Pregnancy Questions

Below are the top 10 pregnancy questions:

Part: 1 | 2 | 3

Find out as much as you can about your options during childbirth. During labor and birth, mother and her baby can receive care in a variety of ways.

Care that is the best and healthiest for mothers and babies is referred to as "mother-friendly" care. Naturally some birth centers are more mother-friendly than others. A number of birthing care experts joined forces to produce a list of ten things to look out for.

These pregnancy questions are also supported by various studies. When you’re thinking about where you want to have your baby, you’ll probably have a choice of a birthing center, a hospital, or a home birth service.

pregnancy questions

It’s worth knowing what to expect from your birth experience so that you can make informed choices. The questions set out below may help you learn more about the birth setting.

The Major Pregnancy Questions:

1. Ask, "Who can I have with me during labor and birth?"

Mother-friendly birth centers, hospitals, and home birth services allow the pregnant woman to decide who she wants with her during the birth. Birthing mothers can request the presence of fathers, partners, children, other family members, or friends.

Mother-friendly birth centers will also allow a doula or labor supporter to be with the mother during birth. A doula is a specially trained assistant employed by the mother, she is there to offer support, comfort and to help the birthing mother understand what’s happening. These centers will also have midwives on standby.

2. Ask, "What usually happens here during a normal labor and birth?"

An inquiry that should be on every mother's pregnancy questions list...

If the center offers mother-friendly care, they will explain each step of the birthing process to you. They should detail there drugs policies and why they might need to intervene.

The center should also tell you how often certain procedures are performed. For example they should be able to give you percentages on the number of Cesarean births performed each year. If the percentage is high, you should consider looking elsewhere.

You should also find out about the following:

• Labor should not be artificially induced in more that 10% of women.

• Figures for episiotomy should be no higher than 20% (an episiotomy is a cut made in the opening of the vagina to make it bigger during birth, it’s not necessary for the majority of women).

• In a community hospital, no more than 10% of women should be given C-sections. In high-risk centers the rate should be no more than 15%.

C-sections are major operations where a cut is made in the mother’s stomach and into her womb; the baby is removed through the opening. It is possible for mothers who have previously had a C-section to go on to have a normal birth next time round.

Try to find a center where at least 60% of women who have had a previous C-section go on to have a normal birth.

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