Pregnancy and Birth Information

Where can I get Pregnancy and Birth Information?

Your Ob/Gyn or midwife is a good place to get pregnancy and birth information. If you can, try to interview all potential care providers before making a final decision. Many Ob/Gyns and midwives work in practices where you can choose the practice and then select a care provider. You can also change your care provider during your pregnancy if you feel he/she won’t support your choices about what you want from your pregnancy and birth.

A childbirth class is also a great place to receive pregnancy and birth information. Many hospitals offer economical classes. You can also look into hiring a private childbirth educator to come to your home. Some women even look into Bradley classes or hypnobirthing.

The Internet is a wonderful resource for information on pregnancy and birth. Not only can you find actual studies on pregnancy and birth, you can find chat boards, blogs, and sites like this one that exist to share information.

Finally, your friends and family can be sources of pregnancy and birth information. They can share their experiences and caution you about the mistakes they might have made. However, many women have difficult birth experiences. Try not to listen to these horror stories. Birth can be a difficult time, but it doesn’t have to be horrible. Remember that everyone’s birth story is unique. Many experiences are based on unforeseeable factors.

What if the Information I Receive Contradicts Itself?

The more pregnancy and birth information you receive, the more you’ll find the information contradicts itself. You’ll find conflicting views on amniotomies (artificially breaking your bag of water), epidurals and inductions. You will hear different information on the safety of ultrasounds and pitocin. Your doctor may tell you that pitocin is perfectly safe, but you might read a study that associates it with autism. You might read that epidurals slow down labor, but talk to a labor and delivery nurse who says epidurals actually speed up labor.

Additionally, old wives tales can provide more confusion. Your grandmother may tell you not to lift your arms over your head because it can cause knots in your baby’s cord. You may hear that having sex during pregnancy can hurt the baby or you shouldn’t exercise during pregnancy. Now we know these tales simply aren’t true, but hearing these stories can confuse you. You should always check with your care provider if you have any questions about what’s safe during pregnancy and childbirth.

In Conclusion

No matter what decision you make with the information you have about pregnancy and birth, someone will believe you are mistaken. The key to decision making in pregnancy, birth, and parenting is to do the best you can. Try to make the best decision based on the information you have at the time.