Digital Book Birth Choices v1.1 | Page 3

Welcome
Birth Choices
What do you want your birth to be like? Maybe you have a specific vision, or you may not have
thought much about it. Either way, exploring different approaches for birth and identifying your top
priorities is helpful and will prepare you for this life-changing experience. This book will help guide
you through steps to make thoughtful choices for birth and beyond.
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3
Step 1: Understand the Context
Your Birth Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Minimizing Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Childbirth in the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7
Step 2: Know Your Options and Preferences
Approaches to Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8–9
Options to Consider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Your Birth Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Your Birth Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Care Provider Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Birth Location Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Throughout this book, you
will find questions and
topics that will help you
work through your
many choices for birth.
Topics that you may
wish to explore further
and/or discuss with your birth
team are highlighted with this
plum symbol.
Step 3: Take Action
Choosing a Care Provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Care Provider Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16–17
Provider Warning Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Choosing a Birth Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Step 4: Communicate
Communicating Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20–21
Healthy Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22–23
Birth Preferences Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Glossary and Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Birth Choices
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