Digital Book Discontinued Birth Choices v1.1 | Page 14

Your Birth Team
Your birth team includes all the people who will be present with you during labor and birth. Some are
people you have invited in advance, and some will be present as part of the medical team. Consider the
following as you make plans.
Medical Staff Labor Support
In a hospital setting, nurses provide most of the
care during labor. Your midwife or doctor may
only be present for brief periods of time during
labor and once you begin pushing. In addition,
other staff you may choose to allow include: Choose one or more people to provide labor
support. Your support team may include your
spouse or partner, family member(s) and/
or friend(s). They should be people you are
comfortable with and who understand and
support your goals.
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Residents or other on-call physicians
Interns or assistants
Students (medical or nursing)
Doula
Large teaching hospitals may invite residents,
interns, medical students and nursing students
into a hospital room to watch a birth, sometimes
without asking the family, and as a result catch
the mother off guard. A variety of other
medical personnel often enter as well.
You are not obligated to let extra people
participate in your birth experience. However,
you may not be able to verbalize your desires
when the time comes. It is wise to discuss your
preferences for the people you want present
and those you do not with your labor support
team and encourage them to ask people to step
outside, if needed.
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Step 2: Know Your Options and Preferences
A doula is a professional you hire who provides
non-medical support during birth, as well
as assistance during pregnancy and follow
up after birth. A doula supports both the
laboring mother and her partner (or others)
and provides a positive, calm and experienced
presence. Unlike a nurse or other member of
the medical staff, a doula focuses entirely on
labor support. Doula support is encouraged by
ACOG and has many well documented benefits.
It is unlikely that you will know your nurse
ahead of time. When you arrive at your birth
place, you can request a nurse whose style
is compatible with your preferences. As
labor progresses, if you have conflict with
your nurse and can’t get comfortable with
her, you can request a new one.