By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD | Verywell
When you imagine the day you give birth, you probably think about being surrounded by family,
maybe friends, and of course your doctor or midwife. But in reality,
there are lots of potential people involved who may attend your birth.
Monty Python's The Meaning of life had the scene nearly perfect when
they let everyone come in the room, but tell the father, "Only people
involved with the birth allowed..."
In truth, most hospitals and birth centers are not this
bad, but there are still some out there with very strict protocols about
who can attend the birth of your baby. Here is a brief introduction to
potential attendees to your birth.
Doctor/Midwife
[post_ads]This is usually someone you have met and developed a relationship with prior to giving birth. Hopefully, it is your main practitioner
or at least one with whom you have developed a relationship. Be sure to
ask your doctor or midwife about their call schedule. Do they have
back-ups? Can you meet them? Do they have any vacations or time off near
the time of your due date?
The chance of actually getting your
practitioner will depend on the above factors. Being able to meet any
back-ups will greatly ease your mind. This will also allow you to go
over any specific requests or birth plans, prior to your due date.
Dad or Partner
You might believe it is a given that your husband or partner is invited into the delivery room at your local hospital or birth center.
This is not always true. Be sure to
learn your facilities policy. In some facilities, you must have your
husband attend a special class to be allowed to attend your birth. This
is particularly true if you are having a cesarean (planned or
unplanned).
Doula
Hiring a doula can help you reduce your risks of certain interventions.
Many hospitals or birth centers have
no restrictions on the use of a doula. However, if your facility has a
limit to the number of people you can invite to your birth, most do not
count the doula in this number, because they recognize the value of the
doula's role. This is true even of a cesarean birth.
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Labor Nurse
Your
labor nurse will be your direct link to the facility where you are
giving birth. You may have the same nurse for your entire labor and
birth, or you may, because of shifts or multiple patients, see more than
one nurse. The nurse will be responsible for communicating with your
doctor or midwife and letting them know how your labor is progressing
and relaying any requests that you have back to the practitioner. They
will also attend your birth to assist your doctor and others in the
room. The labor nurse will be responsible for blood work, paperwork,
monitoring, vaginal exams, etc. She may or may not have more than one
patient. Very little of her time is usually spent on physical comfort
measures for your labor, but she can provide you with suggestions for
comfort in labor from positioning to medications.
OB Tech
The
OB Tech comes in at the very end to set up a table of instruments and
things to be used at your birth, like gauze, oils for perineal massage,
scissors, and suture material.
The OB tech's main job is to assist
your doctor or midwife in the actual birth. You will usually not have a
chance to meet them before hand.
Nursery Nurse
Some places
also have a nursery nurse attend the birth of your baby. In some
facilities, they attend every birth, in others, only cesarean births.
Ask your facility for their policy. This nurse is someone who will come
at the end specifically to care for your new baby(or babies).
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Specialists
There
are many potential specialists who could potentially be available for
your birth. These can include, but are not limited to the
anesthesiologist, for epidurals, spinal and other medications;
pediatrician, to care for your baby; neonatologist, specialized care for
at-risk newborns; assistant surgeons, particularly used for cesarean
births; medical students, nursing students, residents in OB, Family
Practice, etc.
Ask about your facility's policy for students at birth.
Be
sure to talk to the place where you are giving birth to find out all
policies about who can attend your birth and what, if any, special
training they are required to have. This can be particularly true for
siblings.
If you are planning on a homebirth, talk to your midwife
or doctor about who you are able to invite to the birth and if they
need special training. Also be sure to ask who they bring with them to
attend the birth, other midwives or physicians, apprentices, doulas,
etc. Many families choose to give birth at home to allow them more
freedom as to whom they may invite to the birth of their child.
Reviewed by Anita Sadaty, MD
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