How can I make sure my doctor supports natural birth?

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.