With the different birth protocols due to COVID-19, giving birth in a hospital has probably never given pregnant women this much uncertainty. Thankfully, some moms shared their birth experiences and tips on how to go about it a little smoother.
We have an idea of what to expect before preggos are wheeled into the labor and delivery room. Details about what happens in the labor or delivery room are crucial, too, to help preggos — especially first-timers — prepare as much as they can. Discussing these with your ob-gyn also helps calm the nerves.
What to prepare before going into labor
Mom of two Jan Heather Muro Aguila worked as a nurse assisting in the delivery and operating rooms for five years before she dedicated her life to being a stay-at-home mom. Recently, she shared in our Smart Parenting Village Facebook group some tips about getting ready for childbirth. Here are a few you may be hearing for the first time:
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW1. Type and print the pertinent details for doctors and nurses.
Have you tried conversing while wearing a face mask? It's a little difficult to understand, so write or type and print these details down for better communication. Along with your admission slip, PhilHealth paper, and other necessary documents, Aguila listed the details nurses will usually ask:
- Personal details: name, age, address, religion, age, civil status, blood type, the name of your ob-gyn, anesthesiologist, and pediatrician for your baby.
- Pregnancy details: the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP), age of gestation or how many weeks are you into your pregnancy, gender of the baby, when did your contractions start, did your water bag break or leak. Also include the date of last ultrasound and any significant findings, medications you've been taking, maintenance medications (if any), vaccines you've received during pregnancy, especially if you've had the tetanus vaccine.
- Obstetric history: Is this your first pregnancy (include miscarriages, if any), and when was the last time you give birth and how? If you gave birth via C-section (CS), what was the reason?
- Medical history: indicate any food or medicine allergies, history of asthma, respiratory illness such as tuberculosis, heart ailments, and hypertension or preeclampsia.
- Laboratory results: Your doctor prescribed you to undergo some routine tests early in the pregnancy, so write down any significant results. Did you test positive for hepatitis, AIDS, or any sexually transmitted disease? Bring your results if you can. This information is crucial so that anyone who will handle your blood can protect themselves. These are also illnesses you can pass on to your baby, so doctors knowing about it will help your baby get immediate treatment.
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch now2. Prepare your hospital bag wisely.
In another post on the Smart Parenting Village, Aguila suggests you can use a maleta and dedicate one compartment for your essentials and the other for your baby. You can use a separate bag for your husband's or companion's things. (Click here for the things you need to prepare in your hospital bag for you and your baby.)
- Use ziplock bags and label them. "Ang mga tatay hindi alam kung ano ang kaibahan minsan ng swaddles sa lampin," the momof two quipped. It'll make both your lives easier.
- Use disposables. If your birth hospital doesn't provide toiletries or you want your own, opt for disposables and limit bringing home any unnecessary things from the hospital.
3. Remove nail polish in your fingernails and toenails, and refrain from wearing lipstick or cheek tints.
We all want to look decent in birth photos, but having a look at the color of your nails sans nail polish and lips "will help the medical team to assess your blood circulation during delivery," Aguila explained.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW4. Don't wear any jewelry, even your wedding ring, or dentures.
Leave your jewelry at home or give your wedding ring to your husband for safekeeping. In case you need to undergo CS, your doctors may use cautery to stop any bleeding. Any jewelry puts you at risk for electrocution. According to Aguila, you can choke on your dentures if they fall off in the middle of screaming when pushing.
5. Shave your pubic hair.
Doctors don't mind seeing your bush down there. For hygienic purposes, however, shaving pubic hair of pregnant patients giving birth is a practice in most hospitals to avoid any infection.
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