Cultivating awareness is important, because no one call tell you how you feel about things but yourself. Knowledge is important, though, for feeling in control and thus reducing fears and anxieties. So, to guide your quest for knowledge I am going to give you two main thoughts regarding birth. The first (which most ob’s follow), is that birth and labor can and should be manipulated. (ie elective inductions, speeding up labor, epidurals are the norm). The other side of that is our body doesn’t need to be manipulated unless there is something wrong.
Now there are debates on all sorts of things for birth…some pretty nasty ones too. I would advise you not to get caught up in the debate so much as to figure out what you feel works best for you. The next step is to make sure your doctor works along the same lines, or is a least willing to support you in your decisions (from my experience, it works best to find someone who is similar in thought as you, rather than just willing to accept it). Ask friends and family, but keep in mind that they might have a completely different idea of birth than you. Ask your provider questions. Keep of list of ideas/thoughts that you like. Look into your hospital and how they routinely do things.
Last but not least, expect the unexpected. Sometimes it may not turn out the way you want it to. Plan for that. Prepare your mind for that. Ask your self how you would handle different situations before they happen.
Feel free to ask me any questions regarding this if you want. I would be more than willing to have open discussions here on birth options/viewpoints.
Photos from: Modern Expressions
