I was planning for a natural birth. Every girl imagines her first kiss, her wedding day and what it will feel like to have a baby. Part was through pregnancy, out of the blue, a friend said, "Oh, I've been meaning to tell you...if things don't go the way you have planned," she paused briefly, yet thoughtfully, "it's okay." For some reason, her words anchored themselves into my mind.

Before you hire a midwife, be sure to interview several carefully. Take your time reviewing their history, call up their references, have a list of questions handy, research the legal issues in your state and ask the midwife for proof of her certification.

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I have placenta previa. I also have to take Prometreum because I do not produce enough progesterone. I am approximately 22 weeks and am about to go in for my second ultrasound.

I am scared to death of what is going to happen if the placenta doesn't move up. I know that I will have a C-section if it does not. But I am still worried about bleeding a lot and healing times. I was wondering if you could help put my mind at ease.

Thanks,
Brittany

QUESTION

My partner wants a hospital birth complete with an OB/GYN. My preference is a home birth with a midwife but I was willing to compromise on using a birth center. He's not budging.

What are some ways that I can help him move away from this sterile birth experience to one that I'm more comfortable with other than just telling him "I'm not doing it!" and creating another war?

I get that is how his sisters and friends' wives delivered but this is MY birth experience, too!
Dani

The birth of your child is nothing less than an extraordinary feat of nature that involves an intricate sequence of events. Every pregnancy is different, and every childbirth is different. Yet most follow the same prescribed path of what physically unfolds in the body.

There are three important hormone groups for birthing: endorphins (the pleasure hormones), oxytocin (the love hormone), and prolactin (the mothering hormone). The trick to having a more comfortable birth is, first, understanding what triggers their release and, second, being able to control when they are released and in what quantities.

If you are a well and healthy childbearing woman, you can consider giving birth in a hospital, an out-of-hospital birth center, or in your home. Or can you? We are asking you to support a new law to ensure that Medicaid programs reimburse birth centers for care of pregnant women with Medicaid coverage, preserving access to high quality, high value maternity care provided in out-of-hospital birth centers!

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am 26 years old and 36 weeks pregnant with my first child. I am passionate about having the most natural birth experience possible (although, having said that, I am not having a home birth for this one - I'd like one "under my belt" before going that route!).

I am very interested in knowing any advice you may have on going into labor without taking drugs for induction, ensuring that labor progresses at a good pace, and avoiding C-section (unless there's a cord incident or other emergency, of course).