Things to consider about your birth. Support Team: - Who do I want present? Partner, doula, family? Is What comfort measures would I like to try?
- Do I want to limit personnel, students/observers, etc?
Environment:
- Will I wear my own clothes or the hospital gown?
- Would I like music, television, silence?
- Would I like the lights dimmed & curtains drawn?
- Focused relaxation, meditation- Heat or cold packs
Movement:
- Would I like to walk around? What medical
equipment may impede this (IV, monitors) and what
- Do I want to reminders and assistance with changing - Epidural
positions while laboring - standing, dancing, rocking
chair, getting into shower, on all fours, etc?
- Would I prefer to stay in bed?- May I use the shower or tub in labor? Under what
circumstances would these not be available?
Monitoring: - Would I like continuous or intermittent monitoring (set time per hour with EFM, hand How do you cope with stress or pain? * Do you prefer to be alone or with others? * Focus internally or focus externally? Nutrition:
* Explore your thoughts or distract yourself?
Heidi Thaden-Pierce, Better Birth Doula Services
Pushing: - What are the possible positions I can birth in and which am I interested in? On all fours,
using a squat bar, side lying, in tub, partner behind me providing support?
- Are there any positions I want to avoid pushing in? Am I comfortable using stirrups?- Do I want to be coached on my breathing & pushing? Only quiet encouragement?- If I do NOT want to be coached and staff or family are doing so, would I like my partner or
- Do I want to push without time constraints so long as the baby is doing fine?- How do I feel about episiotomies? Tearing?- Would I like olive oil, warm compresses, or perineal massage while crowning?- What are my options for postpartum bleeding - nursing, pitocin, cytotec, etc? Am I
comfortable with pitocin being given immediately after birth by IV (if at hospital)?
Birth: - Would I like the baby to be placed immediately on my chest? Skin to skin? - Do I want the cord clamped immediately or delayed? Who will cut the cord? - Will I nurse? How soon after birth will I start? - How do I feel about pacifiers? supplemental bottles? - Would I like to see a lactation consultant (if at hospital)? Will I hire one privately? Newborn Needs: - Do I want to delay the newborn exam or any nursery visits? - What is the nursery policy (if at hospital) for baby being taken away? - Will the pediatrician come to our room for the exam? - Will we room in or have the baby sleep in the nursery? Bring to me for nursing? - Do I want the baby bathed? Postpone bathing? Use no scented soaps (will we bring our
own?) Just use water? Will we bathe baby in our room?
- Do we want the antibiotic eye ointment? vitamin K? Hep B vaccine?- Will we circumcise? in the hospital or elsewhere?
Situations to Discuss: - If surgery is needed may my partner accompany me? doula? wait in recovery room for me? - Do we want the staff to explain to us what is happening as they work? - Can the staff give us a moment of quiet so we baby can hear our voices right after birth? - If the baby must go to the nursery, may my partner accompany the baby and my doula stay
- May I have immediate access to a breast pump if my baby is not able to nurse?
Heidi Thaden-Pierce, Better Birth Doula Services
Common Assessment Framework Introduction Northwards Housing has a comprehensive Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedure which was written and approved in March 2008. This policy is refreshed annually and fully reviewed every three years. It is also important to note that it is kept under continuous review in light of local and national developments. Northwards Housing recognises t
WHEN HARVARD professor and humorist Tom Lehrer penned those lines in 1965, he probably had no idea that a major ingredient in "the latest toothpaste" was industrial waste. Fluoride toothpastes contain something called sodium monofluorophosphate, which is a cousin to some potent nerve agents once considered for chemical warfare. Fluorosilicic acid, which is used to treat 90% of municipal wa