What Happens During Labor in the Hospital?

So, you are in active labor (5 cm or more) and the hospital has deemed you “ready” for a birthing room. So off you go. At this point, you call or text your doula and photographer and let them know which room you are in, so they can come and meet you there.

The room will be fairly large since it must accommodate a team of nurses, your OB, the heating table for the baby, the bed, medical equipment, and usually a couch that can double as a bed for your partner. It will also have a bathroom and usually a shower.

If you are not into “hospitally” stuff (really, who is?), it’s important to bring things that will help you relax and feel safe.

What Can I do during a Hospital Birth to feel more Comfortable?

1. Your Own Gown

2. Electric Candles

3. Birth Affirmations

4. Your Own Music. This can be played on the hospital speakers (in your room) often times.

5. Aromatherapy. I have only been to one hospital that allowed a diffuser. However, Amazon has little patches of aromatherapy tabs. They can be found here.

What Happens During a Hospital Labor

Ok, so you have your creature comforts, you are in active labor and are now in your birthing room. What now?

Let us assume you are doing a natural birth without an epidural.

Now it is a waiting game. What I mean by that is, you will hopefully continue having your contractions. They will become more intense as time goes on. They will become quicker until they are on top of each other. And then you have a baby.

Now, all of the stuff in between. If you go to the hospital too soon and they still admit you, the likelihood of you asking for an epidural can increase. Why is that? Labor can take a while, and you get tired. Being completely exhausted is a real reason epidurals are asked for. You simply get too tired and cannot take on contractions while exhausted. In other words, really stick to that 5-1-1 rule (part I in the blog)and stay home as long as possible.

It is important to relax and listen to your body. Yes, labor progresses quicker if you are using the UFO method. That is you are in an Upright, Forward-facing, and in an Open position. Movement is your best friend during labor. However, if you feel you need to rest or sleep, please go with that. Never think taking a nap will stall labor. You can move afterwards, as you are in for a lengthy stay. If you can catch little cat naps in the early active stage, you will likely have more stamina for the more intense time later on.

What if I Feel Pressured by Labor Nurses or my OB during Labor?

In no way am I stereotyping here, so please save the hate mail. I am only speaking from my own experience, having been to many births.

There may be times when a nurse will check your dilation. Remember, this is an elective procedure. In no way feel like you must comply. If you are listening to your body and you don’t want to be checked, you have every right to voice that. But if you do want it and you have not progressed much over a specific amount of time, they may strongly suggest interventions.

The suggestions may be said in such a way as to make you feel like it is the best thing in the whole world. I have heard things like, “if you would like to have a little Pitocin to move things along, you could be holding your baby much sooner”. I have also heard, “You are so close, we could break your water and baby will be here in no time at all”. Now these statements sound very reasonable right? Nothing pushy about it, correct? But imagine you are so exhausted, perhaps in a lot of pain, and someone throws out one of these “life preserver” statements. Right at your most vulnerable, the chances of you jumping at it, is high. In no way am I saying any of these interventions are bad or wrong, but if you have it in your mind, you are doing this as naturally as possible, these statements that nurses say, can go against what you want, and when you are vulnerable, you take it.

Adding Questions to Your Birth Plan

When I do birth plans with clients, I always ask them, “Do you want staff to offer interventions or do you want to wait to ask yourself?” This is hugely important. It’s totally ok, if you decide to have interventions, but make it on your terms. You or your partner ask for them. When you are offered options at a vulnerable moment during labor, those options can change the course of your birth dramatically.

Using Your B.R.A.I.N. During Labor

Whenever you are given an option to do something, such as getting a little Pitocin, breaking the water, getting an epidural, always use the acronym BRAIN.

For example, an OB says, “Would you like a little Pitocin since it seems your labor has stalled”? First of all, yes, your contractions can slow down or become less intense. Some practitioners call this “failure to progress”. What a nasty little term THAT is! As necessary as I feel hospitals are, they are often run on numbers. If they can’t get you delivered and moved to the maternity ward quickly enough (opening up the room for another birthing person), then they may look for ways to speed you up. Contractions slowing down or becoming less intense are often part of labor. If you and baby are doing fine, then, in reality, they should just leave you alone. However, they don’t always do that.

B. in BRAIN

Ask what the benefits are. In the example above, ask your OB, what benefits are there to me and baby if I have Pitocin?

R. in BRAIN

What are the risks? If I get Pitocin, what are the risks of that?

A. in BRAIN

What are the alternatives? If I don’t get Pitocin, what can I do instead?

I. in BRAIN

What does your intuition tell you? Do you feel Pitocin is the right thing to do?

N. in BRAIN

What if you do nothing? What will happen if I do not do Pitocin or any alternatives? Even if for a little while.

Part III

Part III will come out in a day or two. That part will be pretty short, but vital!

