in maternal mental health, and attend a support group. DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE! You are NOT ALONE!! Immediate help is available to you.
Related posts: Nutrition Tips For Postpartum * Signs Of Postpartum Depression * 4 Things To Do Now For A Healthier Postpartum
Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing and How to Get Support For What You Want
The female body is designed to give birth and has been doing so successfully for years. All too often, medical interventions are used unnecessarily leading to more interventions, medicine, and possibly, complications. In recent years, with increased technology and medical interventions, women have been being limited to giving birth on their backs with guided pushing by their care professionals in recent years. Evidence does not support these restrictions.
No matter which birth option you choose - medicated or unmedicated - the key takeaway is to have the right support around you to optimize your birth outcome. Throughout the course of labor, including the pushing stage, women benefit from frequent position changes and ideally, should be free to select them at will.
Lamaze’s Healthy Birth Practice #5: Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back and Follow Your Urges to Push
In order to avoid giving birth on your back, following the Healthy Birth Practices of allowing labor to begin on its own, changing positions throughout labor, having continuous support, and avoiding unnecessary interventions really come into play.
First and foremost, allowing labor to begin on its own is a key ingredient of avoiding unnecessary interventions that in turn could cause you to have to give birth on your back because it avoids the use of synthetic drugs to get your labor started. Changing positions and having continuous support throughout your labor will also help you avoid interventions like medical pain management by easing the intensity of contractions.
Throughout history, women have been pictured giving birth in positions that are much more suitable for positive birth outcomes. Squatting, sitting, and standing all use the help of gravity to move the baby down and open the pelvis so the baby has more room to descend. Being able to freely change positions is much needed during labor, not only to ease discomfort but to promote the natural descent of the baby. Freedom of movement and working with your body will allow you to determine what position is optimal for you to push.
Many care providers prefer women to birth on their backs with their legs up in stirrups simply because it's easier access to see and catch the baby. Laboring on your back generally comes with directed pushing because it's likely that you've had an epidural which caused you to have to be on your back in the first place, otherwise you’d likely need/want to move during the pushing phase. (With an epidural, you may not feel the urge to push and need guidance on when and how to push effectively.)
Directed pushing is exhausting and according to the Lamaze website, “Goer and Romano (2012) found evidence to demonstrate that directed, forceful pushing had the potential to increase pressure on the baby and the umbilical cord, and the tissues of the perineum, resulting in more tears and a weaker pelvic floor musculature which can result in urinary incontinence."
To help ensure you can birth in the position you choose, follow these tips:
Talk to your care provider and choose one who fully supports any position for labor and birth.
Hire a doula or be sure to have continuous labor support available to help you avoid unnecessary pain medications. A doula is also very helpful with positioning if you do end up needing pain medication that limits mobility.
Get educated by taking a birth preparation class. The more you know about birth and what's normal, the more confidence you will have in the birth process and the more comfort measures you will learn.
Labor at home for as long as possible. The earlier you get to the hospital, the more likely you may be to use pain relief medication. Think of it like a kid in a candy store. If the "candy" is there, you may want to sample it!
When NOT lying on your back while giving birth, you oxygenate your body so you won't be lying on your aorta. Since the evidence is not strong enough at this point to recommend one specific birthing position over another, you should receive support to birth in whatever position feels right to you. However, flexible sacrum positions—those where you don’t put your weight on your tailbone—appear to be more helpful to normal vaginal birth.*
No matter what birth option you choose, medicated or unmedicated, the key takeaway is to have the support around you who will optimize your birth outcome. Throughout labor, including the second (pushing) stage, women benefit from frequent position changes and ideally, should be free to select them at will.
This post is part 6 of a 7 part series written by our team of Lamaze Childbirth Educators. Stay tuned for our final post in this series, Keep Parent and Baby Together.
Read part 2, Hormones and the Waiting Game
Read part 3, Make Labor Productive
Read part 4, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals
Read part 5, Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Read part 6, Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing
Read part 7, Keep Parent and Baby Together
Resources cited:
https://www.lamaze.org/Connecting-the-Dots/book-review-optimal-care-in-childbirth-the-case-for-a-physiologic-approach-reviewed-through-a-childbirth-educators-eyes
https://www.lamaze.org/Portals/0/HBP%20%235%20Avoid%20Giving%20Birth%20on%20Your%20Back%20and%20Follow%20Your%20Body%27s%20Urges%20to%20Push.pdf
*Excerpt from Evidence Based Birth Handout, Evidence on Birthing Positions.
