At the Hospital

1. You can fire your nurse! Seriously. If she’s being unsupportive have your coach request another one.

2. If they keep wanting you to have an epidural, have your coach keep insisting that you don’t one and ask them to lay off about it. If you want one, you’ll let them know.

3. This is your experience and no one else’s, don’t let anyone take that away from you! Including your spouse/mother/nurse.

4. Have your coach insist to the nurses that you not be on your back anymore than necessary. This position is NOT conducive to labor.

5. You CAN refuse an IV unless there is a need for antibiotics. Even though they will give you many arguments for one. It is basically a precaution at this point. If it becomes a necessity, they can put one in at that time. If you need an IV, request the best person at it do it. A nurse poking a needle around on you is not good for relaxation and focus.

6. Set the mood immediately. According to YOUR preferences, have the lighting lowered, the temperature set, music put on, etc. while they have you hooked up for the initial monitoring.

7. Again, DO NOT WALK! If they want you to, get on your exercise ball, lean over onto the bed, and rock sideways. Same movement with minimal effort plus the ability to relax and focus. This is the position you need to be in whether in the shower, tub, on the toilet, in a chair or beside your bed on your ball! A forward squat.

8. Keep going pee and doing a full squat every hour. It is your coaches responsibility to monitor this.