The post What Really Happens During Labor Part II appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

Just the Basics, mam

As a labor doula and birth photographer, I have attended my fair share of births. From home births to birth center births, hospital births, and emergency C-section births, I have found that the majority of parents know the basics, have done research, and generally know what to expect. Parents know about using a birth ball, they know they will have contractions, they know they will need to push a football out of their vagina. Most are super excited, but some are a little scared. Fear and anxiety about birth come from not knowing. Not knowing what happens beyond the breathing and pushing creates apprehension.

The goal of this blog post is to let you in on the little things that happen that you may not think of. Knowledge is power, and power over rules fear every time.

Hospital Birth

Generally speaking, parents, and mothers in particular, have more fear and anxiety around hospital births as opposed to home births or even birth center births. Please don’t come at me with hate, I am only generalizing here. Every birth and every person is different. Because I have seen the fear and anxiety most pronounced in the hospital, this is what I will speak of today.

Braxton Hicks or a Real Contraction?

So you’re sitting at home, sleeping in bed, or otherwise engaged in your everyday life when a full-on contraction happens. This doesn’t feel like simply tightening and relaxing like previous days. This feels somehow different.

Braxton Hicks contractions are the way for your body to get ready for the “real thing”. They are often felt in the front of the abdomen and can be relieved by changing position or resting. They are irregular and not particularly painful, just a tightening. A true labor contraction is far more intense and felt in the abdomen and wraps around to the back. True labor causes cervical dilation, so you may see a little bloody show in your underwear and/or leaking of fluid. Braxton Hicks does not cause dilation, so these things are not generally seen. If you are unsure which you are experiencing, reach out to your OB, nurse, or doula.

My Water Broke and/or Contractions are Starting!

Now that you have decided this is the real thing, many parents may want to rush to the hospital. We see that all the time in movies and TV shows, right? Assuming you are healthy and there are no medical issues that warrant going to the hospital immediately, you have time, so relax. It’s exciting to be sure, but if you are in early labor, hospital staff will send you back home anyhow. If you rush to the hospital, they will check you, and let’s say you are at 2cm, they will, generally speaking, send you back home. The hospital wants you to be in active labor, which means at least 5cm dilated.

Ok, so now you know you are staying home for a bit. This is a very good thing. You are more relaxed at home. You can walk around (or rest), take a shower, and have some food. All of which are heavily restricted when you go to the hospital. They want to monitor the baby, which restricts your movements; showers are not offered (but you can certainly request one, as most rooms have them), and food is a no-no.

Why is Food Withheld at a Hospital?

The long and short of this question is cesarean birth. If, for whatever reason, you need an emergency C-section, they do not want you to aspirate. You may be asking, “How would that happen if I am awake”? Good question. Sometimes emergencies arise so fast, they do not have time for an epidural (if you don’t have one to begin with), and they need to put you out fast and deliver the baby. That’s when the aspiration can come into play.

Contraction Timing at Home

If you time your contractions and not the intensity of them, you can pretty much determine when it is time to go to the hospital. “That’s a lot of pressure!” you may think to yourself, but it’s pretty easy. I would suggest a contraction timing app. Those are super easy to use. I always recommend the Freya app by the Positive Birth Company. Not only is it a contraction timer, but the affirmations are so helpful in remaining relaxed.

The timing is just part of the equation. Intensity is the second part. Are the contractions becoming more intense over time? You want this. You want the intensity to increase over time since that is an indicator of progression.

My Water Has Not Broken. Is this Really Labor?

Your contractions are here, and you’re timing them like the beast you are. They are becoming more intense. Then you realize your water hasn’t broken yet. You must be doing something wrong, right? No, you are doing nothing wrong. Your waters don’t always break during early labor. What happens during a contraction is your body’s way of squeezing from the top and moving baby down. The more it is squeezed, the more baby moves down. The more baby moves down, the more pressure on the waters.

In pregnancy, “frontwaters” and “backwaters” refer to the location. The “front waters” are located in front of the baby’s head, and a rupture here can cause a gush of fluid. The “backwaters” are behind the baby’s head, and a rupture here may result in a slower trickle.

The more pressure from the contractions, the more likely the waters will break.

When do I actually go to the Hospital to have my Baby?

A Loose rule of when you have reached or are close to reaching active labor is the 5-1-1 rule. Some say it is the 4-1-1 rule, but that personally makes me nervous; but use either one.

The 5-1-1 rule is this: You have a contraction every 5 minutes, lasting for 1 minute over the course of 1 hour. The contractions are increasing in intensity.

Contractions every 4/5 minutes: This indicates that the contractions are becoming regular and frequent. 

Each contraction lasts 1 minute: This means the contractions are becoming longer. 

This pattern has been happening for at least 1 hour: This signifies that the labor is progressing and becoming more intense. 

What Happens When I get to the Hospital to Have My Baby?

When you first get to the hospital, they will put you and your partner in triage. This is where they monitor you and check your cervical dilation to make sure you are in active labor. This can be a lot of waiting around. They will want to see a series of contractions, how you are handling it, and how the baby is handling it. If you have a doula or photographer, they will not be allowed in this area. If they decide you will be staying, they will usually put in an IV port in case you need fluid or Pitocin, or anything else. It’s a “just in case” IV port.

