Welcome to SeattleBirthNet:  Birthing In Seattle Childbirth Education and Labor Support for Expectant Families
Birthing Choices Midwife or OB? Local Birth Settings Local Cesarean Rates Before choosing a provider and place to deliver, ask a lot of questions! Ask your provider: Why do you choose to deliver there? What if you can’t be there, who will deliver my child? What is your cesarean rate? Will you allow me to eat and drink, and move around freely during labor? If I am not happy with something during labor, can I get in touch with you? How supportive are you of your patients birth plans? What can you do to help me have the type of birth I want? Ask the hospital or birth center: Does the facility offer a variety of providers? Does the facility have Labor-Delivery-Recovery-Postpartum Rooms (LDRPs) or will I be moved from a Labor- Delivery room to a Postpartum room? Will the facility’s policies restrict when my support person can be with me (husband, sister, doula)? What choices do I have if I am not getting along with the nurse assigned to me? Will the facility’s policies restrict the movement, eating, or drinking of a mom in labor? Is there a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nearby the facility? Are there nurses and providers trained in infant emergencies available throughout labor? Does the facility encourage and follow birth plans? Does the facility offer warm water therapy?   Can I birth in the tub? Does the facility offer trained assistance with lactation?