Introduction
Preparing for Birth
Congratulations on your growing family! You have entered a chapter of your life in which your health-
care choices may be more important than ever before. Many parents have similar basic goals for birth:
a safe, positive experience that results in a healthy mother and baby. However, there are many ideas on
what defines safe, positive, and healthy, and even more ideas on the best ways to make that happen.
There are many things you can do to influence and manage your birth experience, but sorting through
the huge amounts of available information (and misinformation) can quickly become overwhelming.
While there is no “magic formula” or single approach that guarantees a safe and positive birth
experience, following the steps outlined in this book will ensure that you are informed and prepared.
Learning and preparing ahead of time helps you to be proactive, lowers stress, and builds
confidence in your abilities to labor, give birth, and parent. Preparation won’t guarantee a certain
experience or prevent the unexpected, but it will help you identify (and eliminate or overcome)
challenges and make choices in line with your goals.
2
Birth Choices