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-birthing-positions/
Related articles:
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Postpartum Expectations
5 Reasons to Hire a Birth Doula
Make Labor Productive with Positivity, Positions and Personal Support
Movement during labor optimizes baby's positioning by using gravity to helps engage baby into the pelvis, naturally move baby down the birth canal, and can help relieve pain. It can also decrease the amount of intervention needed to help labor progress. Follow these 3 major points to ensure you have freedom of movement during labor.
Part 3 of 7, written by Christina Thomson, Certified Birth Doula and Lamaze Childbirth Educator
Attribution: Lamaze International
Healthy Birth Practice 2: Walk, move around and change positions throughout labor
One key element to having an easier, faster and more productive labor is movement. In the past, moms were drugged and laid out flat on their backs to give birth and given very little opportunity to move around during labor. To this day, even a lot of media still portrays birth as a "lay on your back and push" method.
Movement during labor optimizes baby's positioning by using gravity to helps engage baby into the pelvis, naturally move baby down the birth canal, and can help relieve pain. It can also decrease the amount of intervention needed to help labor progress. Depending on your medical condition, fetal monitoring may be required intermittently or continuously during labor. Some hospitals have wireless fetal monitors that allow you to still walk around without restricting movement.
Follow these 3 major points to ensure you have freedom of movement during labor:
1. Your choice of a care provider is important. Be sure to choose someone with a natural mindset that supports movement in labor.
Women who are moving around and use upright positions during labor have shorter labors, less intervention, report less severe pain, and describe more satisfaction with their childbirth experience than women in recumbent positions. Changing positions frequently move the bones of the pelvis, helping the baby find the best fit to come down. Moving around can also help prevent c-section by reducing the chances of a stall of labor or shortening the amount of time a stall lasts; especially in early labor. A certified birth doula can help you with this…
2. Stay at home until you're in active labor (6cm). Contractions every five minutes lasting about a minute each for a steady hour or two is a good indicator that you’ll be approaching the active phase soon. Laboring at home is more relaxing because you're in your own environment and there’s less risk of an infection.
Upon arrival at the hospital, be sure to request that IV use and continuous fetal monitoring is used as little as possible unless medically necessary.
Before choosing medication for pain management, be sure you're aware of how it could impact your ability to move. Most medications make it difficult to walk and stand during labor. An epidural will completely confine you to bed. A "walking epidural" generally refers to the ability to move your legs. The administration of pain medication generally requires the use of an IV and continuous fetal monitoring, which can restrict your movement quite a bit.
3. Prepare for labor and birth. Learn what to expect for childbirth and gain tools for staying comfortable throughout the process. Hire a doula or have a friend or family member join you during labor to help you with positioning techniques.
Positive positions for laboring:
Hands and knees can relieve back pain and help baby rotate into optimal position.
Sitting on the toilet uses gravity and relaxes the perineum.
Sitting upright allows gravity to work and is a good position for resting. Sitting on a birth ball can be very soothing and allows for rocking your hips and bouncing.
Squatting uses gravity and opens the pelvis to allow baby to descend. Request a squat bar to be attached to your hospital bed.
Side-lying is another great position for resting, helps move oxygen to baby and is a good position if you have an epidural.
Leaning or kneeling forward on the bed or wall allows baby to rotate into proper position, can relieve back pain and is great for pelvic rocking.
Standing and walking use gravity to encourage baby's descent.
The key is to listen to your body and move in a way that feels natural to you. Throughout the duration of your labor you might find one position helpful, but then find it doesn't seem to work at a later time. It's important to remember that with each position change, sometimes that first contraction or two in the new position may seem very uncomfortable. Give the new position a try with a few contractions before deciding that it's not comfortable for you. A birth doula can help you stay comfortable and focused throughout active labor and the transition stage to delivery.
Be sure to surround yourself with positivity and only have people in the room that you are comfortable with. The more relaxed and mobile you can be during your labor, the easier it will be! Consider hiring a doula to help you throughout the process of labor and childbirth. Our doula group can help you in both Tampa and Atlanta. Learn more about our Doula Support options here.
Attribution: Lamaze International
The Institute of Medicine says it takes on average 17 YEARS after new research is published for medical professionals to change the way they practice. Don't get stuck with outdated practices for your baby's birthday! With our private prenatal lesson or "intensive" ONE DAY childbirth class, you'll learn how to get evidence-based care to optimize your birth outcome. In both Atlanta and Tampa, we teach an "intensive" preparation for childbirth with our "ONE DAY" group class.
If you cannot attend an in-person birthing class with us, we suggest you schedule a private prenatal lesson. Registration for either the Intensive class or a private, in-home lesson includes access to our online Learning Center where you may watch videos, read further research and download sample birth plans. Both these class options are an excellent opportunity for you and your birth partner to gain current evidence based birth practices that can help you have the safest birth for you and your baby. Sign up today.
