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Childbirth - what are your options?
Reviewed by Dr Philip Owen, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and Sarah Dunne,
Making a birth plan
If there are complications, your birth team will discuss these with you, plus what needs to be done to ensure a safe delivery.
They will try to follow your wishes as best they can.
Labour is unpredictable, so it's wise to keep an open mind throughout the birth.
Where to give birth?
Think about where you want to give birth. Depending on the facilities in your area and how your pregnancy is progressing, there are three main choices.
They enable women with uncomplicated pregnancies to deliver in less medically-orientated surroundings.
Such units are usually near the labour ward.
If labour isn't progressing well, transfer to the ward can be made easily.
At home
Far fewer GPs now feel confident they have the necessary skills and availability to support home deliveries. However, you can arrange care with another GP who does offer this service, if one is available.
You don't have to go through your GP to arrange a home birth - you can contact the local Midwifery Supervisor directly to discuss your options. A midwife may want to check your home, to ensure it is safe and suitable.
If your pregnancy or labour becomes complicated in any way, you will be encouraged to opt for a hospital delivery.
In a GP/midwife-run unit
A GP/midwife-run unit will usually have less sophisticated equipment than a major maternity unit, and some can't offer all methods of pain relief.
However, because they are smaller, they tend to feel more personal - the chances are much higher you will be taken care of by someone you already know.
Only women who expect to have a normal delivery will be able to use a GP/midwife-unit.
Sometimes, a GP/midwife-unit can be part of a larger hospital's maternity unit, in which case there will be facilities nearby to cope with an unexpected emergency, should one arise.
What kinds of delivery are available?
In the past, women disliked this method because they were put flat on their back with their legs up in stirrups. This meant the muscles had to work very hard and you couldn't use gravity to your advantage.
Today, the delivery bed offers a variety of options, although they are not that widely available in the UK. With a modern delivery bed, you can decide how it's adjusted to ensure maximum comfort.
Giving birth in a bean bag chair
If you find it comfortable, and you'd like to use it to give birth, it can simply be placed on the delivery bed. It also gives the midwife a good working posture.
Giving birth in water
A water birth also has to be ruled out if certain forms of pain relief are used.
Some women feel that a natural birth is of great importance and want it to take place at home. If you would prefer a home birth, you can discuss it with either your community midwife or GP.
GP/midwife-run units are widely available in the UK. They are small units where babies can be delivered by a community midwife or a local GP, rather than hospital doctors.
The birth options listed below are the ones most commonly used today. If you have any special requests, contact your local maternity ward or talk to a midwife.
This is a chair you can try out in both a lying and sitting position during labour. It has countless small beans inside the bag that support and fit themselves around your body.
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