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January 2011 Moms
Questions to Ask OB about Delivery/Labor
At my appointment today, I began to ask a couple labor/delivery questions, and my doctor told me when I get to 35 weeks we will go into more detail, talk about my labor plan, etc. So I was wondering if anyone could give me some suggestions of questions to ask my OB that would be important for me to know.
So far on my list:
1.) Inducing. How early do you do this, and what would be the reason, if it wasn't medically needed?
2.) Which doctor will be on-call? On-call schedule?
Not very much. I'm pretty much the go with the flow person, and probably won't have a labor plan - that's just me. So any good questions to ask would be greatly appreciated!
02/14/09 D&E of our little girl, due to developmental problems at 23 weeks 
01/04/10 Missed MC at 8 weeks
01/01/11 The birth of our beautiful little girl, Blake 
01/04/10 Missed MC at 8 weeks
01/01/11 The birth of our beautiful little girl, Blake
My blog!
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Re: Questions to Ask OB about Delivery/Labor
FET to TTC #2: 9/29/14 Beta on 10/8/14 = BFP!
DS #1 Born 1/3/11 after IVF #1
4 failed IUIs, including 1 CP
PCOS
TTC since 2008
- under what circumstances would you recommend a c-section?
- are episiotomies a matter of course, or are they rarely done?
- what are your policies regarding forceps/vacuum assistance?
- do the other on-call doctors share the same guidelines that you use for the above issues?
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
I want to ask several:
1. Do I need to have an IV. Can it be unhooked so that I can move around.
2. What is your standard of care for monitoring the baby's heartbeat? (how long and how often do you need me to be lying down if that's uncomfortable for me).
3. Do you have a maximum number of student doctors/nurses that are aloud in the room?
4. What is your policy about putting the baby directly on my stomach for skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, and cord clamping?
5. When do you want me to call/show up?
Can you eat/drink during labor?
When should you go in? Does it differ if your water breaks?
How often will they be doing internals?
At what point will they administer pitocin to expedite labor?
Just an FYI on these - they're great questions, but probably for the hospital staff when you take a hospital tour, not your doctor. S/he really doesn't have any control over hospital policy, and the hospital staff on a tour would be better equipped to answer hospital policy-specific questions.
At least in my case, it's really not up to my doctor whether or not I'm on a constant IV (hospital has policy regarding this), how they monitor A's heartbeat (again, hospital has policy around this), how many docs are in the room (not surprisingly, hospital has policy on this), or what is done with the baby when/where (wait for it - hospital has policy on this).
The doc should definitely be able to advise regarding when to call/go in though.
~EDD Nov 18, 2017 with my IUI success story~
[spoiler]
I think the one about on-call docs having the same policies is super important.
Also, I agree with cdobry about some of the stuff listed being more appropriate questions for hospital staff.
One question I wish I had asked was about who cuts the cord (which can be the doc's call). I had assumed DH would be offered the option to do it and he wasn't.
I already asked my OB about the IV-I asked about a hep lock and I am allowed to do that instead so I can move around. Besides asking about induction and c sections, my other questions I am going to ask are-
-Episotimies-what can we do at the pushing stage to avoid it if possible?
-about time worries/constraints on labor/ when water breaks , if at home or the hospital. at one point am I 'not progressing'? and, when would you want to break my water?
-are there some nurses that are specifically trained/more in tuned with being with someone trying for a med free birth? (a friend told me this hospital has nurses that go in those births specifically)
-Is there any issue with using a tub, birth ball, labor bar or walking etc. to help contractions, with intermittent monitoring - as long as me and baby are okay?
-can I decline eye drops/the hep B vaccine/ the vitamin k shot for my newborn if I choose?
-Can they do typical new born procedures in the room? Can I delay them for a few minutes so I can have skin to skin contact after we cut the cord?
I realize they can be more hospital specific and may ask them again at the tour, but my OB's office is also IN the hospital so I think she should be able to tell me a good bit about the policies. So I'll likely be asking them twice to be sure, lol.
I'm going to try to be as flexible as possible in terms of the 'birth preferences (I don't like using the word plan.)
bu,t I do want to have them just to be certain, if nothing else, that they know what I would like for newborn care. We don't want the baby circumcised and I feel better having that in writing. We also don't want the eye drops for the STD if we can decline it, because it's unnecessary, and I want him to stay in the room with us, not the nursery.
What is your general policy on internals before labor and during labor?
Are you ok with me declining them until ______ (whatever your wish is)?
About hospital policy vs. dr policy: that also depends on the hospital. One hospital we toured has the dr decide almost everything. They really only had two big policies that a dr couldn't override. Another hospital had loads of their own policies that a dr must work within.
More Green For Less Green
Most hospitals will not induce before 40 weeks for a regular vag birth and if its a repeat c/s between 38-39 weeks.
I doubt there is anyway your dr knows what the rotation is going to be like yet.
I would wait for a lot of your questions until you have had your hospital tour. Most of the questions will be answered there and if you have more you will be seeing your dr weekly by then and will have plenty of opportinity!