This post is part 3 of a 7 part series written by our team of Lamaze Childbirth Educators. Stay tuned for upcoming posts in our series, How To Alleviate Fears and Manage Labor Pain.
Read part 2, Hormones and the Waiting Game
Read part 3, Make Labor Productive
Read part 4, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals
Read part 5, Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Read part 6, Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing
Read part 7, Keep Parent and Baby Together
Benefits of Keeping Parent and Baby Together Following Birth
Kangaroo care, also known as skin-to-skin contact, is more than just the start of cultivating the bond between you and your baby. In this post, we list the health benefits of uninterrupted skin contact between baby and parent as well as tips to advocate for yourself on this healthy birth practice.
Kangaroo care, also known as skin-to-skin contact, is more than just the start of cultivating the bond between you and your baby. In this post, we list the health benefits of uninterrupted skin contact between baby and parent as well as tips to advocate for yourself on this healthy birth practice.
Healthy Birth Practice #6: Keep Parent and Baby Together
According to Lamaze International, “mothers and babies have a physiologic need to be together during the moments, hours, and days following birth, and this time together significantly improves maternal and newborn outcomes.” The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend that all healthy babies and mothers, regardless of feeding preference and method of birth, have uninterrupted skin-to- skin care beginning immediately after birth for at least an hour.
As midwife Ina May Gaskin says, you’re entitled to "keep your prize,” and during those first moments after birth, the mother and baby “are doing something more important than just lying together. They are falling in love.” Every relationship needs time to grow. The same is true for the relationship between a mom and a new baby. That “Golden Hour” after a baby is born is when they are the most alert and learning about their new world. Your baby is taking in your smell, your voice, your face, and the nutrition you provide. Their new world is you, and that's all your baby needs.
Studies show that there are also health benefits to doing skin to skin with your baby. That contact regulates your baby's heart rate and body temperature. It also helps establish regular breathing patterns and sustains stable blood sugar levels. There are also health benefits for mom! That feeling of “falling in love” with your baby is caused by the high levels of Oxytocin that occur as your baby moves through your birth canal and when you first touch and look at each other. The high levels of Oxytocin are responsible for keeping your uterus contracted to reduce bleeding and helping you and your baby feel calm and responsive. When our bodies work hard, we have a rush of endorphins, which have been shown to help a mother’s ability to bond with her baby. Endorphin levels are especially high within the first 20 minutes of birth, and they are strongly present in breast milk! This is the ideal time to initiate breastfeeding!
How can you make sure you and your baby are given this time?
Request that your baby is placed on your bare abdomen or chest right after birth, with a warmed blanket laid over you both.
If baby is healthy, you can also ask that any examinations be done while the baby is in your arms.
If you plan to do certain vaccinations at birth, you can ask that they be delayed until after you've had that special time together.
If you aren't able to do skin-to-skin immediately, your baby will still benefit from doing skin-to- skin with your partner or support person.
In the event of a Cesarean birth, ask your provider about doing a family-centered Cesarean in which the lights are dimmed and your baby is placed on your chest after surgery.
The first moments after birth are so important in cultivating the bond between you and your baby. Take that time. Rest with your baby. This is just the beginning of an amazing foundation of love, trust, and understanding. But also remember that forming a strong attachment to your baby is not done only during the first few hours. It is a lifelong process.
This post is the final chapter of our 7 part series, How To Alleviate Fears and Manage Labor Pain.
Read part 2, Hormones and the Waiting Game
Read part 3, Make Labor Productive
Read part 4, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals
Read part 5, Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Read part 6, Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing
Read part 7, Keep Parent and Baby Together
Supported by research studies that examine the benefits and risks of maternity care practices, these 6 birth practices are the foundation of Lamaze childbirth classes taught around the world. These healthy practices are designed to simplify the birth process to alleviate fear and manage discomfort. No matter what type of labor, the length of your labor, or your confidence level, these practices are key to keeping you and your baby as safe and healthy as possible.
To learn more, schedule a private lesson here. Our team will help you get evidence-based care and self-advocate for what you want on your baby’s birthday and beyond.
These 6 Healthy Practices Alleviate Childbirth Fears and Help Manage Labor Pain
These practices are designed to help simplify your birth process with a natural approach that helps alleviate your fears and manage discomfort. No matter what type of labor, the length of your labor, or your confidence level, these practices are key to keeping your birth and baby as safe and healthy as possible.
