How can I ask my doctor whether he’ll support my decision for a natural birth? I am not sure how far my doctor’s support goes. I am 24 weeks pregnant. Each time I have asked him it he seems to beat around the bush and say things like ‘Well, we’ll see how it goes.’ My intuition tells me to run, but he’s such a nice man. Is there a more precise question I can ask him without offending him?
A: My favorite question to ask your doctor is what is his policy is regarding post-dates, i.e. how long will he allow you to go past your due date? For a normal and healthy pregnancy the current accepted standard is 2 weeks past your estimated due date. However, the policy regarding this will vary from doctor to doctor and other health factors. Compare his answer against the two-week standard. Listen to your intuition. At 24 weeks, in many cases, it is not too late to break-up with your doctor.
- Patricia Grube
Patricia Grube is a Certified Birth doula with www.serenitybirth.com. She teaches pregnancy yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles and is the co-author of the new book called Posh Push: Modern Women Reveal Secrets for a More Natural Birth.
