5 Things Labor and Delivery Nurses Wish You Knew

Reviewed by Beth Iovinelli in January 2010

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Each childbirth experience is different and unique in its own right, and as your due date draws near, you want to be prepared for what is to come. Get the inside scoop and helpful advice from those who have seen it all—labor and delivery nurses.

They're the people behind the scenes during the miracle of birth. Here, labor and delivery nurses share their wisdom, with five things they wish all soon-to-be moms knew about having a baby.

You Can't Really Plan Birth

No, most nurses don't hate birth plans. Well, maybe just a little bit.

"They are good in theory," says Krystal B.*, a Dallas-area RN who has worked in labor and delivery and is now an antepartum nurse. She explains that it's great for any woman to have an idea of how she wants to experience labor and delivery, but if you use a birth plan, it's important to stay flexible and realistic.

When preparing a birth plan, begin by talking with your health care provider, says April Boney, nurse manager for labor and delivery at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Louisiana. "One of the biggest problems we see is that parents arrive in labor with a birth plan that nobody else has ever laid eyes on," says Boney. "There might be something in there that the obstetrician doesn't agree with, or the pediatrician doesn't agree with, or even something that we can't carry out due to state laws." Your healthcare provider will also be able to help you become informed about the policies of the hospital or center where you'll be birthing—policies which affect how much of your birth plan is actually possible.

Remember that birth itself is not predictable. "Your birth plan needs to take into account that things happen during birth that you can't plan for," says Boney. Sometimes, plans must be set aside to protect your health and the health of your new baby.

You Can (and Should!) Prepare

The nurses surveyed all agree: in childbirth, knowledge is power.

"Almost any class is worth the effort," says Sara Pickett, BSN, a Chicago-area nurse. Pickett worked in labor and delivery while stationed at the Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Japan. She also taught childbirth education classes for two years.

Childbirth classes can help new parents get a realistic idea of what to expect from their labor and delivery. "No matter how many episodes of ER or A Baby Story you've watched, taking a class at your chosen facility strengthens your knowledge, both about the birthing process and about policies at that facility," says Krystal B.