Attribution: Lamaze International
Supported by research studies that examine the benefits and risks of maternity care practices, these six birth practices are the foundation of Lamaze childbirth classes taught around the world. These healthy practices are designed to simplify the birth process in order to alleviate fear and manage discomfort. No matter what type of labor, the length of your labor, or your confidence level, these practices are key to keeping you and your baby as safe and healthy as possible.
What are the Six Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices?
1) Let Labor Begin On Its Own
2) Walk, Move, Change Positions
3) Continuous Labor Support
4) Avoid Routine Interventions
5) Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back and Follow Your Urges to Push
6) Keep Parent and Baby Together
In both Atlanta and Tampa, we teach an intensive preparation for childbirth with our Labor Lesson. We suggest you schedule a private prenatal lesson to take place around 34-35 weeks gestation.
Registration for this private, in-home lesson includes access to our online Learning Center where you may watch videos, read further research, and download sample birth plans. This is an excellent opportunity for you and your birth partner to gain current evidence-based birth practices to help you have the safest birth experience.
Read part 2, Hormones and the Waiting Game
Read part 3, Make Labor Productive
Read part 4, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals
Read part 5, Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Read part 6, Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing
Read part 7, Keep Parent and Baby Together
Related posts:
Prevent Birth Trauma
5 Labor Tools for Partners
Epidural, Please!
Hormones and the Waiting Game: Letting Labor Begin on its Own, Weighing Benefits v Risks of Induction
Just as little humans grow at different rates, some babies never get the memo that they are supposed to be ready to come out on the day a provider or ultrasound estimated. However, when they are ready, your body knows, and will begin the process of evicting its tiny tenant in the most beneficial way possible.
Part 2 of 7, a series written by our team of Lamaze Childbirth Educators.
If you’ve been pregnant before, or had friends or family who have been pregnant, then you have likely either heard or been asked, “Is the baby here yet?” or “Have you had the baby yet?” Strangers who feel they possess the ability to gauge exactly how pregnant you are simply by glancing at your belly, and say something along the lines of, "Oh, you must be about to pop!”
Healthy Birth Practice #1: Let Labor Begin on its Own
Once a "due date" is assigned, people start to view that date like the finish line. You finish the marathon of pregnancy, and hit 39 - 40 weeks and you're done. The turkey timer has popped up, and everyone you know (and some you don’t) wait with pregnant anticipation for you to announce you are headed to the hospital, or for you to share a picture of your new little bundle the second he/she is born. However, the due date comes and goes. Still no baby. You just ran a marathon and crossed the finish line, you shouldn't have to run around the block a few more times before you get your medal, right? You’ve got impatient family members, people wanting to make plans to visit, your favorite midwife or doctor is only on call certain days, not to mention you are feeling so ready to be done. If you’ve paid your dues, and grew and carried that sweet baby for at least 39 weeks; what is so wrong with inducing labor or giving it a little push to help make schedules fit, or so you can have your favorite provider for delivery, etc.?
Every day of the last weeks of pregnancy is vital to your body's (and your baby's) preparation for birth. Should you choose for labor to be induced, it becomes a medical event and proceeds quite differently from spontaneous labor. Keep reading to better understand why this is so.
In pregnancy, labor will start only when all the players—your baby, your uterus, your hormones, and your placenta—are ready. There are hormones that play a part in labor (oxytocin, endorphins, catecholamines, and prolactin) are important. Here's why:
Oxytocin causes labor contractions and helps create feelings of love, calmness, and connection to others.
There is a natural occurring oxytocin surge in the mother’s body that precedes spontaneous labor. This is thought to have a neuroprotective effect on the baby, reducing oxygen requirements of the fetal brain. Also worth noting, when higher levels of the synthetic version of oxytocin was used (pitocin), it produced the opposite effect on the fetal brain in animal studies. In english: The surge in the naturally occurring oxytocin in your body before spontaneous labor, can actually help protect your baby’s brain during parts of labor when oxygen is not as readily available.
Endorphins help relieve stress and pain around the time of birth.
Oxytocin and oxytocin receptors increase in the final days before spontaneous labor. Endorphin levels and endorphin receptors also gradually increase as well. Women who exercise regularly have higher levels of endorphins when they go into labor and report less labor pain than women who do not exercise regularly. Letting labor begin on its own and exercising regularly throughout pregnancy will allow women to begin labor with optimal levels of endorphins.
Catecholamines help you and your baby feel alert and ready for birth, and they help protect your baby’s heart and brain during strong labor contractions.
