Prepare a birth plan ! You may initially think of giving birth as something that takes place in a hospital with an obgyn, getting an epidural , and finally pushing your baby out! There are actually various options, if you so choose. Speak to other women who have had babies to see what experiences they have had.

Place of Birth

You don't necessarily have to give birth in a hospital. Many women choose to have a home birth. These women generally have a doula or midwife that assists them with this birth.

This type of childbirth is going to be drug-free. If an epidural is what you want, your birth plan should include giving birth in the hospital! Only anesthesiologists are able to admister epidurals, or other pain relievers.

Epidural or Drug-Free?

It is impossible to know the type of pain or discomfort that you will feel during labor. Every woman is different, as is every pregnancy and labor . Many women have a lower tolerance for pain, while others decide that they want the experience to be as natural as possible.

If you decide that you will require some sort of pain relief, an epidural is not the only option. There are natural pain relief options that can be experimented with before you settle on medication for pain relief.

Epidurals are only one of many medical-type pain relief options that your doctor can give you. Make sure you talk to your doctor about the other types of medications that you can get to numb the pain. b>Will I Need To Be Induced?

Induction occurs when your labor is initiated artifically using certain medications or creams. If you've gone a week or two without any sign of labor , your doctor may suggest getting induced so as to not prolong the pregnancy any longer than necessary.

Should I Bank My Baby's Cord Blood?

Cord blood banking is something that needs to be decided at least a couple of weeks before the birth. This will allow for time for the cord blood bank of your choice to get all the necessary paperwork done before the blood needs to be collected and stored.

See the section on cord blood banking for more information on what cord blood banking is.

Be Prepared For Unforeseen Possibilties

These may include: the necessity to use a vacuum or forceps to aid in the delivery of the baby; a c-section in case the baby's - or your - safety is at risk.