When thinking about labor and birth we often don't think about interventions that may be common place. This means that when women show up in labor and are suddenly and unexpectedly subjected to interventions they may become frightened which can hinder their labor. I think it's important that women and their families learn a bit about the more common interventions used in childbirth. Ideally this is done in childbirth class, but there are other sources as well, not the least of which would be your midwife or doctor.
These interventions might include:
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I completely agree women should be educated about interventions BEFORE labor. Even if they’re presented in labor with all the info they need to give informed consent, they’re in labor- concentration isn’t all it could be.
They need to understand what it is they’re agreeing to or declining… and they need to understand that it is ok to decline some of the standard interventions under some circumstances.
I really like Henci Goer’s “The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth” for looking at the pros and cons of individual interventions and standard hospital policies. That is the one book I recommend to people planning a hospital birth, because they’re going to encounter a lot of those things, and they really need to be well prepared and not be taken by surprise.
I agree. I was not educated for my first birth in a hospital. The things I regret the most are the things that “happened” faster than I could decline them or think about them. There’s a standard, one-size-fits-all course of action that happens regardless of what the woman actually needs.