Delivery

  • Dad Doesn't Want to Be In The Delivery Room

    QUESTION

    Dear Mr. Dad,
    My wife is going to have a baby next week and I really don't want to be there for the birth -- I just don't think I can handle all the blood. I know I should tell my wife but I'm afraid I'm going hurt her feelings. Is there a nice way to break it to her?

  • Wonderful Dream Experience!

    QUESTION

    Dear Ms Ultrasound,
    After 20 years of friendship my friend Leona honored me with a request to be in the delivery room for the birth of her second child. While she and her husband decided to find out the sex of their first-born, (a son), they decided against finding out the sex of their second.

    When Leona was about 24 weeks along, I received the good news that I, too, was expecting my second.

    Time passed and soon it was close to Leona's due date and I was anxiously awaiting the call to come for the birth.

  • Jump Starting Labor and Pregnancy Rumors

    QUESTION

    Dear Midwife,
    I have two questions for you. First, I am wondering if there is anything you can take safely to help start labor. I have had four children so far and have had to be induced every time, at least a week late and up to past two weeks late. One of my babies was over 9 pounds so now we usually start a little earlier. I would love to go into labor on my own, but since I have had no luck doing this, I am willing to be induced, especially if it means having a smaller baby. Any ideas on how to start labor on my own?

  • Can I Have a C-section

    QUESTION

    Dear Midwife,
    I really want to have a c section but my doctor doesn't want me to. Can I have a c section anyway?

  • Please Help

    QUESTION

    Dear Midwife,
    Hi there, I'm am writing to you as I need your help. I am 21 years of age and have a little girl who is 3 and a half. I am currently pregnant with my second baby and am around ten weeks.

  • "Being Dad" DVD

    • "Being Dad" DVD
    Rating: 
    5

    The "Being Dad" DVD is the perfect gift (even to yourself!) for all expectant parents. Dads-to-be will appreciate hearing the truth from those with been there, done that experience! Moms-to-be will find it a terrific way to engage their partners in their pregnancy with humor, candor, and a refreshing frankness sure to capture their attention.

    An additional benefit? Expectant mothers can get a glimpse into what their partner may be thinking. He isn't an insensitive clout after all!

  • What Can I Do To Shorten My Next Labor?

    QUESTION

    Dear Doula,I had a doula with both of my previous pregnancies. With my first, I was induced with pitocin.I labored for 22 hours and pushed for 2 more on top of that. I ended up having a c-section because he was wedged in my pelvis and wouldn't come down. My 2nd, I went into labor on my own and labored for about 30 hours from start to finish (most of it not too bad, and about 15 hours of it in the hospital). I only pushed for 35 minutes. And my 9 pound 9 ounce VBAC son was born!

  • Which Blood Types Need a Rhogam Shot?

    QUESTION

    Dear Midwife,
    Suppose if my male partner and I have same blood types (for example, O positive), should I have a baby? If I am pregnant from the guy with same blood type, will I have a shot to prevent further complications? Or can't I have a baby at all?

  • VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section)

    Partially under the pressure of lawsuits, the cesarean section rate increased from 5% in 1970 to 25% in 1988. Doctors are rarely sued for a poor outcome if they have performed a cesarean section but they are almost always sued when they have not.

  • Cesarean Section

    What is a Cesarean Section? A cesarean section is the surgical delivery of the baby through an abdominal incision. Supposedly, Julius Caesar was delivered in this manner, hence the name.

  • Pregnancy After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Death

    It takes courage to try again when your previous pregnancy ended in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. As you know only too well from past experience, there is no guarantee that you'll end up with a storybook happy ending nine months down the road.

  • Hypnobirth Tip #1: Getting Started

    Hypnosis is very simply: Focused concentration. It is a natural state of mind in which the body and mind are very relaxed and yet the mind is also highly aware and focused. The pregnant woman can choose to enter, stay in, or come out of hypnosis at will.

  • Dad Doesn't Want to Be In The Delivery Room

    QUESTION

    Dear Mr. Dad,
    My wife is going to have a baby next week and I really don't want to be there for the birth -- I just don't think I can handle all the blood. I know I should tell my wife but I'm afraid I'm going hurt her feelings. Is there a nice way to break it to her?

  • The Art and Science of Parenting from Conception through Infancy

    "From the journey down the birth canal to afternoons at the park, a child will register every experience in the circuitry of his or her brain. Whenever a mother strokes her baby, whenever a father plays with his daughter or son...

  • Relieving Pain During Labor

    I am sure you have heard the horror stories that a lot of women take delight in telling about the pain of labor. While yes it does hurt, it's for the most wondrous cause. So far I have survived 8 labors and one car delivery and honestly it gets a bit easier each time.

  • What Can I Do To Shorten My Next Labor?

    QUESTION

    Dear Doula,I had a doula with both of my previous pregnancies. With my first, I was induced with pitocin.I labored for 22 hours and pushed for 2 more on top of that. I ended up having a c-section because he was wedged in my pelvis and wouldn't come down. My 2nd, I went into labor on my own and labored for about 30 hours from start to finish (most of it not too bad, and about 15 hours of it in the hospital). I only pushed for 35 minutes. And my 9 pound 9 ounce VBAC son was born!

  • Birthing Choices: Care Providers & Labor Locations

    The nine months of pregnancy are all about choices. Everything from the best exercise, to the most comfortable shoes to more important things like your prenatal care provider and place to give birth.

  • Perineal Massage

    Perineal massage is the gentle stretching and massaging of the skin between the anus and vagina (perineum) during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This massage has been shown to reduce the incidence of episiotomy and perineal tears during birth.

  • Cesarean Section: Recovery Tips

    Approximately 20 percent of births in the United States are done by cesarean section. Every woman, no matter how simple her pregnancy, faces the possibility that her labor could end in a C-section.

  • Choosing the Birth Experience You Want

    Eight years ago, when the first edition of this book was published, we told you that the two trends in childbirth were moving in opposing directions. They still are. One trend is the growing number of ...

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