Childbirth Essay

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Pregnancy and childbirth can be an exciting time in a woman’s life. A woman and her partner have many things to consider about the day of their baby’s arrival. Women in modern day society have many options to explore for childbirth. They can choose to have vaginal birth or cesarean section, decide whether to have their baby in a hospital or birthing center, and can prepare for the day by taking Bradley Method classes or HypnoBirthing classes.
For thousands of years, women have delivered babies vaginally. Sometimes complications arose, and because there were no other options for delivery, the baby, the mother, or both died in the process of childbirth. Cesarean sections (C-sections) have become more commonplace in the United States with one …show more content…

Two of those include delivery at a hospital or at a birth center. Hospitals deliveries can vary from traditional hospital births with a separate labor room, delivery room, and after birth room to a family-centered care hospital where labor, delivery, and recovery are all in the same room and the baby stays with the mother most of the time (KidsHealth, 2016). Depending on the hospital, a certified nurse-midwife may be an option for those who choose to go that route. A benefit of having a baby in the hospital is, should anything go wrong, it is well equipped with doctors, staff, and supplies to support that situation. A downside could be giving birth in an environment that is not necessarily warm and inviting. A birth center can provide an environment that is more comfortable and the woman can eat, drink, and move around as she wishes (KidsHealth, 2016). Birth centers may have a nurse, midwife, or doula but usually no doctor. Usually women who are considered low risk, in good health (no gestational diabetes or high blood pressure), and have a baby who is not in breech position are good candidates for a birth center (KidsHealth, 2016). Birth centers offer private rooms with whirlpool tubs. They have medical equipment available and mild narcotics for pain. If a woman wants an epidural, she must go to the hospital since birth centers do not administer them. It is important to look at what a hospital and birth center can and cannot offer when deciding where one would be most comfortable giving

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