Catecholamines are vital to readying the baby’s lungs for air breathing after birth, and fetal catecholamines increase a few days before spontaneous labor. Knowing that due dates are rarely exact (and even if they are, some babies need more time), inducing at 40 weeks can still lead to issues if the baby is not ready.
Prolactin is called the “mothering hormone.” It has many roles including helping your breasts make milk.
However, its not just for breastfeeding! There are studies that show that like its cohorts oxytocin, endorphins, and catecholamines, prolactin levels increase throughout pregnancy, increasing shortly before the onset of spontaneous labor. It is also thought that prolactin in late-gestation plays a part in helping fetal lungs to mature as well as helping with temperature regulation of the baby after birth.
Each of these hormones are important is helping your labor progress as smoothly as safely as possible. Each one is an important piece and plays an important role in the entire birth process. Your body has its own instructions and these hormones respond to each instruction, helping you to reach you goal. If you interrupt that process through a non-medically necessary intervention or try and get your body to start the process through induction or “natural induction”, it may throw your body, baby, and birth, off a bit.
There are clear medical reasons for induction of labor, and an appropriate induction can save the life of the baby, the mother or even both! While an induction of labor has a higher percent of cesarean rate associated with it, having clear dialogue with care providers about benefits v. risks, and the right path for YOU is the key takeaway here. So while a cesarean is not definitive with an induction, ask yourself if the potential benefit truly outweighs the risks.
“In pregnancy, labor will start only when all the players—your baby, your uterus, your hormones, and your placenta—are ready.”
Just as little humans grow at different rates, some babies never get the memo that they are supposed to be ready to come out on the day a provider or ultrasound estimated. However, when they are ready, your body knows, and will begin the process of evicting its tiny tenant in the most beneficial way possible. With the cascade of hormones - one signaling another in perfect harmony, your body helps itself and your baby to birth in the safest way possible.
Attribution: Lamaze International
The Institute of Medicine says it takes on average 17 years after new research is published for medical professionals to change the way they practice. Don't get stuck with outdated practices for your baby's birthday! With our private prenatal lesson / childbirth class, you'll learn how to get evidence-based care to optimize your birth outcome.
If you cannot attend an in-person birthing class with us, we suggest you reserve a private Labor Lesson. Our intensive class is held as a private, in-home lesson, which includes access to our online Learning Center.
The Center is where you may watch videos, read further research on childbirth and postpartum topics, and download sample birth plans. Both these class options are an excellent opportunity for you and your birth partner to gain current evidence-based birth practices that can help you have the safest birth for you and your baby.
This post is part 2 of a 7-part series written by our team of Lamaze Childbirth Educators. Stay tuned for upcoming posts in our series, How To Alleviate Fears and Manage Labor Pain.
Read part 2, Hormones and the Waiting Game
Read part 3, Make Labor Productive
Read part 4, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals
Read part 5, Avoid Routine Medical Interventions
Read part 6, Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing
Read part 7, Keep Parent and Baby Together
Treatment of Depression During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
As a society, we need to remove the stigma of mood disorders and mental illness.
"Several adverse obstetric complications have been reported with untreated prenatal stress and depression, including pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, low birth weight, miscarriage, small-for-gestational-age babies, low Apgar scores, and neonatal complications.7,8 In addition to being debilitating for the mother, postpartum depression affects maternal-infant interactions and some measures of infant development."
This is an excerpt from this article titled Treatment of Depression During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period, published by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
While there is a fine line between normal hormonal changes and clinical depression and anxiety, any symptomatic woman in the perinatal period should seek clinical evaluation and possibly treatment.
Won't the Medications Cause Harm to Baby?
It is a common concern for women with known depression to be wary of taking medication during pregnancy and/or breastfeeding. Quite frankly, for most pregnant women, there is some sense of fear of putting anything in their bodies. However, more and more is being published about the much GREATER risks of untreated depression in pregnant women. I spoke to an OB and a Pediatrician personally and asked for their opinion on the subject. To paraphrase, each physician emphasized how grateful they are when women come forward with these concerns so that they can be appropriately taken care of. Both of the doctors reiterated the vast research on the damage that untreated chemical imbalances can cause the mother AND the child. There are many safe antidepressant medications for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
There are Facebook support groups for women struggling with pregnancy and postpartum depression/anxiety with literally THOUSANDS of members. This is an epidemic that deserves more attention and less judgment. We are afraid to seek help for fear of looking weak or unfit as a parent.
As a society, we need to remove the stigma of mood disorders and mental illness. A mother who feels out of control of her emotions or feelings should not feel ashamed or like a bad mother. She should feel empowered to do the right thing for herself and her baby and seek the best treatment, as decided by her provider and herself.
