On Nov 18^th, we held our first prenatal education seminar at the Adler Center.  The focus was third trimester and preparing for “The Big Day”.  It was very casual and a lot of great topics were discussed.  Thanks to those that came out.

I started with an explanation of who midwives are, how we practice, and what our team approach for obstetrical care is at the Adler Center for Women’s Health.  We reviewed when it is important to notify the midwife on-call for labor and nonlabor concerns.   I also covered some logistics of delivering at Potomac Hospital, their neonatal and obstetrical services, policies, and the registration process.

We discussed some basic labor information including cervical dilation, effacement, station, and fetal position.  (It’s amazing how a cervix can resemble a LifeSaver!)  We talked about the idea of a due month versus a due date and what it means to be “term” (37-42 weeks pregnant).  This included some of the concerns of delivering a baby preterm, before 37 weeks, and postterm, after 42 weeks, including fetal development, infection, respiratory problems, blood sugar instability, and placenta functioning.  I also reviewed our approach to inductions at the Adler Center and some prescription and nonprescription ways that can be utilized to promote labor for a healthy term pregnant woman.  We discussed the use of herbal supplements, home activities, gel preparations, and different methods of induction such as vaginal and intravenous medications and breaking the bag of waters.  

We had a great conversation about how you can personalize and participate in your birth experience.  We talked about coping mechanisms, pain medication options, different positions for labor and delivery, breast feeding, using a mirror, having support persons there and even participating in the birth, circumcisions, using music, episiotomies versus lacerations, hydration, cord blood banking, Group B Strep infections, meconium stained fluid, and more.  Whew!!!  Overall we strongly encourage our patients to think about and make these types of decisions prior to the day they go into labor.  Preparation is the key!  A birth plan can be a wonderful communication tool for your wishes and ideally should be discussed at a prenatal visit at least a month before your due date.  Though the C-Section rate at the Adler Center is much lower than the national average of 20-25%, we also talked about the very real possibility of having an operative delivery and how that would change your experience.

I explained the ‘Birth Story’ section of our newsletter and how you can submit a note and picture for our website to share your experience and send to family and friends.  We also talked about additional prenatal education and classes through Potomac Hospital and other community options including classes for breastfeeding, CPR, and classes for soon-to-be big brothers and sisters.  And finally we concluded with a tour of the labor and delivery, nursery, and postpartum units of the hospital.  We certainly spent more time than anticipated, but everyone’s questions were answered and a lot of important information was shared.

If you are pregnant, or planning a pregnancy soon, keep a look out for future classes on preconception and prenatal education at the Adler Center.  If you missed this class, you can check out other classes in the community that may be available to help you prepare for your “Big Day”.