Photo: Carolina Türck, Flickr
When an expecting mother is preparing herself for delivery day, using a birthing plan can ease nerves about delivery and facilitate a better birthing experience for mom and baby.
A birth plan typically include details regarding the type of birth desired, pain management and what comfort items to remember. However, many birthing plan
templates do not include important information about birthing positions, umbilical cords or what mom should expect when she sees her baby for the first time.
Labor and birthing positions
Mothers who choose to give birth naturally and without an epidural usually find that frequently changing position during labor helps them to relax and control pain. Standing, walking and swaying can also speed up labor. There’s no perfect position for labor, but frequent changes of position during labor can help women relax and stay in control of the pain.
It’s also important to be familiar with the birthing positions that are known to change the baby’s position if the baby is not ideal. Rather than performing a C-section a mother can try a different position that could result in the baby turning into a deliverable position. Therefore, it is important for the mother to educate and advocate for herself and her baby especially if she feels strongly about a natural birth.
The umbilical cord
The matter of when the umbilical cord should be clamped is one that expectant parents may consider. Some doctors clamp and cut the cord soon after the baby is delivered and others might wait several minutes before separating the baby from the cord. A recent Swedish study showed babies who had their cords clamped after three minutes had better iron levels than babies whose cords were clamped after only 10 seconds after birth. The good news is that no matter when the umbilical cord is clamped, the cord blood can still be collected.
Cord blood banking is an increasingly popular choice among expecting parents. The cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that can potentially be used in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, so parents are saving their baby’s cord blood as a possible medical resource. Ultimately, you should talk to your doctor about the timing of cord clamping and make the decision that is best for you.
After the baby comes
Immediately following the birth, you may want some time to bond before the baby is taken off to be bathed and measured for the medical records. Babies are born with grasp and sucking reflexes and the ability to see about 2 feet away from them. If you’d like to bond with your baby right after birth, feed them if they’re hungry and allow your baby to get used to your face, voice and touch. There are also screenings and tests that your newborn will need to receive by state law and for their health.
You can always ask your medical team if they can wait a little bit before they need to do tests, but also be sure to ask questions about what is being done and never assume that everything is being taken care of.
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This post was written and submitted by Katie Moore, an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things mommy-related on her blog, Moore From Katie. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people. To connect with Katie, contact her via her blog or on Twitter, @moorekm26.
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