Support people and witnesses

-     Partner

-     Doula

-     Friends or relatives

-     Children (during labor and/or birth)

Vaginal exams

-     At caregiver's discretion

-     At mother's request or if needed for clinical decision

-     Examiners

Labor positions

-     Caregiver's choice

-     Freedom to change positions, stand, and/or walk around

-     Postural aids (birth ball, tub, beanbag chair, or other)

-     Food and fluids

-     Eat and drink as desired

-     Clear fluids (water, juice, Popsicles) by mouth

-     Ice chips only

-     Saline or heparin lock

-     IV fluids

Emptying bladder

-     Walk to toilet

-     Bedside commode

-     Bedpan

-     Catheter

Monitoring fetal heart rate

-     Auscultation with fetoscope or stethoscope

-     Auscultation with Doptone (ultrasound stethoscope)

-     Intermittent external electronic fetal monitoring

-     Continuous with telemetry

-     Continuous electronic monitoring (internal or external)

Pain relief

Medications and medical procedures

-     Systemic medications

-     Sedatives and hypnotics

-     Tranquilizers

-     Inhalation analgesia

-     Narcotic or narcotic-like analgesics

-     Narcotic antagonists

General anesthesia

Regional and local analgesia and anesthesia

-     Standard epidural block

-     Segmental ("light") epidural block

-     Epidural or spinal (intrathecal) analgesia with narcotic or narcotic-like drugs

-     Epidural or spinal (intrathecal) narcotics followed by epidural anesthetic ("caine" drug)

-     Spinal (intrathecal) block (with "caine" drug)

-     Sterile water block

-     Paracervical block

-     Pudendal block

-     "Local" perineal block

Nonmedical comfort measures

Emotional support from partner, friends, doula, and/or staff

Relaxation, breathing, focusing, and/or visualization

Positioning, changing position, walking, rocking, and/or counterpressure

Hot or cold compresses

Water therapy (bath, whirlpool, or shower)

Massage, acupressure, or acupuncture

Hypnosis

Aromatherapy

Music

*19/292/5*

WOMEN’S HEALTH