If you prepare properly for childbirth, you will have a better experience. If you know what to expect, your fears and insecurities will be soothed. This way, you will be able to relax more, and relaxation will make things less painful, and make childbirth go smoother.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for childbirth:
- Read reliable information!
Not everything you read on the internet is true, it might make you (unnecessarily) afraid.
You can read reliable information on DeVerloskundige.nl
The same goes for forums about childbirth experiences. These usually contain extreme stories, that are told from a personal perspective.
We have asked a few of our previous clients to describe their experiences. If you would like to read a few experiences, click here. - Ask us anything you want to know. We are here to help you.
- Attend an informative group session, for example at the hospital or a postnatal care organisation. Here you will receive information about all the aspects of childbirth.
- A pregnancy course (CLICK and refer to a pregnancy course on the website) can help you prepare.
- Write a birth plan. This can give you an idea of what to expect during childbirth. We will discuss this with you during your consultation.
- Read an informative book about childbirth:
If you are anxious about childbirth- Lilian Wirken
Safe childbirth – Beatrijs Smulders
What can you expect from us during childbirth?
If you call us because your childbirth has started, your obstetrician will come for a house call. Our childbirth team works in shifts. Unfortunately, it is not possible to choose your own obstetrician.
During this house call, your obstetrician will ask how long you have been having contractions and how long your contractions last, and observe the contractions. You will be asked about bleeding and loss of fluid. During the house call, the obstetrician will measure your blood pressure, feel your belly, and listen to the heart of the baby. With your consent, she will also do an internal examination to determine how much dilation you have. In this case, the obstetrician will (carefully) enter with two fingers and explain what she is doing and feeling. This examination will help the obstetrician determine in which phase of childbirth you are. Next, your obstetrician will make a plan together with you (and your partner).
Sometimes childbirth is still in the starting phase, and it might wind down. We will stay in touch with you over the phone, and if you think you need your obstetrician again, you can call us again.
If your childbirth has started, it is possible that we will do another house call after a few hours. We will make an appointment for this with you, but if you need it sooner, you can call us again.
In some cases, the obstetrician will stay with you. We will ask you if you would like to give birth at home, or if you would prefer to go to the hospital (link home birth/hospital birth). If you have indicated where you would like to give birth during your pregnancy, but this plan changes: no problem.
Extra tips from the Luiermand girls
Take plenty of rest so you will not be too tired when labour starts.
Try to find something to distract you during the early stages of labour (bake a cake, fold your clean laundry, go for a walk,…).
This will make it easier to pass the time and being active during labour helps!
Surround yourself with a ‘team’ of people who you feel comfortable with. Studies show that women experience less pain and that the delivery progresses better when the expectant mother has someone to support her during the entire labour.
Are you dreading the pain but you prefer not to use pain relief medication? Then TENS may be something that can help. The maternity TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is a device that you use to give yourself small, safe pulses of electrical current. You operate the device yourself - which can also give you a feeling of being in control. The electrical pulses pass through your skin into your body via electrodes and wires that are stuck to your back. The pulses give a tingling or prickly sensation, like cold hands that start to tingle when they get warm again. Would you like to try a TENS device as a pain relief option? You can rent them from us for €35. For more information, you can click here.
Outpatient birth
With an outpatient birth (giving birth in the outpatient clinic), we will come with you to the hospital. The obstetrician will stay with you and guide you (and your partner) through the delivery process. She will help and support you during the birth and stay one or two hours after the delivery of the placenta.
While we support you during labour we also help you to ease the pain: you can take a shower, do breathing exercises, or we can give you a massage. We can also just sit by your side and give you compliments and tips. At some moments, we can be present but more at a distance. It all depends on your needs and wishes. Please talk about them: you are the one giving birth and you need to feel comfortable. We are there for you!
Clinical birth
A birth can become a clinical affair for several reasons:
- the amniotic fluid contains meconium (baby poop)
- you would like to get pain relief via medication
- the birth is not progressing
Whenever there is an expected or unexpected medical indication, the gynaecologist will take over.
De Luiermand
Verloskundigenpraktijk Vlaardingen
Hoflaan 43i
3134 AC Vlaardingen
Contact
Phone number: +31 10 234 13 55
Childbirth and emergency phone number:
+31 6 46 27 2220
Email: info@deluiermand.nl
