10 ways to ask for more info during labour

Make the best choices for your birth

We are faced with making a lot of decisions for ourselves and our child during pregnancy and birth. Some couples prefer to let their obstetrician call the shots but many want to feel in control and confident of the decisions around their care.

How can you know if you are getting all the information you need to make an informed choice?
Do you understand what you have been told?
What if you feel uncomfortable with what the doctor or midwife is telling you to do?

As your doula I will find out what your preferences are for childbirth and how you feel about communicating these to your care provider.  We can role-play different styles of communication with you and your partner so that when you are faced with making a decision, you feel more confident to do so.  I will also talk about various decision making tools to assist you with the myriad of choices available to you.

​Here are 10 handy questions to get you started.

1. I don't quite understand what you mean, could you explain it a little more?
2. Can you tell me why you want to do this procedure?
3. What are the pros and cons of making this choice?
4. How will this help me achieve my goal of ______________ for my birth?
5. Are you wanting to do this because it is hospital policy or will it actually give us more info?
6. I'm not feeling 100% comfortable at the moment with what you want to do, could you please explain it step-by-step.
7. What are the other things we can try instead?
8. I want to _____________, how can you help facilitate this?
9. What is likely to happen if we wait a little longer or choose not to do this?
10. I understand the risks and benefits in this moment, but how could this choice affect me or my baby in the future?
    
    How did you approach asking your care providers for more information?  Was it something you and your partner felt comfortable with? I'd love to know in the comments below

Click on the image to receive your free printable PDF