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Birthing a child is an experience and a pain that is unmatched. When I had experienced Braxton Hicks contractions and other pre-labor pains during my first pregnancy, I thought that I would be able to handle delivery. I thought that my years of harsh and painful menstrual cramps had prepared me for the time that I would give birth. Yet, when my contractions actually began, I realized pre-labor pains and cramps were a cake walk.
The pain is excruciating, and as you fall back on the breathing techniques that you received in childbirth classes, you soon realize that the techniques are nothing without the right support around you. One of the key components of easing that pain is the person who will be in the delivery room with you.
A study by the World Health Organization states that birthing partners “provide practical support, including encouraging women to remain mobile during labour, providing emotional support and non-pharmacological pain relief such as massage and meditation. Companions act as advocates for the women, speaking up in support of her and her preferences.”
Choosing the right partner who will be in the delivery room with you is one of the most important decisions that you will make prior to giving birth.
Who is allowed in the delivery room according to hospital rules and specific COVID restrictions?
Before you begin reflecting on the idea of who should be in the room with you, first check with your hospital to see how many birthing partners are allowed. Due to COVID, many hospitals are not allowing more than one healthy support partner.
Additionally, aside from your birthing partner, there will be other medical professionals in the room with you. Main Line Health explains who the standard medical professionals are in the delivery room:
- A doctor or midwife will deliver the infant
- A labor nurse will monitor you as well as your baby’s progress
- A baby nurse will assess your infant’s health and will assist you with skin to skin and with breastfeeding
Who decides who is in the delivery room?
While for some it may be clear who the birthing partner might be, for many it is not. Discuss with your significant other your needs as well as what qualities you would like to see in a birthing partner.
Sometimes, having your mom or a woman with birthing experience in the delivery room along with your partner will help provide essential support and protection that you will need to feel safe.
Ingrid Peralta, who gave birth prior to the pandemic and had her husband and mother in the room, talked about how helpful her mother was. “She was making sure I was safe. My blood pressure dropped when I got the epidural, so she made the nurse stop the anesthesia,” Peralta told Mom.com.
Ultimately, the decision of who will be in the delivery room is yours. What your body will experience during birth will be unparalleled, and you will need the right people beside you.
What is a doula, and should I have one with me as I give birth?
According to what you have expressed in your birth plan, you will want to consider whether or not you would like to have a doula. “Think of a doula as your personal advocate during labor,” Katherine Walsh expressed in her Mom.com article. “She’s a non-medical professional who can act as a go-between for you, your partner and the medical staff.”
Doulas can be essential as they will know how to navigate all of the trials of giving birth. In “What does a Doula do? Plus, Tips for Finding the Perfect Match,” Katie Kivlighan CMN PhD, stated how women who use doulas have a:
- 39% decrease in the need for C-section
- 10% decrease in the use of medications for pain relief
- shorter labor by an average of 41 minutes
Although doulas may not always be medically trained, their insight into labor and birthing methods and their emotional support for you and your partner can provide you with the much needed peace that you desire.
In the end, it all comes down to support. Focus on your needs, and then choose a birthing partner who will care for you in the way that you desire. Birthing a child is miraculous, but it can be unbearable so you will want someone next to you that you can count on.
