advice about childbirth — Mum's The Word (Writing)

How Will I Know It is Time To Go To The Hospital?

On the day of deliver, Antonio Lévano, a well-regarded OB/GYN in Peru is in contact with his patients.

Many women ask him, “Antonio, how will I know when it is time to go to the hospital?”

He encourages them to spend as much time at home as possible. At home they are comfortable. They can eat, move, take a shower, etc.

“How do I know I am having contractions?” they ask.

He says, “You will know the difference. It will feel different than how you normally feel.”

He asks his patients to make a note of the time, every time they feel a contraction. When it is ten minutes in between the start and stop of contractions, they send him a message. He has an app for them to send all of the contractions and times, so that he can see the progression.

He prefers that they are at home until contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes and they feel a lot of pressure or pain in the pelvis. He emphasizes that it is not just the amount of time that is the indicator for him, if they are ready to go to the hospital to deliver. He wants to hear their voice to hear if they are out of breath or unable to talk as usual; this is a sign that it is time to go. If they can talk normally, it is not time yet.

childbirth education, childbirth, health and wellness, new mothers, mothersKhristee RichJuly 23, 2020childbirth education, childbirth around the world, childbirth in Peru, childbirth, advice about childbirth, advice for new mothers, advice from an OBGYN, hospital births, contractions Comments

Fears About Childbirth And What To Do

First time moms tend to have a lot of fear about childbirth, as it is, and sometimes, doctors have advice for mothers that doesn’t feel right intuitively.

During my interviews for my book about holistic childbirth around the world, I asked Dawn Bates from the U.K. if she had any advice for first time mothers.

Advice from Dawn:

“If you have any fears, journal it out. Anything that a doctor tells you, look at what is the medical argument for this and then look at medical arguments from different countries. If your doctor in the U.S. is saying this is what needs to happen, make a phone call to a doctor in a different country. There are lots of free help lines. Phone someone in the U.K. Find someone in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany. Find out what doctors in other countries are saying. And then go back to your doctor and say, what you are saying is not necessarily true… If others are pressuring you, go on a long holiday. Focus on you and what is important to you.

motherhood, new mothers, childbirth education, childbirth, mothersKhristee RichJuly 18, 2020childbirth around the world, childbirth, fears from mothers, advice from mothers, advice about childbirthComment