How to Make Informed Decisions During Labor

Making an informed decision means that you are fully aware about the risks and benefits of something (such as a procedure or medication) before you consent to it. When you are in labor it is important to know which questions to ask your nurse or doctor before making a decision that will affect your entire process. Thinking about and/or asking all of the following questions will give you all of the information you need to make an informed decision--which is always best for you and your baby.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• List of questions

1. Ask if this recommended procedure is a true emergency. If it is an emergency, there may not be time for you to do anything else.
2. Ask what the benefits are of doing this. How will this particular procedure help your labor? Will it speed it up? Will it make you more comfortable? Will it make your labor easier?
3. Ask what the risks are to you and your baby if you do this. Will it slow down your labor? Will it make your labor more painful? Will it be harmful to the baby?
4. What other procedures or treatments might you need as a result of this? If you augment your labor with a Pitocin drip, will you need an epidural? If the doctor ruptures your amniotic sac, will you be put in the bed with continuous monitoring?
5. Ask about what else you can try or do first. Instead of augmenting your labor with a Pitocin drip, can you first try nipple stimulation or walking? Instead of going straight to a cesarean section if fetal heart tones seem a little low, can they use an internal monitor to more accurately monitor the heart tones?
6. Ask what would happen if you waited an hour or two before doing the recommended procedure? If everything is going well, there should be no reason to rush labor, especially if you are a first-time mother.
7. Ask what would happen if you didn't do the recommended procedure at all? Would it give you more time? Would it allow your body to do what it already knows to do without any interventions?
8. Ask for a little bit of time for you and your partner to discuss the options and make a truly informed decision. Think about what has been presented to you and make the decision that is safe and best for you and your baby.

Tips & Warnings

• You can practice these questions with different procedures in mind such as: amniotomy, Pitocin induction or augmentation, episiotomy, heplock and more.