They will have you change into a hospital gown unless you have brought your own. I always advocate for bringing your own things. The less “hospitally” things feel, the more relaxed you are. The more relaxed you are, the less tension your body has to fight through to deliver baby.

In this triage space, they often give you and your partner paperwork to sign. Read through everything carefully. There will likely be a section on photography saying something like “photographing staff is prohibited”, blah blah blah. A birth photographer ALWAYS has the right to photograph you and your partner, even if the staff is off limits. Most don’t care, but some do. Most OBs don’t care about photographing the moment of birth, but some do. And nurses most always will tell you “no”. The OB has the last word on that. The hospital has to cover itself, and nurses tend to want to uphold it. Again, the OB has the final say.

I am in Active Labor and Transferring to a Birthing Room, What Now?

Ok, my fingers are going to fall off my hands, so I will end this here and do Part 2 in a day or so!

The post What Really Happens During Labor? Part 1 appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

When I have a family giving birth far away (in Los Angeles, any distance is relative to time of day!), I have them call me when they *think* they may be in labor. I would rather be halfway there and it be a false alarm than to be called late. In these cases, please don’t worry about bothering me if you are unsure. Bother away!

Getting the Call

This birth was intended to be a homebirth in Riverside. One day, momma and dad were out and about and decided to stop in at their midwife’s birth center. Something felt “off.” Everything was fine, and then a contraction hit. They still weren’t sure if this was it, so they rested a bit.

Meanwhile, here at home in Burbank, I was watching reruns of Sister Wives. Where exactly did the family fall off the rails? I watch this show as if I were personally vested in the outcomes. Why is Kody such a freak show?

I pick up the phone to hear dad’s voice. “We are in labor at the birth center”. “Everything seems to be fine and quiet for now”, he continued. I throw on some clothes, grab my bag and am out the door in 30 seconds.

The Drive

I am talking to Dad as I did a speed show through the streets of Los Angeles to get to the birth center. Miracle of miracles, there was very little traffic and I got there in record time. I didn’t know it was possible to make in from Burbank to Chino Hills in that short amount of time!

A Birth Center Birth

While not what they planned, the birth center birth was quite beautiful. The space was gorgeous, even though it did have blue lights (think editing–yikers!). The midwives and their assistants were so lovely, gentle, and knowledgeable. In case you were wondering, this was at AA Midwifery.

If you are looking to see images from birth centers, home births or hospital births, please see my portfolio.

The post Birth Center Birth appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

Ok, now that’s off my chest, lets talk publications. As you may (or may not know) I had an interview with SHOUTOUT LA magazine last year. Since expanding my birth photography and doula services to include San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties, SHOUTOUT SOCAL magazine asked to do a similar interview.

They like me. They really like me!

It’s always exciting to get asked to interview. I think birth photography might be a little misunderstood. I think people feel we are going to be all up in their lady parts and photographing their naked body. News Flash–birth photography is really about the feelings, emotions, the high and lows and everything in between on the day your child is born. What were you doing? What was your partner doing? How did you cope with labor? Who was there in the room? What did your baby look like? Did you cry? Laugh? Did your partner faint dead away or did they throw their arms around you in joyous celebration? Maybe it was a more subdued day. Maybe you decided on an epidural or a C-section. Did you get in the shower? Did you use a birth tub, birth stool or peanut ball?

What I am trying to say, birth photography is the journey of your story on that day. One day in your life that is documented. It’s not about nekkid lady parts.

Alright Already, where is the SHOUTOUT SOCAL article?

You can find the article here. Please don’t look only at the pretty pictures–I do have some things to say. I describe how I got started (duh!), why I love it and some tidbits about the Southern California area.

Is Birth Photography Right For You?

I realize birth photography isn’t for everyone. However; if you are curious and have questions, you can read anywhere on this website or you can send an email. I will happy to talk with you. No pressure to book!

The post SHOUTOUT SOCAL Magazine appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

Birth Photography in San Diego and the Temecula Valley!

Now I can happily say I offer birth photography in San Diego! Their birth took place at Scripps La Jolla. The nurses and doctors were impressive and very accomodating. After realizing San Diego is not as far as I originally thought, I decided to expand my birth photography and doulatog services from not only Los Angeles and Orange counties, but also most of San Diego county. Not wanting to leave out families in the Temecula Valley, Lake Elsinore and Corona, I have included those parts of Riverside county. Going too far East in Riverside county isn’t too practical, but if you are having a planned induction or cesarean birth, I could accommodate points further East that with an additional travel fee.

But what about my Northern Neighbors in Ventura County?

No, I haven’t left out my northern neighbors in Ventura County. It isn’t practical to travel too far up, but I do offer services between Thousand Oaks and Fillmore. I love these areas and have visited often. If you are having a scheduled induction or cesarean birth, I can accommodate points further North with an additional travel fee.

The post Birth Photography in San Diego County appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.