Being able to choose the team that will assist us in the birth of our children is ideal and within the possibilities that the health system gives us there are several things that I advise to ask the team representative who will attend your delivery in one of our visits.
Above all I advise you to decide with all the data if we are going to entrust our health and that of our child, and verify if it is transparent and respectful of our rights.
Caesarean section, instrumental deliveries and episiotomies
It is no secret that clinics and hospitals should have a statistics on the way births are attended.
And among these statistics should be the percentage of deliveries ending in caesarean section, instrumental delivery and episiotomies, or, in technical terms, "indicators referring to clinical practices during delivery care".
While it is true that gynecologists do not usually give this information, if we can find out for ourselves and also, it would be convenient to know what is the degree of independence of health personnel and who attend normal deliveries, if it is the midwife or if there is a large intervention of the doctor.
Another interesting topic is to find out if there are guided visits in the hospital. In the case that they offer them they are very interesting because we know the center and its characteristics beforehand and we can ask the questions we want.
There are general tips from health agencies that indicate what is the expected normal percentage of quality indicators in normal delivery care, in terms of percentages of instrumented deliveries and cesarean section rates.
Of course, these are interventions that, when necessary, save lives, but which, in some places, are too often attended by protocols that are too invasive, or for other less justifiable reasons.
Therefore, have said statistics It is going to help us decide if the place where we planned to give birth is the most suitable and to be able to find another if it does not convince us.
We can investigate these data in some pages of respected labor associations, but the doctor should be willing to share them with us without any obscurantism. If he refuses to do so, bad, fear that the patient knows and decides should not cause discomfort to a good professional.
Possibility of submitting a birth plan
Any patient has the right, recognized by law, to be informed of all treatment alternatives in their case and to freely decide which one is the most appropriate. And although a parturient, in principle, is not a patient, when she enters a hospital she is a patient and her rights remain intact. Hence the importance of your birth plan.
Actually, rather, we should talk about "birth and birth plans", since they not only imply wishes or expectations regarding childbirth, they also remain in force during the hospital stay once the dilation and delivery has ended. There are more professionals and services involved, so birth and birth plan, although colloquially talk about "Birth plan".
For that reason, your hospital should accept your birth plan and at most, be willing to discuss the most controversial points with you if there were any, and always without threats and with respect to your autonomy as a patient.
Therefore, within the logic that emergency situations may exist, a woman must be able to express her wishes about the care for her delivery: not receiving oxytocin by protocol, not being immobilized, not receiving continuous monitoring, etc.
A hospital that does not respect your right to request adequate medical care with your birth plan and that obsolete protocols are not applied does not seem like a good place to give birth. If they don't respect you before you are in labor, I wouldn't expect much at the moment when you're much more helpless to assert your opinion as an adult and free patient you are.
Situation in newborns and breastfeeding support
It is essential that we inform ourselves of how the hospital works in your neonatology care and if you really have breastfeeding support protocols.
I think it is very important that we can trust that they will not unnecessarily separate us from our son, that revisions or attention will be made, except extreme cases in our presence and even on our belly.
Even if the baby must be admitted due to a problem or prematurity, they will allow us to be with him practicing kangaroo method because, not only is it emotionally comforting, but it improves his health and his chances of survival in the most dangerous cases.
Regarding breastfeeding, there are programs that recognize the preparation and support of a hospital for breastfeeding and make it necessary for staff to be trained. It is a good sign, but anyway, if you gather additional information or have external support, the better.
These are the three questions that I advise you to find out before your son is born and ask the medical service that will attend you. Surely they help you decide the best for you.
In Babies and more | The emotional aspect is key in childbirth care, Normal Delivery Care Strategy, 20% of deliveries are by caesarean section in our country
