October - 31, 2023

How to Build an Empowering Birth Team

When it comes to birth, you will lean heavily on your birth team both in the physical sense and for emotional support. It is vital that you carefully select your birth team (who will be with you and supporting you during labor and after delivery) in the months leading up to your due date so that by the time labor comes, everyone is prepared and knows their role in your birth.

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With My Family Birth Center, you can be rest assured that you will already be getting quality midwives who will provide you with education, prenatal and postnatal care, as well as support you emotionally throughout your pregnancy and postpartum. In addition to our midwives, you may want to consider hiring a doula and asking your trusted friends and family members if they would be willing to support you during this time as well. 

Hiring a Doula

If you are looking to hire a doula, ask your midwives, friends, and family for recommendations. More than likely, they will have personal experiences with any doula they recommend and can attest to their attributes. Most doulas have a social media account or website that you can look up and determine if you would like to contact them. 

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When viewing their page, look to see if they have any reviews or testimonials, how long they have been a doula, if they are certified, and what their general style of care is. Once you have found a doula you like, contact them to see if you would be a good fit together. Don’t be afraid to interview a handful of doulas and go with the one you connect with best. Check out our previous blog post, Do I Need a Doula? for more information about what doulas can provide and whether you think a doula would be of great help to you.

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Doulas can be incredibly helpful not only for the birthing mother but also for the birth partner. They can provide support to the birth partner and reassure them of their role in supporting the mother. 

Friends and Family

Whether you plan to give birth at home or in our birth center, you can choose to have as many people present for your birth as you would like, children included. However, we do recommend that you have a designated babysitter for siblings just in case they aren’t handling the birth well or they become too much of a distraction for you while you labor. Of course, you can also choose to have just you, your partner, and the midwives present for the birth. 

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When determining who, if anyone, you would like to have present when you give birth, be sure that they will keep your best interests in mind. Be sure to communicate very clearly what your birth guideline is and discuss your backup plans. Your support team should know your birth plan or guideline as well as you do and should be able to communicate them for you while you are in the throes of labor. 

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Keep in mind that your support team doesn’t always have to include people who are physically with you during labor and delivery. Oftentimes people in your birth support team include having a trusted person come to watch your older children while you’re in labor and helping around the house after you have given birth. 

Takeaway

Building the right birth support team for you can take time and great consideration. Not everyone is equipped to handle the stress and chaos that birth can sometimes bring, and others are just the right people you want in your corner cheering you on and helping you through labor. Pick people to be on your birth team who will lift you up and create a welcoming environment for you and your baby.

For help building a birth team that will empower you, contact our midwives today!