Medical Team

I was attending a birth yesterday and it reminded me of the contribution a good nurse can make to a great birth outcome.  This nurse was friendly, helpful and loved to support natural births.  She really brought a sense of teamwork to the room.

This birth, as noted by the doctor who caught the baby, was such a peaceful birth.  It was so quiet in the room during the pushing (and there were about 6 members of the medical staff present) that it was funny when someone's pager suddenly announced "low battery".  In the end, everyone was able to share a wonderful birth.

The laboring mom and dad contributed the most to this working process.  But having such caring support from doctors and nurses can make such a difference to how the birth feels. 

So if you are delivering your baby at a hospital, bring the nurses a gift (they love food) and invite them to share their experience and knowledge with you to support your birth.  I always view the nurses as a wealth of information and creating a cooperate team for the laboring mom is so important.  Don't view them as someone to keep out of the room - but someone who can help give you the experience you are working to achieve.