Chapter 3: Prenatal Development and Birth

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Chapter 3 Prenatal Development and Birth

• Options in Giving Birth Choices and Alternatives

By Kati Tumaneng (for Drs. Cook Cook)
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Approaches to Labor and Delivery

• Majority of births at home in 1900
• 99 of births in hospitals today
• Modern birthing centers attempt to combine the
  advantages of hospital with comfort of home
  births
• Certified nurse-midwives increasing
• Birthing Options http//www.childbirth.org/articl
  es/labor/choices.html

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Prepared (Natural) Childbirth

• Use of birthing techniques designed to reduce
  muscle tension, promote relaxation, and reduce
  pain during labor and delivery.
• Lamaze method learn selective relaxation to
  reduce tension and pain.
• Education about labor and delivery to reduce fear
  of childbirth.
• Labor coach often father.
• Lamaze
• http//www.lamaze.org/Default.asp

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The Leboyer Method

• Idea that hospital birth is unnecessarily
  traumatic for the baby.
• Calmer, quieter, and more respectful.
• Advantages not supported in research but not
  harmful to mothers or babies either.

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Home Births and Other Helpful Techniques

• More women in US are returning to homebirths.
• Advantages
• Comfortable and familiar environment.
• No concern about making it to hospital in time.
• Extensive support from mothers partner and other
  family.
• Immediate and constant infant-family contact.
• Disadvantages
• Equipment and personnel not immediately available
  in case of a problem.

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Home Births and Other Helpful Techniques

• Today women are more free to move around during
  labor.
• Regular, moderate Physical Exercise encouraged
  throughout pregnancy.

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Drugs During Labor and Delivery

• 68-95 of all hospital-based deliveries in US
  involve medication for relief of mothers pain.
• Epidural anesthesia relatively safe and
  effective.
• Focus on minimizing use, dosages, using late in
  delivery.
• Most commonly used combinations of medications do
  not have significant effects.

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The Partners Role Helping during Birth

• With prepared childbirth, father more involved.
• May provide comfort measures, coach labor,
  emotional support, assist with delivery.
• Benefits for both mother and father.

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• All images retrieved from Microsoft PowerPoint
  Clip Art.