Did you know...

What causes a stalled labor?  Different things can do it but did you know that some of those things are you and your surroundings?  If you are uncomfortable with where you are, you can stall.  If you have a fear of what to expect, you can stall.  If the lights are too bright, you can stall.  If someone new walks into your room, you can stall.  It's not uncommon for a women to walk into a hospital and have her labor slow down or stall?  Why would this happen time and time again?  Many rooms are not comfortable, they are too bright, nurses you've never met, maybe the doctor on call is some man you've never seen before in your life, perhaps you are forced to lay on a bed on your back, maybe you're scared about labor/delivery/being a parent.   Did you know that way back in the day the doctor was not allowed into the room of a laboring woman until the very last moment because they knew that a man entering the room could stop/stall the labor.  Perhaps that's why husband/father's weren't allowed in the room either but they soon learned that your husband/baby's father is actually an asset while laboring because of your connection, trust and intimacy with each other.  Typically that connection, trust and intimacy is not there with your doctor...not to the extent of what you have with your partner.  The best person/people to have in a room with you to keep you calm is a woman/women, preferably  one that has children of her own.  She can relate to you, comfort you, encourage you.  What man can truly understand what you are going through?  Yet, in labor and delivery today there are men telling us what we can and can not do.  Something as simple as turning out the lights so that the woman can relax, and focus on her labor can keep it from stalling.  Something as simple as letting a woman walk around or be in any position she wants to while she labors instead of telling her she needs to be on her back (which by the way is the best position for the doctors viewing, not for laboring or delivering) can keep labor from stalling.  Educating yourself about what could happen during labor so you are prepared can help remove any fears you may have and keep labor from stalling.