Relaxation, preparation, and knowledge are essential aspects of a positive birth experience.  Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) focuses on creating a family-centered environment to ensure that mothers receive the highest quality care during delivery and post-partum.  Staff members with LMH Maternal Child – First Impressions, along with the healthcare providers at Licking Memorial Women’s Health, assist families to create an individualized birth preference plan that meets their needs.

A birth plan is a way for mothers to communicate their preferences during labor and after the birth of their baby to their healthcare team.  Creating a birthing plan allows the mother-to-be to consider available options during labor and express her needs.  LMH provides a variety of choices for families to establish a plan for a positive birthing experience.

Women can select the comfort measures they would prefer to have in the delivery room during labor.  Relaxation and visualization strategies, such as soft lighting, music, aromatherapy, and massage, can relieve stress, relax tense muscles, and produce feelings of tranquility, allowing her to focus her energy on managing pain.  Other relaxation methods may include breathing techniques, taking a warm shower, cold therapy, meditation, or distraction.

Movement during labor may help to ease discomfort by shifting pressure and can advance the progress with the simple effect of gravity.  Sitting, standing, and walking tend to be the most comfortable for women during this stage.  Utilizing a birthing or peanut ball keeps the baby properly aligned in the pelvis and encourages pelvic mobility.

Throughout labor, the baby’s heartbeat requires monitoring with devices secured to the abdomen, and certain situations require continuous monitoring.  This can limit the mother’s ability to move around in the room; however, wireless fetal monitors can allow for more movement.  Intermittent fetal heart rate monitoring is available for low-risk pregnancies and offers even more freedom of movement.

A woman may also wish to receive medication for pain relief during labor.  Several methods are available, including an epidural, which is an injection into the spine that blocks the pain signals from certain areas of the body.  Women who would prefer not to receive an epidural may choose to have pain medication administered intravenously.  This type of medication relieves pain without the loss of feeling or muscle movement that occurs with an epidural.  It is important to note that IV medications can only be used during early labor, whereas an epidural may be used continuously throughout delivery.

If labor does not progress as expected, the healthcare team may need to begin labor augmentation, which is the process of stimulating the uterus to increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of contractions.  Women may choose natural methods such as nipple stimulation, have their amniotic membrane ruptured, known as breaking the water, or receive medication, such as Pitocin, to cause the uterus to contract.

During delivery, the most common birthing position is lying on the back or semi-sitting in bed; however, research shows that taking weight off the tailbone allows the pelvis to expand and can make spontaneous birth more likely.  LMH offers several alternative pushing positions to allow mothers to experience childbirth using low-intervention methods.  Women may choose to stand, squat, use a prop for support, be positioned on hands and knees, or lie on their side.

It is important to remember that the main goal of the healthcare team is to ensure the health and safety of the mother and baby.  The team may need to deviate from the birthing plan to ensure a safe delivery.  If changes in the plan are necessary, the nurse or provider will advise the mother and support persons on recommendations and allow for shared decision making.  A cesarean section (C-section) is performed when medically indicated, and the benefits outweigh the risks.  The birth plan can still help communicate a mother’s preferences should a C-section be necessary.

The birthing plan also includes preferences once the baby is born.  Parents may choose how they would like to hold their baby, and they also have options for what to do with cord blood and the placenta.  In the event that the baby requires additional assistance after birth, the infant will receive care in the Special Care Nursery (SCN).

The SCN is specially designed to meet the medical needs of critical care infants, while offering support to new parents.  Designated as a Level II facility by the Ohio Department of Health, the SCN utilizes state-of-the-art medical equipment and is staffed 24 hours per day by highly trained registered nurses.  Pediatric physicians and neonatal nurse practitioners direct the medical care of all SCN infants daily and notify the parents of any condition changes.  The SCN provides family-centered personal care to ill or at-risk infants and those born up to eight weeks prematurely.  LMH staff coordinate with neonatologists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus to provide excellent care to infants and their families.

LMH Maternal Child – First Impressions offers the highest quality maternity care for expecting families.  The staff actively listen and carefully consider each mother’s preferences to create a family-centered experience that meets their needs throughout labor, delivery, and recovery, allowing parents to bond with their newborn and receive the support and education necessary for a smooth transition home.