Values Clarification when deciding on your birth team and environment
Clarifying the things that are important to you will inform the path forward for making the best choices for your birth experience. This values clarification exercise is designed as a first step to gaining clarity in making decisions for your family. Once you have a better sense of what is valuable to you, you may find it extremely beneficial to book a doula consultation to better understand the nuance of various options and how each will support your goals and wishes.
Values Clarification for choosing a Provider
Number each of the following from 1-10 with 10 having the highest value of importance to you.
Available but will not interfere unless asked
Will have a high regard for me and my partner’s knowledge and intuition
They have expertise & skills for handling complications
They have a spiritual perspective of birth
They are personable and do not take a role of authority but rather participate in shared decision making
They have a stellar reputation in the community and are referred often
They are professional and have clear communication
They charge a low fee or offer alternative payment schedules
They take insurance or Medicaid
They have had children themselves
They have been practicing for years and have attended many births in various scenarios
They have specific credentials and trainings that are important to me
They have had similar birthing experience to the experience I desire
They administer drugs, do suturing and have hospital privileges
They are competent and capable of handling emergency situations
They provide me with evidence based information and accept my choices after considering my options (Informed Consent)
They encourage personal responsibility and consult before any procedures are performed
I see medical providers as authority figures and will defer to their judgement
They support the presence and role of a doula
Values Clarification for your birth experience
Number each of the following from 1-10 with 10 having the highest value of importance to you.
Have my partner present throughout labor & birth
Have a medical doctor present
To have the baby welcomed gently(soft lighting and gentle voices)
For baby to stay with parents
To labor and birth in the same place
To be in my own home
To have the right to choose what is best for myself and my baby
To be accepting of what may happen during labor and birth
To be in peaceful and calm surroundings
To have safety equipment available
To avoid pain and have medication available
To maintain a spiritual perspective of the birth experience
To be in a birth center
To be in a hospital
To have a lay midwife present
To have a nurse midwife present
To birth in water
To eat and drink throughout labor
To birth in the position I choose
To have a doula present
To have anyone of my choosing present, including older siblings
To have access to medications and skills in the case of emergency (including hemorrhage or baby problems)
To go into labor naturally. No Induction or augmentation.
To be mobile and not confined to bed
To refuse procedures I do not want