Today we had a very interesting discussion on natural childbirths. It made me think deeply about some of the conversations I keep having with expectant mothers on how to overcome the fear of labour.I think as doctors we focus very little on the psychological preparation of the expectant mother.May be we need to have support from counsellors and childbirth educators for giving more time and understanding the mother----to hear her story! We need to tell our mothers that labour is a kind of  physiologically monitored physical and psychological strenuous event in their lives which they have to deal with like any other challenging phase in their lives. They should practice regular meditation and focussed concentration breathing to divert their minds away from unfounded fear. There is nothing to fear when you are surrounded by relatives and health professionals you trust .Like they say what you believe in actually happens ,so believe in your body,mind and the ability to birth your own baby because nature has made us that way. 

What should I expect from my ultrasonologist?

Ultrasonologists and obstetricians  are having a unique relationship in private obstetric practice .It is time that they educate each other about many obstetric issues for the overall well being of the mother and baby. As an obstetrician in private practice  I feel that obstetricians and ultrasonologists are giving advice to patients independent of each other leaving the patient highly confused .Recently I saw  an ultrasound report from a renowned ultrasonologist mentioning occipitoposterior position of the baby at 38 weeks on routine scan and even telling the patient that it is an unfavourable position for normal delivery. First of all position of the baby before start of labour does not change the obstetrical management in any way. It is only the presentation cephalic or breech ( head at lower pole or not) which matters. Secondly why confuse the patient with a statement which does not alter management in any way? 90% of occipitoposterior positions will turn to the more favourable occipitoanterior position. The ultrasonologist in question felt that he was helping the patient and the obstetrician by remarking on an  additional foetal parameter .But in reality he or she implanted seeds of anxiety and fear of failure in the patient”s mind before she began her labour journey. Most of the time we as obstetricians don’t give feedback to the ultrasonologists thinking they will not understand .

By the way this patient had an uneventful vaginal delivery