Parkview has a team of tremendous birth planners, dedicated to helping expecting parents navigate delivery day and their hospital stay. Leslie Miller, birth planner, shares more about how these experts can help ease any questions around this special event.
At what point in the pregnancy should a mother plan a meeting with the birth planner?
Patients can contact the birth planner any time after 20 weeks gestation.
How do they go about doing so?
We encourage parents to reach out to us directly. They can get our information from their PPG – OB/GYN nurse navigator, midwife or physician. They can also submit their contact information through parkviewmom.com.
What resources can the birth planner provide?
Due to COVID restrictions, we are currently utilizing telephone appointments. This appointment is scheduled around 36-37 weeks gestation. We do as much as we can by telephone to prepare the patient for their stay with us. This can include discussing resources available through Parkview (Community Health Workers and safe sleep) and community resources (Healthy Families, WIC, etc.). We also discuss car seats, MyChart, the OB/GYN Hospitalists, breastfeeding, how to obtain a breast pump, and pediatrician/family physician options for their baby. We also make sure to provide links through the patient’s email for pre-recorded pre-natal classes and a virtual tour.
How does working with a birth planner change the delivery process?
Through birth planning, we walk through the labor process and discuss different options that a patient may or may not be interested in (coping techniques, pain management, etc). If patients aren’t sure, that’s OK. We can talk through what options they have and what to expect when they get here.
What are some unknown or unexpected benefits of working with a birth planner?
Without a doubt, one of the best benefits of working with a birth planner is having someone to listen and answer questions. Becoming a new parent can be exciting and nerve-wracking! Having specific questions answered related to what to expect (like what entrance to go to, where to check in, and so on) goes a long way for decreasing stress and anxiety.
