Congratulations! Your big day is getting closer. As you prepare to give
birth, we invite you to share your preferences regarding everything from
pain management to visitors. We have developed a Birth Plan for you to
fill out so that we have these preferences on record for our Labor &
Delivery teams.
We want to do all we can for you to have your baby, your way. Of course,
we have to expect the unexpected. Not all births go as planned and your
safety and that of your baby come first. To ensure a supportive birth
experience, we ask that you discuss your birth plan and preferences with
your doctor or midwife before you arrive in Labor & Delivery.
Our Philosophy & Standard of Care
At Community Memorial, we believe in family-centered maternity care, and
strive to treat each woman and family with respect and support.
We strongly encourage women and their partners to take Prepared Childbirth Classes.
We support your choices, whether you want the experience of natural childbirth,
or prefer to experience as little pain as possible during labor and delivery.
We encourage the use of coping techniques, such as breathing, relaxation,
touch techniques, heat, cold, movement, and hydrotherapy.
We encourage skin-to-skin contact for all mothers and babies.
We encourage and support breastfeeding. At the same time, we commit to
supporting individual parent’s feeding decisions for their babies.
Our nurses are trained to provide breastfeeding assistance during your
stay, and we also offer unlimited free lactation consultations and breastfeeding
support groups after discharge.
We routinely delay newborn procedures, such as weighing, measuring, and
administering newborn medications, to allow time for bonding and/or breastfeeding.
We routinely delay the first bath for 8 to 12 hours to allow babies to
normalize and regulate their temperature (unless an earlier bath is necessary
for medical reasons).
We do not offer or recommend pacifiers, except during painful procedures,
and for our babies in the NICU.
We routinely use regional anesthesia (spinal or epidural) for cesarean
sections. Exceptions will be made based on your physician’s recommendations
to ensure a safe delivery for you and your baby.
Labor Pain Management Choices
As you consider your pain management options, please know that you are
free to change your mind during labor. All you need to do is speak up
and let us know. For the purpose of filling out your birth plan, your
choices are listed below:
Comfort Measures
Breathing techniques
Therapeutic heat or cold
Low lighting
Relaxation
Position changes
Music
Visualization
Walking
Massage/therapeutic touch
Use of focal point
Birth ball
Smoke-free aromatherapy
Rocking chair
Hydrotherapy (shower or tub)
IV Pain Medication
We give IV pain medication up to an hour before we anticipate your baby
will be born. It can be administered by a nurse. While the IV medication
does not take the pain away, it takes the edge off and makes it easier
for you to relax during labor. It usually wears off after about an hour.
Epidural Anesthesia
Injected through a small, flexible catheter in the lower back, epidural
anesthesia provides pain relief in the lower abdomen, legs, and birth
canal. It is administered by an anesthesiologist. Epidural anesthesia
does not cause sedation, and usually provides complete (or nearly complete)
relief of pain.
