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How to Choose the Right People for Your Natural Birth Team

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How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

One of the most important things you can do to prepare for your labor is to choose the right people for your birth team. You want each and every person who will attend your labor and delivery to be fully supportive of you and your birth plan. It’s important that you are comfortable with these people and that you know you can trust them.

 

Most care providers, doulas, and birth photographers have initial consultations where you can meet them (for free) and get to know them better. It’s the perfect opportunity to ask them a few questions, dive in to topics that are important to you, and see if they’re the type of person you want to have on your birth team.

 

How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

With my first pregnancy, my natural birth team consisted of 2 midwives, a back-up midwife, a doula, my husband, and a birth photographer.

 

The birth center where I delivered my son is owned by a 2 midwife team, Ann and Jessie, who work together with their clients. I love their model because you get to know both midwives through prenatal visits, there are two sets of hands available during labor, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have at least one of them present at the birth.

 

The night of my labor, another one of their clients was in labor as well. It was a home birth so one of them went to be with her while they called a back-up midwife for me. The back-up midwife, Ali Watkins, was amazing! It was a really smooth transition, and I thought the midwives handled it well.

 

How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

My husband was an amazing part of my birth team. He helped in the preparation: going to prenatal visits, taking walks with me, and practicing partner-supported labor positions from the book Active Labor. Whether it’s your spouse, your mom, or your friend, it’s important to have someone there for you emotionally. Not only will their presence make you feel supported, but they are willing to do what it takes to help you make it through.

 

I also had a doula on my birth team. It was nice to have someone there who made sure I stayed hydrated and who knew how to massage during contractions. I ended up laboring pretty independently, so I don’t plan to have a doula for my second birth, but I still think they are a wonderful addition to a birth team.

 

While not technically a part of the birth team, I wouldn’t skip having a birth photographer. My birth photographer, Crystal Garcia, was able to capture precious moments from our major family event, and she too was supportive of my natural birth. Her passion for birth was apparent, and it was good to have her positivity there.

 

How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

Each member of my birth team brought encouragement and positivity to my birth experience. I want you to enjoy the same luxury I did, so I put together a list of questions to help you start thinking about how you can choose the right people for your birth team. When you first meet each of the potential team members, you can have a list of conversational questions to see if they are the right fit. Whatever you feel is important will influence your questions and conversations. 

Below, you’ll find the questions I used for each of my natural birth team members. Feel free to use them, and share your own in the comments.

 

How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

Questions for midwives

 
Good questions for midwives can include topics about licensing and experience, their take on natural health and remedies during pregnancy, support of alternative options to antibiotics, and more. The midwives’ experience, comfortable appointments, and how they handle hospital transfers were important to me, so you can see that reflected in my top 10 questions for midwives.

 

      1. What about natural birth inspires you to be a midwife?
      2. Do you implement other natural habits into your lifestyle?
      3. How many births have you attended?
      4. Would I work with one or more midwives?
      5. Do you have a back-up midwife?
      6. How often and how long are appointments?
      7. What complications would cause you to suggest a hospital transfer?
      8. If transferred to the hospital, do you come?
      9. Where do you transfer to?
      10. Are there additional fees associated with a hospital transfer?

 

How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

Questions for doulas

 

 A big part of what a doula can bring to your birth team is their personality. Are you looking for someone who will raise your spirits and be your cheerleader, or are you looking for a more hands-off, I’ve-got-your-back approach? An initial meeting with a doula is the perfect time to learn their style. Besides personality alone, here are 8 great questions to ask a potential doula.

 

          1. What about natural birth inspires you to be a doula? 
          2. Do you implement other natural habits into your lifestyle?
          3. How often will we get together?
          4. How do you see your role?  What responsibilities do you assume?
          5. How many births have you attended?
          6. Do you attend births at homes, birth centers, and hospitals?
          7. Have you been a part of a birth that has transferred to the hospital?  Would you feel comfortable communicating with the hospital staff on my behalf?
          8. What pain management methods do you suggest?

 

Questions for your spouse, significant other, family member, friend, etc.

 

The following questions can sometimes take the whole pregnancy to answer with your significant other, since it may take a while before they are mentally prepared for your labor and understand your birth plan. Here’s 3 great questions for you two to work on answering together.

 

            1. Are you comfortable being present for the labor and birth?
            2. Are you supportive of my birth plan?
            3. Will you be able to communicate my wishes for a natural birth and personal goals if I am unable to communicate them for myself?

 

How to Choose the Right People for Your Birth Team – Conversational questions for midwives, doulas, and more | @collectfeathers

 

Questions for birth photographers

 

With photographers, I suggest you check out their portfolio to see if you like their style, but these are 3 great questions you’ll want to ask your birth photographer.

 

              1. Do you use flash? (It’s less disruptive if they don’t, but it takes a special skill to know how to process them if the labor/delivery happened in low light.)
              2. Do you share the photos online?
              3. Can I pre-approve the images before they are posted online?

 

With the questions you put together and the conversation that comes from them, you will be able to learn more about the people who will be present at your birth. Every single team member should add to the safe and supportive birth experience you deserve. I wish you the best of conversations and the best natural birth team ever!

 

The post How to Choose the Right People for Your Natural Birth Team appeared first on Feather Collection.


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