Born at Fairview Southdale in Minneapolis, Minnesota | A Hospital Birth Story in Photographs | Photography by Gather Birth Cooperative
There are so many ways birth can unfold, and there’s no knowing exactly how the birth of your baby will look until you are on the other side, snuggling up this little one in your arms. Birth rarely has one definitive plan. As doulas, we are there to support your birth preferences and help you make informed decisions every step of the way.
You deserve to walk away from your birth feeling empowered and supported, and one of the most important steps you can take to ensure this is to choose a provider and place of birth that attends to your unique needs and priorities.
While you won’t always be able to choose your favorite OB or midwife to attend your birth, you can pick a practice that has providers you feel comfortable with as a whole. In the Twin Cities, we have a ton of amazing options for providers, and whether you’re planning to birth in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or one of the surrounding cities, you are sure to be able to find someone who fits your needs.
A good relationship with your provider should feel like you’re working together to develop the best birth plan for your family. Your OB or midwife will be focused on you and your baby’s physical wellbeing, while also prioritizing your mental and emotional health. It’s not just about “healthy mom, healthy baby” — there is so much more that goes into it.
If your provider team doesn’t feel like a good fit, it’s okay to interview other OBs and midwives, even if you are well into your third trimester. The same can be said for the labor and delivery nurses who support you during birth. If a nurse doesn’t feel like they mesh with your birth preferences, it’s okay, and critical for the progression of your labor, to ask for a new person. Having a doula at your side is a great way to ensure that everyone in your space feels right; if there’s someone around who is bringing the wrong vibe into your birthing space, you can ask your doula to help out while you focus on the business of labor.
The birth story you see here demonstrates a family who worked intentionally to pick an OB who would not only support their labor, but prioritize their birth preferences too. This made a huge impact in a long labor where they were faced with a lot of choices. With the help of their Gather Birth team, they felt informed, supported, and positive about their birth experience.
