Today women are more educated about their birth options, and while most opt to deliver in a hospital rather than at home or a birth center, many women aren’t aware that using someone other than and OB/GYN is an option.

The question is not whether to choose between a doula or a midwife but to realize that you can actually use both!

A midwife performs actual pre and post natal medical care and delivery.
A doula is there to support the mother and meet her needs.
An OB/GYN is a medical doctor that can perform the pre and post natal medical care and vaginal delivery, as well as handle any emergency birth situations such as would require a Caesarian section.

Your options are:
Just your OB/GYN
Just your midwife
A doula & OB/GYN
A doula and midwife

In a hospital setting an OB/GYN will be available if an emergency should arise.

There are varying levels of Midwifery – Lay Midwifery, Certified Midwifery and Certified Nurse Midwifery.
If you are foregoing an OB/GYN it is important to make sure you have a Nurse-Midwife. More info on this topic.

Midwives and doulas encourage a natural (non-medicated) birth and tend to be medically as hands-off as possible. Doulas are better known as a birth coach, they are there to support the mother as much as possible and both help to assist in postpartum care and breastfeeding.

Many midwives can perform doula services.

Most major insurance companies cover midwifery services– typically at a reduced “out-of-network provider” rate. Your lab charges, as well as physician charges, if needed, are additional and usually covered by insurance plans even if you choose an out-of-network provider.

Doulas are rarely covered by insurance and most require a up front one time fee. Often this fee can be paid or reimbursed from your Flex Spending Account.

Depending on the type of birth you plan to have, most women have a list of the same types of essentials to pack for a hospital birth. Aside of labor tools like flame-less candles, ipods for music or hypnobabies, or massage oils, the essentials are pretty common:

A Camera!
Socks! Nothing gets your socks wet faster than your water breaking.
A change of bed clothes and street clothes. A robe is also nice.
Nursing bra – Essential!!!
Make up and personal essentials – you will want your own shampoo and body wash after giving birth.
Car Seat properly installed in your vehicle.
Baby clothes for hospital pictures and to go home in For baby’s sake – keep it washed and soft and comfortable.
Baby book or keepsake paper for footprints.
Nursing pillow – wonderful to have, especially if you will be breastfeeding for the first time.
Glasses or Contacts if you use them.
Diaper Bag – to pack away baby goodies to take home
Snacks – you will be HUNGRY!
Your phone!

You won’t need:
A stop watch to time contractions. If they are close enough together then you are already in the hospital and the monitors will time the contractions.
Baby bottles, pacifiers, diapers and blankets – the hospital will provide for your baby. You may only need these items if you live far from the hospital or don’t plan on going straight home.
Jewelry – leave it home!
Baby shoes – they aren’t walking anywhere.

Women were asked for natural ways to induce labor. There are so many wives tales it’s hard to find what really works. Most women want to avoid inductions and c-sections. Here are some ways to get the baby train moving naturally.

Sexual intercourse – This works in two ways to induce labor. First, female orgasm can bring on contractions. Second, semen contains prostaglandins. Prostaglandins work to help ripe and soften the cervix.

Nipple stimulation – Stimulating the nipples triggers the production of natural oxytocin. Oxytocin contracts the uterus.

Accupressure – Accupressure may be helpful in inducing labor. Some pressure points you can try are the roof of your mouth, the webbing of your fingers between your pointer finger and thumb, and above the ankle about four fingerspaces above is a pressure point.

Massage – Find a massage therapist qualified to work with pregnant women. Many will know various points to massage to induce labor. This is why massage is not recommended during the early stages of pregnancy.

Stripping the membranes – This can only be done by a health care provider. Your doctor or midwife will separate the bag of waters from your cervix and this is thought to help encourage labor to start.

Raspberry Leaf Tea – Raspberry leaf tea is not actually known for its labor inducing properties, but it is believed to be helpful in toning the uterus and helping with labor.

Cinnamon stick tea – Take cinnamon sticks and boil them into a tea and drink. It actually tastes good so even if it doesn’t bring on labor it may help you to relax.

Evening primrose oil – Evening primrose oil comes in small capsules similar to vitamin E. It is believed to help soften and ripen the cervix.

Yoga – Many places offer special classes for all stages of pregnancy.

Walking – Walking may help to get baby to drop into proper position.

Visualization/relaxation – Relaxation can help with labor induction. Try doing relaxation exercisers. They are also good practice for when labor actually begins.

Pineapple, cumin tea, eggplant parmesan, and spicy foods – are another thing you can try.

Exercise Ball Bouncing – Bouncing gently and sitting on an exercise ball can also help baby drop into position and get your hips flexible for birth.

Spicy Food & Chinese Food – Some swear if you eat both mexican and chinese in the same day it can bring on labor.

My very first shower my sister-in-law threw for me when we came down to visit them…I thought it was really very sweet, but I didn’t know ANYONE THERE — I really didn’t even know HER very well…so it was a very akward thing, all these people that were HER friends coming to my shower to be nice to the poor girl with no friends… I mean we got really nice stuff and all, but it was just sooooo weird. AND she invited my husbands ex-girlfriend whom I had to sit next to and chat with…that was weird for both of us because they dated for like 2 years and apparently she had her wedding dress all picked out and everything- but he broke it off and we met a few months later. (To be fair, she was my SIL’s roommate in college, so it wasn’t just out of the blue)

The only other shower story I have – is my shower with my youngest daughter. I was really excited to be having a shower since it was my first girl and first baby in 4 years, so we needed pretty much everything and its just really FUN getting girl stuff after 6 years of walking past the little girls section going…”*sigh* that stuff is really cute”.

So I am all pumped about my shower and I WENT INTO LABOR the night before and had the baby. 3 weeks early, which NO one was expecting. I asked them (SIL and MIL) if they could just postpone it till the next week and then I could bring the baby, AND my mom would be in town and could come– they said NO~!

Nothing had even been bought yet, but they had the party anyway, without me. My boys opened all the gifts and when I got them home I didn’t even know what had come from who! And to top it off my MIL didn’t even COME TO THE HOSPITAL to see her newest grandbaby– she was too busy with the shower.
Blah…humbug