- Positions for Pushing
- No episiotomy versus episiotomy
- Cord Cutting
- Where the baby goes at birth (e.g. you, your husband, the warmer)
- What happens with the placenta.
Positioning for labor can help speed up the second stage or even slow it down if the baby is coming too quickly. Positioning can also help ease the pain and prevents tearing.
Most women will opt to not have an episiotomy. This means that your care providers will use other techniques like positioning, massage, and warm compresses to help you give birth.
Do you want the cord cut immediately? Would you prefer to wait to allow the baby to get all of the blood it needs from the placenta? Who would you like to have cut the cord?
Should the baby go immediately to mom and then covered with warm blankets? This allows the staff to do assessments of the baby while on the mom's chest and allows the baby immediate nursing.
Do you want pictures of the placenta? Will you be keeping it to take home for planting?
