| |
Childbirth Education
Childbirth education helps you
and your partner have a happier and healthier
pregnancy and delivery. While some people are at first
reluctant to attend childbirth classes, most find that
they enjoy these classes a great deal.
Multiple organizations offer a wide variety of courses,
including classes for those who know that they are
having a Cesarean. We strongly urge all patients to
attend one or more of these courses. Please sign up
early, because these classes are very popular and fill up
quickly.
Anesthesia
Many women need some form of pain relief
during labor and delivery, especially with the first baby.
Childbirth education training allows you to minimize
the amount of medication that you require, but often it
is necessary to use some medication. If used judiciously,
most forms of anesthesia are safe for you and your baby.
If you need only a little help during labor, we
recommend small doses of Nubain, which is a narcotic.
If you need more relief, we often recommend an
epidural block.
We do not use “twilight sleep” anesthesia and almost
never use general anesthesia for vaginal delivery.
If you deliver your baby by cesarean section, we prefer
epidural or spinal anesthesia. In emergencies and with
certain complications of pregnancy, general anesthesia
may be preferable.
Electronic Fetal Monitors
We believe that electronic
fetal monitors are helpful in ensuring an optimal
outcome of labor, especially in high-risk pregnancies.
Many couples find that the monitor is reassuring, and
some use it to assist them with their Lamaze breathing
techniques.
Depending on the patient, internal or
external monitors may be used.
WHEN TO CALL
 Contractions
Call us when your contractions are
approximately 5 to 6 minutes apart and last at least 60
seconds. If you are less than 32 weeks pregnant, call us
if you have contractions, because you may be in
premature labor.
Ruptured Membranes
Call us if your water breaks, even
if you are leaking only a small amount of amniotic fluid.
| | |
|
