BECOMING A PARENT:
Continuing Your Pregnancy
If you plan to continue your pregnancy, it is important that you begin pre-natal care with a qualified health care provider to ensure that you will continue to have a healthy pregnancy. If you are concerned that the medical care associated with a pregnancy may be too expensive for you to afford, you should know that you may be eligible for Medicaid coverage through your pregnancy and beyond. In New York, financial help is available for low-income women through the Prenatal Care Assistance Program (PCAP). For more information about PCAP and to find a healthcare provider in your area who accepts PCAP, call the Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006 (toll-free). This hotline also provides information about related pregnancy and prenatal care services. More information is available on the Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.ny.us/community/.
If you live in New York City, the NYC Department of Health’s Women’s Healthline offers free information and referrals to women on a whole range of pregnancy related issues. To reach the NYC Women’s Healthline call 800-698-0411 or 311. The Healthline’s hours of operation are weekdays, from 9 am to 9 pm, and Saturdays, from 9 am to 5 pm.
Choosing a Health Care Provider:
When planning your birth, you have options in choosing what type of health care provider you want assisting you. Options include obstetricians/gynecologists, midwives, and family practice doctors. Each of these providers is affiliated with a hospital, clinic, or birthing center. Home births are also available through some providers, where the processes of labor and birth occur at your own home.
Choosing your care provider is an important decision in determining what type of birth experience you will have. You may want to interview a few people before deciding on a provider to ensure he or she meets your birthing needs. Check out the philosophy of the hospital’s delivery department by visiting their website. Some places offer tours of their labor and delivery departments, which provide a good opportunity to ask staff about their approach to the childbirth experience. Questions to ask include: “Can you have a natural childbirth experience?” and “What type of pain control options do you have?” You can look up any complaints against specific physicians at the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professions under “Professional Misconduct and Physician Discipline” at http://www.health.state.ny.us/professionals/ or by calling 1-800-663-6114. Asking friends, family members, and neighbors for their recommendations and experiences is also a good way to learn more about area doctors.
There are several types of practitioners that deliver babies. To find out more information about the different types of birth experiences and choices available to you, explore these links:
American Association of Birth Centers (AABC)
www.birthcenters.org
3123 Gottschall Road
Perkiomenville, PA 18074
866-54-BIRTH
AABC is an organization dedicated to pregnancy, birth, labor and delivery, and other women’s healthcare and reproductive issues. Their website provides a description of birth centers and a guide to finding one near you.
American College of Nurse-Midwives
www.midwife.org
www.mymidwife.org
8403 Colesville Rd, Suite 1550
Silver Spring MD 20910
240-485-1800
The American College of Nurse-Midwives is a professional organization for certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. Their website provides more information about midwifery care and how to find a midwife in your area.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
www.acog.org
409 12th Street, SW
Washington DC 20024
202-638-5577
This professional society for obstetricians and gynecologists, which are doctors who specialize in women’s reproductive health and delivering babies, offers a listing of doctors by area.
The Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE)
www.alace.org
P.O. Box 390436
Cambridge, MA 02139
888-222-5223
ALACE is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women’s choices in childbirth. Their goal is to help women reclaim trust in their ability to safely and dependably give birth. The website provides information on where to find a doula or childbirth educator.
The Birth Survey
www.thebirthsurvey.org
The Birth Survey provides information about hospitals, birthing centers, home births, and providers as surveyed by real women who were asked to provide feedback about their birth experiences with a particular doctor or midwife and within a specific birth environment. It is created by The Transparency in Maternity Care Project, a project of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), to provide information that will help women make fully informed maternity care decisions.
Childbirth Connection
www.childbirthconnection.org
281 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10010
212-777-5000
Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization that uses research, education and advocacy to improve maternity care for all women and their families. Their website provides information and resources on planning for pregnancy, labor and birth, and the postpartum period.
Choices in Childbirth
www.choicesinchildbirth.org
441 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212-983-4122
Choices in Childbirth is a New York City based non-profit, consumer advocacy group whose mission is to improve maternity care by expectant parents with the information necessary to make fully informed decisions relating to how, where, and with whom they will give birth. The organization publishes The NY Guide to a Healthy Birth, a free resource guide that includes articles of interest, maternity care rights, Cesarean section statistics for NYC’s 44 hospitals, and Mother-Friendly maternity care providers. Choices in Childbirth has also put together a list of Questions to Ask Your Care Provider so that expectant couples can make more informed decisions when choosing a care provider and setting for their upcoming birth.
Doulas of North America
www.dona.org
P.O. Box 626
Jasper, IN 47547
888-788-DONA (3662)
Doulas are specialized (usually non-medical) healthcare providers who provide emotional, physical, and educational support during and after childbirth, including methods for relaxation during labor and help with breastfeeding. Doulas do not deliver babies, so you will still need to choose a provider who does, but Doulas can help make the birth experience more comfortable. Their website offers a listing of providers by area.
MedlinePlus: Pregnancy
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pregnancy.html
U.S. National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20894
MedlinePlus provides health information from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. Their website on pregnancy provides links to a wealth of informative resources including reports on everything from nutrition to teen pregnancy to financial issues.
